Author: Marie B.
Date: 9/1/99
General Disclaimer: Danae and Maa-Br'ee are mine. Everything recognizable has been happily borrowed for my own purposes. My imagination has filled in the cracks.
Specific Disclaimer: This story takes place between "First Impressions" and "Of Medicine and Theater." It assumes that those have already been read, and thus it's a little terse in details. For those of you who have asked for more on Danae and Obi-Wan, it's coming, I swear. I got a few more stories in me; it's just this damn life of mine that keeps getting in the way. =)
Animus Divided, Part 1 . . .
Eight years ago For it was then that she sensed the strangeness around her, not quite good, not quite bad, but hovering inbetween: an elusive sense of a fluctuating balance, it ebbed and flowed, materializing out of the white noise of her Force sensitivity and fading again. Danae didn't want to enter, finally realizing how far she had gone in defiance this time, hoping that if she made it back before sunrise she could still undo some of the damage she had wrought. But before she could protest, they were inside, and the older girl was demanding their fortune be told. Seeing Danae's face, she said it would be fun, but there was an edge to her voice too, and Danae wondered if she felt the same strangeness . . .
Come out with me, the older girl whispered, and Danae agreed, more from boredom than anything else. She had been railing at her Temple confinement for weeks, frustrated by a Master who endlessly promised to take her away and never did so, citing age (nine) and attitude (often openly defiant) as the reasons for repeated denial. So out into Coruscant they went, sneaking through corridors and ventilation shafts, the first of many, many times Danae would find herself travelling in such a manner. Never thinking of the consequences, they ran amok on Coruscant throughout the night, stuffing themselves with sweets bought with credits snatched from their Masters' rooms, exploring areas they had only heard whispers about. For the first time in her life, Danae began to understand the diversity of the galaxy, meeting with open curiousity trader and prostitute, smuggler and farmer, beings of races and occupations she had never realized existed. But her delight waned when they found themselves in front of the open door of a fortune teller.
Present
Danae rubbed a hand over her shorn purple hair, trying to hide her irritation. At seventeen, she had long ago learned that irritation got her nowhere, but she was having difficulty controlling herself. She was standing on a balcony overlooking a public square, and the warm Malastare sun was making her sweat lightly in her robes, far too heavy for the Rim planet's climate. And these damn guards aren't helping. I'm surprised this balcony doesn't collapse with the weight. Before her, she could see a dozen uniformed Grans and Humans, and in front of them the back of the newly elected Senator, Aks Moe. She rubbed her hair again as he finished his speech, his arms opening wide to punctuate his last sentence. The crowd below roared with appreciation.
Standing easily at Danae's side, Jehru Maa-Br'ee's face was a mask of calm, marred only by the sheen of sweat on his bald, olive-skinned head. He too was watching the Senator closely, though as always he was aware of his student, and noted her mounting irritation. Both he and his Padawan were displeased with their latest mission: to protect the Senator against a possible attempt on his life. Maa-Br'ee disliked such open-ended situations, almost as much as he disliked the Senator. In his private opinion, expressed last night to the blue image of a weary Mace Windu, if someone truly wanted the blatantly corrupt Senator dead, it was not the Council's place to intervene. The Jedi were never supposed to interfere when both parties could defend themselves, and the Senator had a good sized personal guard as well as command of Malastare's militia. Besides, considering how slow the Bounty Hunter Guild could be in its assignments, it might be weeks before any attempt was made. And until then they would be force to dawdle endlessly at Malastare, fattening the Senator's sense of self-importance.
He sighed inwardly and put a hand over Danae's, restraining her from once more playing with her hair. Finally the Senator finished receiving his accolades and turned, striding past the Jedi with barely a glance in their direction. They waited until the guards had filed into line after him, then left the balcony. In one motion they wiped the sweat off their foreheads as the entered the relative chill of the Senator's office building.
"Tell me again why we're here?" Danae's voice was faint, almost inaudible.
"To protect that one." Maa-Br'ee gestured to the Senator's form.
"Oh, right. Bodyguard to an idiot."
"The Republic requested our continued presence, Padawan."
She grimaced. "Since when do we do the Republic's dirty work?"
"Malastare is at peace, for the moment," he replied evenly. "An assassination at this time would do far more harm than good."
