Squeaky powered up after the eight hour required recharging period to find Little Brother and Prankster in the same position that they were in last evening. Both of them were pouring over the reams and gigabytes of information they had pulled from the central military computer here on Denon since they arrived a day after Poster Boy and the other. Unlike Poster Boy and his team, which according to the clandestine message he received from Face, had come up empty; Prankster and Little Brother had found a gold mine of information. Moreover, they found relevant material not just from the military computer but also from such sources as the Commodities Markets' computers, the Intelligent and Law Enforcement's data banks, Senate's computer banks, Banking computers and even the Jedi archives; computers that normally would not be able to communicate with each other.
Although he was a droid, a magnificent droid, his main functions did not include computer data theft, so he was not quite sure how they were able to use Little Brother as an interface to the computer equipment they brought along with them from Borleais and the planet's computer systems. However, he could not argue with the results they had found. Poster Boy had originally sent him along with these two to insure that they would stay out of trouble and keep them focus on the mission at hand. A duty that was not necessary after all, they both knew the only way to keep Peacekeeper safe was to locate the mole or moles that are leaking information to the Yuuzhan Vong before they get enough information together to launch an attack against her.
They discovered the identities of Starred and High, how they not only were able to by-pass security checks but also how they were able to get the funds to bride various personal. They also found all references to the Project Hawkbat, and their hidden base that had been moth balled after Warlord Zsinj had been defeated, launching a worm program to erase all know references of Project Hawkbat; which was the main objective. However, they kept finding more information then they knew what to do with.
They have uncovered information such as credit washing, credit fraud, banks and businesses on Kuat, Bothawui and Denon being used to funnel credits and personal for undercover operations that were not officially sanctioned by the Senate or Military Command. Actions that help both the Peace Brigade and the so-called "Vong Free Organization" which has been very vocal in the media and senate concerning the seeming free pass the Yuuzhan Vong got when they left with Zonama Sekot.
In the 14 days, 7 hours, 32 minutes and 05 seconds since they arrived on Denon they have spent a large chunk of their waking hours, the many waking hours, digging deeper and deeper into the files. In fact, it has been 12 days, 13 hours, 24 minutes and 47 seconds since either one has left this lower level hotel. If they need any supplies or reconnaissance work done, he usually ended up doing it since it took both of them to work their system.
Not that he has minded very much lately since it has been 10 days, 8 hours, 58 minutes and 32 seconds since Prankster has bothered to clean herself. He was sure if he were human, her odor would have driven him screaming from the room. He was sure that if she actually wore any of her clothes, they would be just as soiled as she was.
"YES!" Prankster said jumping up and doing what she called her victory dance, which was annoying as her odor if he worried about such things.
"Does this mean you will finally take a shower Prankster?" Not that, of course, he cared after all he was just a droid he was above such things. He did wonder what all this was doing to his olfactory sensor; he did take care to keep his equipment up to standards.
"What?" She said looking at him in a confused manner.
JUNK PILE WE FOUND A THIRD MOLE IN THE WRAITH SQUADRON.
"There is a 3rd Yuuzhan Vong agent in the Wraith squadron, this is distressing news."
"No, he is not a Vong agent, he is an agent connected to the Supreme Commander office!" She raced over to the empty bed digging thru piles of printed material they have collected. "Remember all those transfers and assignment switches that we found just prior to Tahiri leaving for Borleais."
"Yes, but what …" he watched in dismay as she knocked over a 1/3 of the material as she jumped up from the bed. He was amazed that she could find anything with her filing system, a completely inefficient system she was using. He tried 5 times within the first 6 days, 4 hours, 32 minutes of this mission to keep everything properly organized but she would disorganize faster then he could fix it.
"We lost track of 35 different personal since that time however with in hours of when Poster Boy and the rest arrived here there was a new report filed under one of the assume named accounts the Supreme Commander keeps in the net." She said coming back over to him knocking over portions of her last uncompleted meal on the carpet. "The report detailed everything that happened since the mole got to Borleais up to Peacekeeper's briefing on herself. So that report to central command had to come from someone that flew in with Poster Boy!"
"That sound logical …" Squeaky started to reply but her close proximity was starting to overload certain sensors, flapping her arms did not help matters much.
