Disclaimer: Visas Marr's beautifully tragic character exists thanks to the amazing (and hot) voice acting from Kelly Hu.
Chodo Habat was quite shaken to learn that his actions had in fact placed Batono in danger. He was relieved when Meetra reassured him that Batono was safe in TSF hands. Meetra crossed her arms. "So, the droid intelligence is here safely and the Exchange is disrupted. What remains to be done?"
"For the Restoration Project to continue in earnest, the Telosian government must be made to see the cancer that Czerka has become," said Habat. "Their security division is merely an army of badge-bearing thugs. They supply weapons to the local black market. They steal Restoration Zones and land illegal salvage teams on Telos. But Czerka has tremendous influence here, and the Council fears that forcing Czerka out could end the Restoration Project."
"Which is where we come in," Meetra said.
"Exactly so," said Habat. "If you can bring Czerka's corruption to light, perhaps the Republic could intervene and cast them out, or the Council might reconsider. This is what I would ask of you."
Meetra nodded to herself as she thought. "Czerka is a major corporation. They have a big-time bureaucracy. The weapons they were selling through Samhan Dobo had to have been ordered and shipped, which means paperwork. Same thing with payoffs to Loppak Slusk, and the two killers who came after Batono. An enterprise this sophisticated cannot operate without accounting documents, internal memoranda…" She turned to Habat. "We need to get into the Czerka computers."
"We have considered this before." Habat paced back and forth. "Lorso is no fool; we could not find a way to access the files. The Czerka offices contain a secure mainframe. It is a closed system, inaccessible from outside. I am certain this mainframe contains files that would expose Czerka's corruption. It is only a matter of obtaining and then passing them on to the Telosian authorities."
"So it can't be sliced," Meetra mused. "We need to physically access the mainframe, then load the files onto a datapad and walk it out. We need an insider-someone who can get us into that computer room."
Moza rubbed the back of his neck. "There is an employee of Czerka who may be willing to assist us in our cause. Corrun Falt spends his time in the cantinas in the Entertainment Module. He has been overheard complaining about Lorso while intoxicated."
"Moza!" Habat was shocked. "Falt cares nothing for Telos. He is jealous of his superior, and wants to use us to take her job! How can we trust such a man?"
Moza shook his head. "His greed and ambition are useful to us. Helping us achieve our goal will bring a gain for him as well. Too few in this galaxy share our way of thinking, and we must make do."
Habat sighed. "I suppose you are correct."
"Right." Meetra clasped her hands. "I need an image of Falt, so I know who to look for. I'll find him in the cantina, and convince him to help us get at the mainframe." They headed back to the Entertainment Module.
Corrun Falt turned out to be quite easy to find; he was in what had been Luxa's club, still in his Czerka uniform. Falt was sitting by the stage, drinking and gawking at the dancing girls. Atton grinned and leaned over to Meetra. "His tongue is hanging out of his head-he'd be real easy to seduce. Too bad he's on the wrong team for you."
Meetra glared at Atton, then smirked. "Says who?" Atton was too stunned to respond and Meetra laughed. "I hope it doesn't come to that. He's not as cute as Luxa, and with all the juma he's putting away, his breath probably stinks." She looked over her shoulder at Falt. "I think I'll just try the direct approach." She walked over and sat down across the table from Falt.
He looked up, confused. "Can I help you?"
Meetra smiled pleasantly. "I hope so. There's some information I need about Jana Lorso and Czerka."
"What?" Falt blinked. "What do you mean?"
"There are some files I'd like to get my hands on," said Meetra quietly. "Files I imagine wouldn't make her look good if they went public."
Falt sobered up fast as he realized what Meetra meant. "Wait-are you talking about accessing the mainframe? The Czerka mainframe?" He shook his head. "You're crazy! What are you, some kind of slicer?"
Meetra shrugged. "I'm just looking for some dirt, that's all." She laid a hundred credits on the table-part of the reward money from Grenn.
Falt's eyes darted down to the chit on the table. "Well, I'm sure there are a dozen sorts of dirt on Lorso in there. But it's a closed system."
"So how do I get in?" Meetra asked.
"This is a joke, right?" Falt glanced around suspiciously. "You're CSD, aren't you? Loyalty test?"
