In Space, No One Can Hear You Scream

[Reinhart Thul]

Following the events of Primum Non Nocere and Hades . . .

“Wake up, Anastasia. We're here.”

Reinhart wrapped his knuckles once, twice, against the door to the passenger quarters aboard his ship. He could have opened the door with the push of a button, but that would have been impolite. He was almost certain that she was not sleeping – that she had not slept since he had handed her the data-card explaining the reason behind their departure from Coruscant to a seldom-visited dark pocket of Imperial space – but he did not like to presume too much.

Without waiting for an answer, Thul turned back the way he had come from, back towards the common area that would have been crowded with passengers if the transport had been full to capacity. As it was, the Inquisitor and his guest were joined only by their pilot, whose steady hands guided them into the docking bay of the prison barge Hades with barely a shudder of turbulence. Reinhart was gathering up what few possessions he had brought with him – small tools and gadgets which he secreted about his person – when he heard footsteps approaching from behind.

“Are you ready?”

[Anastasia Xivelle]

Thul's instincts were good, for no amount of makeup and cool compresses could entirely hide the signs of sleep deprivation the young woman was experiencing. The proposal and upcoming trip hadn't been entirely to blame, but Anastasia was hard pressed to place full guilt upon the series of datapads that had been awaiting her return to her apartment after her meeting with Reinhart.

While unexpected, she couldn't even truly admit to herself that she was surprised that the medical community had essentially blacklisted her in the course of one afternoon. The documents stating that her services were no longer required at the Fobosi District Medcenter were only mildly surprising. The other stating she was not to practice medicine on the entire planet of Coruscant was only a tad bit more so, even with its signatures of the entire Coruscanti Medical Board. It was a risk she knew she was taking with her presentation.

No, the only shocking thing she had come home to was a sudden lack of items in their usual space and an entire closet suddenly gone empty. All that remained in their place was a flimsiplast delicately scrawled in Aruebesh filled with carefully worded reasons that attempted to not sound selfish in their details of the necessities of not associating with her any longer. It was cold. Just like the unintelligible signature that had been scratched along the bottom. It reminded her of how he signed his prescription sheets. She couldn't entirely bring herself to blame him.

All in all... it had made the Empire's proposal of a position become all the more incapable of being refused. Curious...

Anastasia was forced to shove the thoughts aside as Thul's voice pierced the air that had until then been characterized by the soft hum of the ship's engine.

"Of course." The simple statement was all that was necessary to fully put herself in that mind frame as well. Whatever was in the past was there now, awash on a shore far from where she now stood. Whatever was in front of her... well... it started with the prison ship.

[Reinhart Thul]

“Good.”

He nodded and without further ceremony, gestured ahead towards the air-lock that separated their modest transport from one of the Empire's most closely guarded secrets. They passed from the shuttle itself into a decontamination area, the engine's hum now exchanged for the faint drone of the deceptively simple yet truthfully ingenuous scanning system which appraised Thul and Xivelle. The precise time of their arrival was being entered into the Hades computer system along with profile and portrait head-shots, accompanied by fragments of data and snippets of news from public sources. Standard procedure also dictated the necessity for a weapons and contraband search, this too being performed in the same subtle sweep of light across their person.

The process took a matter of moments and then the door in front of them was sliding open, to reveal a group of uniformed Stormtroopers. They stood to attention with regimental precision.

“On behalf of Captain Waite, welcome aboard sir, ma'am,” said the squad leader.

Reinhart nodded, taking a moment to glance over the squadron. They wore full battle armour and carried standard issue blaster rifles, along with the other varied accoutrements of the Stormtrooper Corps. Evidently, Captain Waite was nothing if not cautious when it came to security aboard his vessel.

“We've been given orders to escort you to your quarters,” the squad leader went on, making an admirable job of concealing his dissatisfaction with this particular assignment. “If you'd like to follow me... I have your security passes here, which will give you access to the area's of the ship the Captain has deemed necessary.”

[Anastasia Xivelle]

As she slowly looked over the small squadron that had been sent as an escort Anastasia couldn't help but smirk to herself as she reflected on how apparently she'd traded hallways filled with white lab coats for hallways filled with white armor. But still, there had to be something said for such a greeting. It immediately set the tone for the entire trip with a formality that for some reason she found herself appreciating.

"Thank you..." Her voice trailed as she searched for some form of identifying rank insignia. Not that she was familiar with them anyway, but Anastasia figured it was worth a shot.