"I'm not so sure about that."
Ahead of them, the Senator strode across the main hall and directly into a conference room, closely followed by four aides. The Jedi began to follow, only to be halted by heavy metal doors slamming shut in their faces. Danae groaned and shot Maa-Br'ee a look of disgust. "So much for appreciation."
"Hush." He looked around, then shrugged. "Well, if the Senator no longer requires our presence, we should return to our quarters. You need to practice."
"I've been practicing. I practiced yesterday."
"And you need more. A lot more. An hour with the droids, and then you meditate." He turned down the hall, then took a sharp left, cutting past a series of conference rooms.
Danae sighed and broke into a trot, falling into step beside him. "Do you really think there's a price on his head?"
"It seems rather absurd, actually." Maa-Br'ee grinned at her. "Considering how he operates, the only beings who would truly love to see him dead are far too impoverished to make such an act occur."
"We know a few in the Guild. Why don't we just--"
"I already have."
Her eyes narrowed. "And you didn't tell me?"
"There's nothing to tell. Cradossk knows of the price, but has not contacted anyone."
"So what are we doing out here? We were supposed to be off Malastare a week ago."
Maa-Br'ee sighed. "Because with a price of almost a hundred thousand credits, Cradossk will be hard pressed not to assign someone. And when it does happen, it will happen quickly."
"And we have to wait around until that happens?"
"Our mission is to protect the Senator."
Danae shook her head. "Our mission was to facilitate the elections. This just sucks."
He halted in the corridor. "Danae."
"I'm sorry, but it does."
"Listen to me." He grasped her shoulders, pulling her around to face him. "Whatever Aks Moe may be, and I freely admit I wouldn't have voted for him, if he is assassinated now Malastare will fall apart. You saw the situation prior to the elections. If you cannot do this for the Senator, do it for the planet. They will take care of Moe's excesses in their own fashion. What we must do is ensure that the Gran population is not offended again."
"I suppose. But it still sucks, Maa-Br'ee."
"I am aware of that fact, but we must do what we can. And it will be good for us to remain settled for a while longer." He smiled encouragingly at her. "You've liked it so far. The markets, the library, the races--"
"Yes, but how can I enjoy it if I'm trapped in here, following him around?" She jerked a thumb over her shoulder.
"We'll know when Cradossk makes the assignment. Until then, we'll take shifts, how's that?" He rubbed his stubbled chin thoughtfully. "Since you hate to get up in the morning, I'll stay with him until noon. You can relieve me in the afternoon, and if I need to run errands I'll take care of them at that time. We'll switch again after dinner."
"That's not fair. You're taking two shifts."
"I'm also counting on the Senator to have many meetings to attend, like right now."
"Oh." She nodded. "Alright, then."
"So it's time to practice?" He arched an eyebrow.
Her expression matched his perfectly. "Again with this practice thing?"
"You need it, Danae. Badly. You've been on a plateau with this impatience of yours too long." He wagged a finger in her face. "Today, you will not attack unless you are struck first. You will not move. You will wait for them to come to you. And when you meditate, you will think about time, and the abundance of years you have ahead of you."
Danae rolled her eyes.
* * * * *
The market was closing, but Danae pushed her way through the dispersing beings anyway, peering at the remaining tables of wares. Maa Br'ee had relieved her earlier than she expected, though considering how difficult it was for her to hide her ongoing annoyance with Aks Moe, it wasn't that surprising. Maa-Br'ee's probably getting an earful about how I won't smile and play up to him. Well, I won't, and that's that. A pile of spare parts caught her eye, and she leaned over, surveying the contents that had been haphazardly dumped on a blanket beneath the gaily-patterned tent.
Her fingers sifted through the pieces of metal. A dagger. Not bad, still pretty sharp. Laser trackers. Very nice. Spare circuits for a comlink--we could actually use some of these--
"How much?" She held up two circuit boards and a power cell.
"How much you got?" An elderly Gran shuffled forward, his three eyes gleaming at his prospective client, taking in with a quick, sure glance the Jedi tunic and lightsaber.