Meetra stretched out toward Falt's mind. "Of course not. Our goals are compatible. I want dirt on Czerka…"
"…and I want Lorso looking dirty," Falt finished uncertainly. Meetra could tell that she hadn't closed the deal, and laid the other 400 credits on the table. Falt smiled. "All right. Other than Jana Lorso, only B-4D4 has free access to the mainframe. He's a protocol droid, her administrative assistant. If you controlled B-4D4, you could walk right in."
Meetra frowned. "But, how would I get access to B-4D4?"
Falt crossed his arms. "Nearly all the Czerka technicians are planet-side these days, working the Recovery Zones we've taken from the Ithorians. We've contracted out the maintenance for the office's protocol and utility droids. The tech is a Duros, name of Opo Chano, lives in the apartments in Residential 082. He can order B-4D4 to report to him for maintenance. Czerka was able to really twist his arm on the contract rate-Chano has money troubles. You should be able to convince him to help you."
"Thanks," said Meetra, standing up. "Nice doing business with you." She turned and left the cantina.
Opo Chano's suite was not too far from the apartment Meetra had been given. The door was open. Chano raised his hands as they walked in. "Welcome to my shop! What can I do for you?"
Meetra pursed her lips. "I need you to help me borrow Czerka's administrative droid."
Chano frowned. "B-4D4? But why?"
"Because I need him to get some files from Czerka's mainframe," Meetra explained, "to expose Czerka's corruption to the Telosian authorities."
"Expose Czerka's corruption?" repeated Chano. "Oh, I see, I see. That is a good cause, yes." He shook his head. "I cannot do that. I cannot afford to jeopardize my contract with Czerka."
Meetra crossed her arms. "I did my homework; you need the cashflow to pay a debt. Let's make a call real quick, and see if I can deal with that." She walked over to the comm terminal and dialed Habat's private line.
Habat and Moza came up on the screen. "Meetra Surik, it is good to speak with you. Have you made progress on your mission?"
Meetra nodded. "I have indeed. The Duros with me is Opo Chano, a droid tech here on Citadel. He has a contract to maintain all Czerka droids on the station."
Habat brightened. "You could reprogram a droid to steal the files for us."
"Yes, I could," said Chano, "But Czerka is my most important client. Without them, I cannot service the debt on my business."
"So here is the deal." Meetra clapped her hands once. "Mr. Chano here gets the files for you, and you hire him to maintain your droid intelligence, and any other droids you use here. That way, helping us won't hurt him."
Habat shifted his gaze to Chano. "I would find such an arrangement most agreeable, Mr. Chano. What do you think?"
Chano grinned. "I'd be happy to work for you! Czerka treats me like dirt." He turned to Meetra. "I'll call B-4D4 here right away. I'll set him up to deliver the files directly to the Ithorian compound-you should have them later tonight. Once B-4D4 makes the drop, he'll automatically wipe his memory and return to the Czerka."
Meetra shook Chano's hand. "Thank you very much. I'll return to the Ithorian compound and wait for B-4D4." She smiled. "And congratulations on your new employment!" Chano laughed, and the group took their leave.
Meetra headed down the atrium to the Ithorian compound. She smiled as they passed B-4D4 headed to Chano's shop. They arrived in the early afternoon and settled down to wait. It was about three hours later when the droid walked in. He handed over a datapad and turned to leave. B-4D4 made an odd warble as he blanked his memory on his way out the door. Habat took a moment to skim over the data. "I and all my herd thank you. With these files in hand, the Telosian authorities are certain to expel Czerka from Telos and Citadel Station. Our work can begin again." He took a breath. "And now we shall help you. I have heard that the ship you arrived on is missing, hidden somewhere on Telos. I know of one who could help you find it, and a means by which you could travel to him. When Citadel Station was developing the shield system it uses to protect the Restoration Zones, they worked with a Zabrak ex-military engineer named Bao-Dur. Bao-Dur designed and oversaw the installation of the shield system's planet-side components. His knowledge of Telos' surface and the shield grid is unparalleled. If there is anyone who could locate your ship on Telos' surface, it is he. He is a friend, and may be trusted."
"Sounds like he's our best chance," said Meetra.
