Chp-45: Employment! Unbelievable
It wasn't long after the reported destruction of the cult's main base, that I was meeting with the Seventh Brother at the spaceport.
He was leaving. Thank god.
"You will be sorely missed, Inquisitor. Your services have been exceptional." I said, keeping my tone professional in the presence of the wonder Force user.
We stood before his shuttle as the wreck of his Dread Unit was loaded onboard. He seemed out of it, which could be good or bad. Good as in he was distracted and not paying me mind, or bad as in he was about to snap.
It took an uncomfortably long amount of time before he responded.
"...It has been…an interesting time, Governor." He turned to me, the crack in his helmet showing me his bright blue eye, tinged with yellow. His brow furrowed in confusion, but I didn't comment on it.
"Of course, Inquisitor. The Obsidian Talon is being loaded onto your long term transport as we speak. In regards to the…leftovers from the cult base. Those will take a little longer to transport."
He nodded his head lightly, eyes turning off into the distance. A light feeling came through my bond with Mugwuffin. The feeling of peace.
He must be full of it if he couldn't sense the bond being used, but that's neither here nor there.
"The knife will come with me. The prisoner…will require far tighter restraints. Do what you can here, and I will have a proper containment unit sent when possible."
Shit. I saw the footage from the Commander's cameras. How the hell was I supposed to contain a fucking Sith!
Before I could voice this complaint in a more professional manner, he spoke again.
"Worry not. The second the dagger was destroyed…they grew weakened. Very weakened. I doubt they will be able to achieve the levels of power they showcased earlier. But that does not mean they should be underestimated, and I doubt you have the facilities to contain them for long once they awaken."
With that, he made his way towards his shuttle.
"I bid you…a good day, Governor." His voice sounded…odd. I couldn't quite place the emotion in his voice, so I didn't try.
"Godspeed, Inquisitor. Godspeed." Was all I said. If it ain't broke, don't fix it, right?
A minute later, he was gone. The light of his shuttles engines growing smaller by the second.
And for a second, just looking up into the sky, I felt fine. Just fine.
Then Oioro had to go and open her stupid mouth.
"Sir. Commander Grant wishes to speak to you. She has a proposal she wishes to present to you in person."
I sighed, and gestured for the PDA. Muttering some vague thanks as I looked through the message, I could just barely resist the urge to facepalm as I read the title of the presentation.
*The Effectiveness of Melee Weapons in LECA Combat*
It sounded ridiculous. It sounded bloodthirsty. It sounded more interesting than the pile of paperwork awaiting me at the office.
"Oioro, approve the meeting, and have some snacks ready in the meeting room please."
AnnoyanceBegging accompanied by a pathetic little whine.
"And some BBQ snacks as well."
"Of course, sir." I pretended not to hear her snicker.
HappinessSmugness
I flicked her snout.
—--------------------------------
It was a few days later that I got the news. Alderaan had been destroyed.
Fuck.
I mean, I knew it was due sometime this year, but still. Fuck.
Not only that, but I got the news late. That means that the DS1's destruction is closing in. Fast. Really fucking fast.
That was bad. Really bad. I mean, sure, big fascist death ball gets blown up, whoopie.
But for me, an Imperial? It was bad news. Rebel cells across the galaxy would be arming up, and the Galactic Civil War would be in full swing soon enough.
That meant problems. I was really hoping that the Commandant would have checked in by now, given me the go ahead to leave. Cause then I could more easily fake my death and escape without anyone trying to track me down.
Now? If I suddenly 'died' the place would get investigated to hell and back for rebel activity, and the traces that might normally go unnoticed would be more likely to be found.
But right now, I had more immediate problems. Those being the condition of Commander Grant, cause I had absolutely 0 clue as to how she was reacting to the news. The reaction of the populous, cause they would not be happy if I started spreading the word that the destruction was justified. And, of course, the Sith.
The Sith who had woken up from their coma and was now demanding to see the hospital staff's leader. Apparently, they had broken the containment unit they were bound in quite easily.
So I was now enroute to where the Sith had holed up. Flanked by my heavy LECA guards, I soon arrived on the scene, Mugwuffin at my side.
Upon entering the room, I noticed a few things. The first was the Sith themselves. Pure red skin, with elongated eyebrows and frilled cheeks. Something I hadn't seen since playing SWTOR.
Pure Blooded Sith.
