Thanks, Athena :)
Thank you, Eleia Kenobi. Well, here it is.
Thanks, Farore. Yes, actually the Holocron idea came from that book. I needed something to tie the pieces together, and Holocron came in handy.
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The doors to the now deserted and that's why even more shabby-looking café slid to the sides with a distinguishable creak letting a young Ishi Tib in. The green alien was rather tall for his species and had to duck his head to avoid hitting it against a loose beam hanging from the ceiling. His large bulbous dark yellow eyes darted around the filthy interior that was scarcely lit by a dozen or so dull glow-rods. It was obvious that the new arrival wasn't too comfortable being here.
"We are closed! Can't you read?" the owner grumbled loudly.
He wasn't in a good mood since he had been trying for ten minutes already to bring some semblance of order into the café. A dozen of little droids that rushed about with rattles and squeaks was supposed to help him in this tedious task, but their disarranged actions didn't seem to have visible effect.
Not paying any attention to the grumbling owner's words the alien slowly walked inside. The owner raised his eyes at him, intending to pour his irritation over the intruder, but the words never left his mouth as he took a closer look at the visitor. The Ishi Tib was dressed in easily recognizable beige tunic and pants and long brown cloak. This attire could only belong to… The metal tube that could only be a lightsaber, hanging from the visitor's belt, persuaded the owner that it was indeed a Jedi.
"What can I do for you?" the owner asked much more politely with a hint of ingratiation. He had no desire to go against a Jedi.
"What has happened here?"
"Oh, nothing special," the owner shrugged. "Lower levels, you know."
"Of course."
The newly knighted Balan-Tar was at the lower levels of Coruscant for the first time in his life and was deeply unsettled by what he had seen on the streets. The sight of carnage here didn't soothe him either. But he tried hard to act like an experienced Jedi not showing his discomfort. The Force had brought him here, and he was trying to figure out why. Balan-Tar stared at the owner silently waiting if it makes the other talk. And it did.
The owner
seemed to be self-conscious. Finally he stuttered, "An Aqualish…"
The Jedi nodded.
"He… he wanted to sell a Holocron to a human."
"A Holocron?!"
"Umm yes. The Jedi Holocron."
"And?" Balan-Tar prodded.
"I'm afraid he was killed. Gamorreans…"
"And what about Holocron?"
The Jedi leaned forward impatiently. If he found this Holocron and brought it to the Council… His eyes sparkled. This was his chance, his chance to prove himself! To prove he wasn't just an average Jedi among the mass of those like him. They would notice him…
"Holocron?
Well, he didn't have it with him." The owner lowered his voice to a whisper. "I
heard him telling that human that he had the Holocron in his quarters."
This seemed suspicious to Ishi Tib.
"How did you manage to hear it? Were you there constantly?"
"Ah, khm… I… well, not quite." The owner was obviously nervous. "One of my waiters heard it. Yes, and I heard him telling this to another."
"Who was that another?"
"I don't really know. He came when the fight was over already. He talked to the waiter, then left. The waiter gave him the address."
"Which is?.."
"For a certain fee…"
Blast! Balan-Tar fished in his pockets. Good thing his former Master had warned him he might need money. Finding a few credits he passed them to the owner whose eyes shone with greed.
"So?"
The owner gave him the address, and the Jedi departed, leaving the owner to continue his cleaning.
************ ***********
Having left the transport that had brought her to Borleas – one of the larger Coruscant's moons – Nais had borrowed a small one-man passenger ship. After an hour of piloting she had landed her ship on a rather barren gray rocky plane before a huge polished metal dome shining blindingly under the unveiled sun. The place seemed cold and bleak, harsh. This wasn't even a moon – just an asteroid with stable rotation cycle and thin atmosphere, not nearly enough for breathing.
Once again – as she always did – Nais wondered how could anyone live here. With a sigh she pulled a breathing mask over her face and stepped onto the colorless gritty surface. Several steps brought her right up to the shining dome's wall. Touching a barely visible lump with enclosed in black leather glove hand Nais waited.
Two parts of a door slid apart diagonally – one to the upper left corner, the other to the down right – revealing a cubical room. The woman stepped onto the polished metal floor, and the doors noiselessly slid shut behind her. Air flowered into the room from invisible vents with swooshing sound, almost bubbling. Nais took off the breathing mask and breathed the fresh air in hungrily. She tucked the mask into a small pouch on her belt and stretched. After being locked first in the overcrowded passenger transport and then in cramped one-man ship being able to stretch seemed an incredible luxury.
The doors before her slid apart, and she stepped into another room – or another universe, it might seem. A beautiful garden was laid out before her eyes. Tidy gravel path ran from under her feet to a large house in the bright, filled with sweet fragrances depth of the garden. It was so quiet and peaceful – the whole universe away from the physical and mental pollution of Coruscant. How could she ever consider this a prison? What had possessed her to run away? She had wanted to know what the life outside these shining walls was like. Oh, she learned that! A bitter smile distorted her face.
