AUTHOR'S ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS:
Sharinganavenger: Thanks for your review and critique! I will work on trying to shorten some descriptions, unless they pertain to the plot. I can be pretty stubborn sometimes, so please be patient with me. Most of all, though, thanks for being candid and for enjoying the story. It really does mean a lot. Remember, the offer to review one of your stories still stands, so don't hesitate to send me a PM if you would like me to.
Katimnai: As always, thanks my friend, for your reviews. I don't think I would have summoned the gumption to write sometimes, if you weren't there to read my nonsense!
Battleship Agincourt: Yes, I do like stories about the exile preceeding TSL as well. I guess the exile has always been a little bit more intriguing to me than Revan. The game left so many things unsaid and unexplored that it leaves so much open for interpretation. Thanks for reviewing and let me know if I can return the favour.
ELORI
Dawn came sooner than anticipated, and even the window blinds could not shield Elori's eyes from being hit by slits of sunlight. She scrunched them shut and rolled over, only to be assaulted by more rays of light, this time from another window. In resignation, she opened her sleep-filled eyes. Blinking slowly, her mind tried to orient itself...she was certainly aware that her time of imprisonment was over, but where she was now was somewhat of a mystery. Still, there was no anxiety or fear, so she took her time – now that was a luxury she missed. Time to wake up, wash, eat...dawdle. She slowly swung her legs over the bed, and stretched. Her more reasonable side thought it best that she try recall previous events that had led to her being here, whilst the more impetuous side of her nature wanted to shut the door to those bad memories forever.
It wasn't an easy decision to make, so she did the next best thing. She procrastinated.
After putting on a set of spare clothes that Atton had provided her with, she stepped out into the living room. Her bare feet treaded noiselessly across the floor, and she surveyed her temporary quarters in the light of day. The apartment was warm but sparse. The lighting looked quite extravagant and she had the feeling that it wasn't of Atton's choosing. The same could be said about the curtains, they were thick and lustrous; the threads had certainly been weaved together by a skilled seamstress. This morning though, the curtains had been drawn, which led to a stark contrast between her brightened room and the cavernous appearance of the one she was in. But she didn't mind in the least. She strode in the direction of the sofa only to find Atton's sleeping form draped across it. Elori put an arm on his shoulder and nudged him gently.
"Unngh..." mumbled Atton, obviously still half-asleep. "You were great too, honey..."
Elori rolled her eyes. Perhaps it was best to let Mister Amorous lie in a little longer, she decided.
She made her way towards a small but efficient kitchen and started to prepare for herself a meal, when she suddenly stopped, and laughed. How strangely the human mind behaved! She had been imprisoned for several months, and her routine was anything but normal. Some days she lacked water or food, and often did not have the luxury of going to the bathroom. On other days, she would be...processed for information or simply for the enjoyment of others. There was no normalcy there. But then suddenly through a twist of fate, she was thrust back into a world she knew – and a much friendlier place at that. Her thoughts and motions did not think twice about the transition, but instinctively returned to habitual nature.
She sniffed the wafting flavours of the food, and the smell made her salivate. Gosh, she was hungry.
"Up already?" spoke a voice from the living room. Atton appeared from around the corner, his hair disheveled and his eyes swollen with sleep. Upon noticing Elori's occupation with a frying pan, he said, "Uh...sorry about that, I would've made us something to eat if – "
"Don't worry," interrupted Elori, "It's alright."
As she continued to cook, Atton subtly stared at his friend through the corner of his eye. He was a little disappointed; he'd half expected her to start up more of a conversation, thanking him for bringing her here, for the kolto packs and pain relievers...
"...but that still doesn't change the fact that you tried to kill me." said Elori aloud.
He nearly jumped. Unaware of himself, his mouth parted slowly in surprise. He struggled to regain his composure and said, "…Well…you know, a man's gotta do what he's gotta do to survive," And then he cocked his head to at an angle and asked, "I thought you couldn't uh...Force read,"
"Doesn't really matter." said Elori, deliberately avoiding answering.
