Summary: Father and son are determined to find the Antarian Ranger before Tahl and Qui-Gon report on their findings in front of the Telosian Council. An unexpected course of events causes Crion and Xan to live through another sleepless night, during which the young Padawan is pushed precariously close towards the Dark Side and his father is blown away by the uncovering of a traitor in his innermost circle.
Meanwhile, Qui-Gon is worrying over his wayward apprentice and receives a warning about a terrible event, which is bound to happen. The declaration of Liora's murderer's identity stirs up disturbing reactions among the Telosian Council members. On top of this, the Jedi Master receives a package from an anonymous sender, revealing an ugly truth.
Will father and son find the Ranger before it is too late? What are the contents of the packet, Qui-Gon received? What horrible event is Qui-Gon trying to prevent?
Read on to find out!
Chapter 8. The Enemy Within
0730 hours, Than-Onna Temple, Thani City
"Qui, just spill it out already! Last night you didn't return to the Palace like you should have and now you are beating your brains out over whether you were right. Well, you weren't. But torturing yourself won't change it."
Qui-Gon's best friend was right as always. Rebuffing her accusations wouldn't change Tahl's opinion. The Jedi Master had been denying that he was worried to himself, but that didn't allay his subconscious worries at all. So he exclaimed with exasperation:
"Tahl, you won't simply leave me alone, will you? I have no idea what's going on there and I have a bad feeling about this. I was blinded by my anger at Xanatos and refused to be by his side, when he might have needed me the most! And I am still angry at him!"
"When did you become adept in the Unifying Force to have any feelings about future or past events? Don't get paranoid, Qui! Moreover, I sense whatever happened yesterday is nothing compared to what will happen today. My advice – don't fail to keep an eye on your apprentice for the day and everything's going to be fine."
"You tell me something horrible is bound to happen and simultaneously reassure me that everything's going to be alright?!"
"Get a hold of yourself! You are becoming more frustrating than that rascal you call a Padawan! And he's tough to beat at that. Let's go break the news to the Telosian Council, before I've missed my flight."
SWSWSWSWSW
16 hours prior to the Telosian Council session, Royal Palace
Crion had no intention of following the instructions his son had given him by the word. After all, Xanatos was a 19-year-old Jedi. His father knew much more about planetary rule, secret plotting and Telos itself to be able to forge the best possible strategy to apprehend the Antarian Ranger. I have experience in arresting criminal suspects, haven't I? How many Rebels exactly have my Guards already detained? the King mused bitterly.
He had acquired software for creating visual profiles of suspects, according to memories. He accessed it, made sure to remember each detail of the Ranger's features, body structure and clothing. After he made sure he got an as accurate as possible image, he pondered what to do next. Several years ago, he had secured for himself through a not entirely legal way an unlimited access to all public security holocameras on planet. He could task a trustworthy hacker, whose services he had already benefited from, to program the cameras to send a notification, if they detect a person with a striking similarity to the provided image of the Ranger. However, the legal way of searching for a dangerous criminal carried out by the Telosian Security Force* included, besides the use of the said holocameras, spreading the image of the suspect under top secrecy among TSF officers* and spaceport security officials, thus effectively blocking the suspect's way of escaping off-planet, and produced results much faster. Crion was unsure, whether he could risk cooperating with the Telosian Security Force*. What if Theron had contacts there? This would sabotage the whole operation! But he didn't have the time to rely only on cameras. And normally he would have used the help of his Royal Guards, but since Theron's revelation that he had evidence of the rebel arrests the King didn't know which of them were still to be trusted.
I have to find this Ranger until dawn, preferably without getting Xanatos any more involved in this than he already is. What will happen to him, if the negotiations between Telos and Toprawa fail or that cursed invasion begins, before we get anything on Theron and word of Xanatos' knowledge of the full story all along gets out? I don't want my son to suffer for his father's mistakes… The prospect of being imprisoned might be horrifying, but the prospect of Xanatos getting suspended from the Jedi Order or worse because of me, is unbearable. I might want him to rule this planet, but he must make the decision for himself, not just do it out of lack of any other future prospective, because he was denied the rank of Jedi Knight for failing his trials. I am ready to confess everything first thing in the morning, but my word will have no weight without any further evidence of Theron's involvement in all this. And if I fail to take him down with me, my sacrifice will be for nothing, Telos will be doomed and my Xani won't have any title to inherit. In case any accusations are raised against him as well, he'll have nothing left – he'll neither be a Jedi, nor a King… And I'll have successfully destroyed everything I've ever loved – Telos, Dyone and Xanatos.
