Necroblade:

Nice story. I really like the idea of bringing Hal Horn back. But how powerful are you going to make him? You managed the character's really well. Ooh thank you very much, how powerful? I'm just kind of assuming by Nejaa and Corran's power. :)

I can't wait for hte next chapter. Coming up now!

RjamMt:

Extremely good story, plays well you have a very nice style of writing has a certain flair to it are you planning on writing either a continuation or an extended version in the future maybe? Ooh thanks, hmm not sure...how far I've planned to take it so far is through ROTJ. :)

Chapter Ten

I was surprised to find Iella in the conference room, and sent her a questioning look as I took a seat next to her. She shrugged in response, before turning her attention to Cracken. The General, in his usual manner, got right to the point the moment I was seated. "Just before Rogue Squadron left for Rlorn, our spy reported to the base there, informing them of its 'cancellation'. Commander Antilles and Lieutenant Horn managed to capture the liaison, and have brought her here for questioning. Lieutenant Horn identified her as a former Cor-Sec agent, Talina Korror."

Iella frowned immediately, exchanging a quick glance with me. "And you wish us to question her?"

I nodded, echoing her sentiment. Talina had left Cor-Sec a little over a year ago, having been recruited by Imperial Intelligence. She had been an incredibly talented agent, and we had all felt her loss deeply. Corran had always suspected that I had perhaps a little more than the others, but I had never admitted as much to him, and wasn't planning on doing so any time soon. "Talina's likely aware of most of our interrogation techniques."

"Commander Antilles reported that Lieutenant Horn's presence elicited a small confession from her, marking her as the liaison," Cracken said smoothly. "Perhaps the two of you could get a greater response."

Iella and I exchanged glances. I frowned slightly. "But we'll lack the element of surprise."

"Korror is aware only of Lieutenant Horn," Cracken informed us. "She won't be expecting the two of you."

I nodded. "Then we'll see what we can do."

Talina was being held a few doors down from the conference room, and I had mixed feelings in seeing her again. Although she had chosen to take up with Imperial Intelligence, which at the time I had thought to be a terrible idea, I had never considered her to be a bad person and I wasn't prepared to start now. This was one aspect of the war I wasn't looking forward to, fighting on the opposite side of friends.

I resented being the one to have to interrogate her.

Iella and I paused outside the door, and she raised an eyebrow to me, and I nodded, gesturing for her to open the door. The room Talina had been placed in was empty, except for a table and three chairs. Talina was all ready seated, her hands bound in stun cuffs. Her dark blue eyes widened upon seeing us, and she leaned back, pursing her lips. "Captain Horn," she said to me after a moment, before nodding to Iella. "Detective Wessiri."

So much for the element of surprise.

"Agent Korror," I greeted her in return, taking the seat across from her. "How are you doing?"

Talina smiled, brushing a strand of curly red hair from her face. "Are you this cordial to all your prisoners, Horn, or just the ones you used to work with?"

I ignored the question. "What we are looking for, Agent Korror, is the name of your informant."

"Sorry to have to disappoint you then," Talina answered smoothly. "I'm afraid I've learned to follow the laws I enforce."

"It would be better for you if you answered of your own free will," I stated softly.

Talina cocked an eyebrow. "And I thought you rebels were too soft for torture."

"Skirtopanol."

She gave no physical sign of fear at the thought of truth serum, but I sensed it through the Force.

"It can be resisted."

I nodded, though I knew she was bluffing. Part of Cor-Sec training involved learning how to resist it, but very few people could do it completely. I was capable of using the Force against it, but I had managed to keep that from even my own son. As far as I knew, Talina had never managed to fully fight off its affects. "We'd prefer to not have to use it on you at all."

"That's your problem," Talina said easily. "Not mine."

Talina's words were brave, if not snippy, but the fear I had sensed in regards to the skirtopanol was deeper than it should have been at the mere mention of the drug. I gestured for Iella to take over the questioning for a moment, giving me time to think this through better. From what I remembered of Talina, she'd never really shown much loyalty to the Empire, nor Rebel sympathies. I suspected she had joined Imperial Intelligence simply because it offered greater opportunities to work, and quite a few more credits than Cor-Sec would ever pay. In my work with Cor-Sec, I'd had to deal with Imperial Agents before, as well as stormtroopers, all of whom seemed to posses a certain mindless loyalty, occasionally tinged with fear.

Talina possessed far more fear than loyalty, and I knew it would take a ilot/i to shake her up this way.

Maybe her or her team's lives hung in the balance of her secrecy?

Or perhaps both?

Failure in the Empire, more often than not, meant death.

"So who is it you're protecting, Agent Korror?" I asked her suddenly, trying to see if my assumptions were correct.

Talina stiffened slightly, but her words were smooth. "The security of the Empire."

"Capture to the Empire is equivalent to failure; regardless of how much you resist, they will assume you spoke, and there will be no rescue attempt." I folded my hands on top the table. "Prolonging your answers to us will do nothing to help them."

"You assume too much, Horn," Talina said softly, then her eyes hardened. "I once respected you both quite a bit, but now..."

I leaned forward. "I doubt it was our loyalty to the Empire you respected, because I never had it."

"They are the rightful government in the Galaxy."

"And the Republic was before them."

Talina tipped her head to the side. "The Republic was weak."

"Better than enslaving."

"I am inot/i a slave," Talina said, bristling.

