Name: Storyteller's Dream

Disclaimer: I do not own Star Wars

Title: Wisdoms Key

Rating: T

Main Pairings: Captain Maze/ Lesia Marit (OC)

Secondary Pairings: Rev/ Keira (OCs)

Secondary Pairings: Ordo/ Besany

Secondary Pairings: Darmen/ Etain

Notes: Characters are kind of out there. I wrote this thinking that Captain Maze must be bored sometimes working for Jedi General Zey. Lesia Marit's name is pronounced Less-a Ma-rite.

Summary: Stuck in an Office, ARC Captain Maze doubted he'd ever see action. But when vital new intelligence comes up and people start dying it's up to him and a civilian aide to prevent it from falling into the wrong hands.

:: ~ :: - Comlink Speech

Italic- Thoughts

" ~ " - Speech

~*~ - Scene or PoV change

Chapter 2

Lesia was miserable. Sitting on her couch surrounded by Clone Captains, Lieutenants, Sergeants Clone and Mandalorians, Jedi, and a strill she wondered if in a past life she did something really wrong. It got worse when Captain of Coruscant Security Force showed up to remove Mirax's body.

"I don't know how we'll explain the new glass." Captain Jaller Obrim said rubbing his chin. Lesia muttered something into her legs and stared off into nothing.

"We'll take care of it." Sergeant Kal Skirata said calmly. He knew that he couldn't talk to the girl while the Security Force was there.

"So for my report because you know there will be one; Mirax Krim came in here and attacked Lesia Marit. Captain Maze worried about the young aide who had had a bad day asked for your help to come and make sure she was alright where upon he came up in time to rescue Ms. Marit from Mirax Kirm by shooting thru her glass doors. This has the makings of a romance holo novel that my wife reads you do know that right?" Jaller said watching as Captain Maze jerked up at the mention of rescues and romances and Lesia buried deeper into the blankets.

"Yeah, but I assure you that the truth is stranger than fiction." Kal said looking uncomfortable.

"With you, it usually is." Jaller said before turning to Lesia. "Since we don't know if Mirax was working alone, is there anyone you can stand with?"

Lesia shook her head.

"Any friends?"

"None that have room for me." Lesia murmured. Jaller rubbed the back of his neck in frustration.

"I can assign some guards-"

"I'll stay with her."

Everyone turned towards Captain Maze. He stood ramrod straight fully armored staring straight ahead.

"Well! That's all settled." Jaller Obrim said brightly and shooed his men out of the apartment. Within moments Lesia was alone again with Clones, Mandalorians, a strill, and a Jedi.

"My life sucks." Lesia muttered as she watched the second Sergeant, Walon Vau paced in front of her.

"Well miss you can tell us what's on that disk." He responded.

"I don't know."

"What do you mean, you don't know? Someone asks you to take the data and you just do it?" Walon asked not believing her.

"Sorry to disappoint you, but she arrived with you on her heels. How could I know? She said that Clones and non-humans will die if the Separatists don't get the data. I don't know any Separatists."

"It's not like they broadcast it. The fact that she told you she is one makes me suspicious of you." Kal said sitting across from her.

"I can't expect you to trust me. I don't expect anyone to trust me. I'd call you an idiot if you did." Lesia grumbled. "Why can't you just take and analyze the data? I won't fight you."

"We can't touch it. The data is DNA encrypted. If anyone but you or the person suppose to receive it touches the data it will wipe and explode." Lesia paled.

"And so what am I suppose to do with it?" Lesia asked. She knew that right now everyone was considering her stupid, but she couldn't help it. "I mean we don't want to give whatever data it is to the Separatists do we?"

"You are going to do exactly what Mirax wanted and we are going to monitor you."

"Oh wonderful." Lesia became that bundle on the couch again.

"I'm hungry. Can I go in the kitchen?" It was the same Lieutenant who tried to get into her kitchen before.

"No. No men in the kitchen. Not you that's for certain. You'll blow up the rest of my apartment." Lesia said looking at him. For some reason he seemed pleased that she popped her head up.

