"If you'll follow me…"
Doing just that, my eyes fall onto the establishment's logo and name.
Brass Monkey isn't what I'd name a restaurant. But that hasn't stopped people from giving it good reviews.
People in alternating booths and tables chatter amongst each other as I'm lead back. Every three tables or so on both sides, there are TV's going with various channels.
A couple of baseball games, some Ultimate fighting thing by the looks of it and—
"Here we are…" My host announces, pulling my eyes down and spotting an empty half booth with—
Aubrey.
"Can I get you anything to drink? Maybe another appetizer?"
"I'll just have iced tea, thanks." I smile while dropping into my seat.
Our host nods then looks to Aubrey. "And are we okay over here?"
"Great, thank you." Aubrey answers.
Our host puts in my drink order then walks away to tend to another table presumably before I turn to Aubrey as she sips what looks like a fruity drink in a tall glass while peering up at the TV. "Thank you for coming in on such short notice. I know you said that sort of thing can be tricky."
"Your timing wasn't bad. That's what it comes down to really. If I take a job and am working if you text and say you need help, well…" Aubrey gives me a look.
"I understand." I nod and smile again.
Nice to have good timing.
"Speaking of timing…" Aubrey peers at the TV briefly before casting a glance around us.
Probe.
…
"We're good." I relay to her.
Aubrey instead only looks to me before I detect her anxiety. "What's this?"
"I don't know. I've been told to just keep my head down. Make myself useful, basically. I'm taking a class over the summer but…"
Aubrey replies "Is it true though?"
Probe.
…
I nod before verbalizing anything. "Why?" Aubrey cuts me off.
"He wanted to talk to me since I left Lothal. Jedi stopped him."
Aubrey's eyes snap down "He's always let the Jedi handle you. That was his official stance."
It gave him an out.
Now everybody's mad. Senator Snapper wants a full audit of the Jedi's funding and to have a hearing about it.
My best friend Senator Keith is toeing the party line on me., But Organa's supporters have put out attack ads every day and are flooding news channels with facts, details and stories. Asking the question.
Where is Darth Vader hiding?
…
"This is wearing you down. Isn't it?" Aubrey's expression softens.
"It'd just be nice if I could get away from it." I gesture up at the TV screens while fishing my phone halfway out of my pocket.
No new messages.
"—it's the truth and all. I know that, and I accept that. They were big on that after I told them that I wanted to do what I could to make things right."
Know what I did. Accept that. I cannot change them anymore. Let it go, out into the Force.
What matters is how I respond and react to what's in front of me.
The best thing I can do is put my best foot forward.
"Any leads on…anything? I know a guy in DC I can start asking around—"
"Please no," I say quickly, causing Aubrey to look a little alarmed. "Just…"
Before I can say anything, Aubrey grabs my knee under the table. "Does Hera know how tightly wound you are?"
She remembered Hera's name.
I nod before my drink slides in front of me and our waiter begins introducing herself.
Shit. I haven't even looked at the menu.
While Aubrey orders, I quickly scan the menu and pick an appetizer at random before handing my menu back to her.
"It's not a bad thing. Really, it's totally normal, you get a bunch of criticism—"
"More." I edit with the lone word.
I know there were whispers about defunding certain portions of the Order. The Order primarily gets its funding on its own but receives some funds from the UN, US, EU…
Things are expensive. It's never been a big deal as far as I can tell.
But you throw in me and everybody's livid. And coming after the Order's money.
"Most people wouldn't want to come out." Aubrey makes her point, then gestures to the booth I'm in. "But you're here."
To be useful.
But they don't control you.
…
…
"You want to be useful. You called me here. How can I be useful for you?" Aubrey asks me.
"I—you're not, I can't order you anywhere. I've got ideas, figured you have them too." I sputter, then look back to Aubrey.
Aubrey instead digs into her purse. "This is why…" She begins before passing me a manilla folder. "I brought that."
And this is…?
"I did some more digging on Liuzhou. Basic data and figures are in there. A touch under four million people, pretty dense population center. It's the province's industrial center."