I raised an eyebrow. "No? Then everything you have done for them has been from your own free will? Amazing."

I'd hit a nerve. She glared at me. "You may as well bring out the skirtopanol, Horn. You'll get nothing from me otherwise."

Shaking my head, I got to my feet. "No, I'm willing to give you a second chance. Try sleeping on it."

Talina smiled slightly. "Now who's the one prolonging answers, Horn?"

"I'll see you in the morning, Agent Korror."

Between Talina and Luke Skywalker, I was feeling pretty emotionally drained by the time I left the cell block. Iella and I met with Cracken together first, then I was held back for additional questioning by the General. He had wanted to hear my "unique perspective" on it, but all I had been able to tell him that she was afraid, and that I felt it best to hold off on the skirtopanol. We agreed on 0800 hours for me to meet with Talina again, and then I was excused. I was a little apprehensive still about having been picked to interrogate Talina, and I wondered if Cracken had chosen me merely to surprise her, or if he was testing my loyalty.

I had a headache by the time I reached my room, and I sat on my bed for a minute, rubbing my temples. First I'd had to confirm for Luke Skywalker that Darth Vader was his father, interrogate an old friend of mine, and I suspected Corran was annoyed with me for not having mentioned knowing Anakin Skywalker before. Despite the probable tension between us, I really wanted to see my son. I wanted assurance that I had done right by him, that I was a father he could be proud of. Also that at least with him, whatever I had to say or do, wasn't going to hurt him.

Taking a deep breath, I looked around my small, sparsely furnished room, suddenly amazed to find myself there. Just a couple weeks ago I had been on Corellia, struggling to make my home world safe. Now I'd expanded my sphere of responsibility, attacking a corrupt, but legitimate Galactic Government, and trying to get others to join the cause. After years of hiding I was training my son to be a Jedi Knight, and doing my best to help Anakin Skywalker's.

I had never missed my father more in my life.

Despite my having my own son, and knowing full well the mortality of a father, I was certain he'd know better than me what to do with Corran and Luke. I imagine he'd probably chuckle at my concerns over Corran's pride, saying I'd had enough of it at his age for the entire naval academy. In regard to Luke...he had known Anakin far better than me, and would probably say he'd seen some of Anakin's best traits in Luke, and that my worry was founded more by prejudice than fact.

It's amazing how well he can still set me in my place.

There was a soft knock on the door, and I looked up. "Come in, Corran."

The door opened and Corran stepped in, folding his arms as he waited for it to close behind him. "How's Luke doing?"

"Better now, I think," I answered him, gesturing for him to take a seat. "How did your mission go?"

Corran smiled slightly. "Tycho said I've never flown better." He took the only chair in my room. "He doesn't remember much about getting shot and you healing him," Corran said slowly. "Just that we were in the room, and he lived."

I nodded. "Good."

"Thanks to your vision, we managed to take them by surprise," Corran said, watching me carefully. "I assume you've heard about Korror?"

"General Cracken asked me and Iella to interrogate her."

Corran lifted his eyebrows. "That's a bit...unorthodox."

I shrugged. "He said he wanted to try shocking her into talking, like apparently she did with you."

He pursed his lips. "She's had too much time to work up a defense against it."

"I know."

"Although," Corran said thoughtfully, an insolent gleam in his eye, "you might have been a better choice for that than Cracken thought."

I frowned at him. "What do you mean?"

Corran feigned surprise. "You mean you don't know?"

"Corran," I warned, folding my arms and giving him a stern look.

"Iella told me that Talina has always had a thing for you," Corran said smoothly. "She said it was rather obvious."

I stared at him for a moment, surprised. "I never noticed."

Corran hesitated, before giving a quick nod of his head. "I know," he said, meeting my gaze.

It didn't take me long to figure out what he meant. Around the time Talina joined Cor-Sec, my wife, Nyche, had recently passed away. That was a dark period for me, where every woman I met had one major failing: she was not Nyche. I spent many sleepless nights trying to get used to sleeping alone, and even now, I sometimes wake up expecting to find her beside me. I had worked closely with Talina on a few cases, and while I had always appreciated her competency as an officer, it had taken until she was recruited by the Empire to appreciate her beauty. Seeing her again had reminded me sharply of that, and hearing from Corran that she had been attracted to me as well didn't help much, although I had to admit I liked hearing it.

I let out a long breath. "Then perhaps it would be best if I withdrew from her case."

"Did tonight's go ithat/i badly?" Corran asked, surprised.

"No," I answered after a moment. "But knowing that she once..."

Corran cocked an eyebrow. "It's been over a year, dad."

I pursed my lips. "I know."

"Guess I was right, then," Corran said, looking a bit smug. "You really ihave/I missed her more than the rest of us."

"It's important to remain objective, Corran."

Corran nodded. "You're admitting you have reason not to be."

I frowned at him. "Corran."

"Yes?"

"Good night," I said, nodding toward the door.

Smirking, he returned the nod. "Good night."

Watching him leave, I decided it may not be prudent to completely withdraw from her case yet. Corran was right, it ihad/I been over a year, and Iella and I could be the Alliance's best chance to get her to talk. It sounded reasonable enough to me as I prepared for bed, but the voice of reason in my head I was choosing to ignore at the moment, wondered if I just wanted to see if the feelings Iella had said she'd had for me before was still there.