She sighed and began haggling, falling into the old game of over- and underbidding. Maa-Br'ee disdained such practices, often paying excessive amounts solely to avoid long stretches of bargaining that were more customary than effective. But Danae didn't mind as much; when she had enough time she almost liked it. It was a good interaction, an amusing game to reach a price already fixed in both her mind and that of the merchant. Sometimes she even struck up an acquaintanceship in the bargain, and in the Outer Rim who you knew could be as vital as what you were.
Finally they settled on a price, both nodding with satisfaction. A few credits more than necessary, perhaps. But they're closing now. And I'll be back. Next time he'll be much more open to giving me something of real value.
She took the small sack he handed to her and strode through the market, smiling to herself. When she got back, they could set about repairing their long-damaged comlinks, and power cells were always handy. A good deal indeed, on such short notice.
Glancing at the sun dipping in the horizon, her stomach rumbled pleasantly. She was closing in on a few food stalls, and the smells enticed her, pulling her along like a fish on a line. Quickly she moved herself behind a string of beings, all basking in the afternoon warmth, chatting about the day's events. Snatches of conversation in a half-dozen tongues slipped past her ears--
"Makes you wonder if the trade taxes will go up now--"
"--and I told her just stop it, he's not coming back--"
"A plague on that. I'm going to meet with Moe in two days--"
"--red hair, nearly got hit by her speeder yesterday, she just cut through the market like she owned it."
"--micocta deal. I could have gotten another hundred for the tools alone--"
"No, but have you seen the ones they have on Tatooine? There's a gorgeous Twi'lek there--"
Danae smiled, letting the conversations wash over her, one foot idly digging in the sparse grass. I do so love the Rim. It's never this diverse on Coruscant-- when her mind suddenly replayed one of the voices.
Red hair.
Her stomach dropped to a point somewhere far below her feet. Carefully she angled herself around the line, trying to identify the speaker. But she couldn't discern who it was; there were at least fifteen beings on line, and in the noise and chaos of the closing market it was impossible to connect voice with face.
Feeling deeply disturbed, she took a step forward as the line advanced. Red hair. And a speeder, cutting right through the marketplace. She's the only one who could be so arrogant. Sma. Stupid to trust Cradossk, stupid to think he would wait on the mark. He knew it was already taken.
She frowned as the line advanced again, reflexively pulling a few credits out of her pocket. Just as she pulled them out, she shoved them back in again. I think I lost my appetite.
Danae cut out of the line and began hurrying back to the Senator's offices. The sack bobbed from her hand, but she was unaware of its motion. Trees and beings registered only as obstacles, and she dodged them without conscious thought. Her mind was open, testing the Force around her, trying to sense a disturbance. But she sensed nothing. She knew she should be relieved, yet the calm only made her more uneasy.
She ran up the steps of the office building two at a time, shooting past the guards who looked at her with surprise. As she cut through the main hall and turned left, she noted that everything appeared ordinary. Aides rushed by as per usual, smug merchants conversed in low tones outside of tiny offices, a few Republic officials lounged about. Some glanced at her curiously as she pushed by, muttering apologies, but she ignored them.
At their rooms, she hit her fist against the door in frustration. Maa Br'ee, where are you? She reached out again, trying to feel her Master's presence, alert him to the new possibility. But before she could find him she stopped herself.
I don't even know if they were talking about Malastare. Or if it's her. I can't sense her; for all I know, they were talking about another planet entirely, or another person.
She moved into their rooms, throwing the sack onto the tiny desk in her sleeping chamber, and yanked her belt off. A moment later her tunic joined it on the floor. Absently she ran a hand over her hair, wiping at the sweat on her forehead. I need to think.
Pulling the shutters closed over the single window, she dropped to the floor. In a few minutes, she was deep in meditation.