"Can you make us something? We're really hungry and I might forget you said no men in the kitchen and I'm starved. You run around with a white job anyway-"

"REV! THAT'S HIS NAME! NOT WHITE JOB! KNOCK OFF THE WHITE JOB!" Lesia shrieked before blinking for a moment. "I just realized I could scream that loud. I think I'm broke."

"No that would be Mereel's charm." Captain Maze muttered.

"I'll make you all something to eat. Then I'll be happy to be annoyed again." Lesia said standing up. She walked into the kitchen as Kom'rk walked in from the direction of the bedrooms.

"It's all clear Kal-buir. The bedrooms are set up for her parents, older brother, and younger sister." Kal froze when Kom'rk mentioned the older brother and younger sister.

"How old?"

"Agni was twenty-five when he was killed at Geonosis. Que was five." Lesia said turning everyone towards her. She was standing there with three plates which she walked past all of them and set on the table. She walked in and brought out more plates, mumbling to herself the whole time. After the table was set for everyone, Lesia returned to the couch.

"Aren't you hungry?" Maze asked her.

"I don't need to eat as often as you guys. Go ahead and enjoy. In fact I think I should just go-"

"WHAT IS GOING ON?" A woman shrieked. Lesia made whining sound, as it became apparent that Keira and Rev stood on the balcony. Rev had his pistol drawn but not pointed at anyone. Keira didn't need one.

"Captain Maze! Damnit man! If you wanted to date Lesia, you don't drag a platoon along!" Keira yelled while Rev, realizing who he saw standing there, made himself as small a target as possible.

"Why does everyone think I want to date her? I don't even know her! I didn't even notice her until after lunch." Maze snapped. Kal and Walon took steps back from Maze as Walon's strill Mird, hid on the couch.

"Oh no. You could have said anything but that." Rev moaned taking off his helmet. Lesia turned white and Keira turned red. Everyone else was trying to decide if they should continue to eat or rescue the ARC Captain.

"You- you didn't know she existed? What kind of man are you?" Keira choked. It was oblivious that Maze was sinking deep into trouble.

"I-"

"Oh you're one of those I-like-thin-women types are you? That's not fair to anyone you... you, I'm so mad I can't think of anything to call you!" Keira was clearly frustrated and Lesia knew that it was just a matter of time before she lashed out at Captain Maze.

"Hey Keira, why are you here and with Rev?" Lesia asked.

"Well Rev told me about your bad day so I dragged him with me so he would know that I am trying to get you to play hooky with me. I don't want him to go all crazy about not having you around to see tomorrow. But it's a good thing I came because there's an ARC Captain gonna get the beating of his life!" Keira lunged at Maze as Ordo grabbed her and yanked her off her feet. Not that Ordo was tall, but Keira dangled inches off the floor. Rev looked about to come to her defense when Lesia shook her head. She believed that the Captain wouldn't hurt Keira, but he wasn't going to let her attack Maze.

Perhaps he should like his helmet though.

Keira let out several shrieks that made everyone's ears bleed and then started to kick Ordo's shins and try to elbow his armor. She wasn't getting anywhere which served to make her even angrier.

"Captain, I swear she doesn't mean any harm." Rev said. Towards you. The unspoken sentence hung between them as Ordo handed Keira off to him.

"You have a good friend in this woman, Ms. Marit." Ordo said after Keira stopped attacking and glared at them from Rev's arms.

"Keira has always been there. And it's Lesia, sir. I don't like to be called Ms. Marit."

"I'm Captain Ordo. And the Lieutenant you chase out of your kitchen is Mereel. Kal-buir, my father is Sergeant Skirata. Sergeant Walon Vau, Jaing, A'den, Kom'rk, and Prudii. You know Maze."

"Does the strill have a name?" Keira asked, politely though glaring at Maze.

"Mird."

"Ah." Keira turned away from them and spoke to Rev in low tones. The clone tightened his grip and then relaxed.

"I can't play hooky tomorrow Keira. If I do, they'll know something is wrong. Who's to say that the Separatists aren't on the day shift with me?" Lesia said thinking.

"Oh. Yeah that makes sense. But I don't want you in the thick of things. You're not a fighter." Keira said seriously.

"I know what I am. It's not something to be proud of." Lesia said with a sigh. "Are you sure that you are going to stay here Captain? Or was that something to tell Captain Obrim?"

