Back at the Separatist fleet
Two figures were standing with their heads bent towards the floor. The blue holographic image was more than enraged though the face was hidden. They did not however need to see his face to feel the fire and fury in his eyes as he gazed down on them. Once he finally spoke his voice was eerily calm and it flowed inwards through the room as if he where really there. "Tell me… How exactly did she escape?" The two figures exchanged glances not daring to be the one to tell their master how an insolent child could have escaped their grasp within less than 42 hours.
############
Back at the Republic fleet
Two Jedi entered the room. They had mixed feelings about this new stranger, but they would have to treat her as a suspect none the less. When they entered the first thing they saw was Cody standing irritated in the middle of the room with his arms crossed. Then they saw the girl with her back to them and were puzzled.
General Kenobi tilted his head slightly. "Cody, what happened?"
The girl turned around and spoke before Cody had the chance. "Cody was bored and he wouldn't just admit it!"
The two Jedi Knights exchanged glances with each other, but clearly could tell that they would have had to have been there to understand what was going on. She felt Cody's embarrassment radiate to her and she smiled contently. She leaned on the wall and watched as Cody tried to hide his helmeted face in his hands. "Awww… I'm sorry Cody… Did I embarrass you? If I did… then I did well! After all… you are just another guy." A cheesy smile spread across her face.
Both Jedi were still lost, General Kenobi walked forward a few steps. "It's alright Cody…" He put a hand on his shoulder… "You did good… We'll take things from here."
Anakin stepped up and cleared his throat. "Though we may need you, Commander, close by. Just in case."
Commander Cody nodded his head and signaled the other four to exit the hall. Cody stood just by the entrance and faced away from the cells. The Jedi walked up and stood in front of the field that separated them from her. General Kenobi has the first to speak. "What is your name?"
"Would you like my full name, or alias?"
"Both would be rather nice…"
"I told Jeck that I was Stacy… That's just my nickname… I hate my real name… It sounds like one great big mood swing. I'm Ecstasy Greta Despondency of…" she paused for a second, "Never mind." She turned away and walked to the corner.
Anakin lost his patience and snapped. "Of? Well, tell us!" He would've deactivated the field and tried to shake it out of her but Obi-Wan stopped him and scolded him with an "Anakin, please!"
Obi Wan tried to salvage what was left of the conversation. "Where are you from Ecstasy, and why would feel that you cannot tell us?"
She faced them slowly. "I may seem like a mess in Separatist affairs, and I may seem disloyal and dishonest, but I will never put my home world in jeopardy. The Separatists already tried that in hopes I would remain loyal to them with the threat of my home world being destroyed but in fact that is how I became to put my trust and efforts into the Republic. If that is the path that you, the Republic, want to follow then this discussion is over and you'll never have to see me again. Understood?" Her face was solemn and not her light hearted carefree look. She could almost be feared, but they had a false sense of security from the opposite side of the field.
Obi-Wan looked a little concerned. "Oh no, of course not! The Republic would never do such things to a neutral world. That is if they wish to remain neutral…"
"No! They must not be given a choice! If they have one they would rise up against the government that is clinging to every little shard of power they have to keep the people in the dark of this war! If they find out they would gather and leave the planet to try and join the war, anyone that says that they can fight is a friend to them! That is why you must not know! I won't let them do harm and I won't allow the war to find them!"
Anakin found a spot for him to chime in. "That's a lot of responsibility for one person, keeping an entire planet hidden and safe. Even if you are a Sith, you can't expect to pull it off for too much longer."
She crossed her arms. "I'm used to such things… Please though… I know that you aren't just interested in my personal affairs. I know what the procedure of war is. What would you like to know about your Separatist fiends?"
"You'd openly give us information after we threatened you?" Kenobi curiously asked.
Stacy nodded her head. "I would… I have no grudges against you. Though I may have been angry, we are both fighting a common enemy."
Anakin became a little less tightly wound. "Well said, but you are still a Sith are you not?"
Stacy glanced back to Cody who was trying not to look interested. "I am very versatile. Do you wish me to be a Sith Anakin? It's not that hard… although I swore I wouldn't do things like that anymore… but this is a war of broken promises just like all of the rest."
Only Kenobi seemed to have caught what she said. "Are you implying that you were in several wars before this one?"
Stacy watched out of the corner of her eye as Cody turned to look at her. She took a brief moment to think. "My personal life is my own to worry about Master Kenobi. Just as yours is your own."
Obi-Wan put his hand on his chin. "So I see… We'll finish this interrogation tomorrow evening hours." He turned and Anakin hesitantly followed closely behind. Cody followed as two troopers walked in for guard duty.
