Imaginary Enemies

Grand  Moff Ravik

     Captain Ralchio Nervi stroked his mustache nervously. He hated waiting and Grand Moff Ravik was fantastic at making him do just that. He was standing in the antechamber outside the Moff''s offices. The Moff's rank and station came with a considerable amount of pomp and decadence, which was quite apparent from the room he was standing in. The Grand Moff's offices on Coruscant had only recently been reassigned to Ravik although they had been vacant for almost two years. Grand Moff Tarkin's death on the Death Star had been a colossal blow to the Imperial Military and the Empire as a whole. Wilhuff Tarkin as a household name in most Imperial cities - Nervi hoped that one day his own name would carry as much honor.

   Sniffing he stroked his mustache again, ensuring it flared out in the current Corsucanti fashion. He knew it was in place; he was notoriously meticulous with his dress and deportment and knew that Ravik would hone in on any element of his uniform which was out of place. He would not give the man the opportunity or the satisfaction of finding a fault. Sighing he looked at his chronometer and then to the door, it had been nearly half an hour since he had been admitted by the Moff's assistant into the anteroom and had been nearly a quarter hour waiting for the assistant to look up from her work to admit him. The young woman seemed to share the Moff's begrudging awareness for rank - he would be sure to remind her on the way exactly where her place was as a Lieutenant within Imperial hierarchy.

   A low bell toll sounded in the room and the large doors in the room hissed open quietly, exposing an enormous office. The room was the size of a small starship and could of easily housed a company of Nervi's stormtroopers comfortably for a time. The entire back wall was a floor-to-ceiling viewscreen which displayed a spectacular view of the Coruscant skyline. In the center of  the room, a ways back from the viewscreen, was a large desk and behind it sat Grand Moff Ravik himself, as stoic and poised as ever. 

     Nervi strode across the room; shoulders back, chin up, and boots clacking across the polished duracrete floor. At exactly five paces from the desk he snapped quickly to a halt and saluted the man briskly, in perfect military form. Ravik didn't even look up from the datapad he was reading. After an uncomfortable moment of waiting the Grand Moff to acknowledge his salute, he lowered his and cleared his throat.

"Sir, you requested my-" he began but the Grand Moff cut him off.

"Captain Nervi, I assume you understand that a person of my station does not frequently deal with Captains on the tactical details of their command?" he asked, still not looking up from his datapad. Nervi hesitated for a moment, confusion washing across his face for a moment. It was Ravik who had requested this meeting, not Nervi - this made no sense. 

"I understand Sir but I received your summons and came immediately, I had not requested this meeting as I know someone of your station is quite busy indeed," he said, inflecting his words in the same way the Grand Moff did; hoping to draw a reaction from the man. He did not. 

"I did request it, thank you for reminding me Captain. I brought you here today as you have, yet again, been pestering my staff officers for access to files of which you lack the clearance and authority for. When denied, you attempted to secure SpecOps resources to accomplish another mission of which is deemed of the highest priority. Tell me Captain, do you command the Imperial military in this sector?" he asked.

"No Sir," Nervi stammered, sweat building at his temples.

"And who then does?" Ravik asked briskly, his eyes snapping up to meet Nervi's. 

"-uh, I-you do Sir," Nevri stuttered nervously. Ravik clicked his tongue and shook his head patronisingly. 

"Compose yourself Ralchio, it's unbecoming," he said, his eyes tracking over Nervi from head to toe as if sizing up the man as one would a meal. 

"Now then, this will be the last time that you attempt to go gallivanting off on your own. You report to Admiral Hespon who reports to myself. Your attempts at taking out the Rebellion on your own were laughable at first but have now began to cost me and the Empire resources. This cannot happen anymore, do you understand?" he drawled. Nervi coughed nervously and took a step forward, sweat now pouring down his brow.

"Sir, you must understand. I have received critical intel on the Espers Cell and I believe they pose a significant threat to our forces in that sector. If I could only have another division I could-" he began but stopped when Ravik slammed his fist on the desk.

"Enough!"he yelled, eyes cold with rage. "You are a Captain of a Gladiator Class Star Destroyer, and honor well beyond your ineptitude and capacity. Your task is not to engage in counter-terrorist operations or uncover these imaginary "esper" cells you keep throwing soldiers at. I am tired of your belligerence and fortunately you are lucky I don't send you to Kessel myself for insubordination." He shouted. Nervi took a step back, eyes wide.

"This will be the last time we speak Captain Nervi, is that understood," he boomed. Nervi stared at the man for a moment, his chest pounding. Licking his dry lips he struggled to croak "Yes, Sir," before stepping back and saluting, hands shaking as he did so. Ravik didn't even properly dismiss him, he just looked back to his datapad as if Nervi wasn't even there.

     Turning about on his heels, he marched from the room. The door hissed shut behind him and he was alone again in the antechamber. He was no longer nervous or scared but instead filled with a white hot rage. The gall of that man. He had no idea what he was doing and was going to lose more worlds to these Rebel scum if they didn't take action against them. If he wasn't going to get assistance from Ravik, he would have to get it himself - it was the only way he could be sure the Empire would survive. His duty was to the Emperor and the Empire, not to Grand Moff Ravik. He pulled out his holocommunicator and thumbed it to life. It chimed quietly when the connection was made.

"Lieutenant - Operation Rancor is a go. Secure the asset and return it to the Blood Ambition with the utmost haste," he said and flicked the comlink off. Nodding to himself he walked out of the room - if Ravik wouldn't save the Empire, then he would have to on his own.