Their features were like that of an elf, for I couldn't tell their gender. Yet the yellowed eyes were a clear sign that I was dealing with a darksider.
"Are you the leader of these…cretins?" they asked, voice smooth, with little sign of the exhaustion they had to be feeling.
"That would be me." I replied, as an odd sensation was sent across the bond. A sense of deterioration that was foreign combined with a sense of confidence from the bond. If Mugwuffin, Force cat extraordinaire, thought we were safe, I would trust her.
A quick, discreet tap on my belt signalled my security guards to evacuate the area.
After all, even Mugwuffin could make mistakes. Which she usually did to my annoyance.
"I have been freed, after all these millenia. From those bumbling fools that stumbled upon my prison, I have been freed. Tell me, where are we." They spoke, and I could feel the Force roll over me, trying to compel me. Mugwuffin put a stop to that, spines raised.
As the Sith started to notice my little space cat, I made a gamble. This wasn't going to go well, and I couldn't have Mugwuffin exposed.
Angling my head slightly, I made eye contact with the camera of one of my security LECA's.
"Evacuate the area, and leave us be. I have…business with our guest."
"But sir-!"
"Now" I stated, already turning back to the Sith. "I'll deal with this. Evacuate the building, and keep it surrounded. If I'm not out in the next 20 minutes, bring the building down, and turn the ruins to ash."
The Sith's eyebrow raised, but I could see it in their eyes. The fear. They were in a vulnerable position, and I had just placed down an ultimatum. They could've maybe gotten away before, but now?
We were both trapped.
Once my people were out, a quick nudge to Mugwuffin turned the camera's in the room into slag that looked like it went three rounds with a hydraulic press.
"That creature…it's intelligent. And a Force user." They stated, keeping a wary eye on Mugwuffin as she jumped up onto the bed I had seated myself on.
"Irrelevant. We're here for negotiations." I stated plainly. "Your powerful, but not as you are."
I gambled again.
"And, your dying."
Their eyes widened for a fraction of a second, before turning to Mugwuffin.
"It sensed that, did it not?"
"Irrelevant. What does matter, is that you won't make it far. Even if you survive killing me and the destruction of the building, whatever condition you have won't let you get far. Correct?"
They didn't answer, and that was answer enough for me.
"So, again, let us negotiate. What do you want?"
They stilled for a moment, before speaking once more. "I want to know how long it has been since I was trapped in that tomb."
"Given your race, I'd say quite some time. The Pure Blood Sith died out a long time ago. It's been 4000 years since the fall of the Eternal Empire, give or take."
Surprise seemed to grace their face for a second, before being erased. Silence reigned for a bit longer, before they spoke once more.
"Then I will do as all Sith do. I will seek power."
"Not here." I responded. "You can go pillaging across the galaxy for all I care, but I can't have you causing problems here. And it's not like you'd make it far anyways."
Silence once more. Then, a tug from the bond. Mugwuffin had a solution.
"Mugwuffin here claims to be able to fix your problem, though I don't know how."
Again they stared, but this time was different. Through the bond, I could sense Mugwuffin reaching out through the Force. The Sith reached back, and the difference was palpable.
While Mugwuffin's metaphysical handshake was like a cheery office email, nice but professional, the Siths was snake-like. Smooth, but roiling with power just waiting to be unleashed.
Their presences receded, and they spoke once more.
"The…creature. Offers a solution. My body, after feeding on the power of the Force for so long cannot exist without it. Yet, I am unable to draw on any more and survive. This…Mugwuffin offers to connect to me, feed me."
"And?"
They seemed to seethe. "In exchange, I would be bound to its will until such time that my body can function without the Force."
Through the bond, I could sense Mugwuffin's intentions. I certainly didn't like it
I regarded Mugwuffin with a we'll be speaking about this later kinda look, then turned back towards the angry Sith. A combo I'd like to avoid.
"This doesn't seem satisfactory to you, for obvious reasons."
"No. I would rather die tearing this place and as many people as I can apart then be trapped once more."
I nearly paused out of fear, but pushed forwards regardless of the thumping of my heart. Another gamble. Risky, but maybe…
"But you don't want to die."
There was no response because none was needed. We both wanted to make it out of this alive.
"Then I propose a solution. A deal. The Galaxy is about to get a whole lot more dangerous. Mugwuffin isn't powerful so much as she is precise. It's that incredible control that gives her an advantage over those like you. But precision isn't everything."
