Chapter 3: The Game unveiled

Andronotham lead Numai back to the galley and gestured for her to sit at the table. "So about all the strangeness going on," he handed Numai a datapad, "read."

"Bomber Numai Lucada escaped, this article is three weeks old, have I been out that long‽" Numai asked.

"No you were out for less than an hour," Andronotham answered calmly.

"And what are all these bombings‽ My bombs are precise and I always make sure civilians are not in harm's way! I'm not blowing stuff up in the middle of Zaves square! Who‽ How‽‽ WHY‽‽‽" Numai shouted.

"The empire, because they can, and I'm trying to figure it out," Andronotham answered still maintaining his calm. Numai was briefly shocked by his calm, but his calm helped calm her down. She continued scrolling and reading.

"What's this other stuff?" Numai asked now cam.

"Manifest for the transport we escaped on and decrypted messages," Andronotham answered getting up to get two cups of caf as well as sugar and milk.

"A kilo of baradium? That could level a city! And these messages are between some of King Koltula's top officials."

"Make your caf how you like," Andronotham stated adding some milk and a serious amount of sugar to his caf. "From what I can tell they're playing the game of power and trying for a peaceful takeover." Numai didn't add anything to her caf before drinking it.

"I'm just gonna flat out say I don't understand the game of power," Numai said.

"That's understandable," Andronotham said. "Basically they're using fake you to decrease confidence in Ayania's military and boost confidence in the empire as a form of protection. Also with all the money and favor trading the empire probably planed to uses the baradium for a bomb during the Ayakeresh parade speech to kill King Kultula and General Zaoling."

"Ok I'm following that seems straight forward. What's weird?" Numai asked.

"The weird thing is I thought this planet was just Zersium mines? What makes the people here so valuable that they need a peaceful takeover?" Andronotham asked.

"What do you mean what makes these people valuable‽ They're people!" Numai exclaimed.

"I meant what would make them valuable to the empire. You talked with Siv, the empire doesn't really care about people that aren't imperial. Even less so when they aren't human," Andronotham clarified.

"Well...I don't really know. I thought the mines were the main thing for the planet too..." Numai got lost in thought about her parents and felt tears form.

"I know about your parents and I understand," Andronotham said.

"I know you probably do, but why would the empire use such medieval mining methods?" Numai asked.

"Wait, medieval mine. My knowledge of it said the mine was fairly standard what is a modern mine look like to you?" Andronotham asked.

"Well it'd be a precision blast mine of course. Using precise explosives to separate the or veins from the rocks. Duh," Numai answered like it Andronotham was asking what the modern way for eating was.

"I've never heard of precision blast mining. I don't think there are any other planets that do it," Andronotham said.

"Really?" Numai asked.

"Yes." Andronotham stated.

"Well if something that seems obvious to me could be important. do other planets need the Ayakresh scanners?"

"What?" Andronotham asked.

"Well the composition of soil and rocks on this planet makes it so that Zersium is incredibly hard to find. So first king, King Ayakresh, invented the Ayakresh scanner which could pinpoint Zersium veins. The king keeps the information secret to prevent over mining." Numai explained.

"I think I see the picture now," Andronotham said. He tapped a button on his wrist, and a few seconds latter the rest of the crew came in, including a woman in a jumpsuit that Numai surmised to be Kestral. "Kestral, and Siv, can you two take Numai shopping for an outfit she likes? Ell I need you to head to where the baradium was supposed to be dropped off and see if you can find who was supposed to pick it up." He was met with affirmatives.

After they left Lizel asked "What am I here for?"

"I need to speak with you teacher and figured you should be here," Andronotham answered.

"Oh awesome!" Lizel exclaimed.

"H3!" Andronotham called, and the now properly called astromech rolled into the room, and beeped what sounded like an annoyed tone. "Contact Ahsoka Tano."

Main Character images (even a only half decent character creator made picture convey way more than I feel I can describe):

Due to ff .net's lack of links the images can be found at my tumblr Mandalore-the-Gamer and searching the tag "the dance of the shadows of devils and angels"