[center][h2]A Glance into the Order within Chaos[/h2][/center]

After the briefing, Director-General Raveem Vas'ah had retreated to his home in Coruscant. When he became ISB Director, and fused the IOCI, he inherited the compensations of both offices. Both granted him properties usually reserved for the heads of the two organizations, but he had passed these down to members of his inner circle. Instead, Raveem lived in a condo which had been in the possession of the Vas'ah family for generations. The apartment was located only a few minutes away from the old Senate building in a speeder and even less in a starship. The entire building had been bought out by the family and used occasionally to house parties and other gatherings. At the very top was the main suite, a three story apartment with every luxury the mad Bothan could ask for. The lower floors had been remodeled after he became a core part of the Imperial government to house countless items that Raveem had "collected" over the years. All of this was under the protection of ISB Stormtroopers, who had replaced the private security unit that once occupied the building. With his new positions, the building was guarded 24/7 by police and Imperial military patrols, all watching closely for anyone who wished to do the Director harm. As much as he disliked the overcrowding, it was protocol. 

When he arrived by speeder to the suite at the very top, he and TC-742 got off on the platform. The robot shuffled along to the main balcony, but the Bothan stayed there on the platform just to see the lights and sounds of the city. Even at night, the Galactic City or Imperial Center as it was called by the Empire was a hub of activity. Speeders swooped from the sky and entered the many lanes between buildings. From where he stood, the lights appeared to flicker. The city itself gave off the most unique sounds. A low persistent humming, sometimes interrupted by the faintest sounds of people speaking. The mix of sounds, smells, and sights was a unique and fascinating mix that kept the Bothan standing there for a few minutes. That was until TC called out to him. 

"Sir?" The robot shuffled back to him, sounding a little worried. "I have prepared your bath and coffee as instructed." He said, seeing the Bothan slowly turn to him. The man had a smile on his face, like that of a joyful child. A little confused, the droid found it appropriate to utter another 'sir?' before the Bothan walked past him. 

"I'm fine, TC," Raveem said as he entered the terrace of the apartment, heading toward a set of double doors that led into an elevator. Followed closely by the droid, he sighed as the doors closed. "I should upgrade you. Give you better sensors so you can also see the magic of the city at night." With a soft chuckle, he met the droid's confused photoreceptors. "The lights, the sounds, it all comes together so beautifully." Raveem paused, glancing at the floor as the elevator stopped and the doors opened. "I wonder if Miryia can sense it all too?" A random question that never went anywhere. He wondered what she was up to tonight. Most likely preparing for their daring mission tomorrow. It was a humbling thought, to think a being of her stature still needed to partake in such basic needs. Bathing, eating, sleeping. It was hard to believe a woman who carried herself almost like a deity could engage in such things. Yet, here she was. The thought persisted even as he headed into the large bathroom of the apartment, shedding his clothes and entering an already going bath. 

After taking a relaxing bath and drinking a hot beverage just to end the day with a warm feeling in his stomach, the Bothan headed off to his bedroom after wishing TC good night. Turning off the lights, he made his way to his bed and dug into the warm embrace of the covers. Flipping on his side, he saw the city one final time through a large window in his room. He saw as they flickered in the distance. How the speeders flew past to their destinations. It didn't take long for Raveem to fall asleep after such a long day. 



[hider=Listen to this while reading this part]
https://youtu.be/EYlrBiWdUcs
[/hider]

When Raveem opened his eyes again, he found himself laying on his back. Groaning, he found himself in another place. Looking around, he discovered he was surrounded by ancient walls. Stone, brown in color, was scribbled on by random gibberish. Letters from different languages had been hastily carved onto the walls. Looking up, Raveem's eyes went wide as he saw the walls did not end in a roof, but rather an infinite black maw that did not seem to have an end. The hall he was standing on, appeared the same way. In front of and behind, eternal darkness surrounded him. From either side, he heard low chanting. An infinite chorus of voices saying words he couldn't decipher. At that very moment, he felt a presence that approached at increasing speeds. The sensation of its impeding appearance forced the Bothan to run. His legs ached as he sprinted faster and faster, the presence seemingly closing the distance effortlessly with every step he took. He panted, running out of breath as the halls continue to expand on their own. Deep down, he knew the presence would do unspeakable things to him if he did not run away. As he ran, the voices chanted louder and louder. Their voices became deafening. A ringing in his ear made the Bothan whimper, but he continued running. 

