Chapter 5
"Look at this haul!" Yang cheered as the ship's ramp locked in its closed position behind her. She was pushing the hover dolly, on it a crate filled with the equipment she had requisitioned from the ambushers. She had been extremely thorough in collecting everything that might be of value - blasters, datapads, communications gear, basically anything they could either use or sell. In the end she guessed she had a few thousand credits worth of gear, enough to pay off their debts at least. The attackers had been well armed indeed.
Ruby did not respond to Yang, but she figured her sister was busy preparing to take off. The ship always needed maintenance, and they hardly ever left a port without having to fix something. Maybe now they would be able to afford real repairs, not just work-arounds and makeshift fixes. Yang steered the dolly into the cargo hold, setting the crate down in a corner near her workbench before stowing the dolly. She would have to sort through the loot at some point, but right now there was a more pressing matter. After seizing up in the fight, Yang's robotic arm was still malfunctioning. She would need to remove and repair it before getting anything else done.
Yang sat in the chair before her workbench and took a deep breath. Removing her prosthetic was never a pleasant experience. She unscrewed the bolts holding it in place then, gritting her teeth preemptively, twisted the robotic limb and pulled it away from what remained of her natural arm. Yang could not help but grunt at the pain. The arm always took some flesh with it when removed, particularly after significant use. Grabbing an already bloody bandage from the bench, she wrapped it around the stump.
"That looks painful." Weiss' voice suddenly came from the hatchway.
Yang looked up to see the Imperial...former Imperial...leaning against the bulkhead. "Extremely." She confirmed. "But I deal with it."
"What if you didn't have to?" Weiss inquired.
"That would be really nice." Yang chuckled. "Maybe once you pay us I'll be able to afford a model that doesn't rip my skin off." Weiss glanced at the robotic limb and grimaced. The area where it connected to Yang's arm was covered in both fresh and dried blood, the metal rusted. "But that's not really a priority right now. I just want this arm to work, and I want to get off this damn planet." She turned her attention to the prosthetic, picking up a cloth to clean out the connection points, the most likely cause of the malfunction. "Is Ruby getting us ready for takeoff?"
"Has your sister ever killed anyone before?" Weiss asked, not answering Yang's question.
"Hmm…" Yang took a moment to think. "I mean, we've shot down a few pirates when they attacked us once and-"
"I mean face to face." Weiss clarified. "Like today."
"Nope, don't think so." Yang shook her head. "I typically do the dirty work. She usually stays with the ship."
"That explains it." Weiss mumbled.
"Explains what?" Yang asked.
"Why she just spent half an hour shaking and crying her eyes out." Weiss replied.
"Aw shit, I should-" Yang started to stand.
"She's taking a nap, let her rest." Weiss advised.
Yang sat back down with a sigh. "I should have been there for her, not out looting corpses."
"Maybe, but back to your arm." Weiss changed the subject.
"What about it?" Yang quirked her brow. "Want to know if it has a vibrate function or something?"
"Disgusting, no." Weiss scoffed. "I was going to offer you an upgrade, but your vulgarity has me regretting my generosity."
"Sorry, sorry." Yang apologized. "What did you have in mind?"
"Well, I have some contacts with House Thul, and though we're not personally acquainted, I know they have a skilled cyberneticist on the payroll." Weiss explained. "I could call in a favor to set you up with a better arm."
Yang stared blankly at Weiss for a moment. "Why?"
"Why what?" Weiss responded.
"Why help me like that?" Yang asked.
"You're helping me so-" Weiss started.
"You're already paying us to help you." Yang interrupted. "We already agreed on a price. Why would you offer more? Do you want me to owe you a favor? Or is this some sort of trick? You Imperials never change..."
Weiss sighed, rubbing the bridge of her nose. "Damn paranoiac…" She grumbled. "I could tell you that it hurts me to see a good person suffer, that you and your sister deserve better, that I'm just being charitable. That would be the truth, but you wouldn't accept that. So look at it this way, if you're going to be assisting me, I need you to be ready in a crisis, and if your arm fails in the middle of a firefight again, it might be your head and mine. Pure self interest."