The fortune teller was masked in darkness and cloth. Give me your hands. Let me see your faces. They sat splayed before her, yielding up their body parts, waiting for the usual litany: you will meet one true love, you will have many children, you will live a long life. But instead the fortune teller recoiled, then drew forth a pad and pen. Look, she commanded. Quickly she drew a scale, and pointed to the two dishes on either side. These are you. In you both lies the flux of balance, one lighter, one darker, but both always in sway. And when one dies, the other dies as well. You are each other's life and death. Who are you? the older girl asked angrily. What are you talking about? I see. I see that you are both on similar paths, though one walks in the day and one walks in the night. I see that you will fight between yourselves, and when you have burned away your own shells the galaxy will change in your passing. I see that you will never be together and never be apart. I see that you will hurt each other many times, and help each other many times. As it should be, for two who try to balance the scales when the scales are they. Let's go, Danae whispered. Please. You will lose what you love, daywalker, and the nightwalker will never let herself get as close to such pain. You will fight separate battles with the same end. You both shall be pawn and player alike, until the game grows larger than us all. And all your training will not save you then. You must always remember the balance. Remember that you define each other. Two halves of a circle, and when one is missing the other cannot be whole. Remember that you are each other's death and life. Aurra! Danae's voice echoed loudly in the room, riddled with fear. Aurra please we should go . . . And they finally left, left the masked figure to its endless litany, ran back to the Temple silently, neither of them daring to speak. All Danae wanted was to find Maa-Br'ee, to be held, to be told it would be fine, it was just a bad dream, the fortune teller was a known kook. But when she returned, he unleashed a night of worry and frustration at her, and the two girls were separated, and in a week they left for the Outer Rim. Lost in the sudden changes, she pushed the night out of her mind, focused on her training, and eventually forgot all about it. Until now.
Eight years ago
Present
"What's wrong?"
Danae snapped out of her meditation and turned. Maa-Br'ee stood in the doorway, his face masked by the shadows of the hallway lights.
"I'm not sure," she said quietly. "But I think we have a problem."
He sighed and entered the room, his hand brushing a panel in the wall. Lights flared on in the two linked rooms, and the door slid shut behind him. "What happened?"
"I heard something in the market today." She rose, stretching out her back. "And if it's true, we're not going to hear from Cradossk at all."
"What did you hear?" Maa-Br'ee stood in the center of the room,, watching her closely.
"That a woman with red hair came through the marketplace on a speeder."
"And that means what?"
She took a deep breath. "Aurra isn't in the Guild, Maa-Br'ee. She never joined."
He groaned and sat down on her sleeping couch. "That's all? You overhear the briefest of remarks about a woman with red hair and you assume that Aurra Sing has arrived?"
"I know she's here," Danae hissed. "I sensed it." Just the slightest glimmer, when I was meditating. So faint--if I had never searched, I wouldn't have felt it.
"Sit down." He frowned as she remained standing. "Sit, Danae. Please."
With a sigh, she dropped into a chair, biting her lip.
"While I can completely understand how your little excursion with her made an impression on your mind--"
"Being destined to kill each other has that effect," she snapped.
"--it doesn't mean anything, Danae. You cannot allow yourself to become paranoid." He smiled at her. "I know it's been difficult these past weeks. Take a day for yourself tomorrow. Go to the library, do some reading, work on your history lessons. I'll stay with the Senator."
"Why won't you listen to me?" Her eyebrow arched. "I am telling you she is here, Maa-Br'ee. I sensed her. And I highly doubt she's here to sightsee."
"You sensed her."
"Yes."
"When did you sense her?"
"Just now. When I was meditating. She's masking herself well, which means that she knows about us."
"Few can hide their effect on the Force, Danae."
"You and I can hide it. So can she." Danae scowled. "She's better than most gave her credit for."
Maa-Br'ee rose, pacing around the room. "You know what they say about her, don't you?"
"What?"
"They say she kills Jedi." He smiled wryly at her. "That her specialty is hunting Force-sensitives and bounty hunters who have broken Guild laws. And she rarely brings her marks back alive."
And you never told me any of this. "I don't doubt it. So?"
"So why would the Guild giver her a normal assignment? They stand to get a good cut of Moe's price, if they handle the mark. Why give it to one who owes the Guild nothing?"
"Perhaps they didn't have a choice," Danae replied irritably.
"But then why would she fight them for it? Think about it. If she has positioned herself in such a manner, she will have no end of work."
"I don't know, Maa-Br'ee. Maybe she needs to pay some bills. Who knows?" She ground her teeth in frustration. "All I know is that she's here. I didn't think our plan would be to ponder Aurra Sing's personal finances."
"Fine." He folded his arms. "So what would you have us do, then?"
