Lou
stepped off the ramp, and took in her surroundings. She breathed in
the familiar Coruscant atmosphere, smelling the exhaust fumes emitted
from the many flying cars and factory smoke stacks.
She
sensed a presence behind her, and turned. "Hello, Maul."
"Welcome
back," even though it was genuine, his smile still seemed
devious.
"I
suppose you have our evening all planned out?"
"I
thought you might wish a tour, since you have been away for so long."
"Lead
the way."
Emperor
Palpatine steepled his fingers, his eyes darting between Raef Caylon
and Darth Maul's teenaged apprentice, S'Ritak Vedul. The young
Twi'Lek looked fearful for his life.
"She
has arrived," Palpatine hissed.
"Fantabulous!"
Caylon grinned broadly, eyes sparkling.
Palpatine
read his intentions, plucking his thoughts straight from his head.
"Remember the plan, Raef. I don't
want to have to remind you again."
"I
know, Sid, I know," he crossed his arms defiantly. "I
won't muckle your plan."
"Good,"
the Emperor turned his cold gaze on Vedul. "You may go."
"Won't
Master Maul sense my presence?" the Twi'Lek demanded.
Palpatine
narrowed his eyes at the boy. He raised his hand, and zapped Vedul
with blue Force-lightning. The young apprentice dropped to his
knees, screaming for it to stop. "Don't ever question me
again," the Emperor cautioned.
Caylon
grinned down at Vedul as he coughed and sat up. "Haven't you
learned not to piss Sid off, boy?"
"I
have now," he muttered in reply.
Caylon
laughed heartily. "You have your Master's sarcasm. I like it."
Palpatine
glared at the two of them in silence.
* *
*
Lou
gazed at Maul through her glass, as he stuffed a forkfull of pasta
into his mouth. "I didn't figure you for a pasta person, Maul,"
she told him.
He
watched her watching him. "An acquaintance
of mine liked pasta, and after she disappeared I decided to try it."
he paused. "Maybe you know her; blue skin, orange eyes? She
used to be a dancer in a night club I frequented, but since then she
has taken to fighting in the Rebellion. And the night club has been
destroyed."
"Hmm,"
Lou pretended to think for a moment.
"She
also changed her name, and gained some odd friends," he was
pressing his luck with that statement, and he knew it.
Lou
looked up at him from her chicken parmasian, slightly annoyed at the
cheap shot. "You didn't have to do that to him."
'That'
being make him float; 'him' being Park.
Maul
grinned at her. "I was trying to get your attention."
"You
had my attention. The rest of the crew did not
need a glimpse into my past, Maul. That was unnecessary, and you
know it."
"I
enjoyed that," he sipped his Chryne. Lou observed him in
silence. "Do you like the view?"
"You
have quite the ego, Darth Maul," she stated.
"So
I've been told."
"You
should work on suppressing the urge to impress the galaxy. No one's
paying attention."
"Ouch,
Jareena."
"Don't
call me that in here."
"No
one will touch you."
"Until
you drop your guard."
"I
never drop my guard."
They
finished their meals in silence, Lou continually wondering what plot
was hanging in the background, and why Maul looked like he was trying
to stifle his grin.
"Are
we gonna go after her?" Park demanded again.
"Why
do you keep asking me that?" Jenkens growled.
"Because
we're her friends, and we owe it to her to rescue her."
"She
wasn't captured, Genious, she left. Of her own free will, might I
add," he closed the book he had been reading when Park stormed
into his quarters, demanding that they take a shuttle to Coruscant.
"How do you know where she went?"
Park
knocked over a vase by accident in reaction to the question. "She
told me," he said slowly.
"You
knew she was leaving and you didn't opt for tag-along?" Jenkens
did not believe him.
"Uh...she
told me I'd just be in the way."
"Lou'd
never say that to ya, Park. Are you done trying to B.S. your way
through this?"
Park
suddenly turned uncharacteristically serious. "Are you gonna
come with me or not?"