Yang glared at Weiss for a moment, feeling very self conscious. Here she was, looking a gift horse in the mouth, just because she hated the Empire. She had good reason for that hatred, but she knew as well as anyone that not every Imperial was evil, just as not everyone fighting for the Republic was good. Not that she had any great love for the Republic either. Ruby had always criticized her for being so quick to mistrust, so hot-headed. Her sister would not have been happy seeing her acting like this...neither would their parents.
"Fine, if you wanna' hook me up with a sweet new arm, you go right ahead." Yang relented. "But don't think this means I trust you or I owe you or anything, because it doesn't." She swore under her breath, slapping the worn prosthetic aside. "If I didn't hate this thing so much…"
"We should head to the Thul Palace in Kaamos." Weiss indicated. "I'll give Ruby the exact coordinates when she wakes up."
"We don't have to wait for her." Yang noted. "I can fly the ship you know."
"And if something breaks?" Weiss pressed.
"Yeah fine, we'll wait for Ruby." Yang sighed. "If I break her precious ship I'll never hear the end of it."
"So who is this Flynt guy anyway?" Yang asked as Ruby guided the ship into a dock near Thul Palace. Before heading there, Weiss had contacted a man she knew there, asking for his assistance. They seemed...very friendly.
"Flynt Coal is a minor noble, a vassal of House Thul." Weiss explained. "We worked together on a covert operation."
"Who did you kill?" Yang accused.
"We didn't kill anyone." Weiss corrected. "Thul had a traitor in their midst who was feeding intel to the Republic. Flynt was a member of their counter-intelligence unit, so I posed as his girlfriend. Using my skills I identified the most likely traitor, gained his confidence, and obtained proof of his treachery. Flynt got the public credit for exposing him, and I got a promotion back at HQ. The two of us got along quite well, and since I let him take all the credit, he owes me a favor."
"Alderaan seems to have a serious problem with traitors." Yang observed.
"The planet is run by a bunch of backstabbing, self-serving nobles who only care about power." Weiss noted. "I don't believe for a second that Thul actually support the Empire, nor do Organa support the Republic, except insofar as what such support profits them."
"Well...you trust this Flynt guy?" Yang asked. "Or is he just a backstabbing, self-serving noble who happens to owe you a favor?"
"Of course I trust him." Weiss replied. "We spent months working that op, we became quite close…"
"You banged, didn't you?" Yang suggested.
"I'm not even going to dignify that with a response." Weiss huffed.
"Yep, you totally banged." Yang smirked.
Weiss rolled her eyes and swore under her breath. "Just make sure you and your sister are presentable when we meet with him. Appearances are very important to nobles, and first impressions are crucial." Weiss had already donned the best clothes she had with her and styled her hair as elaborately as circumstances allowed.
"I'm already wearing my best." Yang declared.
"At least you're clean." Weiss grumbled. To her Yang looked like a mid grade mercenary...or a low grade escort. "Just let me do the talking."
Ruby expertly piloted the ship into the docking bay, not that such skill was required here. A far cry from the docks the sisters usually encountered, this one was extremely spacious, large enough to accommodate a craft at least four times the size of their own with room to spare. The ship touched down gently and Ruby started shutting it down.
"I gotta' thank Flynt for picking up the docking fee." Yang smirked. "For an Imperial lapdog I kinda' like him."
"He's not an Imperial lapdog." Weiss hissed. "He's loyal to his house."
"Fine, for a House Thul lapdog…" Yang trailed off. She noticed something was off. The rapid clicking beside her had stopped, and the ship's drive was still rumbling. She turned to find Ruby staring straight ahead, swaying a bit, eyes glassy. "Hey Rubes, you okay?" No response. "Rubes?"
"Oh, sorry, what?" Ruby suddenly shook her head as if breaking out of a trance.
"Are you okay?" Yang repeated.
"Oh, I'm just feeling kinda' off." Ruby replied. "My head hurts and my stomach-"
"Again?" Yang interrupted.
"Yeah, but I'll be fine." Ruby declared.
"Maybe you should come to the clinic with me." Yang suggested. "The doctor can check you out, make sure nothing's wrong with you."
"Nah, that's okay, I'll be fine." Ruby waved away Yang's concern. "I just need to rest. I think I'm still a little messed up from the firefight."
"Are you sure?" Yang pressed. "I really think you should get checked out."
