Infiltration of the Imperial Palace

[GuardPiett]

DSA, this is an open thread. I welcome any other people that would like to read this thread. Ogre, if you would, i would like you to delete al of DSA's posts arguing that point, if you will. thankyou.

[Firebird1]

*Now in desguise, Firebird1 walks toward the main computer bay, which is guraded by two stormtroopers.*

Stormtrooper#1: What are you doing, this is a restricted area.
Firebird1: The Grand Moff wants a report on this computers systems..
*Firebird1 inserts a small disk into the computer, it begins to place something into the Imperial Mainframe, a pair of viruses, the first one embeds itself into the Imperial programming, then vanishes. The second one goes into the Imperial programming, but it does not activate. Firebird1 then finds the infomation he needs, and stores it on his disk. Once all this is compleated, Firebird1 places the disk into his comm on his arm and begins to leave the area.*
Stormtrooper#1: Hay aren't you supposed to go back there and check the main processor?
Firebird1: Sure...
*Firebird1 and the stormtrooper head to the back, where Firebird1 opens the door, and kicks the stormtrooper to the ground, and kicks him in the face, knocking him out cold. Firebird1 then leaves the area.*

[Dark Side Adept 327]

*Dark Side Adept 327 strides through the corridors of the Imperial Palace, intent on reaching his destination quickly. His plain black Sith robes betray his power, as he is one who is quite strong in the force."

*As always, DSA stays well away from the Eastern Wing of the Palace, as Director Isard and her many pet ysalamiri prefer to dwell there. That caniving wench is one whom DSA would ultimately prefer not to consort with, but these days, sacrifices must be made, for the good of the Empire.*

*As DSA walks, he feels the slightest ripple in the force. He glances at a nearby holo surveillance display, and uses his datapad to skim through the standard channels, searching for something out of the ordinary.*

*The holoscreen continues skimming through channels, but one particular frame catches DSA's attention. He backtracks a bit, and sees a man standing at a computer console next to a Stormtrooper. The force ripple seems to be originating from him.*

*DSA pulls out a comlink, setting it to the holofrequency of the palace's security commandant. A 1 foot tall holograph of a thin, sharp man appears directly before DSA, seemingly floating in the air, his shimmering blue image originating from DSA's datapad.*

"General Dangor, we have a second intruder."
"A Second one? Which sector?"
"Sector B1-Black. He may have tapped into the computer core."
"I copy. I will send down Techs and Crypt personnel immadiately."
"You may need something more, General Dangor. Use the Sentinel droids and your Cortosis SD-10s. The man is skilled in the Jedi Arts, whoever he is."
"Aye, sir. We'll catch this infiltrator, as well."
the General begins to grin.

"The detention block is going to be full tonight, My Lord."
"Indeed. Adept out."

*DSA resumes striding down the corridor, but comes to a sudden halt. His Sith senses tell him that there is a presence near him. A presense which seems vaguely...familiar. Unfortuneately, the dimly lit corridor does not betray the being's presence.*

*DSA ignites his Lightsaber, using it as a glowrod to find this...presence. His eyes go wide as the Crimson Lightsaber reveals a similarly colored Imperial Guard hiding in the shadows, perhaps waiting to attack. The Guard holds a small vibroblade strongly in his hands, obviously ready to strike.*

"Piett?!"
DSA asks, remembering his old peer.
The man does not answer.

[GuardPiett]

Well well well, if it isnt the Adept. . . . So we meet again, eh? I remeber what you said. And IM not going to meet my maker, no, quite the opposite . . Have any last requests? I suppose not. You were always so stubborn . .

DSA: It seems that I'm the one with the lightsaber here, and you with nothing but a vibroblade.

GP: Yes but I have another thing, too. . .

DSA:. . .

GP: The element of surprise.

*Piett runs and makes a jump, extending his foot and catching DSA accros the face full-blown. With two 45 degree angled cuts, DSA has two neat rep lines accros his face. He growls and Picks up piett, hurtling him forward. Piett recoils off the wall, and lands softly a few feet away from DSA. Piett grins slightly, and automatically feels that the guards with ysalamiri have moved mere inches, but its enough for Piett to step out of the buble, and piett sends a laser of force energy at DSA . . kind of like this: <img src=http://smilecwm.tripod.com/ut2/Instagib.gif> Well, maybe not EXACTLY like that, but you get the picture.