The
doors slid open, and Taggart stepped inside Jenkens' quarters. "I'll
go with you, Mortimer."
He
furrowed his eyes at his crewmate. "Why?"
"I
have business on Coruscant," he answered.
"Business
with - "
"Yes,"
Taggart cut Park off before he could finish. "When do we
leave?"
"Whoa,
whoa, hold it," Jenkens held up his hands. "What's in it
for me if I come along?"
Taggart
replied, "Excitement, adventure, some fighting - "
"The
inner joy of knowing you helped a friend in need," Park added.
Jenkens sat with his eyebrow arched. "I suppose
we could dig up some credits."
"Alright,
I'm in."
"Great.
Who else should we bring? We can't go just the three of us, it
won't work."
"Who
else would come? Come
on, Park. No one else'll want
to. This rescue mission
isn't exactly a brilliant idea." Jenkens returned.
Park
turned to Taggart. "I'll speak to Kane, if that's what you are
expecting, but he's stubborn; he won't agree to do this."
"So,
what do we do?" Park asked. "Do you know someone else who
could - "
"I
can't ask them. I defected a long time ago."
"Them?
Defected? What aren't you telling me?" Jenkens interjected.
"My co-operation hangs in the balance on this one."
Park
shot back, "I thought your co-operation hung in the balance of
how many creds I could scrape together?"
Jenkens
scowled at him, then looked to Taggart expectantly. "Are you
going to let me in on the secret?"
He
read Jenkens' thoughts to determine his trustworthiness. "My
past is not as important as you now think, Jenkens. Let it go,"
he turned to leave.
"For
now, alright. But I expect - "
"Don't
expect too much, Jenkens. I wouldn't want to disappoint you,"
he stated as the doors slid shut behind him.
Jenkens
turned to Park. "What do you know?"
"About
Taggart?" He nodded. "I heard his voice in my head."
"What?"
"Time
to go," Park left Jenkens' room.
"What
the hell am I getting
myself into?" Jenkens wondered aloud.
The
night enveloped the young Twi'Lek apprentice, hiding him in its
cloak, as he crouched in the shadows outside the apartment building.
S'Ritak Vedul could not help wondering how his Master would not sense
his presence through the Force as soon as he and Jareena returned,
but the Emperor had assured Vedul that he could not be detected.
The
anti-gravity vehicle came to a halt in front of the building. Vedul
held his breath as Darth Maul helped Jareena out of the vehicle. He
released the breath as his Master and his companion entered the glass
double-doors without even so much as a glance in Vedul's direction.
I
told you how this would be,
Palpatine's voice hissed.
I
apologize, Master.
You
may proceed now.
Vedul
emerged from his hiding place, and strode into the building.
As
he unlocked the door to the apartment, Darth Maul swept the room
through the Force to ensure that his apprentice was not home.
Sensing nothing, Maul pushed the door open, using the Force to
illuminate the room.
He
allowed Lou to enter first, and she immediately set to examining the
décor. She stopped before an emerald bird with its wings
spread, and ran her fingers along their tips.
Maul
watched her curiously, a slight smile curling his lips as he
remembered their first encounter. He moved closer, and she turned to
face him. He brushed his fingers through her dark green hair.
Lou
gazed into his eyes. "What are you doing, Maul?"
He
moved his face closer to hers. "Finishing what we started."
She
let him kiss her, wanting to confirm that there was still something
between them. Lou pulled back, and tried to read the lustful look in
his eyes. He led her to the futon that his apprentice usually slept
on, his hand on her cheek and on her back under her shirt.
Go
now.
Vedul
opened the door to the apartment at the same time as Maul pushed Lou
down onto the futon. "Master, I need your assistance."
Maul's
head jerked up in the direction of his apprentice, the Twi'Lek's
Force presence suddenly detectable.
"What
are you doing here?" Maul demanded, not getting off Lou. "Could
you not sense that I did not want to be disturbed?"
"I
- " Vedul faltered, looking behind him. He hurriedly closed the
door. "I don't know how long it will take them to catch up."