"Find her. Find her and stop her. If she acts before we're ready--"
"And how should we find her?" he interrupted. "Would you have us request a door-to-door search of the entire planet? Throw everyone in a panic because you sensed the tiniest fluctuation in the Force and heard a conversation whose context you know nothing about?"
Danae rose. "I can see where this is going."
"There's nowhere for it to go." Maa-Br'ee grabbed her arm. "I don't doubt your senses, Danae. If you say there's a disturbance then there is one. And it's possible that she is here. But I cannot act without some indication of her intent. Until then, we have to wait. She has to make the first move."
"I need to take a walk."
He stared at her for a moment, then slowly released her arm. "Don't act like this. You need to think this through."
"And I'll do that a lot better if I walk," she retorted.
"Are you sure that's wise? Think before you act. If you have correctly assessed the situation, then we need to be careful. Running around Malastare at night may give her an opening."
She grabbed her tunic and belt. "Relax, Maa-Br'ee. She's not even here, remember? It's just my paranoia." Pushing past him, she slapped the panel on the wall and strode into the hallway.
He watched her leave, then slowly closed the door again. Sitting back down on her sleeping couch, twitching with unease, he tried very hard to convince himself he was right.
* * * * *
Danae moved silently through the Malastare streets, her mind as open as she dared let it be, trying to tease out the signature thread of Aurra's presence from the web of life around her. She kept her face averted from passerby, her lightsaber hidden in the sleeve of her tunic. The night was cool, with a gentle breeze that stirred her hair, and she could hear loud conversations and laughter from the few open cantinas whose lights blazed in the darkness.
Her frustration at Maa-Br'ee's reaction had faded in her first few minutes outside. Can't blame him. I wouldn't believe me, either. Yet as much as she fervently hoped she was overreacting, the knot in her stomach told her she wasn't. Unconsciously her hand ran over the back of her neck, touching the place where once, years ago in the Temple, Aurra's own had rested. Her long fingers had curved for a moment over Danae's bare skin during a difficult practice, a friendly gesture that had made her feel awe and appreciation at once. I had so few friends at the Temple. She was older, yet she chose to spend time with me whenever she returned. She was always nice to me, even if she got me in trouble more often than not.
With a sigh, she abruptly halted and pushed her way into a cantina. Maa-Br'ee was disapproving of her recently developed taste for ale, but her nerves felt frayed and she needed something to calm her. It could be worse. I could be on spice. I doubt even my system could handle that. She settled into a corner table, pressing her back against the wall, and ordered a glass.
As she sipped the liquid, feeling the knot in her stomach began to unravel, she surveyed the cantina's interior. The crowd was typical of Malastare: mostly Humans and Grans, with a handful of other races interspersed. She saw only farmers and traders, common people with the day's shopping resting at their feet. Slowly she let herself relax, though her eyes never ceased their constant roving of the bowed heads. Great, Danae, just great. Maa-Br'ee's probably in a frenzy of concern and misgivings, and you're out here in the middle of nowhere looking for a woman you haven't seen in years.
On the heels of that thought, she realized she didn't even know what Aurra looked like anymore. For all she knew, her appearance could be completely different. It would be like Aurra to alter herself past any point of recognition, a visual statement of her break with the Order. Indeed, it would almost be necessary, if she had chosen to hunt Jedi as Maa-Br'ee had said.
Groaning inwardly, she drained her glass and began looking around for the waiter. I'm in way over my head here. She's five years older than me, and she's been on her own for years. She could probably take me without breaking a sweat. But somehow the last thought didn't disturb Danae as much as it should have.
The waiter materialized out of a back room and headed straight for her. As she opened her mouth to order, her eyes widened as a glass dropped in front of her.
"What's this?" she asked suspiciously.
"From a friend," the waiter replied, smiling. "No charge." He turned before she could speak again, hurrying over to a large table that was boisterously demanding a third round.
Baatu. She stared at the glass, the cold ale making moisture condense around the rim. She's spotted me. No use trying to find her now.
After a moment's hesitation, she took a sip, then blanched. And it's laced with something. No idea what. So it wasn't a friendly gesture, unless she's just playing games. Quickly she rose and hurried into the street, looking around warily.
Nothing stirred, save for the breeze, sliding over her face and neck. She tried to sense Aurra's presence, but came up with nothing; the Force was as silent and serene as in the Temple. Cursing under her breath, she turned in the direction of the Senator's building, walking as fast as she dared.
