"Starbucks says they are going to start putting religious quotes on cups. The first one will say 'Jesus! This cup is expensive!"
-Conan O'Brien

Hutch St. James leans back in his seat, rubbing his eyes.

"Okay," he says. "Soniee and I have been poring over prisoner manifests for a few hours now, and it looks like Tor checked Sierra into his prison under one of her aliases, Annie Bennet. Only reason I can guess that he'd do that is to throw us off when we're looking for her."

"What about Katooni?" Hero asks.

Hutch sighs. "That's where I'm hitting a brick wall. I can't find her name, any variations of her name, or any of her aliases. Anywhere!"

Hero's finger runs down the screen, as if her touch could unlock which name is hiding Katooni.

"It's hopeless." Hutch mopes.

Hero snaps to attention.

"Hopeless?" she cries. "You're Hutch St. James! You hacked from a cash register at the Reddy Mart when you were seventeen! You've hunted down fugitives. You've created fake multi-million credit corporations."

"Yeah…"

She leans in very close. "And you married me."

Probably the most difficult thing he's ever done…

"Not just any man could marry Hero Calvert, and don't you ever forget it. You're awesome. You're incredible. You're Hutch St. James!"

Hutch blinks. "Yeah…I'm Hutch St. James!"

He hammers the keyboard. "If she's not under her name, then she's probably under species…aha!"

He zeroes in on the search result. "An order for nutrition for a Tholothian kid just went out. It's got to be her, there are no prior orders."

"Who has her?" Hero cries.

"I'm sending the name to Ahsoka right now!"

"You're saying you found Katooni?" Ahsoka asks.

Hutch nods. "There's only one Inquisitor ordering food for a Tholothian. We know they want to keep her alive; that means they have to feed her."

"Which Inquisitor is it?" Lux asks.

Hutch lowers his voice. "Barriss Offee."

Ahsoka blinks. "Barriss?"

Hero shudders. Maybe it's not a good time to go into how awful Barriss is.

"Where is she?"

"I'm working on it, but I can't get through her firewalls."

On the other side of the room, Soniee clears her throat. "Barriss Offee may have been prepared for Onderonian jungle madness, but her systems couldn't handle Kebiin Tracinya ." She says. "She has Katooni under lock and key in an old temple. Construction records say it's in the process of being converted to a training center."

"That doesn't make any sense. Barriss wouldn't set up shop in a building that's under construction."

Soniee's eyes widen. "I think I found out why. The building in question is within walking distance of a StarChucks."

"Excuse me. Did I just hear StarChucks?" Steela asks, poking her head into the room. "What does a caf joint have anything to do with this at all?"

"Because Barriss Offee is nursing a caf addiction." Soniee says. "She buys a fancy drink from StarChucks every morning."

"StarChucks? I worked there." Ahsoka muses.

Steela snorts. "Yeah, for like a day!"

"Then you quit because it was too stressful." Hero remembers.

So maybe she did quit. It was only because people thought that if their caf was one degree too hot or cold, it was the end of the world. Or that if their drink had one big pump of vanilla flavoring instead of one big pump, then they would die.

"So we have the location. How do we get Katooni back?" Soniee asks.

"That's where Steela comes in." Hutch admits.

Ahsoka looks into the doorway. Steela is grinning like the Cheshire Tooka.

"Uh-oh. That's the 'I have a really awesome plan' look." Ahsoka whispers to Lux.

"There's a look?" Steela asks.

"Can't miss it." Lux says. "What are you thinking?"

Steela steps all the way into the room and nabs one of the desk chairs.

"We can't steal Katooni straight out." she says. "We need to get Barriss off-balance before we even stand a chance."

"And how are we going to do that?" Soniee asks.

"Simple. We're going to steal a really bad day."

…

Saw drops a datapad on the desk in front of Hutch where he is working to get all the information together for the job. Hutch is totally focused on this job because it means life or death for his daughter, so he glares up at Saw, annoyed at the interruption. "What's this?"

"It's uh a little something I put together for Soniee's ID for the job. So you wouldn't have to do everyone's." Saw shrugs.

Hutch peruses the data. "Melaana Tandin? That's a very Onderonian sounding name."

"She's got an Onderonian look about her."

Hutch rolls his eyes. Of course Saw had been checking out this girl when he was supposed to be focused on getting back two of their own. "Age 18," he reads from the doc, "Born in the cockpit of her mother's transport vessel in the Iziz spaceport?"