"No, I'm just gonna' take a nap." Ruby insisted. "I always feel better after I rest."
"Well...okay." Yang sighed. She was worried, and not just about her sister. Ruby got sick like this fairly often, and when she did, something bad always seemed to happen. Yang tried to write it off as coincidence - bad things happened to them all the time - but it was getting harder and harder. Hopefully things would be okay this time.
Weiss and Yang did not have to wait long for Flynt. They had barely descended the ship's ramp when a trio of men approached. Tall and slim, Flynt Coal cut an impressive figure. Polished shoes, pinstripe pants and a tailored black waistcoat clung tight to his form. The sleeves of his white undershirt however were casually rolled up to his elbows. Weiss could not help but smile at the sight of him, fashionable, with a hint of the casual. Wealth had only enhanced his aesthetic. The dark-skinned man grinned at her approach, his dark tinted glasses slanted down to reveal his eyes. He was flanked by a pair of guards - or servants - both sporting black suits and discreetly but visibly armed.
"Weiss Schnee, never thought I'd have the chance to see you again." Flynt greeted with a polite bow which Weiss returned. "And this must be your friend Yang."
Yang quirked her brow and glanced at Weiss. Friend eh? "Uh, yeah." She returned her attention to Flynt, who had extended his hand to shake. She extended her prosthetic in return, and the man grasped it.
"I can see why you'd want this replaced." Flynt observed. "Yes, Dr. Violette can do much better."
"Sweet." Yang smiled as he released her hand.
Flynt quickly turned his attention back to Weiss. "Now, fitting and installing a new prosthetic will take several hours, during which I assume you have no commitments?"
"You assume correctly." Weiss confirmed.
"Then I invite you to dinner at my villa." Flynt continued. "It would be an honor and a pleasure to host you."
"Of course." Weiss agreed immediately. "Though I wouldn't want you to get in trouble…"
"Your present quarrel with the Empire is no concern of mine, nor of anyone's on Alderaan." Flynt assured her.
"Very well." Weiss nodded. "When should I-"
"Now, if you'd like." Flynt interrupted. "I'm sure we've got a lot of catching up to do." He turned to his entourage. "Roy, please escort Yang to the clinic. And tell the doctor to send me the bill. Nolan, bring the speeder."
"You gonna' be okay on your own?" Yang asked. Ruby's sudden illness had her worried something was going to happen.
"I'll be fine." Weiss assured her. Yang shot her a look of concern, but she returned one of confidence.
"Alright." Yang sighed. One of the men, Roy apparently, looked to Yang and gestured to a nearby doorway before leading in that direction. Yang shrugged and followed. The other headed out another exit.
"Are you sure you'll pay for the arm?" Weiss asked once Yang was out of earshot. "I was going to-"
"Think nothing of it." Flynt waved away her concern. "You've given me so much, it's the least I can do."
Nolan had been waiting behind the controls of the speeder when Weiss and Flynt emerged from the spaceport. They had then been joined by Roy soon after and set off. The ride to Flynt's villa was a short one, but quite scenic. Once away from the built up area surrounding Thul's seat of power, the landscape almost immediately gave way to ancient forest. The speeder soared through the towering trees, following a well-worn route. The forest soon gave way to rougher ground and the full beauty of Lerantha Lake came into view. The far side was dominated by snow capped mountains and a towering dam that marked the border with House Ulgo's territory.
After following the edge of the lake for a short distance, the speeder came to a stop in front of a palatial mansion that overlooked the water. The group disembarked, except for Nolan, who piloted the speeder around the side of the villa and out of sight. "Breathtaking, isn't it?" Flynt asked. He had been oddly silent during the ride, perhaps to allow Weiss to enjoy the view.
"Breathtaking doesn't begin to describe it." Weiss gushed as she followed Flynt to the building's entrance. "Your old apartment was fit for a nobleman, but this...this is something else."
"It belonged to Baron Andarius." Flynt noted. "In thanks for my efforts in exposing his treachery, the duke awarded me all his lands and titles." He pushed open the elaborately carved doors, leading Weiss into a cavernous antechamber. The walls were covered in priceless art, the floor decorated with an intricate geometric mosaic. "I have you to thank for all of this." Flynt held his arms out wide, turning around to face Weiss. "The time we spent together was the happiest of my life, and not a day has passed since that I haven't missed you."