No! I'll make damn sure to catch that criminal until tomorrow morning, bring him with me to the Telosian Council session, confess everything and prevent any war between Telos and Toprawa from erupting. I'm not having my son take the fall for any of this!
With newfound resolve, Crion contacted the Chief of the Telosian Security Force*. He managed to convince him that he was sending him an image of Liora's murderer the Jedi had procured and had asked the King to contact the highest-ranking TSF* official, because they believed Crion's word would be taken more seriously than theirs. Frankly, even Crion was convinced it wouldn't, but the Chief of Police bought this after the King's reassurance that the Jedi would confirm his story first thing in the morning. First thing in the morning, he'd be taking the damn Ranger with him to the Telosian Council anyway!
Crion doubted that Theron could find out this evening about the official search for the Ranger. If he did, then the corruption on Telos was far too spread out and the planet was beyond salvation anyway… And Crion would have no other choice than to make a confession and hope someone would believe him. Not the part about the rebel arrests – he knew the angered people would have little doubt about this and shuddered at the thought of revealing it in front of everyone – but primarily about Theron's nefarious plans.
Having double-checked he had done everything in his power to catch the Ranger as soon as possible, Crion started walking towards his quarters. On the way he wondered why he hadn't simply given up his title years ago and saved himself from the events that followed in the recent years. The truth was not that he was so power-hungry Theron and even Xanatos had insinuated he was. There were far greater forms of power than his – in the end, Theron had overpowered him without being a King, hadn't he? And why had Crion given up so much of it in the first place, if power was all he cared about? No. Power was not the reason – at least not the sole reason… It was the fact that… He just couldn't imagine what his life would look like without being the King of Telos. There were many things beyond just power that came with it. Prestige. Honor. Responsibility. Besides, he had been raised to be a King. Throughout both his childhood and adolescence he had been groomed for it. He had wished for it. He had dreamed about it. His father had been the current King and he was going to be the future one. Then, until he finally decided to reform Telos' government, he had already ruled for some years. How could he suddenly become something else? How could a King stop being a King?
SWSWSWSWSW
0825 hours, Telosian Council Building, Main plenary hall
Master Qui-Gon Jinn grew only more unnerved, when he ascertained that his Padawan and the King had not arrived yet. The session was due to start in mere minutes. The Vice Chair seemed to share his concern, unsure whether to begin without the head of state or wait for Crion to show up. For now, he appeared to have decided for the latter.
Xenon's patience paid off, when King Crion entered the hall with Heron and Chrysanthe by his side. Usually, his Advisers were not supposed to be present at every Council session – neither was the King, for that matter – his legislative powers were limited, after all, and he had to oversee the state of affairs of Telos as part of his executive responsibilities. However, one would expect that all his Advisers would have liked to hear the Jedi's report on the investigation on Liora's murder. What troubled Qui-Gon even more was Xanatos' absence. Why hadn't he gone with his father to the session?
Yesterday, after he seemed to be enjoying Crion's company so much, wouldn't he want to spend as much time as possible with him? Qui-Gon remarked sourly.
SWSWSWSWSW
14 hours prior to the Telosian Council session, Royal Palace
Xanatos got in the Palace through an alternative entrance in the rear of the building. This was the fastest way to the King's quarters and he had no time to lose. He had just a night to catch an Antarian Ranger, make him confess his crimes and expose the mastermind behind the heinous operation. The Antarian Rangers' best ability was to blend in with their surroundings, which bode only ill for him – he could find himself searching for a needle in a haystack.
As he was nearing his destination, the lingering darkness, he had felt for the first time the day before, caught his attention again. It was steadily growing stronger. Imminence hung in the air like a heavy cloak, increasing the young man's agitation.
Xanatos slowed his pace, made sure not to emit any sound and checked that his Force-presence was as undetectable as possible. The doors to his father's quarters were slightly open. He squeezed through, not risking even touching them – after he nearly destroyed them earlier, he couldn't be sure they wouldn't make a sound, if moved.