"Who?"
Maul stood, and went to the window. "What have you gotten
yourself into this time?" he growled.
Lou
sat up on the futon, suddenly feeling out of place, though she had no
where else to go.
"Some
guys from the club. We were playing Sabacc, Master, and they accused
me of cheating," the young apprentice explained.
"Were
you?"
"Of
course," the Twi'Lek grinned.
Maul
rolled his eyes at Vedul. "Jareena, I apologize for my
apprentice's intrusion."
Lou
smiled at the Twi'Lek as she spoke. "It's alright. Sounds like
these things happen frequently."
"Too
frequently," Maul shot at the boy, eyes blazing.
"I
am sorry, My Master."
"You
must work on not getting caught," the Sith Lord turned away from
the window, closing the drapes with the power of the Force. "No
one is coming," he stated impatiently. It was meant as a
dismissal.
Vedul
strode to the window, and peered out himself. Maul folded his arms
across his chest, facing Lou, his back to the Twi'Lek.
Now.
Vedul
grabbed the nearest vase, and smashed it over his Master's head.
Maul stumbled to the ground, unconscious.
"What
are you doing?" Lou got up off the futon, backing toward the
door.
The
alien glanced down at his Master's crumpled form. "He'll be
alright." Vedul waited as Lou lunged for the door, but was not
worried for he was holding it closed with the Force.
* *
*
Several
hours had passed by the time Lou opened her eyes. She was in a
small, dark room, the only light filtering in from under the door.
"Maul?"
she called to the darkness hopefully.
The
door slid open, revealing Caylon and a man hidden by his black Sith
robes.
"What
the hell do you want, Caylon?" she demanded, getting up off the
floor.
"Wouldn't
you like to know," he arched his eyebrow suggestively.
"Oh,
please," she
scoffed. "As if
I'd ever give you the time of day."
"In
a few more hours, it will be," he grinned.
Lou
rolled her eyes. "What's this about? And who are you?"
The
shrouded visage met her gaze, the man's eyes boring into hers. "All
will be revealed in due time."
"Your
voice. I know your voice."
Caylon
arched his eyebrow, while the other narrowed his eyes at Lou. "Do
you," he replied, his tone flat. "Isn't that interesting."
The
first thing Darth Maul became aware of was the pillow under his head.
The last thing he remembered was his apprentice smashing a vase over
his head, why was there a pillow under his head?
His
apprentice. Maul narrowed his eyes, trying to decide which form of
torture he would use first on Vedul, before he eventually killed the
trecherous little weasel.
"I
am right here, Master Maul," Vedul spoke up from the futon.
Maul
leapt to his feet, drawing his lightsabre, which was, surprisingly
enough, still fastened to his belt. He raised the glowing red tip to
his apprentice's throat. "Apparently you were not paying
attention the day I lectured you about loyalty," he hissed.
"But
I was, Master. You said that our loyalty must lie with the Emperor,
above all else," the Twi'Lek tried not to sound too haughty; his
Master was quite angered by his previous actions. Understandably.
Maul's
rage subsided enough that he backed off. "The Emperor requested
that you smash a vase
over my head?"
"No,
I improvised that."
The
Sith Lord paced the room. "What is Palpatine's plan for my dear
blue friend?" he was talking more to himself than the Twi'Lek.
"Rescue
her," Vedul shrugged.
"What?"
Maul stopped pacing, and glowered at his apprentice.
"Well,"
the boy swallowed, ill at ease with the look Maul had fixed him with,
"From what I understood of the plan, his Majesty expected you to
rescue the girl. So that she would trust you."
"She
already trusts me," he snapped.
"Not
enough, I guess."
Maul's
gaze narrowed. "Where is the Emperor keeping her captive?"
Instead of waiting for an answer, he probed Vedul's mind for the
location. "The Imperial Palace. Why in the Galaxy would he
have her there?"
Vedul
shrugged. "He did not tell me. And I was not going to ask."