"I am staying here." Maze watched Rev place his hand over Keira's mouth. The petite woman looked ready to beat on him. Again.

"I'll get Agni's room ready for you."

"There's no way to protect you-"

"You're not sleeping in my room with me. I understand you want to protect this data and that means you need to defend me, but I can't feel comfortable with you in the room with me. You've given me no reason to trust you in my room." Lesia said. "And for your information there are no outside entrances to my room. I sleep in the inside room. Sergeants, I'm sorry. Normally I am more understanding but I've had a long, hard day. I need sleep."

Lesia left them all to walk down the hallway. She could hear Keira asking questions, lots of questions. She paused at Agni's door, remembering that Captain Maze had looked up her personal files. She knew that he would, but it didn't make her feel any better or nicer to him. She flipped on the light, watching memories of her family come to life.

Come on Lesia! Come flying with me! Agni had gotten special permission from Admiral Yularen to take her up to space. It was her joy that the Admiral had even allowed her onboard his ship to see the inner workings.

Hold the baby Lesia. This is your new sister, Que. Her mother's joy in showing her daughter new life.

I'm proud of you baby-girl. The day that she got her promotion to aide to the Jedi.

Lesie! Lesie hold Que! Que loved to swing in her arms.

Lesia blinked back her tears and walked to pull the sheets down. She washed and cleaned the apartment every seventh day. In two days she would clean these sheets again. How long was she going to have an ARC trooper living with her? What would he do? Even when Agni was home, they had passed like two ships. She never really knew what he did to forget the battles that he fought in.

"This was your brother's room. He served in the military?" Lesia turned to see Maze leaning against the door without his helmet.

"Yeah, he was a Captain of a vessel at Geonosis. The Separatists destroyed the engines. I was able to find his clone second and discover what happened. He told me that Agni had ordered everyone, including him to the escape pods and then piloted the ship into the droid command ship." Lesia looked down at the bed with its gray and white sheets.

"If it gets too cold, there are in the closet. Don't wake me up early; I'm not a morning person."

"So you're like every female in the universe. Great." Maze said sarcastically.

"And whatever you hear from there DON'T COME IN." She snarled and shoved past him only to trip over herself. Maze grabbed her, and unfortunately it pushed him off balance. He felt himself fall and made it into a controlled fall, spinning over onto the bed and on his back. Lesia wrapped her arms around him and blinked when she didn't get crushed under his combine weight of man and armor.

Once again she was embarrassed. She yanked herself from his arms as she stood up.

"I'm sorry Captain." Then with a quickness that he had never seen before she rushed out of the room. Lesia didn't hear any movement from the main room.

"Damn, I'm starting to think my name is Captain."

~*~

Late in the night, he hear crying. Sobs of someone in real grief and pain. But true to her request, he didn't enter. Instead he laid awake, listening to the sound of personal grief.

~*~

Next Day

ARC Trooper A-26, better known as Captain Maze woke up disoriented. His bed was larger and softer than what he should have...

The memory of the day before came back in full force and he sat up. He had slept in his black jumpsuit, his armor lying in the chair next to him. There was a sound of someone walking around caused him to bring his pistol up. He relaxes when he hears the soft sounds of a woman singing.

Lesia Marit was not like anyone he had ever encountered. She's certainly not as pretty as the other aides. He's not sure that she's brave like Ordo's girlfriend. She doesn't seem intelligent either. And yet... he's almost used to her. He'd even say that he likes her, well about as much as he likes Jedi General Kioni.

Lesia's singing becomes a little louder. He left the door open and now watches as she walks thru the hall getting ready for work. A strange smell wafts in following her. It's a floral scent that Maze can't help but breathe in. Lesia stopped outside his room for a moment.

"I wonder if I should wake Maze up." Ah, when I'm not around its Maze, when I'm around its Captain.

"Maybe not. He might be mean when he wakes up. I'll just fix him something for breakfast. Caf, yes I got to get some caf going." From the sound of her voice he could tell that she had been telling the truth when she said that she never had a male over. He pulled himself out of the bed, making it quickly. Once he was done, he snapped the plating of his armor on before another smell caught his nose.

