I guess I didn't always dislike Kaliyo. This slightly embellished draft from sometime in 2012 takes place during the second chapter of the Imperial Agent's Story:
"You're just an Imperial Stooge, like Keeper and the rest!" Turning her back on him, Kaliyo Djannis stalked off up the dune. She wanted to just leave him here in the desert to roast.
"Watch your mouth, Kal!" the agent shouted after her.
Even after months together, she felt like she barely knew him. Gideon Sho may not have been the most imposing figure Kaliyo had ever met, but he was potentially the most dangerous. And after her decades in the underbelly of Galactic civilization, that was saying something.
"Why are we even on this mission?" she tossed over her shoulder as she peered across the dunes. "You claim to hate the Empire as much as anyone, yet here you are, doing their bidding."
"However I might feel about the Sith is irrelevant. Thousands of innocent people were lost in that attack, for what? I hate the Sith and everything they represent! I am on a mission that I have to be on the inside to fulfill. I can't blow through the place sowing mayhem and accomplish that."
Kaliyo gave him a hard look. "Inside the SIS or II? Whose side are you on? It's a dangerous game you're playing, 'Agent' Versteckt."
"No more dangerous than the one you play, 'Kaliyo Djannis.' I haven't tried to find out your secrets."
"Only because you have secrets of your own. And what about that crazy ex-Watcher on Nar Shadaa?"
"What about him? He's rotting at the bottom of an urban canyon? Even more likely Vrblther fodder. Whatever intel he had on you died with him in that hangar." Gideon lowered his voice, "Something happened on Nar Shadaa, Kal. I don't know what, but SIS did something. I can hear Watcher X in my head."
Kaliyo stepped closer, trying to see his eyes past the dark, round VEARS* he always wore. "What do you mean, you can hear him?"
"He speaks to me, everything is fine." Gideon shook his head. "I can't get it out."
"You're finally in over your head."
"I need you more than ever, Kal. And I need Vector. I don't know what's going on, what's happening to me. My mission may be compromised."
"Which? The Imp mission? The Rep mission? Your own secret mission?"
Versteckt just stared at her, locked into his conditioning and unable to speak. Kaliyo softened, perhaps for the first time since they'd met. She gripped him by the arms and pulled him close.
"Don't worry, Agent. I still have your back."
"Watch your mouth, Kal!" the agent shouted after her.
Even after months together, she felt like she barely knew him. Gideon Sho may not have been the most imposing figure Kaliyo had ever met, but he was potentially the most dangerous. And after her decades in the underbelly of Galactic civilization, that was saying something.
"Why are we even on this mission?" she tossed over her shoulder as she peered across the dunes. "You claim to hate the Empire as much as anyone, yet here you are, doing their bidding."
"However I might feel about the Sith is irrelevant. Thousands of innocent people were lost in that attack, for what? I hate the Sith and everything they represent! I am on a mission that I have to be on the inside to fulfill. I can't blow through the place sowing mayhem and accomplish that."
Kaliyo gave him a hard look. "Inside the SIS or II? Whose side are you on? It's a dangerous game you're playing, 'Agent' Versteckt."
"No more dangerous than the one you play, 'Kaliyo Djannis.' I haven't tried to find out your secrets."
"Only because you have secrets of your own. And what about that crazy ex-Watcher on Nar Shadaa?"
"What about him? He's rotting at the bottom of an urban canyon? Even more likely Vrblther fodder. Whatever intel he had on you died with him in that hangar." Gideon lowered his voice, "Something happened on Nar Shadaa, Kal. I don't know what, but SIS did something. I can hear Watcher X in my head."
Kaliyo stepped closer, trying to see his eyes past the dark, round VEARS* he always wore. "What do you mean, you can hear him?"
"He speaks to me, everything is fine." Gideon shook his head. "I can't get it out."
"You're finally in over your head."
"I need you more than ever, Kal. And I need Vector. I don't know what's going on, what's happening to me. My mission may be compromised."
"Which? The Imp mission? The Rep mission? Your own secret mission?"
Versteckt just stared at her, locked into his conditioning and unable to speak. Kaliyo softened, perhaps for the first time since they'd met. She gripped him by the arms and pulled him close.
"Don't worry, Agent. I still have your back."
*Visual Enhancement & Augmented Reality System
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