A/N: I do love spring break…you can enjoy my spring break too, and the extra time it gives me! Ta da, it's another chapter in less than a week!
Chapter 10: Zevid
Although Zevid knew Jaina was a Jedi, he wasn't aware of what she'd been through. Her duel with Caedus had prepared her for just about anything, and Jaina rolled across the floor before his lightsaber could pierce her chest.
"I'm just a different kind of Jedi," he continued, trying not to look peeved that his first attack had failed. But Jaina could feel his explosion of anger in the Force. It was clear he'd been trained in the dark arts.
"Yes, I noticed the red saber," Jaina replied, igniting her own purple blade.
"You have quite good reflexes," Zevid complemented, as she blocked another attack.
"Flattery will only get you six feet under," Jaina hissed. "Which is where you're going anyway."
"Oh my, we've resorted to insults, have we? Now, now Jedi Solo, I would expect better from you."
"You know nothing about me!" Jaina spat, tiring of Zevid's chatter. But she knew what he was trying to do; distract her with words, slow down her reactions by giving her something other than his weapon to think about.
She refused, going on the offensive. She needed to end this, and soon, before the battle became a public disturbance.
Then Jaina realized that killing Zevid wasn't an option, since he still might possess information concerning their investigation. That would make things harder. But she had to take him in alive, so she would.
Jaina couldn't even remember the last time she'd doubted herself in battle. It wasn't something the Sword of the Jedi should do.
No, she did remember. All too well. But she couldn't, not now.
Jaina attacked low, dropping her blade up high at the last possible nanosecond. Zevid stepped back, but her saber still singed his hair, and left a small patch of cauterized flesh on his ear.
Zevid howled in pain.
But two could play this game.
"So, are you a Sith Lord or something?" Jaina questioned, not slowing down her attack.
"Not quite that high up, no. But getting there. As you can see from my advanced dueling skills, I'm quite good."
Jaina didn't even begin to address his ego problems. "Who trained you?"
"A man who taught me not to give out too much information."
"That narrows things down."
But Jaina had a sinking feeling concerning who had taught him; the only Sith Lord who had been around at the time Zevid had been training.
Caedus.
And if he'd taught Zevid in secret, how many other rouge Dark Jedi were running around the galaxy?
It had been too good to be true thinking that after she'd killed Caedus he would be gone for good. No, people like that always left a legacy, a mess to pick up.
Jaina could feel Zevid tiring. While she sparred with fellow Jedi constantly, Zevid must have gone a long time without practice, hiding out here on Aargau. He remained strong, his strokes powerful, but the art of attack was missing in his strikes. Brute force could only get one so far.
Jaina quickened her slashes, trying to back Zevid into a corner. He retreated slowly, but before she could disarm him, Zevid ducked underneath her lightsaber and dashed for the door. He threw it open and left before Jaina could react.
But react she did, turning to follow Zevid. Jaina looked both ways down the street, then heard a scuffling noise from above her. She looked up to find Zevid climbing up the exterior of the building, lightsaber hanging deactivated from his waist.
Jaina sheathed her own sword and set off after him, using the Force to keep herself from falling down the almost completely smooth surface. She slowly caught up to Zevid, lungs gasping for air, muscles protesting.
He reached the top of the building and rolled over onto the roof; Jaina wasn't ten seconds behind, and when she tumbled on the roof, Zevid stood over her, saber ignited.
The killing strike never came though. Jaina rolled quickly, anticipating it.
"I am trying to lull you into a false sense of security," Zevid told her.
"Aren't battle strategies better left a secret from the enemy?" Jaina asked, bringing her purple blade back to life.
"Not if that revealed information accomplishes a purpose."
This Sith had a snarky reply for everything. Jaina would respect that if he hadn't been trying to decapitate her.
"The only purpose being accomplished today is your demise."
Jaina pushed Zevid to the edge of the roof, his feet slipping in the rock bed beneath them. An appropriately placed stone sent him careening on his backside.
Jaina took the opportunity to strike while he was off balance, slicing the hilt of his lightsaber in half. The blade deactivated, and Zevid just laid there, a stunned expression on his face.
"Very good, Miss Solo. Well played, and flawlessly executed."
"Shut up," Jaina replied, hating the fact that a Sith was complementing her skills. She was about to knock Zevid out with the hilt of her saber when he flashed her a knowing grin and stood up.
Alarmed, Jaina reactivated her lightsaber, but before she could attack, Zevid walked to the edge of the roof and jumped off the edge. She rushed forward, only to see a glimpse of him careening to the ground, arms extended as though wings were attached that would save him.
If Zevid had been an ordinary opponent, she would have watched as his body splattered on the pavement. But he knew how to use the Force, and therefore this jump would not kill him, probably barely injure him. Which meant it wouldn't kill her either.
Jaina took a breath, then followed, the wind pushing her long brown hair away from her face. The journey down took a lot less time than the trip up, and the ground was coming in fast. Jaina reached out in the Force, willing the air molecules to slow her descent. She landed lightly on the pavement beside Zevid.
"Nice try," Jaina said.
"Oh, but I didn't try. I succeeded."
Zevid turned to flee, Jaina closing in. But Zevid knew these streets much better than Jaina, and she soon lost him in the never ending twists and turns.