The momentary pause was quickly recovered as she motioned for the Stormtrooper and the rest of his squad to lead onward.

[Reinhart Thul]

The squadron fell into step ahead of and behind their guests, leading the way through two sets of blast doors and into a transparisteel tunnel. Beneath them, one of the ship's cell-blocks was laid out in a hexagonal lattice that stretched as far as the eye could see. So small as to appear almost like the honeycombs of a beehive, each cell gave no hint of whether it was empty or occupied. A huge droid arm emerged from beneath the walkway.

“As you can see, sir, we keep tight control of the population aboard the Hades. Each prisoner's cell is a self-contained unit,” the squad leader explained, looking down through the tunnel's transparent walls as the claws of the mechanical arm selected one of the cells and smoothly slid it free from its moorings.

“Everything is regulated inside of their cells, even gravity,” he went on, with a nod towards the arm as it twisted upwards, turning the cell in its grasp vertical for a moment, before it swung downwards to slot the cell into a new location. “No expense has been spared to ensure the security of this facility.”

His hands folded behind his back, Reinhart nodded at the squad leader's words. “Impressive... very impressive.”

[Anastasia Xivelle]

Anastasia remained silent as they walked along, taking in the display as if it were some sort of mechanized ballet. She shared Thul's appraisal, but halfheartedly wondered if the men and women contained within the cells were worthy of such technology. While it did keep the ship itself state-of-the-art and naturally protected the guards and other personnel, she found herself intrigued to know just what the accommodations were like inside. Soon enough...

"How many have actually attempted escape?"

It had close nothing to do with the purpose of their visit, but the question had popped into her mind and demanded answering.

[Reinhart Thul]

“There were sixty-odd in the first uprising, though that was before my time here. Back when the inmates took their meals together. Some alien scum took the wardens hospitality as an opportunity to stir up trouble. That was the last time any of the ingrates got out of their cells. Last meal a lot of them ever ate.”

As they listened to the squad leaders story, the group passed from the transparisteel walkway into an enclosed corridor. The walls were bare without any signs or maps to point them towards their destination. Reinhart examined the featureless metal, wondering if there were small imperfections that the Stormtroopers could see, allowing them to distinguish one corridor from another. More than likely, they had walked the same path so many times that the floor-plan of the Hades was etched firmly in their minds.

They turned a corner, passing another identically armoured patrol, and the 'trooper went on. “I don't suppose anyone would have wanted to eat in the cafeteria after what went on. Messy business.”

Thul nodded. In the Empire's military academies, he had witnessed first hand the consequences of dissension. Few and far between were the commanders who believed that mercy was a better teacher than fear.

“And the second uprising?”

A murmur of laughter came from one of the 'troopers behind Reinhart. The ghost of a smile upturned his lips.

[Anastasia Xivelle]

Identical corridors, identical patrols, it was a far cry from the city that Anastasia had not only grown up in, but had called home until Reinhart had ever-so-gracefully torn apart her life. Not that she blamed him... that sole pleasure still resided squarely upon herself.

The laugh of the troopers bothered her for some reason. Maybe it was that she actually wanted details from them. Half stories were never very interesting. Though Anastasia did have to consider the fact that maybe it was that she had never expected such a thing to be possible.

The woman forced a smile upon her lips for an instant before looking back to the cells as another was moved from one block to another.

"How often do the inmates receive routine medical care?"

[Reinhart Thul]

“Each cell aboard the Hades is under continuous observation. The conditions inside the cell are automatically monitored and regulated, depending on the inmates species, and the inmates life-signs are scanned every half-hour. We have medical droids on board, but they're mostly used by the crew. An inmate wouldn't get a check-up unless the routine scans turned up something unusual.”

Reinhart nodded softly along with their guides words. Each step forward in technology moved the Empire towards complete automation. It wasn't unthinkable that ships like the Hades should be operating without a crew in the not too distant future, with an artificial intelligence ensuring that its inmates were given the necessary nutrients and chemicals to keep them alive and relatively healthy.

“Captain Waite is aware that our purpose here necessitates access to a genetically diverse group of inmates who are in good health, both physically and psychologically. Have the inmates we'll be making use of been pre-selected already?”

There was a pause before an answer came.

“I wouldn't know about that, sir. Once you have your key-cards, you should be able to access the terminals in your quarters. Everything you need to know should be available on there.”

“Ah,” Thul said. “So, Captain Waite won't be joining us?”

“Not to my knowledge, sir.”

