Imperial Agent: The Black Codex [CONTAINS SPOILERS]

[Mournblood]

I've finally reached the pivotal decision in Chapter 3 of the Imperial Agent story where I must decide what to do with the Black Codex. Here are the decisions I've made up to this point:

 

Killed the Grey One, and allowed Mia to live.

Protected House Cortess from the Killliks.

Allowed Watcher X to escape.

Assassinated Eagle.

Captured Darth Jadus and turned him over to the Dark Council.

Recruited Ki Sazen for the Sith.

Eliminated SIS cell (Chance, Saber, Wheel, and Ardun are all dead).

Admiral Davos died (I didn't kill him).

Did not kill or imprison Baron Peyar's son from House Cortess after he attacked me.

Kept my word with the prisoner crew from Belsavis.

Killed Fa'athra the Hutt.

Threatened Bas-ton family for Nightmare Lands maps, but later exonerated them with the Three Mystics.

Reported Republic reinforcements to Darth Razer.

Escorted Moff Zamar to safety.

Assassinated Prince and Creeper.

Killed Hunter.

 

I've done a good bit of research on my possible ending choices, which come down to these three:

 

1. Destroy the Black Codex, Sith Intelligence is formed, but leave Imperial service to become a rogue agent.

2. Turn over the Black Codex to the Dark Council and become part of the newly formed Sith Intelligence.

3. Give the Black Codex to the Minister of Intelligence, Sith Intelligence is formed, and either choose to remain a part of that or leave Imperial service to become a rogue agent.

 

(There is no possibility to reform Imperial Intelligence, which is what I would have preferred, as that ending was removed from the game after Beta.)

 

Here's my thoughts on each of those choices:

 

1. This is probably the wisest choice of the three to make sure that the Star Cabal remains dead, but it is also the most ignoble of the endings. It likely results in the Minister's execution, and you will be forced out of Imperial service, essentially becoming a free-lance agent. I particularly have a problem letting the Dark Council execute the Minister for defying them with his unsanctioned operation because let's face it, if it wasn't for him doing that, the Star Cabal wouldn't have been stopped and the Empire would have been much worse off for it, not to mention the continued manipulation of the Dark Council.

2. I don't particularly like this ending because it gives a LOT more power to an already corrupt Dark Council, and the Minister is still likely to end up executed for the unsanctioned operation despite his critical role in saving the Empire. It's a very loyal choice and would certainly put you in a favorable light with the Dark Council, but not a very smart one.

3. This is the ending I'm leaning towards as it will likely save the Minister's life, and it provides the newly formed Sith Intelligence with a powerful tool to counter-balance the Dark Council, which is needed. Of course, it likely puts you on the Dark Council's sheit list, but it's my understanding that you can still choose to remain in Imperial service.

 

----

 

All that said, my question here is has anyone chosen option 3 to give the Black Codex to the Minister of Intelligence and specifically choose to remain in Imperial service? How did that actually pan out? What were your feelings about that ending? Did it make sense for your story choices? Did it offer any sense of closure? Were you satisfied with that choice?

Edited October 13, 2015 by Mournblood

[Mournblood]

As a follow up, I gave the Black Codex to the Minister of Intelligence, both to keep it away from the Dark Council as much as to give him leverage to protect himself (and Imperial Intelligence as a whole). As I said before, it didn't seem right that he should be made the scapegoat for the failings of the Sith, and he made it possible to stop the Star Cabal; we certainly wouldn't have succeeded without him had he not seen to the Keeper's recovery and defied the Dark Council to run the unsanctioned operation. Certainly, the implication is that Imperial Intelligence (now known as Sith Intelligence) will be able to hunt down the remaining members of the Star Cabal with the Black Codex at their disposal, thus ending a greater threat to the Empire than the Republic.

 

Additionally, despite the internal struggles for power amongst the Dark Council, I chose to remain in service to Sith Intelligence rather than become a rogue agent. My motivation was that my agent wished to continue doing his duty supporting the newly formed intelligence bureau in the hopes of becoming an agent for change and reforming the Empire, rather than flee into relative obscurity.

 

For me at least, this ending was the most practical and made the most sense for my agent. There was little fanfare, which seemed appropriate having actually served in military intelligence and knowing what a thankless but crucial role you play in national security. Overall, this was a very good story arc, and I'm glad I took the time to experience it.

