Saché sat primly in the chair before Ric Olié's desk. "Thank you for your
time, Ric."
"No problem, Saché. So it's Baris you want to know about. I'm afraid there's not much I can tell you. He was a good pilot; wouldn't have been in Bravo Squadron otherwise. He did ask me for instruction in advanced techniques of flight from time to time. He was always looking to improve his skills. But as for mentioning any personal information in our conversations--no, nothing that I can recall. When he was on duty, he wasn't cold or hostile, just kept to himself most of the time."
"Do you know anything about his work history? When he came to Bravo Squadron?"
Ric leaned back and thought. "He signed up very soon after Amidala took the throne. He'd had quite a bit of flying experience before that, piloting all kinds of craft. He seemed content with the work. Sometimes I wondered what had taken him so long to join, but I never asked him."
Saché took a few quick notes, then looked up and nodded. "I'm glad you had something to share. You're right, it's not a lot, but perhaps we can get started with this."
Saché rose and Ric stood up. "Look, I hope all goes well for Sabé. She's a nice lady. Give her my best, will you. She's had a hard enough time without these complications."
"I will pass that message on, Ric. I'm sure she will be grateful for your concern."
Mulling over what she had learned, Saché tried to put the facts she had together. She had a voice that seemed familiar, a pilot that was an introvert, and a coverup of some kind. She remembered something the man speaking to Sabé had said.
"You know that sooner or later, everyone shows up where I work. And they all gossip."
Saché wracked her brain. Where would she hear a familiar voice in a place that she, Sabé and "everyone" would have access to? Finally, one possibility popped into her head. She made her way towards the pilot's lounge.
****************
"How did it go?" Amidala asked as she helped Saché remove her orange flight coat.
"Oh terrible! I sat in the pilot's lounge and listened hard, but no one sounded a bit like the voice from that night. I even checked the maintenance men's voices-there was no match." Saché hesitated for a beat then turned around. "Your Highness, do you think you could spare me for a few days?"
Amidala tilted her head to the side and gave Saché a quizzical look. "I suppose so. Whatever for?"
"I think I should go to Keren. If I can't dig up a big secret on the Calles there, then I don't know where to go next."
Standing back and crossing her arms, the Queen looked her handmaiden up and down, appraising her fitness for the job. "Are you sure you're ready for that? I know you've been in counseling for awhile--still recovering from your other mission..."
"Exactly why I need to do this, Your Highness. One has to get back on the tusk-cat after falling off."
"I understand. You shouldn't go alone," Amidala declared.
"I'll work faster that way." Saché's eyes revealed her determination.
Amidala shook her head "No, Keren is very dangerous. Even our security doesn't know who can be trusted out there. It's one of the places I'll have to clean up someday...if I can get our Supreme Chancellor's fingers out of some of the pies there. Give me a couple of hours to look things over, and I'll choose a partner for you."
Saché nodded. "As you wish, Your Highness."
It was later that evening, the smiling young queen entered the common area of the handmaidens' quarters. "Where's Saché?" Amidala called out.
Rabé turned, hairpins in her teeth and surprise in her eyes. So did Yané, the test subject of the next great stying creation.
"She said you were sending her out of town. Packed her bags and ran out an hour ago," Yané said.
The Queen's smile turned to a scowl. "If she gets back alive, I'm going to kill her!"
----------------------
Saché glanced around the grimy street, wondering what she was going to do about the man that was following her. Trying not to look obvious, she shifted her position to check and see if he was nearby.
He was lounging by a café, still keeping watch over her, the collar up on his black trenchcoat, his eyes averted. He was big, but lean, and an older man. Saché's instincts told her he could be dangerous and powerful. She didn't know how she sensed this, but her feelings were unwavering. She wondered if some of Sabé and Meira's Force sensitivity was rubbing off on her.
The risk he presented would have been worth it if she had been able to find some information that would be of use to Sabé in this case. In the two days she had been there, she'd uncovered nothing of value. If the stakes weren't so high, she'd have gone home by now. But she couldn't stomach the thought of facing everyone so near and dear to her with her failure.
Brushing herself off, Saché prepared to make another attempt to give him the slip. Walking quickly, she began a series of twists and turns. Just when she thought she'd succeeded, she caught sight of him again, sometimes in the distance, sometimes close by.
Finally, she reached a clear side street. She stopped and looked up and down. Smiling to herself, sure she had given him the slip, she made her way toward another part of the city. When she felt a hand grab her arm, she automatically went into battle mode.
She reached for a vibroblade hidden in her cloak, but the man in black grasped her wrist and held on. With the other hand, she aimed a punch, which he caught in his hand and deflected. She tried a kick, but he moved aside in time and she didn't connect.
When he swung her around, she heard him whisper. "Hold on, just wait..." His voice was gruff, but there was almost a note of pleasure and pride in it.
Saché struggled, but her captor had her held so tightly, that she was incapacitated. As a last resort, she screamed before he clamped a hand over her mouth.