As she began to cut across the marketplace, a small form emerged from around a corner. Her hand flew to the handle of her lightsaber, but she relaxed as she saw it was only a tiny Human girl, around eight or nine years old. Her blond hair hung in a single, loose braid down her back, swaying against a thin tunic of homespun cloth. As she saw Danae, her face broke into a wide smile.
Danae grinned in return. She's adorable. Eyes as big as pikas. "Are you lost?" she asked gently. "Do you need help getting home?"
"I have a message for you," the girl replied seriously. "Your sister says you should go home right away."
"I think you're mistaken, little one." Danae rubbed her head. "I don't have a sister."
"Uh-uh. She described you. She said you need to go home right away, everyone will be worried about you and your friend. You should go tomorrow." The girl nodded as she spoke, as if sure of the importance of her words.
Oh no. No no this isn't happening-- "Who did you speak to?"
"Your sister," the girl repeated impatiently. "You have to know your own sister. Sheesh."
"When did she tell you this?" Danae was fighting to keep the anxiety out of her voice.
"Just now. She couldn't tell you herself, she had something to take care of. But she gave me fifty credits, so I know it's really important that you go."
"Can I see the credits?"
The girl pouted, then unwillingly held out a chip. Danae knelt on the pounded dirt and touched it briefly. It's her. I'd know that resonance anywhere.
She released the chip and the girl shoved it into her pocket quickly. For a moment she gazed at the small figure, then nodded to herself. "Will you do me a favor?"
The girl shrugged, her hand embedded in her pocket. Her large, round eyes, level with Danae's, were watching the Jedi's face uneasily.
"Here." Danae held out a hundred-datarie chip. "If you see her again, I want you to give her a message in return."
A tiny hand eagerly snatched the chip away. "What's the message?"
"Tell her--" Danae paused for a moment, thinking. "Tell her that I'm not going anywhere. And she should know better than to use children." She winked at the girl. "No offense."
"S'okay," the girl replied, her hand flexing around the chip. "Anything else?"
"How much can you remember?"
"I can remember lots," she said haughtily. "I remember my father's accounts every time we go to market, so he doesn't have to bring his books."
"That's quite a lot," Danae said in awe. "More than I can remember. So tell her as well that I'm not her sister, how's that?"
"You're not going anywhere, you're not her sister, and she should know better than to use children."
"Very good. I thank you." She grabbed the girl's arm as she turned to go. "What's your name?"
"Theeni."
"Well, Theeni, I'm Danae, and I'm a Jedi. I owe you a favor for this, so if you ever need help, you just let me know, alright?"
"Sure!" Theeni's face lit up. "Are you really a Jedi?"
Danae pulled her lightsaber out of her sleeve, grinning as the girl's jaw dropped. "Is that enough proof?"
"Wizard! I didn't know they were so pretty." She ran a finger over the carving in the handle.
"Every one is different." Danae poked her in the nose. "You should run along now, Theeni. It's very late."
"Okay!" Theeni turned and began running across the marketplace. As she ran, Danae could hear her singing to herself: "I know a Jedi, I know a Jedi . . ."
Her smile faded as she processed what had just happened. She rose, dusting off her knees, and surveyed the deserted yard, the few buildings completely dark.
"Aurra?" Her voice echoed, the reverbation almost mocking.
No answer came. Sighing deeply, she began walking towards the Senator's offices once more.