[Joachimthbear]

My Operative gave the Black Codex to the Minister. If she's going to be stuck propping up the Empire to avoid the fallout its collapse would have for the Chiss, she's sure not going to let a Sith tell her what to do. Sadly the game had other ideas.

 

Overall, many of my choices mirrored yours; I did kill Mia and I can't remember what I did with Ki Sazen, except I'm pretty sure I wouldn't have sent her to join the Sith.

[OldVengeance]

So far as I know, returning with the Black Codex to the Minister gives you the option to either erase all records of your identity in order become a rogue answerable to no-one OR remain part of the Empire and become the last asset of former Imperial Intelligence. I'm not sure if that second one is any different from just destroying the Black Codex.

 

I can tell you if you do that, I believe Darth Marr says "You have proven your loyalty despite errors in judgment." Although I did that when Arden Kothe killed the Sith sent to retrieve the codex, I doubt it makes a difference in the end.

[RDX-TWO]

So far as I know, returning with the Black Codex to the Minister gives you the option to either erase all records of your identity in order become a rogue answerable to no-one OR remain part of the Empire and become the last asset of former Imperial Intelligence. I'm not sure if that second one is any different from just destroying the Black Codex.

 

I can tell you if you do that, I believe Darth Marr says "You have proven your loyalty despite errors in judgment." Although I did that when Arden Kothe killed the Sith sent to retrieve the codex, I doubt it makes a difference in the end.

 

You are forgetting the last cut scene at the end of SOR if you spared Ardun Kothe you will become full double agent.

go to 1:20:00

[CrutchCricket]

Freedom forever! My agent flat out despises the Sith and would never turn over the Black Codex. If they weren't planning genocide she'd have been willing to join the Star Cabal itself. Her loyalty is ultimately to the Empire but the Empire of the people, of laws, order and efficiency, not the plaything for insane power-hungry space wizards.

 

Destroying it seems like such a waste. Like the Minister says, despite their evils the Star Cabal has managed to do the remarkable- remain hidden for centuries while playing two powers far greater than themselves. Their legacy should be cleansed, not wasted.

 

As for simply returning to duty, that's not going to work for my agent either. As both she and the Minister can attest, there is no escaping the Sith within their own system. But outside it? There is proof that outside it, much can be accomplished. Erasing herself, becoming a ghost in and out of the system is the really the perfect outcome. Now when she derides Sith Lords from presuming to command her, she does so from a place of actual power, not just bluster and pushing her luck.

 

Honestly the "erase yourself" ending is all I could've hoped for from the agent story. Rarely have I been able to play a Bioware story where my thoughts lined up so well with the choices they provided. And I never knew that not giving the Minister the Codex means he dies. That's just further justification for my choice. Agent story FTW!

[OldVengeance]

You are forgetting the last cut scene at the end of SOR if you spared Ardun Kothe you will become full double agent.

go to 1:20:00

 

I know you can become a double agent for the SIS, but I didn't bring it up because it doesn't apply to the OP's initial question. They can't get that ending because they killed Arden Kothe.

[Mournblood]

I know you can become a double agent for the SIS, but I didn't bring it up because it doesn't apply to the OP's initial question. They can't get that ending because they killed Arden Kothe.

 

You're correct. And I knew about how to get the ending where you become a double agent for the SIS before I killed Arden, and I killed him anyway. That pretty much sums up my feelings on that.

[Sulimo_Manwe]

Do any one what happens if you join Darth Jadus and at the end you destroying the black codex?

[SithKoriandr]

Considering they will never really take advantage of the info on the Black Codex, I'd say destroy it.

 

Also, after being betrayed so often by your government/people, it just seems the wiser choice. They show time and time again, they don't care about you or the people, they care about their own power. Watcher X is that proof. I wish I had an option to let him go without having to be bribed.

 

All we see is an agent who did what was asked and then betrayed. It shows the Agent right away what's in store for them. Whether or not they choose to accept it.

[Jedi_riches]

I chose to keep the codex, right from the beginning I played my character with a dislike for Sith meddling, after what happens in chapter 2 I "loose faith" in the empire but also find I cannot trust the republic either for exploiting you with no regards.

 

So in the end I am "all alone" so while I have my own conviction and morels I will run around doing as I please for a change and helping a empire that may one day find itself with out Sith oversight.