Buckets: A Star Wars Story

13. Protégé

When we had made it back to base, Thesh went to brief Director Dorne while we went and tried to recuperate as best we could from whatever experience we managed to endure chasing down Jedi through Rebel infested planets. However, it didn't take long for us to realize that there was something amiss when Thesh walked in with a peculiar look on his face. He regarded me for a moment, tapping his datapad while he did, before he shook his head. "Director Dorne wants to see you," he inclined his head to me. "Before you ask: no, I have no idea why. He never said."

Aurek had stood up from his bunk and crossed his arms over his chest, "Has Dorn done something wrong?"

"I don't believe it's something so sinister. He claimed he had something to speak with him about. In officer-speak, that's code for "you're not going to die"." Thesh sat back down at his desk and looked up quickly from his notes to give a shooing gesture to me.

Besh looked to me and waved, "Good luck, pal."

Osk nodded, "Don't get killed on your way up."

"Avoid eye contact with the agents. They get twitchy if you don't," Aurek supplied with a sage nod of his head.

"Thank you all for the dumb advice."

"It's what we're here for," Osk too gave a nod of his head and crossed his arms as Besh followed suit.

I walked from the room and slipped my bucket on with a sigh as I made for the elevator that would take me up to Intelligence. I rode the way up with a small group of engineers who were chattering quietly amongst themselves about some new technical readouts from the Destroyer or something along those lines before I stepped off into the Intelligence lobby and was greeted by rather confused Intelligence officers.

"I'm TK-65780, here to see Deputy Director Dorne."

At my designation, one of the officers quickly ran my number through and glanced up from his monitor at me. His cybernetic implants that poked out from beneath his hat blinked as he scanned my ID number and he nodded, "Welcome, Trooper. The Director is expecting you. Follow me." He stood up and gestured for me to follow as we wound our way through the cubicles and monitors that made up the primary room before we halted before the glass doors of Director Dorne's offices. He was standing with a Chiss I didn't recognize while he was on holo with another one of his officers. The doors opened and the Chiss cast his red gaze on me while the Director was snarling at some junior officer over the comms, "Sir, Trooper 65780 is here to see you."

"...And I bloody well don't care what Moff Gideon needs! If he cannot handle the Mandalorians himself, then the Emperor and the Grand Moff will be thrilled to find someone who can! He would best not make demands of Intelligence again!"

"Sir..."

"Go ahead, Lieutenant, you tell him I said that. Wouldn't be the first batch of assassins I'd have sent after me. You have permission to defend yourself." He jabbed the comms off and brought a hand to his face with a sigh before he turned and looked between me and the officer who brought me. "Ah, good. Thank you, Jillings. You are dismissed."

The officer snapped briefly to attention before he spun sharply on his heel and left us alone in the room with the Chiss, who glanced from the director to me as I was gestured to take one of the seats across from the Director's desk. "You asked to see me, sir?" I inquired as I sat down. The Director made no move to do so and neither did the Chiss.

"I did. Your performance evaluation from Siqsa was... unexpectedly good. I made some inquiries while you all were on your way back," he pressed his fingers to his eyes and sighed before he turned briefly back to me. "Help yourself to the brandy, by the way. I've had my fair share today already."