Rebel Victory – Docking Bay:
Troops surrounded the freighter and maintained a distance of at least 4 meters from ramps. Geth, Thane, Luke, and Kendy stood out of sight of the freighter's cockpit windows to conduct their strategy session.
"We have to incapacitate her. If we don't, she'll release more of the virus as the ramps lower." Kendy offered.
"True," Luke said. "We have to assume that any breach we make will result in some level of emittance regardless. Sealing that area from the outside before we go in would be a good idea."
Thane commed instructions to the Captain to coordinate the fabrication of a viral containment tunnel. One end would attach to the ship over the top hatch. The other end would be the exit/entrance to the tunnel itself. Until the air quality registered no virus, they'd have to remain in the sealed tunnel. "Oh, and Captain?" Thane added. "We need it constructed and installed in twenty minutes."
"So, we have sleeping gas, stun grenades, blasters set on stun…" Kendy said as she ticked off the obvious options.
"Okay, here's where you should go in," Geth said, pointing a hatch on the top of the freighter on the schematics. "First go through the outer hatch and seal yourselves in. You'll drop down here," he said, pointing to a location midway back over a small alcove opposite the main ramp.
After tweaking the details, they were ready. It took only ten minutes for the efficient crew to create a spiral frame wrapped in clear sheeting. They would fuse one end to the surface of the freighter around an outer hatch. The other end would be the main entrance and exit from the tunnel.
Luke, Corran, Grhan, and Hinson crouched on top of the freighter above the hatch. Luke counted down their entry. Geth gave them the codes, but it was possible the uninvited guest may have fiddled with those. Luke punched in the complex information and an audible clack followed. Luke gave a thumbs up to Geth who was waiting on an elevated platform.
Geth watched as the hatch opened and one-by-one the Jedi disappeared into his beloved ship. Thane noticed his step-father looked a little pale and nervous.
"Hey – they know how much all that amazing stuff means to you. They're not going to do anything needless or rash," Thane reassured him.
Geth gave Thane a scolding glance. "My primary concern is their safety, Admiral Step-Son."
Thane couldn't help but grin. "I know that, Geth. But you've put a lot of time and investment into the contents of that freighter. The truth is, we've built some of those assets into our operation. Let's hope whatever happens down there, everyone and everything comes out without a scratch."
Geth was nodding in agreement. "The thing that confounds me is why she is on my ship. Why is she in there? Does she know what is in there? I am confident my small group of scientists are very good at holding to their non-disclosures. I pay them well and I saved them from a bad situation on Coruscant before the war effort ended. They remember this."
"And you keep a close eye on them in case?" It was a question that didn't need an answer. Geth's expression was confession enough.
"Of course," Geth said. "I'm a former Imperial General. The Empire teaches you a few things about secrets. It isn't the people who have them you have to worry about. It's the people who know the people who have them – and what they are willing to do to get them – you have to worry about.
Up until now, my greatest security measure has been anonymity. Now I have a freighter loaded with my secrets docked on an enormous ship. The circle of knowledge has grown as we've planned the mission. And now, as if by sheer coincidence, this mystery person is on my freighter."
"And you don't believe in coincidences," Thane said, having heard Geth say this dozens of times.
"Do you?" Geth asked.
"Not anymore," Thane answered. "That's one of the unfortunate side effects of losing my cynical nature. It's exhausting to consider that everything connects somehow." With that comment, both men settled into the silence and waited.
Now on the ship, the team shut the outer and inner hatches behind them as they moved into the main cabin area. Luke gestured and the pulled down their respiration masks. There were nine different corridors, hatches, and vents into which they would toss, drop and insert the canisters. According to the schematics, this would result in a rapid circulation of the agent through the ship. Luke gave the signal and each Jedi moved with speed toward their assigned targets.
Luke was delivering his second cannister down the longest corridor leading to the aft-most part of the ship. His danger sense erupted like fire at the back of his neck. His lightsaber was out and in motion as shots fired from the end of the corridor. He deflected the four bolts as he ran toward the shooter. He hoped the gas would take effect before the risks intensified. He rounded the corner and saw a door shutting. Reaching out with the Force he swiped his hand and the door slid open. On the floor lay the woman wearing a gas mask; a pool of blood was forming beneath her left side.
"Jedi - meet me at the hatch. Suspect apprehended and unconscious. She's injured and needs immediate medical attention. Notify the Admiral." Luke picked the woman up, noting her blonde hair and recognizing her as the mystery woman from their sparring sessions.
Corran met Luke in the main cabin. Grhan was already climbing. "Grhan!" Luke called. "I'll send her to you. Get ready!" Luke yelled.
Corran was through the inner hatch. He paused to make sure she made it through the space without difficulty. Luke used the Force to lift her limp body. She floated past Corran, who adjusted her position for the narrow space. Luke felt a lightening of his burden, indicating that Grhan was now assisting him in his efforts.
"I have her!" Grhan yelled down. Luke climbed onto the ladder but stopped when he found himself stuck behind Corran. Luke was about to press him to move when he observed Corran grimacing. Luke followed his gaze to see droplets of crimson rain falling past them into the ship below.