"Bao-Dur should be on Telos' surface," said Habat. "I believe he is in one of the Czerka-held Restoration Zones, RZ-0031. I will allow you to use one of our orbital shuttles. It has no hyperdrive, but will get you to the surface, where you can contact Bao-Dur and find your ship." Habat cocked his head. "I must point out that this is illegal. Landing on the planet's surface without permission is forbidden, and we no longer control that Restoration Zone. Please be as discreet as possible."
Meetra nodded. "Thank you, for your help."
Habat held up a hand. "Before you leave us, there is one last thing. When you agreed to help us, I promised that I would try to heal your connection to the Force. It is only fair that after great cost to yourself, I uphold my part of the bargain. I think that I can help in your recovery, at least partially. I must admit, however, that even as the healer of my herd, I have never faced an injury such as this."
"Thank you, Chodo," said Meetra, bowing her head, "go ahead."
Habat held his hand above Meetra's head. She felt a pulse of warmth wash over her. Meetra inhaled sharply as she felt the Force rushing over her. She closed her eyes and felt the beings in the room with her. Meetra reached out and felt the other Ithorians, the plants in the vivarium, and the life in the module beyond. A tear of joy rolled down her cheek. She knew she had far to go, but this was a big step back. Meetra knelt and calmed her mind, letting herself drift on the currents of the Force.
At the edge of the galaxy, a massive ship cruised silently through the void. It was covered in scorch marks, and the plating was missing over several sections. Deep within the eerie vessel was a small room, its walls covered in carvings and luminous runes. In the center a young woman sat still, meditating. Her skin was pale, but for rosy cheeks. She wore maroon and black robes and a maroon veil trimmed with gilt cloth. She frowned, concentrating, then stood and left the room. She walked through the ship's empty corridors until she reached the bridge. A skeleton crew bent over the control consoles, not speaking a word. A tall figure stood atop the viewing platform, staring out into space. He wore hooded black robes and a white mask trimmed with red.
The young woman approached him and knelt. "I have felt it, too, milord… a disturbance in the Force."
The Sith Lord spoke to her. The words were an ancient language; the voice, a hoarse, rasping whisper. The woman nodded. "It was difficult to make out, milord… at first, it was such a quiet thing, I did not notice it. But now I wonder if it has always been there, I merely could not hear it before. The sound built so slowly, yet when you listen for it, you can make out the strains, even over the background life of the universe."
The Sith Lord turned to face the woman. He spoke again, questioningly. The woman looked up. "Do you feel it is a thr-"
Her voice gave out as the Sith shot out an arm and choked her with the Force. He pulled her upright, lifting her until her feet left the floor, then hurled her backwards. The woman landed on her back and lay there, breathing heavily. He lifted her again, slamming her back to the deck. It must have been painful, but the woman didn't make a sound. The Sith paused for a moment and took a deep, rattling breath. He lifted her a third time, pulling her in until the cold mask pressed against her nose.
"You… you are the darkness in which all life dies, milord. All life… exists to feed your power, and my life… my life is yours." He breathed slowly and deeply; with every breath, she felt a little more of her life flow away, into him. She grew weaker, and her senses dulled; the world grew faint as her heart slowed. There was almost nothing left for him to take. Please, let this be the end. "I beg you… please… let me die."
And then the Sith Lord exhaled. The life he had taken from her, he returned. A single dry sob escaped her lips, and then she was quiet again. He lowered her to the deck; she sank down to kneel before him. He spoke once more, a question this time. She bowed until her forehead touched the deck. "Yes… this disturbance echoes through the Force. I can follow it to its source… and bring it to you."
He nodded slowly and hissed a command. She got to her feet. "I will leave at once, milord." The woman walked off of the bridge as her master turned to gaze out at the stars.
Meetra and the others packed what little gear they had; Habat said the Ithorian shuttle would be ready shortly after midnight. They intended to launch during the night, landing a few hours before dawn. With luck, they'd be able to contact Bao-Dur while it was still dark, and the Czerka patrols were less effective.
They were just arriving in the Dock Module when Meetra's comlink chirped. The voice was fearful, and barely above a whisper. "Meetra! Can you hear me? This is Moza! It is terrible, this is terrible! Armed humans have burst into our home and are causing much destruction and death."