"It's possible. Bo said she was a foundling. She was adopted by the Mandos."

Adopted, just like Katooni. Hutch shakes his head but enters the data into his system of jungle madness. "I don't know that she'll even have time to go over it before the con. They're just going to be working at the shop for a couple hours…"

"Last time we made the mistake of having holes in an alias somebody got hurt," Saw interjects.

Hutch leans back in his seat. "You're going through an awful lot of trouble for this girl. You know she's got a boyfriend?"

"Yeah."

"And Lux paired you up to work with him on this job?" Hutch adds.

"I know. What better way to make an impression than to make sure he gets out of this thing alive."

"Right."

Hutch grabs a sticker out of the printer, sticks it to a caf shop name tag which is already pinned to an apron and hands it and the one he had already made up for Steela to Saw.

He holds onto the aprons a moment longer to ensure Saw is paying attention. "Let's make sure everybody makes it out of this thing alive, including my kid."

Saw gives him a salute. "That's the plan." Then he runs off to deliver the aprons to the girls.

Saw opens the door slowly and hardly notices his sister. He smiles when he sets eyes on Soniee. "You'll be needing these." He tosses a bit of fabric at Steela and then holds out the other to her. "Hutch went ahead and made you an alias."

"Thank you," she says, taking the apron and glancing at the name tag affixed to the front. "Mel? Is that short for Melody or something?"

"Yeah, something like that." She doesn't recognize it, he thinks, a little disappointedly.

"Well, tell him… tell him I said thank you. I'll have a look at the file before we go over."

"And uh," he wasn't in any hurry to end the conversation. "They've paired me up with Korkie to scope out the old temple. I'll watch out for him, for you."

"Thank you." She says again as they stare at each other for a moment before Steela clears her throat.

Saw takes a step backward. "Well, I'll just… let you two finish getting ready for the job."

"Elek," Soniee watches him go until Steela slams the door shut in his face.

It couldn't be a coincidence , Saw thinks as he paces the corridor nearly barreling straight into Rex. He had no idea how much she knew about her past but if she would just read the alias he had not totally invented, maybe she would be able to confirm what he already suspected…

Rex puts a hand out to slow his roll. "Are they about ready?"

"Yeah."

Suddenly Steela bursts out into the corridor dramatically, "Oh Rexy you're so sexy!"

Where had he heard that line before?

Soniee follows her, also quoting from something familiar, "Shock me, shock me, shock me with that deviant behavior."

"And they said no revealing clothing, didn't they?" Steela continues to strut down the hallway toward Saw and Rex who both now remember the holo she had pirated off the net a few weeks ago. It was something about a shop that sold disks of music recordings.

"I don't feel I have to explain my art to you…" Soniee begins and then she and Steela look at each other and both finish the line together, "Warren!" They both nearly collapse into giggles.

Rex suddenly remembers the context of the scene with the aprons that she had been quoting from and can't take his eyes off Steela. "Damn the man. Save the Republic."

Saw draws his own gaze away from Soniee, imagining that, like the character in the holo, she is wearing only the apron and nothing else, and then takes notice of the look the clone is giving his baby sister. He punches him none too gently on the shoulder.

…

"Hi, welcome to StarChucks! What can I get for you today?" Ahsoka asks.

The guy on the other end of the counter sniffs. "I need a double-espresso with two pumps sugar-free syrup, and white milk instead of blue milk."

"All right! I'll have your drink out in just a minute," Ahsoka chirps, rushing back to the barista counter.

"Hero, you better fill this one fast. This guy looks like one of those coffee fanatics."

Normally StarChucks baristas make the drinks they take orders for. But Ahsoka, Soniee, and Steela keep messing them up, so it's easier to just give the orders to Hero and let the culinary student handle it.

Hero rolls her eyes and makes the guy's drink, making sure she gives him the white milk instead of blue milk. "Who would want white milk?" she mutters, snapping the lid on the drink.

Steela is starting to wonder how Ahsoka even managed to survive one day in StarChucks. The few hours she's been working here make her want to scream.

"When is Barriss supposed to get here?" She whispers, writing the coffee fanatic's name on the cup.

Soniee looks up from the counter she's wiping. "All her credit reports were dated and timed at around oh nine hundred hours."

Steela looks at the chrono. It's 9:05.

"She's late."