[Dark Side Adept 327]

*A squad of Cortosis-plated SD-10s appear in the large corridors of the Imperial Palace, rapidly homing in on Firebird1.*

"Cease your activities. We are authorized to use deadly force." Is the automated message which eminates from a speaker on the lead SD-10.

--Meanwhile, back with Adept and GuardPiett--

*Adept hops into the air, barely avoiding having his legs chopped to bits by Piett's vibroblade.*

"Piett, you should not have left. You could have controlled so much, had so much power."

*Adept swings his Lightsaber down towards Piett's vibroblade, slicing it neatly in two. Unfortuneately for Piett, the blade begins melting, so he is forced to discard the ruined weapon.*

[GuardPiett]

*Piett closes his eyes and meditates. All around him freezes, as if time itself was stopped. the only moving things were the eyes of DSA, shifting to look at Piett. A sort of glow seems to form behind Piett's pupils. and the ceiling above him glows a sickly red. All of a sudden, a huge beam of energy bursts from the roof down at piett, who seems unharmed. For a second, he stands there, glowing, and then in one fateful second it all channels out at DSA, and time is unfrozen. DSA superman-style leaps away, but it is not quick enough. All of a sudden, inches away from destroying DSA, three stormtroopers run in, and the ysalamiri cause the blast to . . dissappear. Piett frowns and dives at a wide eyed DSA. He bats the lightsaber ot of Adept's hand, and uppercuts Adept. He then sprints to the lightsaber, and steps on it, crushing the emiter, and rendering the blade useless. He picks it up and casually tosses it at Adept, who catches it and throws it behing him.*

[Dark Side Adept 327]

"MY LIGHTSABER!"
"Do you know how difficult it was to find an emitter of such high quality? You, Piett, will burn for this!"

*Adept raises a hand, and a nearby tool is flung towards Piett, hitting him in the back of his head. As Adept watches Piett fall down, rendered momentarily unconscious, he commandeers a blaster from one of the nearby Stormtroopers, and pumps four stun bolts into Piett's body.*

"Take him away! You have a good thirty timeparts to secure him in a detention block before he awakens."

*DSA orders the stormtroopers, giving the one back his blaster rifle.*

[Director Isard]

*As DSA stands there catching his breath, Isard steps out of an adjacent room, clapping her hands together twice, loudly, in applause*

"That was very well done, Dark Sider - a little bit of a close call, but well done." she sneers at him.

*DSA turns around, and watches her out of the narrow slits of his eyes*

"So it was you I sensed!"
"Perceptive, perceptive...so those vaunted Force skills really seem to have some kind of use - even, as our illustrous prisoner just showed, if that's not always the case. "

DSA snaps at her: "Stop this ridiculous bickering! You know well enough what the Force can do, considering what company you keep. You wouldn't surround yourself with so many ysalamiri if you wouldn't fear the Force." He flashes a confident and rare grin at her. "But obviously you seem to trust it - and me - well enough, if you dare to come down here without your little pets. What do you want?"

*Isard's eyes seem to blaze with fury for a short second, then she finds her calm. If it wasn't the Emperor's wish for her to work together with DSA on this case, she would have brought an entire legion of troopers - possible a few guards - and a hundred ysalamiri, and done away with this dangerous man. But it wasn't to be. Not yet, anyway.*

"I came simply to remind you to leave the prisoner alive. The Emperor wishes to see him, still." After a moment, she adds: "And to thank you for catching him him again. My people seemed to have made a mess of things."

*She turns around and walks back to her office, and calls back over her shoulder.*
"Would you like to witness the interrogation of this prisoner?"

[Dark Side Adept 327]

*Adept glares at Isard, trying his best to show a greatness of disdain for the conniving woman.*

"Your thoughts betray you, witch. It does not take a Sith Adept to know that you would attempt to do away with me the moment I had become useless to you. I just hope you know that nothing-not even your vaunted pets the ysalamiri, can vanquish me, or any other disciple of the Dark Side of the Force."