Of course. Reinhart's reputation preceded him, in this instance as in so many others. There were not many captains who would welcome an Inquisitor aboard their ship with open arms. Ryden Waite had elected to provide his guest with board and what limited access and resources would be needed to allow the Inquisitor and his companion to go about their business. Anything more than that was unnecessary.

They came to a halt in front of an unassuming doorway, which the squad leader opened with a swipe card. “Here we are, sir, ma'am. These will be your quarters. Further on down this corridor you'll find a security check-point, which you will need to pass through on your way to cell-block access and the, ah, Hades interrogation facilities.”

[Anastasia Xivelle]

The small pause in the mention of the interrogation facilities wasn't lost on her. But the significance thereof was. Maybe it was simply that they had been used lately, but Anastasia couldn't help but feel they were less for interrogation and more for forceful intimidation... but really, when wasn't that actually the case? She momentarily let her gaze linger down the corridor that would eventually lead to the facilities, pondering the possibility of their infamy.

The passing exchange of formal pleasantries between Reinhart and the commanding trooper before the exit of small patrol was only barely registered as she scanned the corridor for something, anything, really. Since they had arrived on the Hades she couldn't get over the underlying discomfort she felt at not being able to really get a feel for the place. Even with the footsteps of the troopers growing more distant, the sensation still couldn't be shaken.

A small glance at Reinhart and she shook her head slightly. "Not that I know what I was expecting, but it certainly wasn't all this. The Captain could use a reminder that not everyone who boards his ship is a criminal..."

Anastasia's tone wasn't exactly one of complaint, but it certainly wasn't free of ill intent. She took a breath and let it out in a quick audible manner that didn't quite hit upon frustration. Another smile was forced.

"Well then, since all the pomp is over, maybe we can get down to business? Providing that I'll be allowed to know exactly what all that pertains to, of course."

[Reinhart Thul]

“Ordinarily, when people like me come to places like this, we're here to investigate reports of negligence or corruption within the crew. Perhaps Captain Waite has.. a guilty conscience.”

Reinhart smiled and took a step into their quarters. There were two beds with a screen between them that looked as if it had been re-purposed from sick-bay. Evidently, the Hades didn't entertain a lot of guests. Either that, or Captain Waite doesn't want us to get comfortable. Reinhart was inclined to believe the latter. There was little else in the room, besides the door to an incredibly basic 'fresher unit and a desk-mounted computer terminal, which had to be almost older than Reinhart himself.

“I wish I could say we were here to test your theories about the Force, but that investigation will have to wait for another day,” Thul said, picking up a datacard that lay alongside the computer terminal. He thumbed it to life and scanned over a brief message from the Captain, welcoming the two of them aboard and apologising that he could not be involved in their work. If Ryden Waite knew what Thul was planning, he would have been falling over himself to offer thanks that his inclusion was not necessary.

“Our primary task is the questioning and observation of inmates,” he went on, powering off the datacard and setting it aside. “There is potentially a lot to be learned here, in that regard, though the.. investigative skills of the Hades crew are apparently lacking in that certain something necessary to tease the truth into the light.”

[Anastasia Xivelle]

Anastasia wasn't quite sure what to make of their meager accommodations, but whatever form of disappointment she may have felt over that was quickly overridden by the pang she felt at knowing their purpose there would have nothing to do with her life's work. She was forced to push that aside however as Reinhart continued.

"Truth serums?" Obviously the prison wouldn't be lacking in any physical means of persuasion, but even then Anastasia had a hard time believing the Empire wouldn't grant access to use such things as OV600 or Bravo Six on a bunch of inmates. Of course... there was another possibility...

"Don't tell me they've been overused to where the residents have some sort of resistance to it." There hadn't been many reports on such things, but if that was what they were here to study... well, Anastasia could only begin to contemplate what the next step the Empire might take would be.

[Reinhart Thul]

Thul weighed that possibility with a half-nod.

“To an extent, perhaps. Though we have been studying alien life since the oldest days of the Republic, our understanding of xenobiology is still limited at best.”

With a touch, he brought their computer terminal to life. It whirred softly as it booted up. “Aside from the biological diversity of their inmates, the staff of the Hades have to contend with individuals who anticipated being here. Some have been trained to resist typical interrogation techniques. Others seem to be able to.. compartmentalise their memories, like a trauma victim – storing away what they don't want to remember in a part of their subconscious that even they can't reach.”

Thul parted his hands, palms up-turned, in a gesture of apparent surrender. Perching on the edge of their desk, he then folded his hands together.