Weiss was left awestruck, both by the opulence of the villa and Flynt's effusive praise. "I've missed you as well." She managed.
"Let me show you around." Flynt insisted.
Weiss readily agreed. He led her around the sprawling mansion, each room as grand as the last, all filled with sculpture, paintings, tapestries, elaborate rugs and artifacts. When she had left Alderaan, Flynt had been a minor noble living on a modest salary. Now he lived like a king. The tour concluded on the patio, which overlooked the lake. The view was incredible.
"What do you think?" Flynt asked, leaning against the railing.
"It's beyond words, beyond imagination." Weiss declared.
"And this coming from the daughter of the richest man in the Empire!" Flynt laughed. He paused for a moment, smiling as he gazed out over the lake. "What do you say we have a few drinks and chat? Dinner won't be ready for some time."
"That sounds wonderful." Weiss agreed.
Flynt gestured to a servant who headed inside to retrieve the beverages. He then led Weiss to a small table with a pair of chairs, pulling one out for her to sit in. He then took a seat of his own. "It's like a dream, seeing you again." Flynt paused, taking Weiss' hand. She offered it freely. "I wish you'd never left."
"I sometimes doubt that decision as well." Weiss admitted. "After all that happened, I'm sure I'd have been better off. But what's done is done."
The servant returned with a bottle of wine - Alderaanian White - and a pair of glasses. She set them down and Flynt poured his own, placing the bottle before Weiss. She was very particular about her drinks, some might say paranoid, but that went with the territory in Imperial Intelligence. She filled her glass and returned the bottle to the table.
"It's not too late to change your mind." Flynt insisted.
"I'm afraid it is." Weiss sighed. "The Empire wants me dead-"
"Why, if I may ask?" Flynt asked. "They say treason, but you would never betray the Empire."
Weiss heaved a heavy sigh and took a long sip of the wine. It was fantastic, almost good enough to overcome the shame she felt. She held out her hand toward the bottle. It levitated over the table, then hovered over Weiss' glass, tipping to refill it. "I never told you either."
"You hid your Force sensitivity." Flynt observed. "Not uncommon, given how deadly a Sith education tends to be."
"And it carries the death penalty, even for someone with my connections." Weiss guided the bottle back onto the table. It touched down gently, not producing a sound. "Now they'll hunt me to the ends of the galaxy."
"Not here." Flynt noted.
"Do you think that just because Alderaan's technically independent they'll leave me alone as long as I'm here?" Weiss growled. "Hell, we're currently on land lorded over by a house allied to the Empire. How long before soldiers kick in the door? They'd kill you as sure as me."
"House Thul owes you a great debt of gratitude." Flynt countered. "Yes, you let me have credit for exposing the traitor, but the lords know I didn't do it alone. They wouldn't let the Empire arrest a hero like you. Besides, it's not as if there's a formal alliance between Thul and the Empire. It's more of a mutually beneficial business arrangement."
"Flynt...it's too risky." Weiss insisted. "I can't put you in danger."
"Well I'm willing to take the risk." Flynt persisted. "Weiss...I've missed you so much. All this…" He gestured back to the mansion. "It feels so empty and lifeless without you. Please, stay here with me. We can start a life together."
Weiss said nothing for what felt like an eternity, but was probably only a few seconds. She wanted to say yes, truly, desperately, but it was not so simple. "Flynt I...I can't." She finally managed. "I'd love nothing more than to settle down with you, to live a happy, peaceful life, but that can't happen. The Empire will never stop trying to get me and besides...there's something else, something extremely important, I have to do. I'm sorry Flynt. I truly am."
Flynt's shoulders slumped, and though he tried to hide it, a frown overtook his expression. "That's...okay Weiss. I wish we'd never had to part."
"Me too." Weiss squeezed his hand.
Flynt managed a sad smile before withdrawing his hand. "I'm sorry, I need a moment, please excuse me."
"Of course." Weiss nodded. Flynt stood and headed back into the mansion, his dejection evident. Weiss felt bad for him. She wished she could have said yes. Hopefully Flynt would find someone else, someone better, someone who would not put him in such danger. She knew that as long as she lived, no one around her would be safe.