*He continues glaring at Isard, his eyes bright with fury. He raises a hand towards Isard, and suddenly the woman finds it impossible to breath, as her esophagus has suddenly been shattered.*

"You will heed my advice. If you attempt to destroy me, now or ever, I will break you in two. You will not seriously harm Piett. The Emperor wants him alive, and so do I. There was a time when he served us, and we are confident that with a bit of persuasion, he may be able to do so again."

*Adept clenches a fist, and Isard's breathing returns to normal.*

"Do not fail us, woman. Do whatever you must, but the end result must be Piett's return to the Empire."

"Now, go. I will retire to my chambers."

[Director Isard]

*as Isard watches him walk away, she glares after him, venomously, but tries to blank her thoughts as well as she can.

As soon as DSA has dissappeared into darkness, she slumps against the wall. That hurt a lot more than she would have let him see.

DSA is making a mistake thinking that he can do what he wants with me. I have the Emperor's ear - he will not stand for it if DSA openly goes against me. So, from now on, I will have to keep myself carefully surrounded by ysalamiri - this will not happen again!

*Painfully, she straightens up again, and stalks away. As she walks, she takes out a comm-link and activates it*

Isard: "Dr. Quill, I need you down in the interrogation chamber immediately!"
Male voice: "I will be there presently, Madame Director. What are we treating this time?"
Isard: "Just bring the basics - this one has to stay alive, and at least outwardly looking alright. The Emperor wants to have a look at him when we're finished."
Male voice: "Yes, Madame Director."

Isard hurries off.

[Dark Side Adept 327]

General Ars Dangor stands near a captive Firebird1. The latter is being held upright by a Cortosis ore-plated SD-10. There is shrapnel located everywhere-all from Sentinel droids destroyed at the hands of Firebird1.

Dangor begins speaking.

"I'm sorry, Firebird1, if that's your real name. You see, the palace has this policy of 'no intruders allowed', especially the ones that try to implant a virus in our computers. Our Cortosis-ore plated SD-10 War Droids help us to reinforce this policy."

He continues.

"Since the detention blocks today are relatively crowded, we're going to let you off with a warning."

The droid, still holding Firebird1, proceeds to the nearest Evacuation pod, and throws Firebird1 into it. The War Droid activates the Evac pod, and the device which is intended for catastrophes roars into space rather unceremoniously.

[c]--Meanwhile, back at Adept's Chambers--[/c]

Dark Side Adept sits at his work bench, working obsessedly to reconstruct his lightsaber, or at least salvage the old parts and build a new one.

He reaches up to a shelf, grabbing a spare lightsaber hilt, this one constructed from a rare type of durasteel alloy which is quite durable, as its name partly suggests.

The innards from the old lightsaber are removed, with exception to the faulty emitter which was so unceremoniously smashed by his fellow peer.

All the parts except for the emitter are carefully placed inside the new hilt, as DSA scavenges around his bench, looking for a replacement emitter, or at least parts with which DSA can repair the old one.

Finally, after scrounging for quite some time, DSA digs out a replacement part, plying the old piece off and installing the new part. DSA reassembles the cherished piece of equipment carefully, making sure nothing is damaged or mishandled.

As the power cell is replaced in its small storage compartment, DSA begins to tap into the force for the final stage of reinstallation. He concentrates, giving in to his anger. He imagines the lightsaber in his mind, its casing mildly exposed on two ends. He concentrates further, as the force gives him the power to melt both exposed ends slightly, soldering them together.

That step complete, he takes the lightsaber in his hand, examining it for any possible errors in construction which could possibly lead to injury. Finding none, he flips the power switch, and with a sharp snap-hiss, a Crimson blade emerges from the emitter. DSA makes a few final changes, extending the blade to a length of 1 meter, then switches the blade off, satisfied.

"Piett, my old friend. Perhaps I may further test my lightsaber on you."