He hadn't eaten the night before and was hungry. But whatever she was cooking smelled so wonderful that he had to find it. He brushed his hand thru his hair, wishing he had a comb. Though he kept his hair in a military cut, it did have a mind of its own in the morning.

He walked towards the main room, listening for anything out of the ordinary. The sound of a man talking made him rush the main room. There stood Rev, looking out of place with a still angry Keira and a smiling Lesia. Lesia was wearing a soft green skirt and pale tan shirt that seemed to make to her gold-green eyes stand out. Her long brown hair was tied back in a braided bun. After having seen the Senator from Naboo, the plain hair style and clothes was actually more beautiful.

"Good morning, Captain. Captain Ordo and Lieutenant Prudii dropped Rev off with some things for you." Lesia said as Rev held up a knapsack.

"Well... thank you, Rev." Maze opened the sack. Inside were personal supplies, several jumpsuits, a change of civilian clothes, and several extra clips for his pistols. He saw in a side pocket were some credits. Obliviously Sergeant Skirata had a hand in this sack.

"Captain, breakfast is not for another several minutes." Lesia said cheerfully. She was telling him that he had time to shower if he wanted it. He rubbed his jaw and felt that a shave wouldn't hurt.

"Rev, anything goes wrong, you'd better be first." Maze warned the trooper. Keira smiled at him. She didn't like anyone threatening her boyfriend. Not even his commanding officer.

"Don't worry Captain. Anyone comes to kill my friend I'll show you how to skin them. Alive." Keira said cheerfully. Maze knew that he was clearly not seen as the most dangerous person in the apartment. The minute he got to his terminal, he was going to pull Keira's file. Maze turned around and went to the refresher.

Coming out he could hear Lesia laughing at a joke that Rev was telling. The laugh was not like the ones that heard from the other ladies. It was honest. He walked back into the room as she set four plates of food down on the table. Droids had already replaced the glass doors and someone had cleaned up the mess on the floor. He found himself sitting across from Rev while Keira and Lesia took up places on either side. He didn't like this sitting.

"Rev's unsnapped his holster lock. And the glass is blast resistant." Lesia said quietly. "We're trying to pretend that last night didn't throw us off course. That means we eat breakfast and go to work. We pretend that nothing is wrong, save that I have an ARC trooper sitting with us."

"We could give in to the idea that I am dating you." Captain Maze said taking a bite out of his eggs. Lesia really could cook. It was no wonder she never wanted someone in her kitchen. She must have secrets in there.

"It won't work." Keira said softly. "As much as it would be interesting, YOU and LESIA are too awkward around one another. If so much wasn't on the line, I bet you could give it a try. But I think your Separatist is someone who works with you and can observe you."

"Who the hell are you?" Snapped Maze.

"I am Keira Gorman, Specialist Intelligence for the Coruscant Police Force." Keira responded not fazed by the anger.

"Specialist Intelligence?" Maze looked over at Lesia who picked at her food. "You said nothing about a Specialist Intelligence Agent."

"I don't recall you ever asking either. Keira is on loan from Kenexa, my mom's home planet. She's called a Red Elite."

"Red Elite?"

"She's Kenexa's version of an ARC trooper." Lesia said.

"Not quite, more like commando. Black Elites are ARCs." Keira muttered.

"Ever met a Black Elite?" Maze asked curiously.

"My mother was a Black Elite." Lesia revealed.

"Really?" Maze didn't sound as if he believed her.

"My aunt is a Black Elite. I've never seen her in action. I don't want to see her kill. It would be worse than last night." She looked at her chrono. "We need to finish. Keira has to be to work before we do."

Everyone finished and Lesia collected the plates. Rev stared at the table as if it was really interesting while Keira stared at Maze openly. Maze hated it because it felt like he was being judged.

"Quit staring at me."

"Jango would be a Black Elite. You're all Blacks. I can't believe it. So many Black Elites and half of them are complete assholes." Keira said ignoring his glare as Rev muttered something about dying.

"And which half do you class me?"

"The asshole."

"Oh great."

Lesia arrived to prevent any further discussions and they went out to Keira's speeder. Maze and Lesia were in the back again while Keira drove and Rev rode shotgun. Everywhere Maze studied, looking for sniper points.