"She's bleeding quite badly," Corran commented, then continued to climb.
Corran and Luke emerged from the top hatch to find Grhan leaning over the woman. Hinson was at the tunnel entrance collecting and analyzing air samples with a handheld device.
"It's almost done, Master Skywalker," Hinson reassured an anxious appearing Luke. Luke took a deep breath and nodded. Grhan didn't look up. Ten seconds later the lights on the meter flashed green. The air was clear of the virus. Hinson raised his wrist and commed the news. "Admiral, it's all clear. Suspect is critically injured. We need immediate transport to the Med-Bay."
Luke and Grhan prepared to leap from the ship and run with the woman when a gurney on repulsorlifts along with several med-droids appeared on the top of the freighter. Hinson unsealed the entrance to the tunnel and Grhan placed the woman on the gurney. As the droids and gurney moved downward and in the direction of the door, Grhan disappeared off the side of the freighter.
Luke dropped his head and cursed. He felt a hand on his shoulder. "Don't," Corran said. "We secured the freighter. No virus was released. The operation can begin. She was shooting at you. This outcome – as frustrating as it is – was quite possibly the best-case scenario."
Luke's impulse was to argue, but he paused, took a deep breath, and nodded without turning around. "It isn't just this," Luke said. He turned to face Corran and Hinson. "There's something happening. I don't know… I am unsure if it is something inside of me or if it is something bigger. It's like reaching for something, almost grasping it, then it disappears."
"The woman?" Hinson asked.
Luke nodded. "The woman. My fa… Vader's videos. Flynn. Nash. Many, many other things. I'm concerned the Force is doing everything it can to tell me what we need to know, and I am failing." Luke looked out through the transparent shield of the Docking Bay into the darkness of space. "How many chances will there be? How many missed opportunities before we all pay an unimaginable price?"
"Master –" Hinson began.
"Grhan and Kendy – they've only begun to recover. Sara and Sila are still in grave danger," Luke continued. "I've been…" Luke began, then paused. He continued staring into the void as he searched for the correct word. Luke turned to face Hinson and Corran. "I've been distracted."
Corran nodded. "I know. I've felt it. I don't recall you being this troubled before other than maybe a short time during the later days of the Rebellion. But you are wrong to believe the outcomes of our endeavors have been adversely affected by it."
Hinson looked surprised by Corran's revelation. Hinson perceived the unsettled emotions of his Master, but he couldn't imagine addressing him with such candor. Luke noticed Hinson's reaction.
"Hinson, honesty is vital – even when it is uncomfortable. We all – Jedi Masters included – must reject the pride that makes us unwilling and unable to accept truthful input from others. I trust my fellow Jedi and welcome your insight. After all, I cannot step outside of my own body and objectively analyze myself. As far as I know, even the great Jedi of the past lacked this ability." Corran chuckled then cleared his throat.
Hinson nodded and offered Luke a sheepish smile. "Yes, Master. I understand."
Luke waited, then raised his eyebrows, dipped his head, and looked up at Hinson. Hinson shrugged and looked nervously at Corran, who patted him on the back and nodded toward Luke in encouragement. "I also have perceived unsettled emotions in you since we left D'Qar. Actually, I first felt a strong sense of confusion shortly before we left D'Qar."
"Oh?" Luke asked. "Was it during meditation or training?"
"No, Master," Hinson said. He shifted on his feet and looked embarrassed. "It was when you met the woman who helped Grhan."
"Mara Jade," Luke said, and the memory of his first encounter entered his thoughts. "Exactly what did you perceive it to be?"
Corran was tempted to take advantage of an opportunity to rib a fellow Rebel pilot about a beautiful woman. Clarity restored, he caught himself before the words fell out of his mouth. Humor in the midst of dire circumstances was second nature to starfighter pilots. There was a time and place for that. Yet, this was not his fellow Rebel pilot "Luke" standing in front of him. This was Jedi Master Luke Skywalker guiding his apprentice.
Still, Corran had most definitely noticed Luke taking an interest in the beautiful and mysterious red head. Corran decided he would find the right time and the place when Hinson wasn't around to continue the razzing they started that morning.
"Well," Hinson replied, "it was mainly confusion and concern. Any time you were around her, you seemed on edge and unsettled."
Corran looked surprised. "That's not exactly what I was expecting you to say," Corran blurted out. The disappointment was evident in his tone, and Luke's "Did you really just say that?" look was even more plain. "Uh – sorry. But you can't deny she is quite beautiful, and she certainly took an interest in you," Corran explained to Luke.
Luke sighed and shook his head. He turned back to Hinson. "Pretend Jedi Horn just fell off the freighter and it is only you and me standing here. Keep going," Luke urged.
"That's it. I thought something about her reminded you of something unpleasant or you didn't trust her. I decided you would let us know if we needed to… well, know," Hinson said.
If Luke had been able to step outside of his own body and observe himself, he'd have caught himself emulating Ben again. He fell deep into thought while he listened, rubbing his chin, and nodding slowly. If he had a beard, he would likely have been twisting a few hairs between his thumb and index finger. As it was, Luke was unaware that Hinson saw in him what Luke once saw in Ben: a wise, humble man, whose every word had meaning.