Maul
sat down in the chair to his left, then turned it away from his
apprentice. Palpatine had turned the Twi'Lek into an enemy, as well
as the Emperor himself, in this scenario. The Sith Lord thought
about his options: he could do as Vedul had indicated was what
Palpatine had expected, by rescuing Jareena, or he could leave her to
the Emperor's hands.
"I
don't believe that you will for a second," Vedul stated. "She
means something to you, Master, I can sense it."
"She
means nothing to me."
"Then
explain why you were engaged in - "
"S'Ritak,
I do not have to
explain anything I do
to you," he
turned the chair back around. "You must find another place to
stay for the time being."
"It
has been arranged, Master. Palpatine has assured me. You needn't
concern yourself with that."
"I
see. What reason does the Emperor have for leaving me out of his
scheme?"
"That,
you would have to take up with him."
* *
*
The
small spacecraft materialized out of Hyperspace. Taggart eased the
ship into orbit around the small moon. Checking the location once
again, he then cut the engines, and left the ship on autopilot.
He
sensed Park enter the cockpit. "Good morning, Park."
"Hey,"
he sat down in the co-pilot's chair, and looked out the forward
viewport. "Um, Tag, where are we?"
"Guess."
"Uh,
well, it looks like,"
Park brought up a map of the area. "Léonna VI."
His brow creased with innocent confusion. "Why are we orbiting
Léonna VI?"
"I
have to know what happened here."
Park
worked his jaw, trying to think of an argument. He noticed that
Taggart was watching him intently. He sighed, resting his chin in
his hand, elbow on the control board. "How long do you need?"
"A
couple of hours." Taggart was glad he did not have to use an
outside influence on Park.
"What
are you looking for, exactly?"
"The
report said there was a spy. I want to find her."
"Her?
How do you - "
"Don't,
Park. There are things about me that you do not
need to know."
Park
nodded, understanding Taggart's want for security; Lou being Park's
only real friend on the Angel.
Now that she had returned to Coruscant without letting anyone know
that she was leaving, he was worried. He did not like Darth Maul at
all, and could not figure out why Lou would go to him.
"I
would not have stopped us here if she was in danger, Park. You have
to trust that."
"Where
in the Galaxy - ?"Jenkens entered the cockpit.
"Léonna
VI," Park answered automatically. "Tag, here, wants to
gather evidence to expose a spy."
"I
see."
"We'll
be on the right side of the planet to land at the remains of the base
in twenty-eight minutes," Taggart stated. "I hope both of
you will help me."
"Of
course we will, Raine. Helena was my friend, too," Jenkens
nodded.
"Park?"
"Yeah,
yeah, I'm in."
"Thank
you. Both."
* *
*
"I'm
taking us down," Jenkens spoke into the intercomm. "Brace
yourselves for touchdown."
The
ship lurched as its landing gear touched down on the cracked stone
platform outside the remnants of the Alliance base on Léonna
VI.
Taggart
was the first one to the ramp, even before Jenkens had cut the
engines entirely. He waited impatiently for the metal to lower
itself to the ground, stepping out onto it, though it still hung in
mid-air.
"Whoa,
slow down there, Turbo," Park called from inside the craft.
"The
faster we move, the sooner we leave," he replied over his
shoulder.
"Good
point," Jenkens joined Park at the exit.
They
descended the ramp together, Park falling slightly behind, then
followed Taggart to the base.
The
doors lay five feet away from the base, leaving the three men with
the impression that they had been blown out, caused by an interior
explosion. Taggart used the Force to seek out any survivors - or
marauders - hidden inside. He sensed nothing, which meant that
ysalamiri, the Force-blocking animals, were probably present. And
that meant other answer-seekers, like themselves. People who did not
want to be surprised by a Jedi - or a former Jedi, whichever the case
may be.
Taggart
stepped inside the gaping entranceway, then waited for his eyes to
adjust to the low light. He could see sparks along the walls. "Be
careful, you two. There are exposed wires throughout the corridor."
"Lucky
us."