“It's this particularly sophisticated class of criminal that we're going to be dealing with. There have been previous attempts to crack each of the subjects we'll be dealing with, but this is the first time that anyone has been given carte blanche. How we approach this.. is largely down to you.”

[Anastasia Xivelle]

It all made sense, truly. Anastasia should have known from the beginning that a facility like the Hades was never meant to hold your typical brand of scum. Only the most dangerous of individuals would be contained in a place like this... and real threats rarely ever came in the form of bulky beings who could tear your arm off without so much as breaking a sweat. Though Anastasia was certain that the Hades had its fill of that type as well. No, she suspected that Reinhart was referring to those that were infinitely more frightening than those that could out-muscle the Empire's finest: Those that could out-think them.

"Political prisoners..." She mused more to herself than to receive a confirmation.

"But why me? You already stated that this is a far cry from my area of expertise and study. Sure, I'm familiar with the basics of what you refer to... but I hardly see how I'm qualified to be a determining factor on how we proceed." There had to be a catch, there was always a catch.

Anastasia frowned slightly in thought, it didn't vanish as a realization came to her slowly. "This is a test of some sorts." It wasn't a question, yet she paused long enough to see if Thul would validate her theory.

[Reinhart Thul]

“Officially, yes. Unofficially, I want you to have a chance to.. stretch your legs, as it were.”

Within the Core – and on Coruscant especially – people in Anatasia's position were largely governed and reviewed by their peers. Those who were not found themselves bound by the constraints of corporations, working towards fixed goals without any flexibility. Without those rails to guide her, how would Anastasia Xivelle behave? What lengths would she go to – and, perhaps more importantly, what steps would she refuse to take? These were all questions that Reinhart needed to know the answers to.

“The Hades presents a rare opportunity for you to test yourself.”

[Anastasia Xivelle]

"Fair enough."

It was an interesting proposition, working without limitations. And while it wasn't exactly in her chosen field of study, there were always lessons that could be taken away from an exercise such as this and applied to other areas when the opportunity arose. Not only could she test herself, but the simple concept of interrogation could be used to see just how far a person could be pushed. Especially if they were used to such things.

"So when do we start?"

Another glance at their meager accommodations was enough to reinforce whatever anticipation had blossomed with Thul's explanation.

[Reinhart Thul]

“Whenever you're ready.”

Thul turned to the computer terminal and ran his security key card through its reader. With a few keystrokes, he accessed a list of names – the roster of inmates that Captain Waite had elected to provide his guests with access to. Each prisoner was linked to a unique identification code.

7-6359721 – TAVELL, SHALA
6-9672384 – ARALUU, AREN
2-6738129 – LORENSKAE, NORILL
4-7954461 – PASSIK, NA'STEC
4-2513193 – BELARGIC, DASQUIAN
3-1153694 – GENNAN, SHAK
6-6983671 – MRALNOR
1-5282151 – FEEVA, KEEINA
5-3496135 – PLO'REL, VURLIAM

Thul glanced up at Anastasia. “Transferring an inmate from their cell to the interrogation facilities may take some time. If you'd like to get started right away, we can choose our first subject now and head straight through the security check-point to get ourselves prepared.”

[Anastasia Xivelle]

"Good idea."

Her eyes wandered the list slowly, actually taking the time to read each as opposed to just glancing over. She hadn't expected anything to really catch her eye, give her pause... but she was dead wrong.

4-2513193 – BELARGIC, DASQUIAN

It wasn't possible. Was it? She looked to Thul with obvious question. He had to know the list as well. And handing her such a loaded thing was... well... he just couldn't expect her to not ask.

"4-2513193. Anything you want to tell me? Like how it is we'll be dealing with a supposed dead terrorist?"

[Reinhart Thul]

“Mr. Belargic is dead, as far as the galaxy at large is concerned.”

Thul looked directly back into the eyes that were staring at him with more than a hint of incredulity. It had been a calculated move on his part to include the Rebel spy in their pool of test subjects. He was not the only name of note on the list, but he was perhaps the most infamous.

“Would you like to make him your first subject?”

[Anastasia Xivelle]

New lesson of the day: Yes The Empire had its secrets and yes you will learn them if they deem you worthy and yes you are going to keep them.

Anastasia looked away from Reinhart and back to the terminal, going over the list once more before turning back to him. There was another test here, she could feel it.

"Yes. I believe he would be a perfect starting point."

All there was now was to hope was that she had picked correctly.