The shroud of darkness was becoming thicker and thicker. However, this time he could locate an exact source – a small room to the left, adjacent to the main living hall. Its door was ajar as well. Someone was standing on the other end of the room. The Padawan opened the door and simultaneously aimed a powerful Force-push at the person's supposed location. The figure didn't stand a chance. As Xanatos stepped into the room, it was already flying towards the wall.
It is him! The Antarian Ranger! Xanatos thought with triumph.
SWSWSWSWSW
After Qui-Gon and Tahl had explained their findings and conclusions to the Councilors, mayhem pervaded the plenary hall. Many of the politicians insisted on the cancellation of the trade negotiations and breaking all diplomatic relations with Toprawa. There were many voices, supporting the deportation of Toprawan citizens, residing on or visiting Telos. Meanwhile, the Jedi were getting worried. They had hoped that the political tension on the planet would abate, the Rebel Front would lose all support and violence would be brought down to minimum. Now, they feared that the tension and lust for violence, instead of disappearing, were simply being redirected towards Toprawa. Did some of the Councilors insist on open warfare against their neighbors? Qui-Gon could not believe what he was hearing.
SWSWSWSWSW
Xanatos cursed himself. He had overdone the Force-push and had to wait until the man regained consciousness. Not that this murderous Ranger didn't deserve the suffering, but the Padawan could not afford to waste any time. He considered healing the criminal – the man had hit his head hard in the wall, which could have caused serious damage. Since the delinquent was definitely a Force-sensitive, Xanatos reached toward his mind to gauge the man's condition. Instead of being faced with standard shielding, he was gifted at bypassing, Xanatos found himself standing on a green field in front of a lake on a sunny, warm afternoon. He tried walking in different directions, but he seemed to be moving in circles. He had never seen such a mind shielding technique before. If the man didn't agree to confess willingly or didn't wake up at all, Xanatos wouldn't be able to get any information from him – he couldn't penetrate the man's mind forcefully. The young Jedi was growing more and more frustrated. Even though he had no idea what physical damage the man had suffered, Xanatos tried to minister a basic healing technique as a start. He concentrated… And nothing happened. He couldn't do it.
An initiate can do this, du Crion, concentrate!
But he failed again. Was he too angry to be able to heal people? How could he be so angry that he couldn't do something so basic? Out of a sudden, he felt the darkness again… For Force's sake, it seemed to be reaching towards him!
Wait a minute, the Dark Side, my receding healing abilities.. What is happening to me? The Dark Side is destructive, Sith Lords are poor at healing. Am I already falling to the dark? That's not possible. I… I am not that angry. I can think straight. I am not possessed by anything…
Memories of the scene at the Temple assaulted him. When he heard that Padawan Tamarik had seen the assassination, for a moment he had wanted nothing more than to destroy that worthless little Twi'lek girl. Earlier, after he had heard the conversation between his father and Theron, he… had nearly gone berserk, but managed to rein his temper before attacking his own father.
But it was for split seconds! I succeeded in stopping myself every time. And was appalled by my reactions immediately afterwards… I still am. This is happening only because I haven't had the time to work through everything that's going on. Events are unfolding too fast, for me to have the time to meditate on them. As it looks, I won't sleep tonight either – especially if I don't heal this Ranger!
Xanatos braced himself. He had to try again. This was not true. He wasn't turning, he couldn't be. It was only due to lack of concentration. He sat down on the floor, cross-legged. He started performing breathing exercises. After some time had passed, he decided to have another go at restoring his captive's health. Slowly, he summoned healing energies. It worked! The Padawan sighed with relief. He could have been overly frustrated lately, but he was still grounded in the Light. Of course he was, he was a Jedi. And he would remain one, if he had any say about it.
SWSWSWSWSW
The Telosian Council was at a recess. Tahl had left with her Padawan. Qui-Gon was considering his options. He could either resume witnessing the madness, which would continue taking place in the plenary hall, or pick up the investigation on Crion, where he left off. And, hopefully, his Padawan would be in the Palace doing the same. Qui-Gon couldn't help opting for the latter. Tahl had already warned him. Whatever was about to happen, it would be more connected to Xanatos, than the Telosian Council.
As he was hurrying towards the exit of the Council Building, a young woman caught up with him.
"Master Jedi! I have something for you!"