"What are you suggesting? That I be your slave?" They growled, teeth visibly grinding, the smooth facade over now.
"No. That you be my bodyguard instead. That way, I get the protection I need, you can defend your only chance at survival, and if I end up reneging on my deal, you can just kill me, since you'll be close enough. Mugwuffin would end you right after, but you could probably succeed if you tried. After you're freed, you can leave, and go about your business across the galaxy. I'll even pay you a salary, get you employee benefits. The whole package."
They lifted an eyebrow. "You're offering me…a job?"
I nodded, happy they had picked up on it. This wouldn't last long, only until the Inquisitor came back to pick them up, but this kept them happy for now. "Yup. Sure, there aren't many other options available, but I figured making you uncomfortable and broke while tied to Mugwuffin would be a bad idea. An angry Sith is a stabby Sith, after all."
They cracked the barest hint of a smile at that. "You are not incorrect…very well. While it is beneath me, my current situation gives me little recourse. I will accept your terms, Governor Mola."
"Good." I say, reaching out my hand, and shaking theirs. Their grip is unnecessarily strong, but I don't care. I just averted death with the power of steady employment and adequate medical care.
Truly, a capitalistic miracle.
"And what might your name be?" I asked, knowing that knowing an employee's name is step 0 of effective interpersonal management.
"You may call me Myr'thos, cretin."
Cretin? Been called worse, so I'll deal with it. "Just don't go calling me cretin in public, and we're good."
They snorted. "We'll see"
Minutes later, after I instructed the soldiers surrounding the building to stand down and allow Myr'thos to pass, I'm in my office once more. The Sith is lounging on the couch fiddling with a brand new PDA, absorbing knowledge about the time that had passed them by.
A quick few clicks and their PDA dings with a new message.
As they struggled their way through the menus, I explained.
"Those are the requisition forms for new armor and weapons. Your previous look won't cut it, and neither will a lightsaber. They raise too many questions. Aside from that, go wild. R&D will decide what's viable." This should help cement that this is a long term arrangement in their minds. If the Inquisitor is quick about it, it shouldn't be.
They hissed. "Why should some worthless techies decide what is best for me?"
Without looking up, I continued. "You'll get to test all the stuff before it's finalized anyways, so you can give feedback and the like. Just don't kill them, or generally be super rude. I've tried to create a culture of trust in management here."
"Weakness, that is all I see. Shame that you hold my new chains."
"It's productivity, first of all. Second, it's a contract. And a damn good one too. You'd be hard pres-"
Before I can finish, a call comes through on my comm. It's Oioro.
"Yes?"
She sounds somewhat panicked. Considering she's for sure a spy, that's bad. Real bad.
"Sir! It's the battlestation that destroyed Alderaan!"
Myr'thos perks their head up at that, a sadistic gleam in their eyes. Fuckin sociopath.
"It's been destroyed!"
Fuck.
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Hi there folks! This is the final chapter of this arc, and where I'm going to put this story on hiatus. I love it, I really do, but a step back from Governor's Gambit and some time spent working on other stuff will help me reorient my view of it all. Of course, I'm not abandoning it. I've already said multiple times that I will finish this story, even if the ending ends up being some rushed garbage. I can always go back and rewrite it anyway. Also, in the last chapter I said 'a million souls' cause that's what Obi-wan said. On top of that, while the instant annihilation of billions of people will undoubtedly be felt throughout the galaxy by those attuned to the Force, I really doubt they'd be getting exact numbers. The Force is more feelings than math, after all.
Now, my next story, Mercenaries Guide to the Magical is another OC-SI set in the Percy Jackson world. It will introduce around 7 magic systems to the wider magical world, though I won't be tossing all of it in your faces at once, don't worry. The general structure will be episodic, in that every 3-5 chapters will cover a mission taken on through the magical equivalent of the Mindan Guild or Mercenary Review Board from Battletech(know there's a lot of you guys here). Between these missions will be a few chapters that cover the down time, facilitate time skips, and jump to alternate POV's. I'm excited to get into it, and like this story it will probably go into hiatus a good way in so I can jump back over here. I refuse to leave a story unfinished, like a personal life goal of sorts. Left too many things unfinished, won't let that happen here.
Link to Mercenaries Guide is in my signature.
Feedback and commentary appreciated.
Thanks for reading!
-Freefaller