Maa-Br'ee was the one who told her, watching her closely. He had seemed sympathetic but wary at the same time, unsure of how she would handle the news. In the seven years that had passed, much had happened, and Danae had come close to that very turning point. She knew full well its strange proximity, the paradoxical distance, how it hovered on the fringes yet took acres of fear and anger to reach. And it was with that knowledge that she refused to meet with the Council and tell what she knew of Aurra Sing. They were looking for a cause; Danae knew there was none. They were looking for an event, a single moment; but turnings never happen in a moment, they are the leanings of a being's innermost core. They were looking for behavioral traits, something that should have been noted and was not; yet the tendencies that form the foundations of darkness are never so clearly described. So she refused. Refused because she knew that there was something simply missing in Aurra that was present in herself, and vice versa. She had the compassion to turn aside, and Aurra had the strength to kill without remorse. It seemed both pointless and difficult to explain that to anyone, and she didn't want to think about it, would rather forget that the fortune teller had ever happened. And she kept refusing, for the few days they were in the Temple, citing the upcoming Malastare situation and the need to focus on her training, pushing Maa-Br'ee into backing her and apologizing silently the whole time. He had always been openly disturbed by Aurra, and Danae's report of their Coruscant trip had only made him more worried. Besides increasing his unease, the news had incited fresh discussion in the Council regarding his particular method of training, and he had spent a rough meeting with them reviewing their entire situation. But they had finally gotten away, back to Malastare, and focused on guiding the planet through its tumultuous elections, only to be kept on when the price on Aks Moe's head was revealed. They had repositioned themselves as silent guardians, and had acted as such for two weeks without a single incident. Until now.
One year ago
They said she had turned, but Danae couldn't believe it. Despite Aurra's defiance, she had always seemed committed to the Order. Deep inside herself, Danae had believed Aurra somehow the better for her attitude, that she dared to question what was handed to her, demanded a reason for the tasks she was made to do. But apparently it was not as Danae thought.
Present
Maa-Br'ee's somber gaze met hers when she opened the door. She hesitated, but he waved her close. She settled down next to him on her sleeping couch where he had apparently remained throughout her absence.
"I'm sorry," he said quietly.
"So am I," she responded, her voice equally as soft.
"I should know better than to doubt you."
"I should know better than to ram my suspicions down your throat."
He leaned back against the wall, pulling one knee up to his chest. "Did you find her?"
"No." Danae looked at him sadly. "She found me." In a monotone, she recounted her few hours in the cantina and marketplace.
"I'm going to contact the Council." Maa-Br'ee shook his head. "I think we should be replaced."
"It's too late--"
"It's never too late," he responded irritably. "I don't want you to encounter her."
"Her message said I should leave tomorrow. That gives us two days, at best. And the Senator is due to visit the marketplace tomorrow, for his open forum with Malastare's merchants." She bit her lip. "It's a perfect opportunity."
"I don't care what her plans are, or the Senator's," Maa-Br'ee retorted. "We are off this mission as of now. The Senator has enough bodyguards to deal with Aurra if she tries anything."
"She'll be ready for them." Danae leaned against him, pressing her head against his shoulder. I'll miss this, someday. I've been leaning on him for as long as I can remember. "Come on, Maa-Br'ee. You know as well as I do that we can't go, not now."
"Watch me. I'll have us on the next ship out."
"Aren't you the one who told me that fortune tellers are full of baatu?"
He snorted. "Yes, I did. But I'm also not foolish enough to put that opinion to the test. Not when it's about you."
"Aren't you also the one who told me that an assassination would affect the entire planet?"
"I didn't expect to be quoted on that. I just wanted you to stop acting like a brat."
"We cannot go, Maa-Br'ee. It's too late for that."
He grabbed her hair, pulling her head up roughly. "If I ever hear such fatalistic nonsense out of you again, I swear I will take you to the most miserable backwater planet you have ever seen in your life and leave you there. Understand?"
Her steady gaze met his. "And you know it too, if you have to resort to threats," she said softly.
They stared at each other for a long moment, neither breaking away. Finally Maa-Br'ee's hand released her hair, and she resisted the urge to rub at the sore spot. "I don't want you out there tomorrow," he said calmly. "You're staying here. That's an order."
"I have a plan, Maa-Br'ee, if you care to listen."
"I don't care to, though I thank you for the effort. You are staying here."
"I can take her." But even to her own ears, the statement sounded absurd.
He shook his head again. "Perhaps. But there's no reason to let it get to that point. Not when there's two of us."
"Maa-Br'ee--"
"No." He stood up and looked at her sternly. "I won't be swayed on this, Danae, so don't even try. I will stay with the Senator tomorrow and the day after. You will stay here. In this room. And we are off this mission as soon as I can get approval from the Council."
She sighed and began pulling off her boots. "Fine."
He stared at her, hugging his elbows over his stout body.
"Fine, alright?" She shrugged. "I'm not going to argue. I'm not in that much of a rush to see her, actually."