Qui-Gon didn't even slow his pace, but looked at her with a discerning eye:
"For me? Who sent it?"
The woman blushed and answered:
"I don't ask questions. This is the policy of the company I'm working for. Discreet Delivery Ltd. – it's implied in the name."
This was unsettling. Qui-Gon needed more information.
"How did the person look like? And do you even know my name?" The Jedi demanded to know with a wave of his hand.
"I-I am not authorized to give you any…" the woman began, but stopped in mid-sentence and abruptly changed her tone, "All I can tell you is that a dark-haired man came in the office this morning. He was quick to leave and I didn't see his face. I was given this packet and was told that I should deliver it to Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn. They gave me an entrance card to the Council Building and a hologram of you."
"You will give me the holoprojector with the hologram."
"And I can give you the holoprojector," the woman agreed submissively and handed it to him together with the delivery.
The Jedi Master didn't like this one bit. He caught an air taxi straight to the Palace, but did not open the package yet. It was suspiciously light and he wanted to open it in private. He decided to view the hologram at least. It looked like it could have been made anytime during his stay on Telos. If it wasn't, then it was not very old either – he looked just like he was looking at the moment.
Then, he remembered what the woman had told him about the sender. A dark-haired man… Xanatos? But why would he send me something anonymously? He dismissed the thought. He was getting too paranoid for his own good. His Padawan would be at the Palace, doing what he was supposed to do.
SWSWSWSWSW
The King of Telos found the doors, leading to his living quarters, noticeably ajar. Had Xanatos come back from the Temple? He entered and his eyes fell directly on the slightly opened door towards his storage room.
What is he doing in the room, where I keep all important files and his mother's jewelry? Does he trust me so little that he has broken in my safe to see if I hadn't hidden something from him?
He pushed the door open to see a horrid scene, that couldn't have been further away from his expectations.
At first glance, it seemed to be nothing more than mildly peculiar – a young Jedi was sitting cross-legged on the floor, his eyes closed, features serene and looked like he was meditating. What made this terrifying instead was the sprawled body of a middle-aged man, whose head was lying in a pool of blood. Petrified, Crion couldn't trust himself to utter anything coherent. He settled for checking the seemingly dead man's pulse. The King released his breath – the man was still alive. At least he didn't have a dead corpse, lying in his living quarters! He started searching his pockets frantically for his comlink. That man wasn't going to die on him!
Suddenly, he realized that a pair of deep blue eyes was watching him:
"Father? When did you arrive?"
"What? The question is why is a man dying in my quarters and why aren't you doing anything about it!" Crion uttered hysterically.
Xanatos furrowed his brow.
"He isn't dying. I healed him."
Crion was dumbfounded.
"You healed him? Then why is his head surrounded by a pool of blood?!"
The young man turned his head in the injured man's direction. Immediately, his eyes went wide with horror.
"T-this can't be! I-I healed him. I f-f-felt the healing e-energies. T-they reached him. T-there wasn't any blood!" Xanatos stammered.
"I have no idea what you've tried to do, but I'm calling the healers!"
"N-no! He's the Ranger! T-the o-other Jedi must not find out a-about him yet!"
Crion froze. The Ranger? What had he been doing here? Suddenly, despite the lack of reason for the Ranger's presence in his quarters, the whole scene started making some sense…He looked at the injured man more carefully and recognized him. Still, what was Xanatos thinking? His healing had obviously had no effect!
"Xanatos! I'm calling the healers! I'm not letting my son become a murderer, for Force's sake! Come to your senses!"
"I-I didn't kill him! He i-is alright. H-his mind is still well-shielded."
"Then how do you explain the pool of blood? I'm not wasting any more time. I'm calling an emergency team here."
"T-they shouldn't t-take him to the m-med centre! I…"
Crion was not listening anymore. He had found his comlink and dialed a number. The King of Telos had a private emergency line. He could at least arrange for a friend of his to come here with his team. He wouldn't ask too many questions.
SWSWSWSWSW
1000 hours, Royal Palace
Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn went to his quarters in the Palace. He had checked his apprentice's first, but Xanatos, as expected, was not there. Qui-Gon opened the package. Inside, there was a note, stating:
"If you want to find out the truth about Liora's murder, watch the recording on the data card."