[Firebird1]

*Firebird1 wonders why DSA just kicked out one of his own Stormtroopers.*
OOC: You idiot that was my stunt double!!!!j/k I'm trying to see where the story is heading, and wait for me to reply next time...ok? If you all are going to be sticklers on it so am I.
IC:*Firebird1 walks behind DSA. DSA doesn't notice him because of Firebird1's desguise. Firebird1 thinks to himself So Piett has gotten himself into trouble, well lets see if this will help him out.. Firebird1 twists his wrist, and sends a command to the second Virus, causing all the power to go out in the building. Firebird1 pulls out a small knife, and makes sure that all the stormtroopers in the area are no longer a threat.*

[Director Isard]

*When Isard enters the Interrogation chamber, she encounters Dr Quill, who is standing at a high desk on which several very nasty, oldfashioned instruments are lying: A long sword-like instrument with a sharp double-hook, small pincers, several sharp knives, a syringe filled with a black liquid are just a few amongst many.
Isard nods at Quill*

Isard: "Doctor, I hope you are prepared well for this particular prisoner. He has some rather annoying skills. He is a Sith, and his training as an Imperial Guard have augmented his powers in ways that escape the ysalamiri effect. Do you think your skills are sufficient to hold him in check?"
Quill: "That," he points to the syringe with the black liquid, "should be efficient enough to render him powerless. I've used it before on such as he, and found it working wonders. He can't escape his bonds."
Isard: "I certainly hope so. He managed to escape our grasp twice already, and the Emperor counts on us now to keep him subdued. I have no doubt that the Emperor couldn't deal with one such as him, were he to regain his full strength in his presence, but I do not wish to find out the hard way. What is this concotion of yours?"
Quill: "It is essence of Piranha beetle brain-fluid. Our Emperor himself has provided the beetles, and notified us of the strange effects of this liquid. This will turn even the most powerful Force-user in nothing but a twitching, weak thing, with no power over his own thoughts. We will be able to interrogate him and have his full co-operation."
Isard: "Twitching? Quill, I told you he has to be in a presentable state when we bring him before the Emperor!"
Quill: "Ah yes, Madame Director, but it takes but a single shot of an antidote to make stop the twitches, but keep him weak for as long as we need. See? The Antidote I will give him also has some side-effects that will keep him under control. I promise, he will be presentable - and docile - when I finish with him."

*Isard looks around the chamber, takes in the narrow durasteel cage in which the prisoner will be put, the cages of ysalamiri around it - for additional safety, should the prisoner regain consiousness before being put into the cage - the heavy blast doors of the chamber with no locking mechanism inside the room, and nods to Quill.*

Isard: "Everything is ready to receive the prisoner? How is the locking mechanism of this chamber managed?"
Quill: "My assistant outside has orders not to unlock the doors for the next four standard hours. If the prisoner should withstand the treatment by any means, and gain control of us, he will not be able to get out of this chamber. My assistant is keeping an eye on our progress from a holocam inside, and I believe he is sufficiently removed from hre for the prisoner not to be able to manipulate him in any way - besides, my assistant has some Force-powers himself."
Isard: "Your thoughtfulness in this matter is to be commended, Doctor. Let us hope it is good enough."

*She activates her comm-link*

Isard: "Jekaan, how is our prisoner doing?"
Jekaan: "He is still unconscious, Madame Director."
Isard: "Are you sure of that? He might feint unconsciousness."
Jekaan: "I am sure, Madame Director. There are ten Imperial Guards with us, and every five minutes, they stun him again. Should we bring him in now?"
Isard: "Yes. But take care that he does not escape you again. You have already underestimated his powers before - do it again, and it will cost you your life."
Jekaan: "I will make sure of his safe transfer."

*Isard puts her comm-link away again*

*Barely five minutes later, the blast doors open to admit ten Imperial Guards dragging the limp body of Piett with them in their midst. Piett remains unconscious as he is being put into the cage.*

*Isard motions for Jekaan to approach her*

Isard: "Do we have any Force-adepts at service right now?"
Jekaan: (thinks this over for a moment) "I believe we have one, yes. It's a rather new recruit, but i believe he will be sufficient. What will you have him do?"
Isard: "Send him to keep an eye on DSA. I don't want that Dark-Sider to interrupt us at a bad time. Make sure he stays where he is, or if he leaves his room, then that he doesn't get anywhere near our good Doctor's assistant who can open these doors."
Jekaan: "Immediately, Director."

*Jekaan motions for the Guards to come with him, having strapped Piett into the cage and secured him tightly. They leave the room.

*the blast doors slam close after them with a loud bang.*

Isard: "Let us proceed, Doctor."