"What! Wait! You mean you're going to leave me here with these no talkers here in this little space! Arg! Is this torture?" She walked over to the far corner of her tiny cell and pressed her head against it.
###########
On the Separatist cruiser
"Ventress, I need you to find that girl, by any means necessary. Failure is only to be expected but know you do not settle with failure. Is that understood?" Dooku's stress was beginning to catch up with him.
Ventress bowed her head. "Yes my master, this is completely understood. I'll arrange something and commence it as soon as possible." Dooku nodded his head in approval and she flung her hood over her head and like a shadow left the room.
############
A few hours later on the Republic cruiser, prison blocks
It was shift change for the guards. Hopefully one of the other two will engage in conversation with her. Stacy felt that she would lose her mind if she stayed too quiet for much longer. She watched as the two walked in and took the other guards' places while they left the room. She was drawn to the one on the left. She walked up to the field and was barely touching it. She noticed him get a little tense. She smiled a warm smile. "Hello Jeck… How are you?"
War room on the Republic cruiser
There was a small group of people in a half moon circle with Obi-Wan and Anakin debating something in front of them. "She isn't exactly the Sith lord type, yet she seems to understand a deeper meaning of the force. Though she did not mention it I felt it tingling throughout my entire being."
"Obi-Wan is right… I too felt it but I think she is very much Sith-like." Anakin said contradicting Obi-Wan.
Mace Windu propped his elbows on his knees as the blue hologram flickered. "Perhaps we should move her here to Coruscant for a proper trial. If she is as keen to stopping the Separatists as you say she is, she may prove useful. Who knows how much information one could receive from her?"
"But would that truly be wise Master Windu?" Ki-Adi-Mundi asked. "We cannot trust her as much as she does us at this moment."
"That may be true but I think that she is willing to open up. When Anakin and I were interrogating her, she seemed to be rather comfortable. And it isn't as if we're asking her to join us in the Jedi temple." Obi-Wan hopefully added.
Mace leaned back on his chair and tapped a finger on the arm rest. "Master Yoda? You haven't yet voiced your opinion in this matter. What are you thinking?"
The small green life form gazed deeply into his thoughts with his brown eyes looking further and further into them. "A good time to say what I know, this is." Master Yoda gained the attention of everyone around him. "Known this Ecstasy Despondency for a short while I have, did not seem fit to bring it up it did. Not feel her signature in the force in a long while I have not. Learn from her, help her, and observe her we must."
Obi Wan had a very thoughtful expression run across his face. "I agree with master Yoda. I can head back to her cell now and ask a few things to see if she might cooperate with us."
Mace nodded his head. "Very well then Kenobi. However Skywalker, the council has a matter to discuss with you. It may require your urgent attention, so please stay a while longer." Kenobi bowed his head slightly and left the room.
Anakin nodded. "Alright then master Windu."
############
Back at the prison block
"Stacy… I really shouldn't be talking to you. I've told you that…" Jeck tried to reinforce.
"Oh c'mon Jeck please, I'm bored and you're the only person on this entire ship that has met me properly!" Stacy pleaded.
"You shouldn't even be replying to what she says Jeck."
"Oh stay out of this Deck!" Jeck snapped at his partner. Deck held up his hands to indicate he'd stay out of this. "Like he said though… I shouldn't even be paying attention to you. Stacy would it kill you just to wait the few hours until the Jedi get back?"
Stacy had a disappointed face in a matter of seconds after he said that. "You know me… I can't even hold still long enough to let myself heal… I thought that maybe we were friends enough for at least you to trust I wouldn't escape or anything… but I understand…" She sat down by the field with her head down.
Jeck rubbed where his forehead would have been if not for the helmet. "Ah, Stacy… I didn't mean it like that! It's a job, and they wanted to see if you would warm up to me or something! It isn't that I don't want to talk to you or anything Stacy…"
"Jeck! You weren't supposed to tell her!"
"It wasn't an order I was given to follow Deck. So it probably doesn't matter now." He knelt down to her level. "I'm sorry, for what it's worth. You don't have to trust me anymore if you don't want too." He stood back up and resumed his post, Deck did the same.
Deck glanced at the two of them. "Well… that was sure interesting. Here I thought that this was going to be boring…" Jeck gave Deck a dirty look. "What?"
Stacy stood up and tried to find words to give to Jeck to help soothe both of their minds, but to no avail she hung her head and slumped into the wall sliding back to the ground. Only moments later Obi-Wan had entered the room.