We've already found out the truth, Qui-Gon remarked mentally with a frown, but took the card and inserted it in his holoprojector. Maybe it contained a recording of the assassination itself. He pressed "play" and the hologram of something similar to a warehouse appeared. Suddenly, something large hid everything from view. As it continued forward, away from the holocamera, Qui-Gon could discern it was the back of a man's head. Slowly, the whole figure came to view. The Jedi Master braced himself – it looked similar to the Toprawan Antarian Ranger, Liora's murderer. In the meantime, something stirred in the distance. Another figure was coming into view. It was walking straight toward the holocamera. Qui-Gon froze. It was King Crion, carrying a package in his left hand.
"Do you have a conscience?" the King's hologram scolded with a frown.
"I used to. Do you? After all, you are the one paying for my services. Don't think you are any better than the one, who is doing your dirty work."
Anger distorted the King's features.
"Just shut up and take your bloody aurodium." The noble handed the package and added, "How are you going to spend it with the knowledge that someone died, so that you can procure it?"
"I told you already, I used to have a conscience. I don't have one anymore. Anyway, what difference does it make if that old Priestess Liora dies tomorrow or a year later? What's more, she is going to give her life for a worthy cause – getting rid of the violent Rebel Front and uniting the Telosian population!"
Crion was glaring at the Ranger with disgust.
"How can an Antarian Ranger fall so low!"
"How can the great King Crion fall so low?" the Ranger retorted insolently and checked the package's content. "Good, three aurodium ingots. As requested. We have a deal, Your Majesty," the man uttered and bowed mockingly.
"Just make sure you do the job," came the King's sour reply.
"I will – just like I always have," the criminal promised.
SWSWSWSWSW
"The man's condition is stable. He has not lost such a significant amount of blood. The brain damage is minimal. He will wake up in several hours."
Crion was relieved. Not only was the man not gravely injured, but they would still be able to question him soon, too.
"Thank you, my friend," he managed a smile.
"Crion, I can tell you have no intention of telling me anything about what happened to this man. But I remind you that I am supposed to report to the police any cases, which might suggest criminal involvement."
This was the way of Crion's friend, healer Karras, to suggest that he would let him off the hook, but he needed some explanation in order to do so.
"Karras, the man had penetrated my living quarters. Luckily, he was apprehended on time, but, as you see, not before he suffered this injury."
"Hmm. Maybe he did indeed. However, there are some peculiar facts about the man's state. Firstly, his head was covered in blood, but there was no sign of any external injury. The internal ones are also minimal. Yet, he is still unconscious and might not wake up for the rest of the night."
"I won't reveal anything else. Report this, if you must. I can only assure you that I did not do anything to this man and that he tried to break the safe in my living quarters."
The healer pursed his lips.
"I need more than this."
"Can you give me a deferment? No one must know about him at least until noon tomorrow."
The healer frowned and said:
"I don't like this. But since the man's condition is far from severe, I'm giving you the benefit of the doubt. If we had to take him to the med centre, you wouldn't have been so fortunate."
"You won't regret this," the King was quick to offer reassurance.
"I hope so. I have instructed your aide, Vallenthyne, on how to take proper care of the patient. If I find the man in worse condition tomorrow, you will be held responsible."
"Fair enough. Good night, Karras."
After Karras and his team had left, Crion entered a nearby room. Xanatos was on his feet, staring through the window.
"He's alright, Karras said…"
Interrupting him, Xanatos uttered with audible irritation:
"I heard what he said. I told you I healed him."
"You weren't so sure before," Crion observed impassively. "I had to call for healers' aid. What if that Ranger's condition had been worse?"
"It wasn't! I made sure of it! Why didn't you believe me?" Xanatos raised his voice.
Crion grabbed his son by the arm and turned him, so that he could face him:
"Xanatos, you were terrified when you saw that pool of blood. Whatever had happened, you were not in control of the situation. Don't pretend you were."
Icy-blue eyes pierced through the King.
"Says the King, because of whom I found myself in that situation in the first place! For your information, I was in control, much more so than you are in control of your planet and your future as a whole. Aren't you happy? You've got your Ranger after all! And he's far from dead."
"I am not going to answer to your taunts. If we have any luck, the man will wake up soon. Meanwhile, you'd better have some rest."