This was the paradise she had spent her childhood in – the paradise she never let herself think about. Sidious would never let her leave him…
An elderly woman was waiting for Nais on a latticed white porch. She might have been beautiful once, but there was nothing left of that beauty now. Time turned her into an old thin woman with lined face and kind pale blue eyes. The woman smiled warmly, showing small dapples on her cheeks and fine tracery of wrinkles around her eyes. Nais smiled back with an unexpectedly sincere smile. The two walked inside the building in comfortable silence.
It felt like home here. Nais didn't need to be guided – she knew every inch of this house since the early childhood. Thick carpet softened their footsteps. The carpet was blue like midday sky – when walking on it she had imagined she had been walking the heavens…
A sunlit terrace opened up before them. Artificial sun, of course, but it was better than nothing. Still in silence the two women lowered themselves into light woven chairs.
"You've changed," the older of the two noted.
"So I did, Anadel."
"What brings you here, child?"
Nais hated to be called child but she knew she would always be one for Anadel.
"I need your advice and possibly help."
"You need help of the old witch?" Anadel shook her head sadly. "What have you gotten yourself into this time?"
Justified question.
"You know, I want to destroy that monster." Her eyes blazed, then dulled. "And you know I have nowhere near enough power to do so. But… I found something that might… might help me destroy him."
"Which is?"
"His son."
An oppressive thoughtful pause filled the air.
"And you think a son would want to destroy his own father?"
"He's not some guy from the street, he's a Jedi. And not just any Jedi. He's the one who killed Maul last year. Palpatine hates him for killing his apprentice. I think Kenobi hates him too. I heard Maul killed his teacher."
The older woman seemed to be in thought, "Perhaps, perhaps. So you've found Palpatine's possible weakness."
"Weakness? I don't know… The only thing he cares about is power. I don't think having a son would make any difference."
"He's not a machine, darling…"
"Oh, but he is! He's not even human. He… he's a monster, a horrendous beast! He is not capable of love!"
"I heard he had a wife once. It was rumored that she and their baby had died in a crash years ago."
"Apparently not." Nais paused. How she wanted to believe he had weaknesses! If only one small weakness for her to get to him. "Do you think he loved her?" Hope bled into her voice.
"You're asking me what I don't know. Perhaps, even his heart once knew love… So, how can I help you?"
"You can see future, I know you watch the future like others watch HoloNet. Tell me what do you see in the future? Will he destroy Sidious?"
"You know that future isn't set in stone. It changes with every decision we make. A drastic step can turn everything in a completely unexpected way…"
"I know that!" Nais interrupted impatiently. "But what did you see today?"
"Well… Kenobi will be instrumental in destroying Palpatine, that's for sure. Other than that… I can't say anything specific. The time of great changes is close. There are too many possibilities."
Nais hung her head. But what had she hoped for?
"Now, what are you going to do?" Anadel asked softly, laying her hand on the shoulder of the younger woman.
"I think I need to get this Jedi on my side, but I'm not sure how."
"Perhaps you need to tell him who Palpatine is."
"Yeah, like he believes me!" Nais snorted.
"Then you need to earn his trust first."
The young woman dropped her face into her hands. "I thought about it, but it would take time. Much time And Palpatine would learn what I'm up to. And if he does I'm in the biggest poodoo in my life."
Anadel smiled, "Well, this is something I can help you with. I'm not a witch for nothing, after all. I'll build you some shields. Even he with all his notorious Force and such won't be able to break through them."
"Why didn't
you do it earlier? I never wanted him read my mind."
"It's not a pleasant thing, believe me. You still can refuse."
"No." Stubbornness shone in black eyes. "Do it."
************ ***********
Evening fell discreetly, bathing the streets in deep inky shadow. Chill surges of air picked up, eager to steal warmth from battered pavement and forlorn bodies of the lonely passers-by. Night slithered slowly over the tall buildings, consuming what meager light the lower levels retained.
A lonesome figure walked the street in haste, sharp sound of footsteps ripping through darkness being the only noise breaking the dead silence. A grey building, touching the skies as though wholeheartedly zealous to break free of the lower levels, loomed before the man. Pausing momentarily to look over the murky structure's surface where no windows glowed, Brimar opened the heavy rusty metal door and entered. Stale humid gloom encompassed him immediately. It was much colder here than out in the street, and the man shivered slightly tugging at the edges of his brown coat.
Cautiously Brimar turned on the small glow-rod he had brought with him providently in order to see anything in the pitch-dark of the staircase. Shadows shifted, and even his heart, accustomed to adventures and less than safe places, skipped a bit.