"Did my face speak volumes, then?" said Atton after an uncomfortable silence.
Elori sighed. "Something like that. Would you like some breakfast?"
He nodded, and she brought him half of her omelette. They laid their plates on the counter and began to eat in silence save for the metallic clinking of their utensils against their plates. Once more, Atton glanced secretly at Elori while feigning preoccupation with his food. This was not like her, to keep silent amongst friends, he thought to himself. And then he immediately altered the direction of his thoughts in the fear that she would read his feelings again. He quickly listed Pazaak cards in his head, trying hard to appear that he wasn't trying hard.
"Is the food to your liking?" she asked him politely, as she reached for her beverage.
Atton breathed in deeply and pushed himself rather quickly away from the counter. "Okay, Elori. Let's cut the crap, you have every right to be mad at me...so we might as well get this over with. Just say what you gotta say."
She looked at him curiously, and if Atton noticed anything, it was that she looked more tired than upset. "Where should I start?" Elori asked quietly.
He paused momentarily, unsure as to where she was steering this conversation. "Well...uh...back at that base, I tried to hunt you down, didn't I?" He watched as she nodded slowly and then continued. "It wasn't really like that though. I mean, I was trying to get to you, but...that wasn't my career anymore. What I mean is...I didn't go back to it or anything. Ges was in trouble. Pretty deep, and I thought, hey, if I can help him out the way he helped me in the past then we'd be able to call it even."
She scratched her head. "So...you would save a life by taking one, is that it?"
Atton scowled at her. So this was where their conversation was going, was it? He pointed an accusatory finger in her direction. "Hey, don't go all high and mighty on me, sweetheart...remember, you're the Jedi! How many people have you killed? Oh yeah, and let's not even mention Malachor V!"
Elori leaned forward and looked at Atton head-on, unfazed. "I killed thousands – no, hundreds of thousands. I positioned my fleet offensively on several worlds, gave orders and followed orders to kill without question. I have so much blood on my hands...and the faces of those people who bled haunt me even while I'm awake. At least, Atton, I know what I've done. And I'm damned sure that I would rather die than have it happen again. There is no "high and mighty", there is no standard. There's the truth, and then there's a lie. And you, you're lying to the most important person of all. Yourself."
Atton relaxed, feeling his anger suddenly dissipate. He didn't quite know how to respond. That was always the problem with Elori; she was never on the offensive nor the defensive. If she measured herself against any norm, certainly it wasn't one he'd recognize. Sometimes he felt that she was an instrument of some sort; she either was, or she wasn't. And judging from their ongoing conversation, she hadn't changed that much. Altogether, she was still the same. If anything, her time of capture may have reinforced these traits even further.
He sighed. "Well, there's usually good reasons for why people lie to themselves,"
"Of course," responded Elori, "...denial. You think I haven't felt the same way?"
He stared down at his shoes to avoid her gaze, and rubbed his fingers together unconsciously. "Maybe...maybe sometimes it gets hard to live with the person you really are. And then you got a couple choices. Go on with life without giving a damn, drinking pint-loads of Juma and getting high on death sticks. Or kill yourself. Or...simply invent excuses to continue the breathing process. I prefer the third route. An unjust justification. Heh."
Elori gave a small, sad smile. "Sometimes though," she said quietly, "That isn't enough to fool our consciences."
"Yours maybe," laughed Atton, "Mine's already been reinvented. I'm thinking of patenting it. Could prove to be a hit in this world of ours."
"I'll have to pass," chuckled Elori. "But for what it's worth, I do think everyone deserves a chance at redemption. Whether fate decides to give it to us or not is an entirely different situation. Some get lucky, others don't." At this, she placed a hand on his. "Yustan never meant to do what she did. She's like you, Atton, she didn't want to trust her feelings. She did love you."
"I don't want to hear about Yustan." responded Atton angrily, withdrawing his hand quickly. "She made her choice. It happened, it's in the past and I'm done with it."
"Sure doesn't sound like you're done," said Elori, "But okay. If you said so, then it must be so. Right?" At this, she rose, winked at him and proceeded to clear up the kitchen.