"I am not going anywhere until I've questioned that Ranger! Like I said, I'm the one in control here. YOU can rest, if you wish so."
SWSWSWSWSW
Qui-Gon didn't know whether to feel relieved or horrified. If he could dig something out to prove the recorded exchange took place, this mission would be over for good. He could excuse his taking charge of the mission with the fact that he was given the holorecording, not Xanatos. The Council would give his apprentice another trial mission. Everything would be fine. What's more, Crion would never have another opportunity to corrupt Qui-Gon Jinn's Padawan ever again. He shivered at the thought. He could only imagine what lies Crion had been filling Xanatos' head with for his Padawan to have been acting so unnaturally lately. This was the opportunity to end this once and for all.
He felt horrified, because he had no idea how Xanatos would react to the news.
He is a Jedi. It will be hard for him, but I will help him overcome it. He shouldn't have trusted Crion only because he happens to be his biological father. The man is a skilled politician, after all. Qui-Gon only hoped that Xanatos hadn't gotten himself involved in anything illegal under Crion's influence already. Unable and unwilling to think about this possibility, he focused on how to prove the recording's authenticity.
This could pose a problem, because, basically, Crion and the Ranger could have discussed everything ranging from the weather on Thani City to the dangers of podracing on Malastare and Tatooine during their meeting. Voices, facial expressions and gestures could be manipulated. No one could even prove that this Ranger was the same one, who killed Liora – the clothing was the same, but neither this, nor the recording from the maintenance droid's holocamera revealed the man's face.
If it was not for the aurodium! Adding a package of aurodium into the King's hands would have been much more challenging. Furthermore, the Ranger had taken, opened and inspected it. That was even harder to fabricate. However, Qui-Gon needed more substantial proof than theories...
Of, course, the aurodium! It is the key to everything. If I can prove the King has exchanged credits for the same amount of aurodium recently, I will have all the evidence I need. Aurodium ingots are an outdated and far too valuable currency. I doubt he exchanges credits for aurodium every day.
Nevertheless, Qui-Gon was on edge. The King could have covered his tracks well and left behind nothing that could prove his involvement in Liora's murder. While he was almost running towards the file room, where he could check in the database the King's recent transactions, he prayed he wouldn't need special permit to access this information. It was more than possible that this would be the case. What disturbed him as well was whether Xanatos would be there. His Padawan was supposed to be there. Xanatos would not agree with his Master's plan to expose Crion as soon as possible. But there was no other choice. They couldn't risk the negotiations between Toprawa and Telos to fail. Many Telosian businesses would suffer from this course of events. What's more, the situation could escalate in a full-scale war – several influential Councilors had already suggested this. Xanatos would have to see reason.
He promised not to disappoint me after all.
SWSWSWSWSW
5 hours prior to the Telosian Council session, Royal Palace
Xanatos was staring at the Antarian Ranger with contempt. Not only had this man committed the crime, Theron had gotten his father involved in, but had also almost succeeded in making a murderer out of the Jedi Padawan himself.
What if it had taken me longer to heal him? Xanatos couldn't stop asking himself. He couldn't provide an adequate answer. A part of him was sure he would have sensed if the Ranger's condition was growing too worse too fast for his healing abilities to handle and he would have called for help. Another part of him was afraid that in his quest to prove he could heal the Ranger, he would have been too engrossed with himself to notice how critical the man's condition had become. Frankly, Xanatos would never know just how bad the man's condition had been, just before the Padawan had finally succeeded in summoning healing energies. He feared that the reason why the Ranger was still out cold was that he had been seriously injured before Xanatos' intervention.
The Padawan threw a glance in his father's direction. The King had insisted on staying up with him in the Ranger's room. He dozed off just a couple of minutes ago in his chair. Even though they hadn't exchanged a word since their conversation promptly after the healers had left, he appreciated the older man's presence. It alleviated Xanatos' guilt and the ever darker thoughts, which kept coursing through his head without his consent.
Out of a sudden, the Antarian Ranger stirred. Xanatos caught the movement instantly. He jumped from his chair, lifted it and placed it closer to the criminal's bed. The man opened his eyes and pointed them in Xanatos' direction.
"Are you in a condition to speak? Do you understand what I am saying? Nod, if you do!" The Padawan had to struggle against the nagging temptation of gripping the man and shaking him until he gave every bit of information he had on Theron.