"The data Lesia? Where is it?" He asked at one point.

"In my bra." She replied calmly. He didn't ask further questions.

Finally they came to rest on a landing out of the way. Maze didn't like it.

"If you all go in together, someone is bound to notice." Keira explained. "You always arrive early. Either by ride from Captain Ordo or by bus. So this is the safest way to introduce Lesia and you coming in the same time. You decided to walk a little bit to work and this is where I always drop Rev and Lesia."

She was giving him a cover story that mirrored the activities of the night before. Keira knew what she was talking about. The three of them disembarked, Maze's pace matching Rev's with difficulty. Obliviously because of her short height, Lesia took shorter steps than the clones. Rev already matched her stride; now it was Maze's turn.

"So... where did you meet Keira Private?" Maze asked Rev, unsure of why he was asking.

"Lesia introduced us. I was injured off the front shortly after Geonosis and came to work with Lesia. Lesia befriended me and then I met Keira." Rev gave him the short version.

"That's rather short." Maze observed.

"I met Rev a week after my family was killed. The day they died happened to fall on the day of Rev's battle. Kioni called it the will of the Force that we should meet. I was missing Agni and Rev was missing his brothers. After a couple of weeks I started to fuss over him, then in keeping of my mother's culture I adopted Rev as my brother. Now if anything should happen to me, Rev inherits everything. The apartment, the money, the life." She looked at Maze to make sure that she had his attention. "At the adoption I am required to have two witnesses. Jedi Kioni and Keira were them. They started talking and Kioni told me that there was a connection. Welcome to the connection."

"I see. So Rev is actually Rev Marit?" Maze sorted through the information and filed it away.

"Yep. And when he marries Keira, he'll become Rev Gorman." Lesia laughed at the blush on Rev's face.

"I thought women took the man's name."

"In Kenexa culture, the man takes the woman's name. They are seen as partners, but Kenexa is run by Queens. The High Queen is Logaia Entar. She's Kioni's mother."

"So General Entar is a princess?"

"Sorta, Queens are elected from the most powerful women and rule for life. She comes from Kenexa."

Maze sorted all this information while Rev and Lesia talked about textiles that were native to Kenexa. No doubt, when this war is over, Rev is going to go to Kenexa with Keira and live. It made him wonder about Lesia. What would she do? Would she leave and follow her friends? The thought caused a hollow feeling in his chest that he didn't like. No matter what he would not allow anything to interfere with the mission. And the mission was to find out what was on those disks. Was it Republic or Separatists?

Standing outside the building General Kioni looked like she was about to start mischief. There were two troopers with her, one being her Clone Commander Barricade and the other was unknown. Barricade was trying very hard to keep track of Kioni who was scaling the outside of the building.

"-swear she likes to see me sweat." They caught the tale end of Barricade's tirade.

"Let 'er fall Barricade." The second one said with a shrug.

"Sure, you do the paperwork."

"What's going on Commander?" Maze asked politely. Barricade didn't outrank him per say, but the two had formed an unusual truce surround Kioni.

"She's bored that's what." Barricade said sounding miffed. "And I got assigned a new Sergeant. CS-2641, aka Sideways."

"It's nice to meet you Sideways." Lesia said extending her hand to the Sergeant. He stiffened for a moment, nearly throwing Maze into defense mode before shaking Lesia's hand.

"I'm not used to people wanting to shake my hand miss. Time on the front."

"I understand completely. I'm Lesia. This is Rev and Captain Maze."

"I know the ARC. Didn't know Rev." Sideways said with a shrug. Kioni dropped out of nowhere with a giggle.

"How's Cappy this morning?" She asked Maze giggling as they walked in.

"Can you try to call me by my name? A-26 or Maze. Try it."

"Cappy." Kioni sang as they reached the lift. People tried to stare at Lesia remembering the day before, but Kioni's actions were hard to ignore.

"Maze. Try it; it's an easy word for your vocab." Maze said realizing that the Jedi was taking attention away from the aide, and so protecting the girl.

"Okay," Kioni said as the doors opened. "Mazzie!"

"Well it's close to my name." Maze grumbled as the doors shut.

After the lift started Kioni turned to them with a serious expression.

"How was that for distraction?"