*Quill takes up his syringe and injects the limp Piett with it. For a long moment, nothing happens, then suddenly, Piett's body starts to twitch uncontrollably.*

Quill: "We have him, Madame Director."

*suddenly, the lights go out, and there is an eerie silence in the chamber, that is only distrubed by the small rustlings of cloth coming from Piett's cage*

Quill: "Madame Director? What has happened?"
Isard: "The power is cut. It seems fortunate for us. No one can get in, and no one can get out. And I can reboot the power generator from here."

*In the dark, there is a small mechanical noise, then the lights flicker for a second before they turn on again. Everything is still in place.*

[Dark Side Adept 327]

DSA is resting in his formcouch, reading the classic edition of Our Emperor's Wisdom when the lights cut out. Slightly peeved, Adept is about to reach for his comlink, when he catches a slight movement in the darkness near his doorway.

"Who's there?"
Adept calls out.
No answer.

"By the spirit of Naga Sadow, you will regret having snuck into my quarters!"
Adept ignites his lightsaber. He steps towards the point where he saw the movement. Soon, the glow of his lightsaber reveals the intruder.

The intruder is a tall, skinny man, wearing a purple cloak.

Adept uses an ancient Sith Interrogation technique in his mind, calling upon long-dead Sith lords. He asks his question, confident that he will receive the correct answer.

"Who sent you to spy on me?"

The man curls his lips around in a sharp grin, hoping to lie to Adept, to no avail.
"Isard."

The man's eyes go wide with disbelief, as he did not intend to speak the truth so readily.
Adept walks over to his workbench and a certain tool, one which he fits around his hand. The tool is a surgical pipette, and Adept dips the sharp end of it into a syrum, filling the pipette.

Adept walks over to the man, and stabs him in the gut with the sharp end of the pipette, depressing a small lever on his tool as he does so. The man is unable to move, Adept's grip is so great on him.

Adept retracts the pipette from the man's flesh slowly, grinding the pipette and rotating it, allowing it to tear the flesh open quite nastily.

"Go back to Isard. Do not worry about your wound. I will give you strength enough to walk 'till you reach the infirmary."

The man, suffering from a serious stomach wound, straggles on, driven by the power of the dark side.

[c]--Meanwhile, back in Isard's Interrogation Room--[/c]

Isard stands with Dr. Quill, interrogating their prisoner, Piett. Out of nowhere, they hear a banging on the door. Isard activates the doorway holocam, hoping to get a glimpse of the suicidal fool who would dare interrupt her activities.

It is Javson, the man who was sent to spy on DSA. He must be here to report to me., Thinks Isard. The door is activated, and Javson stumbles inside, bleeding horribly from a stomach wound.

Isard removes a comlink from her belt, thumbing it to the channel of the palace medteam.
"Code blue. We have an agent seriously wounded. Report to Sector 12 Zeta."
Isard is barely able to finish her sentence, as she hears a terrifyingly loud explosion.

She turns about, expecting to see one of the dangerously volatile interrogation drugs leaking from its designated container, but instead finds a pool of blood and nearly liquefied small intestine where Javson used to be. As she looks around the room, she discovers that her uniform is drenched in blood, along with many other things that make up the human body. It is the same for Dr. Quill. She barely stifles a scream which would have been wildly out of character.

Her colleague, the doctor, is unfortunately not so well disciplined. His shouts of terror echo through the hallways, as he had been staring directly at Javson when the man exploded.

Isard walks extremely cautiously up to the pool of poor Javson's remains, and scans it with a medical datapad.

"Highly unstable Nitroglyceride. Adept did this. He injected my agent with an explosive chemical, then destroyed him in front of my very eyes. He will pay."

Isard again glances at her uniform, barely able to stifle a scream. Quill is still not so disciplined, and his screams are still very audible.

[Director Isard]

*Isard swallows hard, once, and regains her equillibrium. Then she snaps at Quill*

"Quill! DAMN IT MAN! shut up! I'd think you've seen worse than this!"

*Quill shudders uncontrollably, and his screams subside in volume, but not entirely.*

*Isard walks over to him, and points a blaster at his face*

*Quill quietens down immediately, exchanging one horror for another. But he can deal better with this one.*

Quill: "Y-y-es, M-madame Director."
Isard: "Now get on with your work."