Afternoon soon lapsed into evening, and Elori found herself falling asleep on the small sofa, her head resting on its arm. Atton had left the apartment to get more food and some money. The afternoon's conversation obviously hadn't made any headway, so Elori, aware of which battles she should choose to fight and which to abandon, relented to seek some much deserved sleep. At least they had decided what their next move was to be, and Atton had suggested that he accompany her – for old time's sake. Whether the gesture was intended as atonement, or whether he had tired of his life here on Alderaan, she wasn't sure; but whatever the case, she was grateful for the company.
Truth be told, though, she was somewhat disappointed in Atton. It was difficult to trust someone to whom lying was second nature, while at the same time, a lot of his ambivalent disposition seemed to have vanished. He didn't appear to be the same man who Yustan, Javin and she had met a long time ago on Nar Shaddaa. So maybe then, he was telling the truth. That's what her instinct was trying to inform her. And maybe, it had been as she had suspected all along: the wound he received from Yustan still pained him. It was as if the person whose forgiveness he needed most of all, had spurned him. Love could bring about unforgettable hurt sometimes, she realized. Not that she blamed Yustan for Atton's situation either, no, that fault partly lied at the feet of the Jedi teachings. Love and passion were two different forces; unquestionably, they were often intertwined, but they were still separate. The way she saw it, love was more permanent, more enduring. Passion was powerful, but only for a time. The latter should have been what the Jedi cautioned against, not love. If not for love, the Jedi wouldn't care for the hurt of others. They wouldn't be the guardians they proclaimed to be. If the Jedi were permitted to love, to be with the ones they were told to isolate themselves from, then perhaps their emotions would not be embraced by such turmoil. But then again...who was she to debate millennia of ancient teachings?
You are yourself, she suddenly recalled Yura's voice in her head, just as I am myself. And easy it is, for a voice as large as the Jedi, to be heard above ours. But just as the Jedi are right about things, wrong they can be as well. It is then that we must shout, for their conscience, is who we are.
She opened her eyes and stared at the bare ceiling. She was surprised that she didn't have any nightmares of her time in that military base. Count your blessings, she told herself, and began to rise from the sofa when Atton entered the room.
He had his back to her, and seemed to fumbling with the door lock. "Damn, damn, damn..." he muttered.
Elori got up quickly. "What's wrong?"
He looked pale. "The Alderaan authorities – that's what's wrong!"
"What did you do?"
"What did I do? Why do you always assume it's me?!" he yelled. "It's Ges! That half-witted numbskull managed to get his face on this morning's news! He was caught on camera!"
"So...so what?" Elori asked, still perplexed. She could understand if he was concerned, but here he was – on the edge of panic. "What do the Alderaan authorities have to do with him? I thought you said he was just a small-time peddler! That military base was used by the Exchange, not Ges! Exchange mercenary business is illegal here!"
He gritted his teeth and slammed a hand down on the sofa. "Because...dammit...they managed to pin it all on us!"
"Us?!" It was her turn to yell now. "A minute ago I thought you said it was Ges!"
"They got me on camera too. Look," he walked towards a screen embedded in the wall of the apartment and turned it on. He flipped through the many holovid channels until he found the right one and then he paused the image.
She squinted at the blurry image of a blue Twi'lek and another human who was unmistakably Atton. "Okay," she said, letting out a breath and turning to Atton. "Let's just calm down here, alright? What are we supposed to have done?"
Atton settled down a little and sat on the couch, his old self returning. "Me and Ges – we got fingered for the entire operation. Except it's not really the truth. Alderaan officials aren't that dumb, they're painting us as bigger fish in the hopes that we'll be caught and used to implicate the real sharks in the Exchange."
"How did the authorities find the military base in the first place?" she asked.
"I don't know. All I know is that...if they find Ges, then they'll find me. Ges would crack if they held a butter knife in front of him. We gotta get out of here, Elori, we gotta move fast."
"Okay...sure. We need credits if we're going to haul ass, though. How much were you able to get?"