Two male law enforcement officers came running around the corner, weapons drawn. Saché continued her struggles, relieved to see their arrival.
"Officers," the man said in warm genial tones. "Good day." He kept a firm hold on Saché. "I've just been dealing with my runaway daughter. Chélynne here has been naughty again, but I think once I've had a chance to talk with her, we can work out our differences and she'll be ready to come home. Isn't that right, Chélynne?"
At the mention of the alias used in her undercover work with the Faction, Saché froze. Her initial thought was that it was an former member of the racist group that had captured her. As the man went on, she turned and looked at his face close up for the first time. He was Hasin Uzza, Sabé's father.
He saw the recognition in her eyes and released her. She nodded. "Yes, Father. I think we should talk. I realize I've been foolish. I hope I'll be forgiven."
The officers slowly put away their weapons, but remained watchful. One spoke up. "That's touching, but perhaps we'd still better go to the station and file a report."
"Oh, I don't think that'll be necessary," Uzza said as he carefully held open his trench coat and slowly reached in for some credits. "Your time is much too valuable to be taken up with such trifling matters. In fact, let me compensate you for this misunderstanding. With calm confidence, he walked over to the officers and gave them both some of the money.
The officers smiled as they saw the amounts they were given, nodded and walked away.
Hasin turned and faced Saché. When he spoke, he was firm. "Now, don't be fooled. I could have been a stranger dragging you away to rape you, and for the amount of money I gave them, they'd have still walked away."
Saché nodded meekly.
"Why did you do it?"
Sighing, Saché replied, "I lived in Keren for awhile ten years ago. I thought I knew my way around."
"I daresay you moved in different circles then." Hasin's voice softened. "By the way, your defensive moves were pretty good, but a tad rusty. We'll have to work on that when you get home, after we find out what discipline the Queen chooses to give you."
Sagging, Saché nodded again. "Yes, there will be that."
"You disobeyed a direct Royal Order, of course there will be consequences. I think she'll just suspend you for awhile. She could fire you, or worse, but you've been loyal, so I doubt that will happen." Shaking his head, he went on. "She's beside herself over you and Sabé, you know. I haven't seen her this out of sorts since the war. She's wondering why her loyal ladies are turning rebellious."
"I just want to fix things for Sabé and Meira. Your daughter knows something that would help her but she won't use it to help herself!"
Hasin became grave. "I know. She won't even tell me what it is, and there are few things we don't share with one another."
They walked in pensive silence for a moment. "So, what do we do now?" Saché asked.
"Well, first we let my wife do her job. Then we can plan our next move."
"No problem, Saché. So it's Baris you want to know about. I'm afraid there's not much I can tell you. He was a good pilot; wouldn't have been in Bravo Squadron otherwise. He did ask me for instruction in advanced techniques of flight from time to time. He was always looking to improve his skills. But as for mentioning any personal information in our conversations--no, nothing that I can recall. When he was on duty, he wasn't cold or hostile, just kept to himself most of the time."
"Do you know anything about his work history? When he came to Bravo Squadron?"
Ric leaned back and thought. "He signed up very soon after Amidala took the throne. He'd had quite a bit of flying experience before that, piloting all kinds of craft. He seemed content with the work. Sometimes I wondered what had taken him so long to join, but I never asked him."
Saché took a few quick notes, then looked up and nodded. "I'm glad you had something to share. You're right, it's not a lot, but perhaps we can get started with this."
Saché rose and Ric stood up. "Look, I hope all goes well for Sabé. She's a nice lady. Give her my best, will you. She's had a hard enough time without these complications."
"I will pass that message on, Ric. I'm sure she will be grateful for your concern."
Mulling over what she had learned, Saché tried to put the facts she had together. She had a voice that seemed familiar, a pilot that was an introvert, and a coverup of some kind. She remembered something the man speaking to Sabé had said.
"You know that sooner or later, everyone shows up where I work. And they all gossip."
Saché wracked her brain. Where would she hear a familiar voice in a place that she, Sabé and "everyone" would have access to? Finally, one possibility popped into her head. She made her way towards the pilot's lounge.
****************
"How did it go?" Amidala asked as she helped Saché remove her orange flight coat.
"Oh terrible! I sat in the pilot's lounge and listened hard, but no one sounded a bit like the voice from that night. I even checked the maintenance men's voices-there was no match." Saché hesitated for a beat then turned around. "Your Highness, do you think you could spare me for a few days?"
Amidala tilted her head to the side and gave Saché a quizzical look. "I suppose so. Whatever for?"
"I think I should go to Keren. If I can't dig up a big secret on the Calles there, then I don't know where to go next."
Standing back and crossing her arms, the Queen looked her handmaiden up and down, appraising her fitness for the job. "Are you sure you're ready for that? I know you've been in counseling for awhile--still recovering from your other mission..."
"Exactly why I need to do this, Your Highness. One has to get back on the tusk-cat after falling off."
"I understand. You shouldn't go alone," Amidala declared.