"Is that why they're building the soccer stadium there?"
Aubrey gives me an 'I don't know' look. "Maybe, maybe cronyism, maybe a big called in favor. But something I thought would interest you is alongside the refugee, migrant worker angle—"
It's not about angles…
"Liuzhou's biggest steelworks is a Polished Plasteel plant. Mostly for General Motors, SAIC, and Czerka Corporation."
"Czerka." I repeat Aubrey's words.
"City itself can be rough. Corruption in the local Communist Party appears to be rife, the two big powers Underground are The Exchange and Black Sun. But the Hutts lay claim there too."
Hutts, The Exchange, Black Sun, Czerka, local officials, and the local political figures.
"I know you said you were further south. Is it all like that?" I detour Aubrey.
Aubrey nods once. "The lines are all crossed. What matters is that you know who pulls what strings, so you know where you stand."
"Sounds like experience to me." I call it out.
The crowd all around us cheers at something on the TV, distracting both of us for a moment.
Still no new messages.
Aubrey sips her drink then lowers her voice. "You keep it under certain amounts? They just want the economic activity. It's all competition to them."
Feed the economic monster. Nobody's grown more than China in the last 20-30 years.
…
…
"Would you maybe be open to going down there? Seeing what Rax is actually doing?"
"That's what I thought this was about." Aubrey breaks out a smile I haven't seen—
Since we were kids.
Her smirk fades as she keeps talking. "You could have just asked me to go over there. Not make me fly back on some sketchy smuggler's vessel."
"No, I can't. I'm…I'm not in charge." I say, trying to contain my exasperation.
I'm…I want to control everything. That's my instinct.
But I can't. And even if I tried, the Council would have me before them in record time.
"I don't care." Aubrey answers. "You know more than they do. I trust your instincts, even though you're fighting them.
"Why'd you fly back on a sketchy smuggler's vessel? How?" I change topics.
Aubrey makes a dismissive sound then leans back on her side of the booth. "Because somebody gave me little to no warning. It wasn't too bad though, full entertainment suite and the guy ignored me for his girlfriend. Pilot's companion had a funny name and was hairy as hell but other than that it was nice."
"Did it have a name?"
Aubrey nods. "Yeah. The Millennium Falcon. Apparently, it made the Kessel Run in twelve parsecs. Good enough for me, got me back here on time."
"Empty your pockets before stepping into the scanner." The guard helpfully reminds me as in front of me, Aubrey passes through the metal detector.
Obeying the Temple Guard's command, I empty my pockets and set everything into the plastic container before it's ushered through the machine, and I'm waved into the circular body scanner.
Cayle's already here.
The green light flashes and my belongings are already waiting for me before I gather them up and meander over to where Cayle and Aubrey are mid-conversation—
"—no problem at all. Like I told him, if you guys want to switch up something on the fly in the long term like this, I don't have to break cover."
Cayle makes a face. "Just as well anyway. I think we like face to face right now anyway."
"What now?" I groan.
"It's not out there yet…but one of those sites that your buddy frequents? They got ahold of some emails between the Council and Palpatine, so they know that we've been…keeping you two apart."
Aubrey frowns as my stomach drops. "What does he want with Ezra?"
"Contact, communication. Asked to see him right after he surrendered, did it again publicly after the Order announced. Never stopped." Cayle gives her the rundown.
And now it looks like they're hiding me even from him. Because they are.
"It's not mainstream right now. But once it hits Twitter?" Cayle pulls himself back on track.
"Top story on every news broadcast in the country." I groan.
I am such a liability right now…
Aubrey's head snaps to me. "This is not your fault. Can't you go after whoever leaked it?"
"Already doing that. We have counter-intel." Cayle points out to her.
"I never said you didn't—"
"Sounded like you did." Cayle returns fire.
Okay enough…
Cayle and Aubrey continue walking down the corridor, so engrossed in their argument that they don't notice me split off towards the dressing rooms.
Aubrey said that she'd talked to him…but that felt like a lot more than just a brief conversation.