The Ranger nodded.
"Good. Do you remember what happened?"
"Someone assaulted me. It must have been you," the man answered. It was visible that it was costing him not a small amount of effort to speak
"It was. And first, you will tell me what you were doing in my father's quarters and who sent you there!"
"Oh, you must be the Jedi Prince!" the Ranger muttered. "You look a lot like your father. But t-there are some differences."
"Don't go off-topic! I asked you a question."
"W-why should I answer? W-what is there in for me?"
"For a start, because I can cause you such pain you have not even imagined you could feel!" Xanatos hissed. "It is in your best interest to be cooperative."
"Y-you can torture me all you want. You won't get anything this way. Y-you can't enter my mind either. I-if you w-want to g-get me to t-talk, y-you'd better offer me something in exchange."
"We'll see how you react to pain. I bet you'll change your mind!"
"D-do you h-have the time to b-break me, Jedi? Y-your friends w-will accuse T-toprawa i-in mere h-hours. T-try if you might. E-even i-if you succeed, it'll be t-too late."
Xanatos' pale face flushed with anger.
"I will not let myself be extorted by you. You are in no position to bargain! I can kill you in an instant, get you imprisoned for life or torture you into submission! Not the other way around!"
"Y-you w-want t-to get d-dirt on T-theron. I-if you do e-either of the three, y-you won't."
"I'm sure I can get it by inflicting physical pain."
"W-what J-jedi are you, t-then? T-the D-dark S-side is m-more powerful than you can i-imagine. Its h-hold o-on y-you will increase d-drastically, i-if you do this."
"It has no hold on me!" Xanatos exclaimed.
"Y-yet. Y-you'r-re 'n the edge," was the Ranger's simple answer.
"How would you know that?" the Jedi asked incredulously.
"B-believe me, I k-know. Y-you don't w-want to b-become its slave. I a-almost d-d-did."
"You kill people for money, you are already dark," Xanatos stated grimly.
"M-maybe. B-but I-I d-don't e-enjoy t-t-this. S-Sith L-lords d-do."
Xanatos hadn't imagined he'd be leading such a conversation with the Ranger, if he caught him. However, this person seemed to know what was happening to the noble. The delinquent could be able to help him.
"How do you keep yourself from turning?"
"N-no r-recipe for that, k-kid. B-be m-mindful o-of your e-emotions, d-don't dwell on t-the n-negative. T-think rationally. M-meditate. R-remember w-who y-y-you're. D-don't l-let t-t-the D-darkness c-convince you you're s-someone e-else," the Ranger said with a sigh. A small cry of pain escaped his lips.
He's getting tired. I need him to talk! I'll have to heal him again
As if sensing what he was about to do, the Ranger said:
"Y-you d-don't h-h..."
"Ssh! I'm trying to concentrate here!" Xanatos warned. Banishing all emotion, anxiety and exhaustion, he managed it outright.
"Thanks," the Ranger said more clearly.
"You are polite for a cold-blooded murderer."
"You aren't very noble for a Jedi and for a Prince."
"Then both of us aren't quite what they pretend to be," Xanatos shrugged.
"Look, I'll tell you everything, if you get me the new identity and the 3 ingots Theron still owes me. I'll settle for credits instead of aurodium as well."
"And how would you know I'll keep my promise? I can tell you that I'll give you all this and imprison you instead."
"I thought a Jedi's word was worth more."
"You are the strangest person I've ever met! Try so hard to profit in his desperate situation and rely on a stranger's word in the end."
"I-I don't think you're so vindictive. If I hadn't killed L-liora, s-someone else would have. Theron got your f-father in this mess. I didn't."
"But you should be brought to justice! I can't just let you go," Xanatos exclaimed with frustration.
"Y-you d-don't and T-theron w-will continue terrorizing Telos. C-choose."
"You are good at arguing your point, aren't you?" the Jedi shot the Ranger a murderous look.
"I-I just want to start with a clean s-slate. P-prison w-will destroy me. M-more than life already has."
Startled by this sudden revelation, Xanatos wanted to know more, "Why did you agree to work for Theron?"