"I'll work faster that way." Saché's eyes revealed her determination.
Amidala shook her head "No, Keren is very dangerous. Even our security doesn't know who can be trusted out there. It's one of the places I'll have to clean up someday...if I can get our Supreme Chancellor's fingers out of some of the pies there. Give me a couple of hours to look things over, and I'll choose a partner for you."
Saché nodded. "As you wish, Your Highness."
It was later that evening, the smiling young queen entered the common area of the handmaidens' quarters. "Where's Saché?" Amidala called out.
Rabé turned, hairpins in her teeth and surprise in her eyes. So did Yané, the test subject of the next great stying creation.
"She said you were sending her out of town. Packed her bags and ran out an hour ago," Yané said.
The Queen's smile turned to a scowl. "If she gets back alive, I'm going to kill her!"
----------------------
Saché glanced around the grimy street, wondering what she was going to do about the man that was following her. Trying not to look obvious, she shifted her position to check and see if he was nearby.
He was lounging by a café, still keeping watch over her, the collar up on his black trenchcoat, his eyes averted. He was big, but lean, and an older man. Saché's instincts told her he could be dangerous and powerful. She didn't know how she sensed this, but her feelings were unwavering. She wondered if some of Sabé and Meira's Force sensitivity was rubbing off on her.
The risk he presented would have been worth it if she had been able to find some information that would be of use to Sabé in this case. In the two days she had been there, she'd uncovered nothing of value. If the stakes weren't so high, she'd have gone home by now. But she couldn't stomach the thought of facing everyone so near and dear to her with her failure.
Brushing herself off, Saché prepared to make another attempt to give him the slip. Walking quickly, she began a series of twists and turns. Just when she thought she'd succeeded, she caught sight of him again, sometimes in the distance, sometimes close by.
Finally, she reached a clear side street. She stopped and looked up and down. Smiling to herself, sure she had given him the slip, she made her way toward another part of the city. When she felt a hand grab her arm, she automatically went into battle mode.
She reached for a vibroblade hidden in her cloak, but the man in black grasped her wrist and held on. With the other hand, she aimed a punch, which he caught in his hand and deflected. She tried a kick, but he moved aside in time and she didn't connect.
When he swung her around, she heard him whisper. "Hold on, just wait..." His voice was gruff, but there was almost a note of pleasure and pride in it.
Saché struggled, but her captor had her held so tightly, that she was incapacitated. As a last resort, she screamed before he clamped a hand over her mouth.
Two male law enforcement officers came running around the corner, weapons drawn. Saché continued her struggles, relieved to see their arrival.
"Officers," the man said in warm genial tones. "Good day." He kept a firm hold on Saché. "I've just been dealing with my runaway daughter. Chélynne here has been naughty again, but I think once I've had a chance to talk with her, we can work out our differences and she'll be ready to come home. Isn't that right, Chélynne?"
At the mention of the alias used in her undercover work with the Faction, Saché froze. Her initial thought was that it was an former member of the racist group that had captured her. As the man went on, she turned and looked at his face close up for the first time. He was Hasin Uzza, Sabé's father.
He saw the recognition in her eyes and released her. She nodded. "Yes, Father. I think we should talk. I realize I've been foolish. I hope I'll be forgiven."
The officers slowly put away their weapons, but remained watchful. One spoke up. "That's touching, but perhaps we'd still better go to the station and file a report."
"Oh, I don't think that'll be necessary," Uzza said as he carefully held open his trench coat and slowly reached in for some credits. "Your time is much too valuable to be taken up with such trifling matters. In fact, let me compensate you for this misunderstanding. With calm confidence, he walked over to the officers and gave them both some of the money.
The officers smiled as they saw the amounts they were given, nodded and walked away.
Hasin turned and faced Saché. When he spoke, he was firm. "Now, don't be fooled. I could have been a stranger dragging you away to rape you, and for the amount of money I gave them, they'd have still walked away."
Saché nodded meekly.
"Why did you do it?"
Sighing, Saché replied, "I lived in Keren for awhile ten years ago. I thought I knew my way around."
"I daresay you moved in different circles then." Hasin's voice softened. "By the way, your defensive moves were pretty good, but a tad rusty. We'll have to work on that when you get home, after we find out what discipline the Queen chooses to give you."
Sagging, Saché nodded again. "Yes, there will be that."
"You disobeyed a direct Royal Order, of course there will be consequences. I think she'll just suspend you for awhile. She could fire you, or worse, but you've been loyal, so I doubt that will happen." Shaking his head, he went on. "She's beside herself over you and Sabé, you know. I haven't seen her this out of sorts since the war. She's wondering why her loyal ladies are turning rebellious."
"I just want to fix things for Sabé and Meira. Your daughter knows something that would help her but she won't use it to help herself!"
Hasin became grave. "I know. She won't even tell me what it is, and there are few things we don't share with one another."
They walked in pensive silence for a moment. "So, what do we do now?" Saché asked.
"Well, first we let my wife do her job. Then we can plan our next move."