[In the Preox-Morlana planet of Morlana One, Deputy Inspector Syril Karn is confused his superior won't open an investigation into the murder of two Pre-Mor officers]
CIChief Insp Hyne
Tough case. Bad timing.
DIDeputy Insp Syril Karn
I'm sure that in several days, with the proper resources, I can bring this case to a-
HHyne
Stop! And I don't just mean the talking. I mean stop. [closes his office door] This case appears to bear all the hallmarks of what I like to describe as regrettable misadventure.
No, they weren't. They were killed in a fight. They were in a brothel, which we're not supposed to have. The expensive one, which they shouldn't be able to afford. Drinking Revnog, which we're not supposed to allow. Both of them supposedly on the job, which is a dismissible offense. They clearly harassed a human with dark features and chose the wrong person to annoy. I suspect they died rushing to aid someone in distress. Nothing too heroic. We don't need a parade. They died being helpful. Something sad but inspiring in a mundane sort of way. [regards Karn] You look stricken, Deputy Inspector. Are you absorbing my meaning here?
When I said bad timing, I wasn't referring to the fact you spent all night worrying this. I mean that I am on my way this very morning to an Imperial Regional Command review, where I'll be asked to make a report about our crime rates, and the goal of that speech, should you ever be asked to deliver it, is brevity. Minimizing the time the Empire spends thinking about Preox-Morlana benefits our superiors and, by extension, everyone here at the Pre-Mor Security Inspection team, which at the moment includes you. [dons his coat, picks up his briefcase and moves to leave] Don't put your feet on my desk in my absence, and let's have an accident report waiting when I get back.
[Sergeant Mosk is briefing the assault team on taking down Cassian Andor over the killing of two Pre-Mor officers]
SLSgt Linus Mosk
All right, gentlemen. [displays holo-image] Cassian Andor. Not a recent image, but the best we've got. He may not appear to be a formidable opponent, but two of our men are dead having made that mistake. West Team will include Deputy Inspector Karn and myself. We will endeavor to serve the warrant and exfil rapidly. North and East Team will take positions accordingly for a pincer movement should the subject attempt to flee. Andor should be considered armed and dangerous. We will have the element of surprise, but there should be no illusions as to the risks involved.
PMPre-Mor officer
There may be some local residents who are less than enthused with our presence.
MMosk
[Scoffs] You may remind them that there's a Territorial Forum once a month where they are free to make official complaints. [to Deputy Inspector Karn] All yours, sir.
Thank you for being here. There comes a time when the... the risk of doing nothing becomes the greatest risk of all. This is one of those decisive moments, and I can't imagine a team I'd rather share it with than all of you. There's no room for doubt on the path to... Success... And, uh, justice. Best of luck to us all. [Clears throat and the men applaud] All right, then. Carry on.
What? To steal from the Empire, what do you need? A uniform, some dirty hands, and an Imperial toolkit. They’re so proud of themselves, they don’t even care. They’re so fat and satisfied, they can’t imagine it…
But they'll think about us soon enough. We should get moving. Soon enough, they'll have something else to listen to.
AAndor
You don't want to get caught with it.
MMan
Well, they'd hang me, wouldn't they? Take me up Rix Road and hang me in the square. Wouldn't be the first time, would it? Isn't that where they hung your father?
Very good, Dedra. That is verbatim from the ISB Mission Statement, and wrong. Security is an illusion. You want security? Call the Navy. Launch a regiment of troopers. We are healthcare providers. We treat sickness. We identify symptoms. We locate germs whether they arise from within or have come from the outside. The longer we wait to identify a disorder, the harder it is to treat the disease. Do you understand my meaning, Lagret?
[Eedy Karn talks to her son Syril about his work prospects now that the Empire has taken over the Preox-Morlana's responsibilities at Morlana One and he's out of a job]
EKEedy Karn
I needn't tell you how wrong you were about Uncle Harlo. But you will. He said he never felt police work was your chosen path.
He said he wanted to think about it. I struggled with how best to describe to him the events that have led us here. I told him how sorry you were about what happened. I stressed that it was a large enough mistake to be deeply educational.
What'd you tell me? You wanna win and walk away. Well... 40million apiece. Don't tell me you haven't thought about it. See, I can't fly the trawler, but I do have a safe place we can hole up. Between the two of us, we could be the winners here.
AAndor
So no Rebellion for you?
SSkeen
Oh, I'm a rebel. It's just, uh... me against everybody else. Where would that put me? Forty million credits is enough for me to forget all about you.
AAndor
Your brother, with the orchard?
SSkeen
I don't have a brother.
AAndor
So just leave them here?