…
…
Breathe.
Yeah, breathe.
Shut up!
No.
You weren't supposed to come out and say anything until after my trip to Chicago…
You blocked me out throughout your stupid final exams. Consider yourself fortunate.
…
They're going to turn you in.
SHUT UP!
All the pressure is on you. You know what you need.
Yeah, no. That's not really an appealing option right now.
Leverage.
…
…
He's right.
Of course, I am. You are. I am you, remember?
Instead of engaging with Vader again, I finish navigating the winding halls that lead to the dressing room.
Locker. Robes…
Leave the lightsaber.
No, bring that.
I was thinking of going to practice my blaster deflection. But today's been a bad day so—
It's not a bad day. You're just being soft. You have all you need in front of you. But not the will or imagination to pull it off!
All I need is in front of me…what could he be talking about—
Project Insight! Mend the Palpatine fence! The damned Jedi keep telling you to make yourself useful!
Giving me leverage over them.
That's brilliant.
You're afraid of being taken away. This is your only path to remain free and on your own.
I don't believe you on that one—
It is in every parties self-interest for you to be incarcerated and removed as a threat. If they apply enough pressure, the Jedi will break.
…
…
They're not invincible. The Jedi Order does have weaknesses.
"Hey!" I hear Cayle call out to me sharply as I am reaching for the top of my Jedi robes.
"Hi."
Not now!
Cayle plants himself beside me as I begin changing regardless of his presence. "You know the rules. You don't just walk off like that."
"Sorry I didn't want to hear you guys keep flirting." I try to curtain my irritation.
"That's not—no!" Cayle sputters.
Oh, bullshit.
"Aubrey was right. You are on a hair-trigger. After this meeting, let's go meditate." Cayle's tone softens.
I—
"I—no—Cayle—…" I open my mouth, then change my mind three times before just shutting up.
Cayle eyes me for a second before choosing to just sit down on the bench beside me. "You talk. I'm just listening."
Dr. Cayle is…in today.
"Vader has thoughts."
Cayle instantly straightens up. "He's not supposed to be out for…"
"Weeks, yeah, I know." I push past this. "That's not the point Cayle. The point is, he has a plan, and…I think it might work."
"It's partially the point, all this pressure-induced him out of you! And what do you mean a plan?"
Pulling my pants and hoses out of my locker, I set them aside and keep changing. "Why don't we combine Aubrey and Project Insight?
"You and your surveillance programs!" He groans before standing up and pacing.
"You want me to find somebody! I'm trying!"
Cayle concedes the point. "We don't have a lead to justify it. You read the reports and heard Palpatine's people."
"Which is why Aubrey goes first. We talked about Liuzhou again? Hive of scum and villainy."
The place sounds like a hornet's nest.
"Ahsoka was telling me about a mission she heard about when she was a Padawan. Same city, they called it 'The Walled City of Kowloon'." Cayle turns away as I start changing pants. "Eviction process was so bad the locals turned to the Jedi."
"Why were they evicting them?" I follow up.
"Because it was a public warzone. Police could chase you there but if you got in you were in sort of thing."
Sheesh.
"Thankfully the place got cleared out. Demolished, apparently, it's a park now." Cayle peeks to see if I've finished changing, which I have before turning back fully.
"Did you tell Aubrey that?"
Cayle face flushes before he takes a swing at me that I duck under. "I…maybe your plan isn't so stupid. And it'd' give us some much-needed leverage to keep everybody off the Order."
Leverage.
Cayle briefly glances at me before I reinforce my mental shields and block him out. "Ezra."
"He used that word. Leverage."
The Force rings with Cayle's understanding before he nods. "I'll go along with your plan, cause like I said it's not totally stupid. But if it delays my Knighthood…"
"You shouldn't want it like that." I point out.
Don't covet the position and its power. It'll come when it's supposed to.
I hear it all the time!
"I'm gonna try not to kick your ass." Cayle shakes his head before he lovingly shoves me. "Now hurry up and get your shoes on. After this meeting, Momma wants you to pick up Mira."