"Not even to catch up on old times?" A hint of a smile began playing around his lips. "Find out what she's been up to, all these years?"
Danae stuck her tongue out at him. "Very funny."
"If you can repair the comlinks tonight, I'll take one with me tomorrow, and I'll keep you updated."
"Maybe I should send an update to the Council, as well?"
"If you feel like it, but just tell them there is a rumor as to her involvement. I'll broach the subject of our reassignment when I return. I don't want to cause an uproar when there's nothing to substantiate it."
"Yet," she added.
"Get some rest, Danae."
"Nothing yet, Maa-Br'ee."
"Rest." His hand touched her face once, then quickly withdrew. "And promise me, Padawan, that you won't go anywhere tomorrow."
She frowned.
"Danae--"
"Your Padawan promises," she replied irritably.
"Good. Sleep well." He opened the door to his room and slipped inside.
She watched as the door closed, then allowed a crafty smile to grow across her face. "Oh yes," she murmured to herself. "Your Padawan won't go anywhere."
* * * * *
Danae awoke with a start, cursing to herself as she saw the gleam of sunlight in the open window, the rays casting brief shadows in the room. Must be close to lunchtime. I have got to learn to wake up earlier.
She leapt off the couch, yanking her undershirt over her head, then slipped her pants on. A brief glance at their transmitter caused her to shake her head dismissively. Forget the message. The Council never did understand. As she reached for her belt, her gaze slid over the control panel for the door, then quickly returned. Her eyes narrowed as she saw the red light in the panel's left corner. Reaching over, she touched the panel, then slapped it hard. The door stayed shut.
"Damn you, Maa-Br'ee . . . " Danae scowled at the rectangular shape, the red light gleaming steadily at her. Her fingers scraped around the edges, but there was no way to open it by hand. A quick survey of the contents of her beltpack told her that Maa-Br'ee knew her far too well for her own good.
He's stripped me bare. She turned the belt over, as if items would magically appear, unable to resist gravity's pull. No multitool, no face paint, nothing. Only the comlink and my lightsaber.
She sat down on the sleeping couch again, pulling her boots on. Well, two can play at this game. Never try to outmaneuver one you taught. As she fastened the last buckle she began to survey the room. Windows are sealed shut, found that out on our first night here. Even if I managed to break the glass without setting off an alarm, it's a three-story drop.
A smile spread over her face as she spotted the grating in the lower wall. She dropped to her knees, feeling the edges of the opening. Warm air blew gently over her face. It's sealed, but the metal's thin. And he dismissed it. Foolish man. I'll mock him for days about this.
Danae stretched her arm behind her, opening her palm. Her lightsaber shot across the room and she grasped it, igniting the blade. A beam of violet light appeared. She rose, spun it once in her fingertips, then slid it into the grating.
In a few minutes, she had reduced the bars to pools of molten steel. She waited patiently for the opening to cool, then began pushing her way into the heating duct.
* * * * *
Maa-Br'ee shifted uneasily in the marketplace, his sharp eyes taking note of every face he could distinguish in the throng. Senator Moe was proving to be a consummate politician, choosing to walk through the marketplace on foot as opposed to riding in the speeder his aides had suggested. Maa-Br'ee had been pushed into the back of the entourage following a few paces behind, and the casual treatment irked him; his ire only increased every time the Senator kissed a child's cheek or tossed a few coins into the crowd.
The only relief was the lack of any disturbance in the Force. He remembered well Aurra's particular resonance, one of the many aspects of the girl which had disturbed him: a bending, like his own, but far more menacing. Yet he sensed nothing of her, and he reasoned to himself that Danae had been overreacting. If Aurra was nearby, he would know. No one with her Force sensitivity and lack of training would be able to hide it.
An officer brushed his arm, disturbing his thoughts. "Open forum's taking place at the arena."
"I see," Maa-Br'ee replied, following the young Gran's pointing arm. In the distance, he could see a large field, and a stage in the middle. Waist-high stone walls partially fenced in the enclosure, and a aisle had been demarcated by long black ropes that led from the stage to the walls. A crowd was already accumulating around the wooden structure, and merchants were filing into the aisle. "Thank you."
"Aren't you coming?"
"But of course." He fell into step behind the entourage, his eyes still searching the crowd.
To be concluded . . .