"Stang!" she cursed, looking around one more corner. Zevid was nowhere to be seen.
Some Sword of the Jedi you are, can't even catch a wannabe Sith with an oversized ego.
#
Luke Skywalker entered the main office of the Bank of Aargau, and headed across the foyer to the large welcome center. It was busy today; beings of various races, but mostly human, wandered around. Many were dressed in the rich robes that indicated a person belonged to the upper class, but there were a few poorer citizens meandering around as well. It wasn't that the lower class was banned from places such as this, it was just that the poor were poor, and didn't possess enough money to bother having a bank account. And the Bank of Aargau catered to some of the richest citizens of the galaxy.
"How may I help you?" a female secretary asked Luke when he approached the desk. She had very red hair, which reminded him of Ben, and of why he was here.
"Yes, I'd like to speak with whoever handles Senator Solfus' accounts here."
"Let's see, I believe our president sees to the Senator's banking personally. We very highly respect our government leaders." She smiled, but Luke could sense that it was one she pasted on.
"Is he available right now?" Luke asked.
"He's currently in a meeting, but if you go up to floor 261, you can wait for him there. The meeting should finish up in about ten minutes, but you know how those things go, always running over."
"You should see my Jedi Council meetings," Luke replied.
"Oh, right, you're Luke Skywalker, aren't you? I guess I should have recognized you before, it's just that you're the last person I expected to be walking through that door!"
Luke laughed. "That's alright. Most people don't recognize me right away. Floor 261, you said?"
"Yep," the secretary replied.
"Thank you very much. You have a good afternoon." Luke turned towards the turbolifts.
"May the Force be with you," she called. Luke smiled, returning the phrase. He imagined the woman going home and telling all about how Luke Skywalker himself had told her to have a good afternoon.
It was both disturbing and a little complementary. But such was the life of a galactic celebrity.
Is that really what we Jedi have become? Celebrities? The topic of holodramas? Luke thought as he rode the turbolift to the 261st floor.
Maybe it was true, but it was only because the galaxy didn't, as a whole, understand Jedi and what they did for them every day. To the average citizen, a Jedi knight was almost more a legend than a reality. Some far away hero that protected them from harm. Sometimes. Other times, the darkness won, and there was nothing Luke could do to stop it.
A ding from the turbolift brought Luke back to the present, and he walked into a hallway with thick maroon carpeting. His boots sunk almost two inches into the fabric.
There was a set of chairs clustered in the corner, so Luke took a seat to wait for the president of the bank. Ten minutes passed, and not surprisingly, another ten. Finally, after twenty five minutes, a door opened, and three people exited. The door shut again, and two minutes after that, a man in a dark blue suit approached Luke.
"Master Skywalker, I was told you were here. I'm Roland Vergeck, president of the Bank of Aargau."
"It's a pleasure to meet you," Luke replied, shaking Roland's outstretched hand.
"Please, come into my office and we can talk."
Luke followed Roland inside, closing the door behind them.
"What brings you to Aargau? It's not very often we get a Jedi in these parts, especially the Grand Master of the whole order."
"I'm afraid it isn't pleasant business," Luke answered. "I am in the process of investigating Senator Byron Solfus. We suspect he may be participating in some shady financial dealings."
"That's a troubling accusation, we like to give our politicians the benefit of the doubt."
Someone's never been to Coruscant, Luke thought.
"This isn't an accusation, it's an investigation to see if an accusation is warranted."
"I see. What can I do to help and hopefully disprove your suspicions?"
"I'd like to go through all of Senator Solfus' business and personal transactions, as we have found some unexplainable fund transactions."
"Of course, let me pull up his accounts."
Vergeck turned the screen so that Luke could see the column of numbers. Luke scanned for the dates Solfus had mysteriously disappeared.
"See, right there. Three thousand credits withdrawn from his business account, and five thousand added to his personal account on the same day."
Vergeck looked, confirming the data. "It appears you're right. Although this doesn't prove anything, I agree that it looks suspicious."
"Does Solfus' business account fund the charity he's running on Coruscant?"
"I believe so, let me confirm." Vergeck tapped a few keys. "Yes, his business account funds the charity and various senatorial expenses such as transportation and the like."
"We have reason to believe that Solfus' charity may just be a hoax, a front to acquire funds. And this appears to be confirmed by the money moved from his business to personal accounts. The only thing I don't understand is why this is the sole time it's happened like this. You'd think he'd be more careful than to directly transfer them on the same day."
"Maybe he had an emergency of some sort that required he have extra money right away."
Luke wondered how Jaina was coming with the mysterious address. "That would explain why the funds were withdrawn from his personal account later that week. He must have needed them for something important. Does the bank keep track of where all credits come from, or only where they go?"
"Only where they go I'm afraid. It's a privacy policy."
"I see. Well, thank you for your help, President Vergeck."
"Of course Master Skywalker. Please don't hesitate to contact me if you have any other questions."
"I won't, thanks."
Luke exited Vergeck's office and went back downstairs. When he'd reached the street, he opened a comlink channel to Jaina. "I'm finished at the bank now, heading back to the landing bay."
Jaina's reply came interrupted by static, as though she was breathing hard. "I'm on my way there too."
"You alright? You sound a bit out of breath."
"Oh, you know, just been chasing a Sith around town. I'll explain it all when I get there."