Meetra's head snapped around. "What? How did this happen, Moza?"
"Many of my herdmates lie dead," said Moza frantically. "They are threatening to kill Chodo and the rest unless we hand over the files we stole from the Czerka mainframe! You must help us, Jedi, the TSF is powerless. They are holding Chodo in his room, and have sealed the door behind them. You will need a passkey to open it. I have the key; I am hiding in the vivarium, but I can hear the men hammering on the door. Please, you must help us!" Meetra heard an explosion over the comm and the transmission cut off. She whirled and headed back aboard the transit shuttle.
Kreia sighed. "You have what you need from these Ithorians! You need waste time with them no longer."
Meetra shook her head. "I won't abandon people who need my help, like the Order did." She keyed her comlink again. "Soka Linu? It's Meetra Surik. I need that backup you mentioned, and I need it now. Meet me in the atrium just outside the Ithorian compound as fast as you can." The shuttle door closed and they flew back to the Residential Module.
Meetra sprinted out of the shuttle with the others close behind her. There were several people lying on the ground around the atrium, either dead or unconscious. A small group of people stood at the entrance to the Ithorian compound; they were wearing unmarked armor and carried blaster rifles and carbines. Meetra was reaching for her swords when one of them stepped forward. "Relax, Surik. We're here to help."
Meetra recognized Soka Linu. "I'm glad to see you, but who are all these others? I thought the TSF was out of this fight."
Linu rolled her eyes. "Czerka sent a complaint to the Telosian Council about a break-in at their offices. A few hours ago they forced the Council to give this module to their security forces-TSF officers are no longer allowed to patrol here. With one less module to cover, Grenn gave us all the night off. A little while ago, there was another security breach at the TSF station-someone stole six crates of weapons and armor seized from Samhan Dobo." Linu grinned and flicked her rifle's safety off. "We'll follow your lead, Surik. Let's get this done."
Meetra nodded. "All right. The mercs don't dare kill Chodo Habat until he tells them where the stolen files are, so we've got some time; I expect their orders are to kill everyone once they get the datacard. I'll tell them that I've got the files, and they'll open the door for me. Atton, you'll use your stealth belt and follow me in. Toss a couple of stun grenades when I say the word 'here.' The rest of you, move as soon as the flash fades." Atton nodded and vanished. Meetra walked up to the locked door and hit the buzzer.
A man in armor appeared on the screen. "You have what we want?"
"Yes, I do." Meetra held up a datacard-it held the Restoration Zone map Chodo had given her.
The door opened; three mercs and two war droids stood just inside, covering her with various blasters. "Take out those swords, slowly, and drop them on the floor," ordered one of the mercs. Meetra complied. "Walk forward through the door, hands on top of your head." Meetra did that, too, and the door slid shut behind her.
Meetra took a moment to look around the room, noting how many hostiles there were and where they were standing. Through the Force, she could feel Atton, waiting for her to give the signal. One of the mercs twitched his carbine. "The files. Now."
She nodded and slowly reached for her pocket. "I have them, right here." She closed her eyes; the flash showed red through her eyelids and the noise was tremendous in the enclosed space. Meetra opened her eyes and disabled one of the droids with a shock; Atton shot the other one. The three mercs were still recovering from the grenades, and never saw the end coming. Atton took the two on the right with a flurry of blaster fire. Meetra caught the frozen droid in a grip and hurled it into the last merc, then ran to the reception desk and opened the outer door. Linu and the other officers ran in and took up positions to either side of the inner door, which was also closed.
A moment's work at the desk terminal, and Meetra brought up camera feeds of the next room. "Linu," she called, "Come have a look."
The TSF officer walked over and studied the screen. Several Ithorians were already dead. More were huddled in groups along the back wall of the room, with mercs standing over them. A group of mercs and war droids was taking cover behind overturned tables, blasters trained on the door. Meetra took a deep breath. "I'm the first one in. Atton, Kreia, you'll follow. Linu, your people aim for the mercs covering the hostages." Linu opened her mouth, then shut it without saying anything. She headed over to give the other officers their orders. Meetra positioned herself just to one side of the door with Atton behind her and Kreia on the far side. She held up one, two, three fingers, then activated the door control.