Soniee goes back to wiping the counter. "I wish Korkie were here. He's the one who's good at waiting."

"Are you sure it's Korkie you're wishing about?" Steela asks and then dodges the rag Soniee throws at her head.

Ahsoka smiles. "It's almost like a vacation from the men."

"I don't have a man." Steela announces proudly.

"Then it's a vacation from Saw for you." Soniee says.

"You forgot Rex."

"Oh my-."

Hero steps on her foot. "Steela, counter. Now!"

"What's going-?"

A Mirialan woman in a black bodysuit walks through the door. Two lightsabers are clipped to her belt.

About time.

Steela walks up to the cash and smiles at her. "Welcome to StarChucks. What can I get for you today?"

Barriss looks at her. And looks at her.

Oh kriff. She wouldn't remember me, would she? Ahsoka's trial was three years ago, and all Steela did was yell and fantasize about bopping her in the face. My face wouldn't be burned into her memory. Right?

Barriss sniffs. "Blended full-caf mocha Frappuccino. Double flavor shots, whipped cream, and chocolate sprinkles."

Wow. For someone filled with snips of snails and puppy dog tails, Steela is surprised she likes so much sugar and spice! "That'll be six cred."

Steela runs the order to Hero, who starts to pour the caf.

"Hero, that's the de-." Ahsoka elbows her, and she shuts up.

After filling the cup with decaf, Hero lays a heavy finger on the flavor shots. Twice.

"I don't know guys. What if she gives it to Katooni?" Soniee frets.

"She's not going to give a prisoner a six-credit drink." Ahsoka reasons.

"And Katooni doesn't drink caf. It gives her a rash." Hero says, putting the finishing touches on Barriss' drink and handing it to Steela who runs it back to Barriss.

"Here you go! Have a nice day."

Barriss grabs her drink and walks out the door. Before Steela can do anything, a young Twi'lek girl walks up to place her order.

After Soniee runs the drink over to the Twi'lek and Steela gets her a muffin from the case, the moment arrives which they've been waiting all day for.

Steela takes off her hat, unties her apron and yells "I QUIT!"

It's drowned out by Ahsoka's "SO LONG, STARCHUCKS!" This is her second round quitting at this place.

And for good reason. Why be a barista, when there's so much to steal?

…

"Saw, this is Ahsoka. Barriss is on the move. I repeat, she's on the move. Are you in position?"

"Yes we are," Saw answers. "Korkie just put the sign on the door."

He was having a hard time disliking the guy.

Saw looks over to Barriss' doorstep where Korkie is calmly taping a sign to the front door.

NOTICE OF RELOCATION

DUE TO THE DECREPIT CONDITION OF THIS BUILDING, ALL IMPERIAL FUNCTIONS WILL BE TRANSFERRED TO THE BASE ON GEONOSIS.

SIGNED,

GRAND INQUISITOR

Why Geonosis? Simple: Ahsoka said she and Barriss had some very bad experiences on Geonosis, which ended in Barriss being affected by mind-controlling brain worms. If Saw were her, he sure wouldn't want to go back.

Also, there is no StarChucks on Geonosis.

He races up to the front of the door and shoves his way into the bushes next to Korkie.

"Is she coming?" He whispers.

"Steela just said -."

The sound of a speeder draws near and the men I fall silent.

All right, Barriss. Come on, come on…

Footsteps snap down the sidewalk, accompanied with the sound of someone slurping a straw.

"What the...?"

Barriss rips the sign from the door and reads it, one hand cradling her forehead.

Caffeine withdrawal headache, Barriss? Hopefully, she won't notice that she just needs a cup of caf.

Barriss takes another sip of her drink. "Why isn't this working?" she mutters, and goes back to reading the sign.

"Geonosis?" she shouts, fingers fumbling to punch in the correct entry code for the door.

While Korkie lifts his holocam and records the motion of her hand punching in the code, Saw turns on the scanner Hutch gave him.

Barriss just needs to keep the door open long enough for it to pick up on the frequencies inside. If they don't get this intel, Hutch and Soniee might not be able to crack the security system.

A light goes on. Security cameras. Okay, that's all right. They know how to beat security cameras.

"This is ridiculous!" Barriss hisses and she slams the door right before the scanner lights up like a Life Day tree.

Cameras. Motion detectors. Lasers.

Oh, boy. They've got their work cut out for them this time.