SSkeen
Don't play the high mind with me. You're not here to save anybody but yourself. I saw it the first minute you came into camp. You're like me, we were born in the hole, all we know is climbing over somebody else to get out. There's a moon eight parsecs from here with nobody home. Put that thing down, catch our breath, split up the winnings, and walk - [Andor shoots him dead]
[ISB director Col Wullf Yularen addresses Major Partagaz and all ISB officers in the wake of the Aldhani raid]
CWCol Wullf Yularen
The criminals responsible for last night's atrocity on Aldhani think they've taken the Empire by surprise. We know better. We know the real shock will be when they discover how ready and eager we are to respond, to be prepared, to be here this morning and know that the only question we need to answer is how tight to close our fist. This is why we plan. This is why we work so hard when we're at peace. This is why we recruit so carefully and demand so much. The following measures will be adopted Empire-wide as of today. A tribute tax equal to five times the amount stolen from Aldhani will be levied on any sector harboring partisan activity. We will make it clear that no one steals from the Empire. The use of any local custom, festival, or tradition as cover for rebel activity will trigger permanent revocation of Imperial tolerance. I spoke with Emperor Palpatine last night, and he's assured me that the ISB will be taking the lead going forward. No one in this room should have trouble accessing Army or Naval resources in future. The Emperor will be convening an emergency session of the Senate to propose a legislation package of bills and amendments that will free our hands in all matters of surveillance, search, and seizure. We will be invoking the Public Order Resentencing Directive later today. P-O-R-D. Any criminal act, with even indirect effect on the Empire, will henceforth be branded a Class One Offense. All prison sentences are immediately re-evaluated. All outstanding fines and levies are to be paid in full.
[Maarva is defiant against Cassian's offer to take her and B2EMO away to a far place]
MAMaarva Andor
You have a different path, Cass, and I am not judging you. Everything you've been through, everything that was taken away from you before you even started? Take all the money you've found and go and find some peace.
I won't have peace. I'll be worried about you all the time.
MMaarva
That's just love. Nothing you can do about that. I've never loved anything the way I love you, and I've never fretted on anything more, but this time... you can't stay, and I can't go!
[Cassian Andor and a number of men are sent to the Narkina Five prison complex]
PPrison officer
Welcome to Narkina Five. This is an Imperial factory facility. You've all been assessed as labor-worthy. Now, following this introduction, you'll be transferred to your level assignment and workroom, where your floor manager will explain the details of our schedule and expectations. Your length of stay has been predetermined. The quality of that time will be up to you. Now, those who've been incarcerated before will be surprised by the calm, sanitary conditions, and our minimally invasive enforcement techniques. Well, I'm sure some, if not all of you, are wondering, how we risk standing before you without weapons? It's a potent question. And hopefully, one you won't need to have answered very often, but... [activates electric floor and the new prisoners are shocked to floor before he turns it off] You may stand. That was level one of three. Our floors are Tunqstoid steel. Do your time productively, keep to your lane, and this needn't be more than a memory. Good luck to you.
Here's what we'll do, Mr. Karn. You'll stop filing requests for Andor. Anticipating that, I will inform the Bureau of Standards that you were of service to the Empire today. [leaves]
I was a good deputy inspector!! [Meero stops] I was very good. I solved a double murder and found the killer in two days. I was overly ambitious, yes, but time was slipping away, and the opportunity was real. Service to the Empire, you just said it. Can one ever be too aggressive in preserving order? I didn't deserve what happened.
It's clear you need Andor in order to find his partner. This is more important than the death of two Corporate Security guards. I could be a valuable asset going forward.
[At the Imperial Senate chambers in Coruscant, Mon Mothma addresses the floor even when she knows the other senators will just holler at her or ignore her entirely]
The senator from Chandrila stands with those in opposition to the Emperor's new public safety legislation. Is there a more important issue facing this body right now than Imperial overreach? The Public Order Resentencing Directive is the next step on an all-too-predictable march toward complete unchallenged authority. Our first responsibility is to the citizens who have sent us here. Our second vow is to protect the power and independence of this remarkable chamber. I stand here today to speak with senators who've come with open minds, those of you who still believe that when we enter this building we are in a temple.
[presses PA system] My name is Kino Loy. I'm the day shift manager on Level Five. I'm speaking to you from the command center on Level Eight. We are, at this moment, in control of the facility.
How long we hang on, how far we get, how many of us make it out, all of that is now up to us. We have deactivated every floor in the facility. All floors are cold. Wherever you are right now, get up, stop the work. Get out of your cells, take charge and start climbing. They don't have enough guards and they know it. If we wait until they figure that out, it'll be too late. We will never have a better chance than this and [looks at Cassian, knowing he said it] "I would rather die trying to take them down than giving them what they want." We know they fried a hundred men on Level Two. We know that they are making up our sentences as we go along. We know that no one outside here knows what's happening. And now we know, that when they say we are being released, we are being transferred to some other prison to go and die, and that ends today! There is one way out. Right now, the building is ours. You need to run, climb, kill! You need to help each other. You see someone who's confused, someone who is lost, you get them moving and you keep them moving until we put this place behind us. There are 5,000 of us. If we can fight half as hard as we've been working, we will be home in no time. One way out! [repeats it multiple times as he leaves the command center]