The mercs reacted quickly when the door opened, but they were far from fast enough. Meetra stepped through and blasted a two-handed push into the mercs in cover, scattering them. She drew her swords and ran in, cutting down enemies left and right. Her lightning-fast assault caught the mercs off-guard, and they hesitated. Linu and the TSF people followed, aiming carefully to avoid hitting the hostages. Atton and Kreia arrived on the scene, helping Meetra clean up the stragglers. Meetra snapped her fingers at Linu. "Secure this room and see to the hostages. I'll clear the vivarium and Habat's office." Linu nodded and gave a series of hand signals to the other TSF officers.
The door to the vivarium was just off the common area they'd just cleared. Meetra was approaching the door when it flew open; she dove to avoid the sudden blaster fire from inside. A mercenary in heavy armor stood just inside the doorway, holding a heavy blaster in each hand. Meetra reached out and pulled a planter pot into the man's legs from behind. He went over backward, firing wildly into the ceiling. Meetra leapt through the door, stabbing downward with both swords as she landed.
Meetra looked around the vivarium and spotted Moza sitting in a corner. He was cut and bruised, but okay; she gave him a hand up. "Thank goodness you've come," he cried. "There is no time to lose, you must go to Chodo's aid. Take this passkey, it will give you access to his room."
"I'm on my way," said Meetra, taking the key.
"Thank you, Meetra," Moza said. "Again, we are indebted to you."
Meetra grinned. "Just don't make it a habit." She left the vivarium and moved through the common area to Habat's door. She tapped the key against the reader and stepped through the door.
Chodo Habat was on his knees in the center of the room; two mercs held blasters to his head. The mercenary leader stood back and to one side; he was holding a vibro double-blade in an attack stance. "Listen carefully, 'Jedi.' We're walking out of here. I'm taking the hammerhead and the files with me. If you try to stop me, they'll blast him to pieces!"
Meetra shook her head. "You will not harm him. You will drop your weapons and surrender peacefully. You will do so now, or none of you will ever leave this room."
The mercenary leader bared his teeth and Meetra moved in an eye-watering blur. The mercs holding Habat began to pull the triggers on their blasters, but they never got a shot off. Meetra brought both swords around, first lopping off their gun hands and then finishing off both mercs. The leader roared and rushed Meetra from behind. She felt him coming and whirled to block his lunge. The powerful swing knocked her backwards, but Meetra kept her feet. He swung for her throat; Meetra caught the strike on both swords. He wound up for another attack. This time, instead of blocking, Meetra dropped into a full split and slashed with both swords, cutting the man cleanly in half.
Meetra stood and sheathed her swords. Habat also got to his feet. "I never imagined Czerka would resort to this! They will stop at nothing to sabotage our efforts. But this time they have gone too far. If the Telosian authorities are told about this, they will surely have no choice but to take action." He looked over Meetra's shoulder and smiled. "Ah, Moza, you are safe!"
"Yes, thanks to Meetra," said Moza, walking in with Soka Linu. "I am glad to see you are unharmed."
"This is awful." Habat looked around at the three mercs killed in front of him. "So many have died today. It is a pity that we could not make them see the truth."
"Oh, good riddance," Moza said disdainfully. "Just toss them on the compost heap with the rest of the garbage."
Habat shook his head. "It is our way to respect all life, acolyte. You should not joy in their end."
Moza shrugged. "They would have killed us all without a second thought, Chodo. Telos would have been given wholly to Czerka, and the planet would have withered and died." He turned to Meetra. "All this would have come to pass, were it not for your intervention."
"It isn't finished yet," said Meetra quietly. She pointed to Chodo. "Get the files from wherever you hid them. Moza is going to take them straight to the authorities." Meetra turned to Linu. "Lorso's going down. You will escort Moza directly to Grenn."
Linu saluted. "Yes, ma'am." She left the room with Moza, headed for the TSF station.
Meetra turned back to Habat. "I'm afraid this is goodbye for now. I need to get to the Restoration Zone."
"Indeed," said Chodo. "May you have safe travels, until we meet again."
A/N: Here, Visas notices Meetra once she gains enough of a connection to the Force, not based on alignment. It doesn't make sense to me that you wouldn't be noticed if you were an incredibly powerful neutral. As always, please leave a review!