"Master Skywalker," a voice came from Luke's wrist, snapping him from his silent contemplations. It was Thane.
"Yes, Admiral. I'm here," Luke replied.
"There are decisions that need to be made about the suspect's treatment. I feel it's best to defer these to you if you agree," Thane said.
"Yes, of course. Please tell the doctor I am on my way," Luke said, signing off. "We'll continue this shortly." The three men leapt from the top of the freighter, catching several crew on the deck of the Docking Bay by surprise. The excited onlookers weren't quite as subtle with their comments as normal:
Did you see that? I told you! That's what the other one did!
Blast! That's not possible!
Get ready boys. If your girl saw that, it'll be another month of the Jedi, Jedi, Jedi!
Aboard the Toy Box
Geth stood in the entrance to the cockpit surveying the control panel. From under the console, a pair of long legs attached to man's torso shifted into awkward positions. Stretch searched for signs of tampering amidst the massive array of cables, wires and switches. Every major repositioning seemed to be accompanied by some sort of thump or thud. This was followed by a muffled curse and grumbling.
Lem approached the cockpit with a data pad and handed it to Geth. "We don't see anything out of place, General. We've scanned for prints and reviewed the security logs. We found evidence that two areas were accessed during the time we know Blondie was on the ship. The Fresher and the aft office."
"That's all?" Geth asked. He was scanning the diagnostic reports for the freighter's major and minor systems, which indicated normal readings.
"She did operate the HoloVid, but the information on the log is gibberish," Lem said. Geth swiped the screen with his finger until the Communication's Log appeared. Sure enough, the data looked to be a meaningless stream of symbols and numbers.
"With your permission, we can give Admiral Kyrell's smarties a crack at it?" Geth didn't respond. His troubled expression, combined with his silence, was not what Lem was expecting. "Or… not?" Lem added.
Geth walked out of the cockpit and down the corridor to where the corridor increased from 2 meters to 4 meters in width. Six oversized passenger seats lined each wall. Geth sat and Lem took the opposing seat while waiting for the General's comment.
Geth finally spoke, but when he did he leaned forward and looked up and down the corridor first. His voice was barely more than a whisper. It was clear that his words were meant for Lem's ears and his alone. "I'm not sure we should give any of our intel to Admiral Kyrell."
Lem leaned forward and assumed the General's pose. "You don't want to share intel with Admiral Kyrell?" Lem asked.
"No," Geth replied. "I trust my step-son, Lem. I want to get that straight up front." Lem nodded. "If we give him intel, he is required to include this information in his reporting. I am already concerned about the lengths to which he has gone to work around the political arm of the New Republic. He's a young Admiral – the object of intensive public interest from the Holo series and thus a perfect target for political scrutiny by those pushing for the reduction of military forces. I can't risk compromising him further by asking him to keep information out of the record."
"And you don't want the information we are gathering about the freighter put on the record?" Lem clarified
"Exactly," Geth confirmed.
Lem nodded again, then drew the logical conclusion. "There's an infiltrator?" he asked.
Geth nodded. "Can I prove it? No. Am I a hundred percent certain? No. But I'm getting there fast. I can't bring this to the Admiral until I have more to offer than my gut feeling and circumstantial evidence. There's a chance I'm wrong."
"But you don't think you're wrong, do you, General," Lem stated. He wasn't asking. Geth shook his head and sat back. "It might look suspicious if someone goes looking and finds we are withholding information," Lem suggested. "So, we need to give them something. Something that the Admiral can append to his report. It will be believable enough to convince others he had no reason to suspect the information."
Geth waited while Lem's brain went to work. Geth knew it would only be a matter of seconds before Lem caught up with his own thinking. Lem sat back, and then a witty, sardonic smile spread across his lips. "As long as we're being creative with the records, it wouldn't hurt to put a few things in there that help us smoke out any Lothrats."
Geth nodded firmly one final time and smiled, leaving no doubt this was precisely what he wanted. The two men stood and Geth held out the data pad for Lem. "I haven't decided whether to read the Unit in on this or not. You know I trust them with my life and I have confidence in every one of us when it comes to keeping secrets."
"Of course, General," Lem acknowledged.
"My concern is that if there is an infiltrator, this person has been operating right under the noses of the Jedi, our Unit, and the Admiral. This person has to be cunning and skilled at what he does. He'll already have analyzed and memorized our individual and group behaviors. A slight or random variance with an individual can be written off as a bad mood, no letters from home, being hungry, or something benign. But the group – now that is a different story. If we as a Unit present with the slightest alteration in our collective behavior, it will be game over. The Lothrat will know we're onto him."
"Or her," Lem said with a wry grin.
A loud thud and a clanging sound came from the direction of the cockpit. A long rant ensued that was only partially intelligible. "Kriffen Blonde bombshell my (unintelligible)… never again (unintelligible)… like a damn Nexu (unintelligible)… nice, pretty brunette (unintelligible)… brown, green, or blue…" The rant became less hostile, thus too quiet to hear. What was clear was Stretch seemed to have changed his notorious preference for blonde women to nice brunettes with any color eyes.