"Money. I hate the J-jedi and the R-rangers. T-the Jedi h-have become slaves to the Senate and do only the p-politicians' bidding. T-they refused to train me when I was 5. T-this did not stop m-me from admiring them. Although they r-rejected me, I went on to s-serve them as a Ranger. With the years I s-slowly realized how much control the S-senate has over them. Over justice. T-then they stationed me on T-toprawa and I b-became a s-slave of the local government. T-that was my breaking p-point. I just want a new life. But I need c-credits for this purpose."
Xanatos went silent. I have to admit he has a point. Master has been bumping heads with the Council over the Senate's increasing influence over the Order for years. These fools, the Councilors, seem even to encourage this! Xanatos ejaculated mentally as anger reignited in him. However, he was quick to scold himself, Oh, du Crion, think on the matter at hand! This Ranger… I don't think he'll wreck havoc to the Republic, if I agree to let him go. Of course, I can always break my word in the end. And become the biggest Jedi hypocrite in the Galaxy, if I do…
"Look, I need you to talk before that Telosian Council session, so I don't have much of a choice… You don't seem that bad and I can sense you're being honest with me."
"I'm sorry that I put you in this p-position."
"Are you, really? Don't overdo it. You are still a traitorous and murderous bastard, so don't pretend to be too virtuous. Nevertheless, I agree to your offer. You get a new identity and the equal of 3 ingots in credits and tell me everything you know now!"
Crion, who had woken up sometime during their conversation, interrupted:
"Don't agree to that! We can't just let him go"
"Do you want to spend your life in prison and watch Theron rule Telos from behind bars?"
"H-he's got a point," the Ranger chimed in.
"Shut up, you Ranger! Your opinion is clear enough," Crion uttered with a frown.
"This is our only chance! However, you have to agree to this as well. I neither have money, nor can forge official documents. But I will neither witness an invasion on Toprawa, nor have my father serve someone else's prison sentence. No one will believe your story without proof. And I, frankly, won't let you confess anything, unless we can convict that piece of filth Theron for much more years than you'll get. Otherwise it's not fair. I don't care what a Jedi should do. I know what I can and cannot do."
Crion sighed.
"Son, I shouldn't have involved you in any of this."
"Well, you didn't do so deliberately. You shouldn't have gotten yourself involved in this mess."
"No, I shouldn't have… I agree to this bargain. I'll get you what you want, Ranger."
"I h-have a name, you know," the Ranger responded. "Humphry Byrne."
"Do people call you Humph?"
"Well, some have."
Xanatos simply burst out in laughter. Crion and Humph shot him peculiar looks.
"Hahaha, you're lucky you didn't become a Jedi. Every time Master Yoda started speaking, you'd have thought he was addressing you personally. A "Humph" precedes most of his sentences."
Since his father and Humph started looking at him even more strangely, he decided to let the matter drop.
"Never mind." Temple jokes don't work on non-Jedi. "Who sent you here, Humph? And what were you trying to get from that safe as a start?"
"I warn you, this might be a bit shocking. Especially for the King. I'm sorry to tell you," he started, shooting a quick glance at Crion, "b-but it was Fidelius. He's been working for Theron f-for several years. H-he wanted me to get evidence for the fact that you sold that slimo Demón to the Hutts on Nar S-shaddaa. He had told Theron he a-already did have it and was therefore very desperate to get anything."
All the blood from Crion's face drained.
"What did you say?" he whispered barely audibly.
"I'm sorry. Fidelius…"
"Is my best friend! Don't dare tarnish his name!" the King bellowed.
"He's already done so himself. He is in l-league with Theron. I have evidence. I gathered it in order to h-have leverage against Fidelius in case he refused to pay me or he and Theron d-decided to dispose of me. I c-could not get anything on Theron himself t-though – he had people spy on m-me and I would have risked too much. However, the evidence I have for Fidelius' c-crimes will get him a h-hefty prison sentence. You can c-corner Fidelius into giving you everything h-he has on Theron with. And t-then convict Theron himself."
Crion had no words left. Meanwhile, his son's eyes were flashing dangerously: This night was horrible and I regret what I did to Humph, but I will enjoy every second of cornering that filthy, miserable, cowardly liar Fidelius! Our dear long-time family friend Fidelius, whom I even called uncle Fid, guilty of infidelity. He doesn't know just how much he's going to regret his poor life decisions.
* TSF = Telosian Police. "Security forces" is a more common term for police in the SW Universe.