"Nothing!" Atton exclaimed, an unhappy look on his face. "This whole situation happened before I could even get to my account. I can't go back out there again, my face is probably plastered everywhere by now."
"There's got to be some way," mumbled Elori, trying to think hard.
"Wait, you were a Jedi!" spoke Atton, as his face lit up. "You probably have access to some funds, don't you?"
She sighed and shook her head. "Unless you existed in some alternate universe, you probably didn't take into account that the Jedi Temple's computerized records have been obliterated...? And let's not forget that little incident I had with them either." she said in sarcasm, referring to the sentence of exile passed to her by the Jedi.
"What about the credits you earned as a general in the war?"
"I can't access my personal account, Atton. It's being watched closer than a Gundark's youngling! The minute I access it, they're going to trace that activity to Alderaan!"
"But this is an emergency," he urged.
"The situation is not bad enough to warrant us running around like hens with our tails on fire. We're in Republic-friendly territory. If we play our cards right, we might just get out of here alright."
"What do you have in mind?" asked Atton.
After a few moments of deep thought, she leaned back into her seat and smiled. "I just might have an idea, or the makings of one...but you'll have to play a half-decent role here, though. There's some pretty serious acting required. Think you're up to it?"
All of a sudden, his face broke out into a grin. "Hey...you're talking to the master of duality here,"
"Good." she said, and began to inform him of her plan.
Atton Rand and Elori Mataki walked down the corridor with an escort of five Alderaan authorities. The pair's hands were bound with force cuffs and their expressions, despite the situation, were almost banal. It was Atton, however, who was being the most closely watched, not his skinny, unrecognizable companion. His face was, after all, the one being displayed all over Aldera, Alderaan's capital, as a leading player in the Exchange on this planet. Certainly, the authorities created a great ostentation of their arrest of such a wanted man, believed to be responsible for heinous acts – not only on Alderaan – but on some other worlds as well. They weren't ready to let Atton, nor this moment, slip by so easily.
The pair were led into a room that seemed to have been designed by someone with a serious attack of germaphobia. The walls were a pristine white, as was the table in the center of the room, along with the glistening metallic chairs placed around it. The guards allowed for Elori to get herself seated on her own, but shoved Atton roughly into his seat. He jerked his shoulders from their hands and put up a small fuss, goading the already frustrated guards into pushing and prodding him some more. Elori tried very hard not to smile, he was doing exceptionally well with his part.
"Sit down and sit still," growled the man closest to Atton, as he directed a hefty truncheon towards Atton's head, threatening him with a likely blow.
"Gimme a better reason than that," snarled Atton back at his captor.
Elori glanced at Atton, alarmed. Perhaps her companion was better than he had realized. He was about to take it too far when Elori jumped in. "Where's your chief inspector?"
The first guard, Elori noticed that his nameplate read Goy, turned his attention briefly towards her, all the while keeping a wary eye on Atton. "He isn't here at the moment. You'll be speaking to Lieutenant Willcott instead."
She swallowed, a little worried now. Why did nothing ever go according to plan? She calmed herself down, nothing to panic about yet, she told herself. There was still time to think it through. "You mean to tell me your chief inspector is casting his absentee ballot for this inquisition?" She laughed, and hoped that it sounded sardonic. "What man in his right mind would pass up a chance like this to interrogate an Exchange goombah? Why, it's like he's kicking an opportunity for a promotion up its rear!"
Goy stared at her, a little startled at her words. She seized the moment and continued. "You know, if I were him, I'd sure as hell want to know about this...and what's more, I would want to be there. I would even push all my other appointments to a side for a seat to this show. I wouldn't be too pleased if I didn't get to be here. But..." she paused here for effect, "...you guys probably don't have anything to worry about. Your Inspector is most likely a very congenial fellow. He might even forget that all this went on without him." Elori waved her hand in the air dismissively. "You guys can relax – there aren't going to be any repercussions."
At this, Goy looked anxiously in the direction of his comrade, who was guarding the room's entrance. He chewed on his lower lip for several seconds, and then said, "Roland. Maybe we'd better get him." Goy gestured towards Elori and Atton. "Willcott hasn't much experience here...at least not over Devon. Maybe we'd better get him."
