It was a new dawn for the Imperium. A new Empress had been named, Empress Tarkin and Baron Tagge had wed in extravagant Coruscanti fashion, for the first time in two years the much of the public embraced their government and new leader, and so many of the corrupt and treasonous sat in prison for their sins, and one of the core members of the terrorist organization calling itself the Alliance to Restore the Republic lay in Inquisitorial hands
Yet for Grand Inquisitor Karl Valten there was little time for rest and peace. The Inquisitoriate never slept and never closed its eyes. Unseen by many, the ascension of Miranda Tarkin had split not only the government, but the Inquisitoriate had begun fraying. There were those Inquisitors who cried out that Valten had broken the sacred Book of Indoctrinations in his actions, accusing him a radical and traitor. The Rebel Alliance still grew bolder despite their loss…and something unseen was undermining everything that Valten had worked to create.
But still, priorities remained a key. And the security of the new Empress fell at the forefront. That Miranda Tarkin wished for the Hand to be reinstated came as no surprise. However the Grand Inquisitor fell wary of a certain individual that she had chose. He would not defy his Empress, but some things needed to be cleared in private away from the stench of politics.
And so Valten waited within the grand Cathedral towering high above the black spires of the Inquisitorial Citadel around it like an obsidian titan watching over the bright shining city-planet. His guest would be arriving shortly and he had made sure she would be well treated by his subordinates. Valten himself wore a much more casual uniform than the stiff and uncomfortable ceremonial garb that he had been forced to display these last few weeks.
Exquisite Coruscanti hors d'œuvre had been prepared and set amongst the display cases of the brightly lit Hall of Artifacts; a collection of the most rare and priceless treasures of every eon past acquired by the Inquisitoriate. Not even Imperial Center’s most prestigious museums and universities could boast such items. It represented all the grandeur and beauty the Empire had built itself on and perfected.
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