But then, he tripped, falling on his face onto the sand. Suddenly, the presence was gone. Now, he found himself in another room. Shaped like a pyramid, the walls, and roof, or rather lack thereof were the same. Getting up, he surveyed the room once more. The chanting began again, this time surrounding him. The letters in the walls moved ever so slightly, and Raveem found himself staring down at what he recognized as a Holocron. The pyramid-shaped object hummed with a red light that seemed to beat like a heart. A force made him walk forward. Like a primal feeling that had always been there, but had not shown itself until now. His legs moved on their own and his eyes fixed themselves onto the familiar object. The chanting voices became louder and louder as his hand approached the Holocron. An inner voice told him to keep away, while the voices outside urged him to touch it. Raveem gritted his teeth and did his best to pull away. He tried to speak but found himself speaking in a language he simply couldn't understand. The Bothan fighting himself felt like an eternity. Eventually, the voices outside won and suddenly he found himself enveloped in sudden darkness and quiet. 

Then, he began to fall. He felt his body being dropped onto an eternal abyss. It was quiet, and Raveem could hear the chaos in his own mind. The noises resembled the grinding of metal, followed by loud crashes that resembled explosions. Gunfire, screams, moans; so many noises at the same time made Raveem want to cover his ears, but he couldn't. As he fell, his eyes were abruptly splashed by a combination of colors. These colors swirled before his very eyes. Strings of it moved in random yet beautiful patterns. Everything became more intense as he continued to fall, the colors moved at increasing speeds and the noises became louder and louder. Raveem felt like his entire body was about to be torn apart. For a moment, in the midst of the beautiful chaos, he thought he was seeing things no mortal was ever meant to see or hear. Yet here he was. Amid the noises, he began to scream. A unique pain suddenly enveloped his whole body. Every nerve in his body had been lit on fire and he could feel it all with increasing intensity. The Bothan screamed at the top of his lungs as every sense in his body was overloaded by indescribable sights and sounds. 

Then, as sudden as it all had happened, it stopped. Raveem gasped as he awoke, panting as his eyes were suddenly hit by the rays of the sun. He screamed again, rushing to close the curtains. Out of breath, he slowly slid to the floor, folding into a small ball on the ground. He felt weak and feeble. Like the entire weight of the universe itself was pressing down on him. Raveem began to hyperventilate. Again, he felt his senses being overloaded by every faint noise. Behind him, he could hear the speeders during the morning rush hour. The beeping noises of a nearby console. The low humming of the air conditioning. And the slight vibrations of the building. He could feel it all. Looking up, he saw the door. Slowly, he crawled out, dragging himself across the floor. If he could get to the door, he'd be safe. Straining, he managed to get to the controls, and the doors opened with a deafening bang that echoed in his ears. Right after, it was all gone. 

Right by the doorway stood TC, carrying a tray with his morning coffee. "Good morning, sir. It is 8:56am. Are you all right?" 
The droid's pleasant and innocent robotic tone was a welcomed change to the deafening noises from earlier. With some effort, Raveem stood up, meeting the droid's face. "I detect elevated levels of blood pressure in your system. Are you all right? Should I contact a doctor?" 

"I'm all right, TC. Thank you." The Bothan said, reaching out with a shaky hand to grab his cup of coffee. Sighing, he lifted it up to his lips, taking a sip before walking past the droid. Stepping into the living room, he welcomed the relative silence. Everything here seemed quieter and he felt lighter. His mind fell back his dream, however, the sights and sounds, still vivid in his memories. He pondered on discussing it with Miryia at some point. The references to the Holocron might mean something. Raveem had read once that dreams could be premonitions, particularly for Force users. It brought up the question again of whether he had some sort of affinity for the Force. He had never dwelled on the question before. It was an unimportant detail, after all, he wasn't the type for mysticism and religious practice. Those questions remained in his mind for the rest of the morning. During breakfast, when he bathed, and even as he put on his uniform. It all lingered in his mind, fragmented thoughts and theories. With the occasional faint reminder echoing inside his mind. Approaching the stand holding that purple sash with the sigil of House Vas'ah, he paused. He ran a hand across the purple fabric and decided to not take it with him this time. Raveem would rather it not be lost on a battlefield. He had become rather fond of the thing. 

When his speeder came by, he felt an odd rush of relief when he saw it being escorted by two more speeders with soldiers. In the past, he had seen his guards as an eyesore, yet seeing them now brought him a sense of security he had never experienced before. Had that dream really made that much of an impact on him? As he sat down next to TC, he found himself distracted by the sights of the city. For a moment, he had completely forgotten about his nightmare. In a way, he was looking forward to the mission. Something to keep him busy.