Elori smiled, hiding her face.
Chief Inspector Wade Devon walked into the room quickly and without much hesitation. He carried a datapad tucked underneath his arm and a scowl on his worn visage. Without bothering himself with introductions, he sat down opposite Elori and Atton and placed his datapad down on the table. He scrolled down the page, not lifting his eyes from the small screen, and began to speak. "You two declined the services of a solicitor?"
Atton nodded. Devon kept his eyes glued to the display. "Good idea. I guess you probably know why you're here then."
"We don't need a defense. The Exchange doesn't need a defense." stated Atton defiantly.
"We'll soon see about that," said Devon, "You'll find that here on Alderaan, my friend, things function a little differently. You won't be able to schmooze your way out of this situation. We're not Hutts. Credits and other...merchandise; well, it just isn't as appealing." He finally looked up at Atton and smiled at him politely. "Our society is a little more civilized. Morally, too. Now, I'm going to ask you one last time. Do you want a solicitor?" Atton shook his head, no, and kept silent. "Then let me skip my preliminary speech – "
" – I'm sure it was well rehearsed," quipped Atton.
"Beautifully." retaliated Devon, unfazed at the effort from Atton to draw the older man into an argument. "As I was saying, I'm going to forego my little lecture, and get straight down to it. Who was involved in the operation? I want names, descriptions...I want you two canaries to sing as if your lives depended on it." And as an afterthought, he added, "Wait a minute, they actually do. So you shouldn't have any problems squealing."
"I thought we were the ones behind this operation." said Atton, smiling. "I don't think we're getting the credit we deserve here,"
"Don't be ridiculous, you idiot." scoffed Devon. "What kind of a fool do you take me for?"
"Well..." began Atton, before he was interrupted.
Devon jerked his index finger at the younger man. "Don't get cheeky with me, you. Just because you're not the brains behind the Exchange's business here doesn't mean you and your friend aren't going to get incarcerated. You may not be going in for life, but we assure you, we're going to make your stay here as uncomfortable as possible. Plus, if you keep up your smart-mouthing, I'm going to see to it personally that you're booked into the most distressing suite imaginable."
Then suddenly, Elori laughed. "Ah, Devon, still as charming as ever."
Devon looked towards her, revving himself up for an even grander admonishment, when he started, his mouth slightly open.
"You know," began Elori, "When I'd heard that you retired and sought a cozy career in law enforcement, I was thinking...boy, what a waste. I think I'm having second thoughts now!"
The Inspector's eyes widened momentarily, before his face succumbed to a large guffaw. "General Mataki! You! Here! Of all places!"
She raised her hands up, mocking a helpless gesture. "What can I say? Some people leave behind footprints..."
"...and others leave chaos!" finished the Inspector, reciting a phrase familiar, and fond still, to them both. "It's good to see you! Frankly, I never imagined I would. You look...different, though." His grin disappeared, and he looked almost grave.
"Post-war circumstances haven't exactly been...kind, Devon." She shrugged. "But what's passed is past. And it's the present – this current situation – that I'm most worried about."
"I'll say," spoke Devon, rubbing his chin. "The Exchange, though, General! What did you do to piss 'em off? And who's this goofball here with you?"
Atton didn't know how to respond. But deciding that it was safe now, he held out his cuffed hands towards the Inspector awkwardly, in the form of a semi-handshake. "Atton Rand, sir. Sorry about the smart-mouthing."
Devon accepted the amicable gesture before turning his attention back to Elori. "So you both...aren't involved in any of that crap that went on at that base then?"
Elori shook her head. "Well, not really, no. It's a long story. You are aware that there's a bounty out on Jedi now?" He nodded. "Well, someone mistook me for one."
"You mean, you aren't anymore?" Devon asked incredulously.
"Another long story." she replied.