*Quill redirects his focus on the prisoner who is still twitching in his cage, oblivious to the carnage around him*

*Isard speaks into her comm-link*

Isard: "Jekaan! Get down here! Bring a squad down immediately and have them re-inforce those blast doors with a Cortosis screen!"
Jekaan: "Yes, Madame Director. What happened? We heard an explosion, and I wasn't sure what happened to you."
Isard: "A man exploded. Fortunately nothing happened to the prisoner. We want to keep it that way, so get that screen up NOW!"

*She ends the conversation, and punches in another code*

Isard: "DSA! Very sorry to bother you, but your little surprise has made me wary. I need your services!"
DSA: "Isard! So good to see you're still amongst the living," he says with a sugary tone that is very obviously false, "we wouldn't want to loose you!"
Isard: "Your concern is noted. Now, as you so obviously had no problem getting your surprise in, I think having you down here to guard the door would be an excellent idea, wouldn't it?"
DSA: "Of course, Madame Director, I will come immediately! Whatever your wish might be." he sneers.
Isard: "That's good. I'm sure the Emperor will find ways to reward your service in this matter."

*She cuts the conversation off before he can put in another jibe.*

Isard: "Now, Doctor, let's continue this little operation."

[Dark Side Adept 327]

Adept arrives outisde the door of Isard and her pet Quill's torture chamber.

of course my Emperor would find a way to reward my service-he tought me that move.

Adept waits next to the door for a few minutes, then decides that this is bull%#$& and walks back to his chambers to finish his novel.

That wench Isard can have a combat droid and an ysalamiri sit by her door. If I remain near her for too long there's too good of a chance that I'll kill her myself.

[Director Isard]

*Isard walks over to Piett in his cage, and glares at him with unsupressed hatred. She watches his twitching body as he shows the first signs of regaining his consciousness*

Quill: "This is the interesting part, Madame Director. Now we will see him regaining his consciousness - only to find that he has no control over his body, and no way to control his thoughts. It's a really beautiful effect, you will see."

*Isard bends lower to look Piett into slowly re-focusing eyes*

*Piett spits at her*

*Isard strikes out at him and slaps him hard across the face, then turns around to Quill, and says menacingly*

"It doesn't seem to have the desired effect with him, Doctor. Why is that?"

[Dr Quill]

*looks down at an evil looking bag*

"I have some nice nerve-induction equipment."

*places some patches on sensitive areas*

"He'll feel some exquisite agony for a few minutes, but it won't do enough physical damage so that we lose him. Let's let him feel a bit of it!"

*an evil glint shows for a moment before he hoods his eyes*

"Notice the involuntary twitches in the nerves of the face. Looks like he's trying to move his mouth. Of course, he can't speak until I turn the power down."

*the man slowly recovers*

"And now, Piett, wouldn't you like to tell us what you're after here? And unless you'd like a higher power setting, you might tell us who it was that sent you."

[Director Isard]

*it takes Piett a moment to gather his thoughts, but somehow he feels certain that it would be stupid to withhold information - even he can't match the skills of the Emperor and his servants. So he resolves for the moment to play this game - it may well be that he will get a better chance later, if he now co-operates.*

Piett: "No one sent me. I came here for my own reasons."
Isard: "Which are?"
Piett: "There is some information in the Datafiles of the Palace that I would like to see destroyed."
Isard: (with a dangerous glare in her eyes) "What kind of information?"
Piett: " That I will not tell, no matter what you do to me."
Isard: (hissing) "You still think you have a way out?"

*Piett somehow wills his body to stop the twitching, and looks Isard in the eyes*

Piett: "You think I can't?"

*Isard casts an alarmed look at Quill*

Isard: "Doctor?"

[Dr Quill]

*eyeing Piett nastily while wiping blood from his forehead*

"You know as well as I that we can't use my full, um, arsenal. He's to be kept presentable after all. I don't like being frustrated so easily, but mere physical pain doesn't appear to be enough."

*Turns up the power again and watches Piett twitch a while. A cruel look glows again briefly in his eyes.*

"Oh, yes, he resists the pain well."

"Perhaps we can find some answers these precious files of his?"