Star Wars: Rebellion and Betrayal

Chapter 27

Scheduling, organizing, editing, communicating, and advising. These are just some of the duties of Lugos Lothar, personal assistant to the Imperial Governor of Serenno.

This was the life. Ever since Kasdeya was able to hire him out of the Imperial army, he had been able to do something he felt was worthwhile. Helping Kasdeya to run an entire planet was much more gratifying than marching to conquer worlds for the Imperial expansion. The job he had now was relatively stress free... until today.

Lugos paced nervously around the Governor's office. It had been hours since her light cruiser had come crashing down onto the plains of Serenno. After numerous failed attempts to reach the Governor on the commlink, Lugos was beginning to lose faith.

All reports had indicated that the majority of the crew was able to take escape pods with all but three of them being accounted for. The Governor had to be aboard one of the three.

Lugos' somber look was quickly erased when the holoprojector on the Governor's desk began to beep. He scrambled over the device and let the message through.

The hologram that appeared over the desk was not one that he expected. The color in his face faded away as he looked back at the face of Grand Admiral Leneh Rod.

"Where is Governor Kerrim?" she said sternly.

Lugos moved his mouth, but no words came out. Ever since Leneh had arrived, he had been petrified of her.

"You will answer when spoken to, executive assistant Lothar. And it would be wise of you to assume I know everything," she continued, her patience already wearing thin.

"I... I don't know. I can't raise her on the communicator. She is currently among the list of missing in action from the rebel attack."

"I'm not missing," a voice called from the entrance to the room. A weary eyed Kasdeya walked into the room eventually taking a seat at the desk.

Lugos scurried off to the side, hoping to be out of the holographic Admiral's sight.

The corner of Leneh's mouth turned up as she studied the woman at the desk. "Your insignia plaque is missing. Tell me why."

Kasdeya reached into her pocket and revealed the piece of metal before fastening it back to her shoulder. "It was in my pocket."

"I didn't ask you where it was, Governor Kerrim. I asked you why it was missing. I would have hoped you would be smart enough to understand the question... although your intelligence is something that I have found to be lacking at times."

Kasdeya clenched her teeth as she stared back at Leneh's scornful look. "I assume you have a point to make, Admiral."

"As a matter of fact, I do," Leneh started. "My sources indicate that your light cruiser was destroyed by two starfighters and a small transport. Please tell me how an Imperial light cruiser could fall to such meager rebel forces."

Kasdeya sprang out of her seat and moved closer to the hologram. "I have maintained since the day you arrived that I was not the military leader that you expect me to be. I was put through the academy as a formality, not to prepare me to squash a rebel insurgency. I was given this post for my political and social knowledge. To turn a once traitorous world into a productive member of the Empire. I will not sit here and be reprimanded for failing at a task that I was so ill-equipped for."

Leneh maintained a straight face, staring back at the Governor. Kasdeya all but braced for the rebuke that she expected to follow. She was astonished to see the Admiral let out a small chuckle. Kasdeya couldn't get a read on this woman, and it made her feel uneasy.