He folded his arms across his chest and leaned back. "Well, it seems I've missed out on some significant events! But...not to worry, not to worry," He looked at her as if he expected to hear of her exploits, but seeing as how she wasn't very forthcoming and how time was short, that would be a tale for another day. "It's not really you we're after. No one really knows who you are, do they now?" Devon winked at her before looking at Atton. "It's him everyone wants. Him and that other Twi'lek."
Atton's face grew alarmed. "I thought you just said you knew I wasn't masterminding anything!"
"I know, son, I know." he said sympathetically, but apparently not sympathetically enough, for Atton still wore a look of concern on his face. "But I'm not really in a position of command here. I can't acquit you without a trial."
"What do you mean you're not in a position of command? You're Chief Inspector!" exclaimed Atton.
"Everyone reports to someone, son." explained Devon. "And this is Alderaan. I can't cut through red tape without going through some red tape of my own. Now, I can put my opinions into writing, I can testify at your trial – "
"A trial would take months, Devon," interjected Elori. "You know he's not responsible for what went on in there. Hell, we don't even know what went on in there! Isn't there a way you could let him go? For old time's sake?"
Devon sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose, tired. "The only way I see it...is if I lose my job. I could let you two go – set up a fabricated escape, you both could overpower me, but..."
"...You could lose your career," finished Elori. "That won't do at all." Atton shot her a look, but she ignored him.
"No, General. I owe you. Not the other way around. You saved the lives of my men. A job's a job. I can always find another one." said Devon.
"Not if you leave your career in disgrace," she insisted. "There's got to be another way. Wait..." Elori paused for a moment, thinking, "You said we were brought in here to finger a bigger crime boss, correct? Now what if we did just that?"
Devon squinted at her. "What're you trying to say? That you really do know who set up shop?"
She shook her head. "No, of course not. But no one has to know that save for us three. Agreed?"
Devon nodded slowly, hesitatingly. "Agreed. But I still don't know where you're going with this,"
"Neither do I," added Atton, his curiousity piqued. Apparently, he wasn't made privy to this part of her plan.
Elori continued. "If we tell you who did it, you'll let us go? You'll be sure to give Atton and myself – "
" – and Ges," Atton interrupted.
"...You'll grant myself, Atton and Ges immunity from prosecution?" she asked.
"Yes, but..." stuttered Devon.
"We need to know this for certain, Devon. We need not only your word, but the word of Alderaan's monarchy for this deal. We'll need it in writing."
Devon looked up at the ceiling momentarily. When his eyes rested on Elori again, his face had the slightest hint of a smile. "Of course. You'll be granted pardon from the Royal House of Organa. Signed and sealed by the Queen and her vizier." He paused, unable to contain his grin any longer. Laughing, he said, "You know, you're still as shrewd as ever, General. And this might give you the time you need to do what you need to do."
Atton looked back and forth from the pair, perplexed. What was going on?
"Now," began Devon, "I could have the paperwork processed in a matter of hours. And you two, along with your friend, would be acquitted of all charges. So...General Mataki, would you care to tell me who was the primary operator behind the Exchange's base here in Aldera?"
"Certainly, Inspector," spoke Elori, her face breaking out into a wide grin. "It was me."
As they walked down the steps of the courthouse, Elori had keep from looking at Atton, for fear that she would break out into loud peals of laughter. Halfway down the steps, Atton placed a hand on her shoulder. She could feel his body trembling with several chuckles without even having to see him.
"Stop," she found herself laughing in turn, "Act your age..."
"...Oh, but this..." he held the back of his hand to his mouth, trying to suppress himself, "...is too much. Sometimes I used to wonder why everyone held you in such high regard! Now I know! You're just as bad as I am!"
"Atton," she began, still smiling, "The authorities are going to see through this in a couple of days. Lucky for us, we've got them tied up in too much paperwork at the moment. But they're not stupid, and as soon as they've worked through nullifying the immunity charges, they'll come searching for us again."
"Oh let me just savour the moment, for once," said Atton, jocularly.
"We'll have enough time to bask in this memory once we're out of here. It's time to do what we do best."
"Skip town?"
"You got it." she said, as they immersed themselves in the crowd.