Trying to be as noiseless as possible so as not to intrude upon the shady realm Brimar crept up the stairs, his glow-rod casting eerie blue light over the filthy walls and littered with garbage floor. Something rushed under his feet with piercing screech. He froze listening. Nothing. Silence. Taking a deep calming breath he proceeded on his way.
On the fourth floor the darkness ended abruptly, leaving him blinking. His eyes adapted to light, he extinguished the glow-rod and looked around carefully. The stairs definitely looked better in darkness, he observed. Dented walls were covered with offensive and sometimes mysterious inscriptions. Small windows were calked, letting no light seep out of the edifice. No one but himself broke the stair's solitude.
That was definitely good. Hurry! He must speed up. He must be there first. He must leave Sidious behind.
Brimar searched the numbers on the stained doors that had long since lost their original colours, assuming uncertain brownish-grey tint instead. Finding the number he needed Brimar paused, examining the door. No obvious traces of breaking in were present, but that didn't really say anything. With a firm hand he pressed a button, which elicited low nerve-racking buzz.
Nothing. He strained listening. Silence. Was he late? He pushed the button once again.
Quiet rustle. Light footsteps padded to the door.
"Who're ya?" a thin, somewhat distorted voice inquired through the closed door.
About time! "I'm a friend of Kato's."
The door started to open slowly, unsurely. Brimar shifted from one foot to another in impatience. He had no time to waste, running against the Sith Lord. On the other hand, if he acted too hastily he might lose everything, so he let whoever was behind the door study him through the tiny crack. But waiting was so agonizing hard! Finally after what seemed like eternity the door opened completely, revealing a skinny wide-eyed human girl no more than eleven years old by appearance.
"Hello. May I come in?"
"Hi." The girl shifted to let him pass. "Whatsa yar name?"
"Bri." Once inside he swept the room with one glance.
A lonely dull glow-rod under the ceiling didn't give off much light, casting blurred spots of illumination over the furniture, old and tattered. The apartment held a tiny hall that ended with a doorframe, though there was no door in sight – whatever had happened to it. A slightly larger room behind the doorframe resembled stockroom of a junkman. Judging from smells of burnt food there was also a kitchen somewhere in the apartment, and though Brimar couldn't see it from where he stood he had a fair idea of what it looked like.
The girl wrinkled her snub nose in thought. "Good name," she finally uttered.
"Yeah." Brimar looked the room over with an experienced gaze, noticing every minuscule detail that might be of any use in his search. Nothing came up. Where could Kato keep the Holocron?
The girl twisted a lock of greasy hair of unidentifiable colour around her finger, looking up at the man with curiosity. She didn't seem to be afraid of the lanky human. But, on the other hand, her naive eyes suggested she wasn't really aware there might be something to be afraid of at all.
Where? Where? Where?!
Huge blue eyes followed Brimar as he paced the small room in thought. Suddenly his steel-coloured eyes turned to the child. The man squatted before her, brushing away tousled dark-blond hair that fell on his forehead.
"There is a thing Kato keeps. A stone, beautiful, about this large," he showed with two fingers. He tried to speak gently so as not to scare her off but he was grimacing inwardly.
The girl watched him in concentration. Then recognition flared in her eyes, lighting them a startling electric.
"I know! Pretty brick. But Niamo took it."
"Who's Niamo?"
"Friend." She put a finger into her mouth in such a childish gesture that Brimar flinched.
"And where does Niamo live?"
She cocked her head to the side as though asking if he was trustworthy. Brimar nodded. The girl made him uneasy. True, he never felt comfortable around children. But this one gave him creeps.
"He live two," she held up two fingers as if doubting she said the number right, "two blocks from here. Big shop wid glowing dolls."
"Thank you." The man stood up abruptly. He walked hastily to the door and was about to exit when a thought struck him. He froze as though he had run into a wall. Slowly he turned around and looked once again at the girl who still stood in the middle of the room.
He had to kill her.
The thought molded into an icy knot in the pit of his stomach.
The child looked at him with innocent trust that he could do her no harm. But he knew he couldn't leave a witness, he must not!
But…
He clenched his fists. If he left her alive Sidious would come and learn where to continue, no doubt of that.
Then again, if he killed the girl now Sidious most likely would learn anyway. Being friends with Dooku had taught Brimar that Force-sensitives had abilities far surpassing those of common mortals.
Such an obstacle wouldn't hinder the Sith Lord. Thus only a matter of morals remained.
Morals! Brimar snorted loudly, startling the girl. Being for the best half of his life on the wrong side of law he had no trouble killing someone. Anyone.
So why was he having trouble now?
His hand strayed to the holster that held a blaster hooked to his thigh. Take it out and shoot? So easy! Then why couldn't he?
Her wide energetic eyes pulled him as magnets. He couldn't break the eye-contact. His hand wavered, then let go of the blaster handle. He turned away abruptly, ashamed. Embarrassed that he couldn't kill her. Without another thought he left, banging the door.
*********** **********