WE LOCATED A PICTURE OF THE SUSPECT BEFORE HE WAS TRANSFERRED TO WRAITH SQUADRON, WITH THAT PICTURE AND THE NAMES USED TO IDENTIFIED WE FOUND HIS TRUE FILE. HIS MISSION WAS TO TRACK PEACEKEEPER AND OBSERVE HER AS A POSSIBLE SECURITY LEAK AND TARGET FOR ELIMINATION.
"Elimination," this was distressing news, "why would our military wish to eliminate Peacekeeper?"
"I don't know, yet," she said going back over to the piles of reports and started digging around for something else, "the other problem I am having is proving just who is running the whole operation."
"I thought you said it was coming from Admiral Traest Kre'fey office."
"Through his office sure but nothing in his name, especially with the high amount of slicing and all that we are uncovering, it looks more like the work of those Vong free jokers; it is going to take a couple more days …"
"What? No I am afraid that is not possible Prankster."
"Uh?" She said still digging through the piles, "we plenty time we have only been here a couple days."
"Prankster we have been her for 14 days …"
"What? We have?" She said looking over at Squeaky and Little Brother, "but didn't we … look we can't leave yet. Sure I found about Long shot and his mission but there is …"
"Long shot is the mole?" Very disturbing news, of all the candidates Flight Officer Saint was one of the most decorated and dedicated recruit they were able to get.
"Yea," she said absently said as she dug into the pile, "his real name is Corporal Ferg Bod and he is a commando that was attached to First Fleet."
"Oh my, I am sorry Prankster but we must return to Command now." Squeaky said moving over to the pile and picking up hard copies.
"We can't go yet! We have to …"
"We must, our orders were clear and not up for debate. We have a time limit because of planetary security procedures and because of the window of opportunity to go to the Jedi Hanger and take the Double Trouble back with us."
"But if I can find the link between the 'Vong Free' jokers and who ever is running personal to them from Central Command we could blow this open. Don't forget we have some evidence between members of the Senate and Peace Brigade, I need more time to dig it all out!"
"After Poster Boy reviews everything you have collected he may decide to send you back here or to a different location to retrieve more," Squeaky straighten and looked over at her, "tell me how much of the information have you actually reviewed."
"Most of it," she said defensively, crossing her arms and started to fidget, "some of it really."
PRANKSTER HAS REVIEWED 15.964% OF ALL MATERIALS WE HAVE COLLECTED.
"Traitor," she said softly glaring at Little Brother.
HOWEVER, I AGREE WITH PRANKSTER WE NEED MORE TIME TO FINISH THE ANNALIST OF THE INFORMATION THAT WE HAVE COLLECTED.
"And that is something that the entire Wraith team needs to be apart of, you may miss something that could be important down the line."
"Look can we at least contact Poster Boy and …" she said dropping the print outs she was carrying.
"No, I am afraid not. He instructed me not to contact him if and unless our activities were discovered."
"But …" she started to reply but he cut her off.
"And the time table as been set and must be followed unless, again, our activities had been discovered."
"But …" she came closer to him causing him to turn down his sensors.
"I shall gather all the hard copies and, try once more, to organize them in some kind of recognizable order."
"But …" she started again coming with in millimeters of his position, idly he wonder what her stench was going to do to his outer shell.
"Little Brother will make sure that all electronic data is back up and properly organized."
"But …"
"He will also lay in the ground work to retrieve the Double Trouble."
"But …"
"Now you must prepare yourself also."
"What does that mean?"
"Well you must be presentable when you leave this room."
"What do you mean it will take me 2 seconds to change into something?"
"But …"
"And my hair will take two more seconds, what are you trying to imply?"
"But …"
"After all I just took a shower …."
"10 days, 9 hours, 10 minutes, and 35 seconds ago."
"What are you implying?"
"YOU STINK!"
She didn't say anything for a few moments, just stared at him with this look of hurt confusion on her face. She turned to look at Little Brother and back slowly shaking her head.
"Well that was mean …"
"But …"
"… you could say something earlier you know!"
"But …", now it was his turn to be confused.
"You didn't have to be so rude about it!"
"But …" he watched helplessly as she went over to her luggage to get her clothes and showering items.
"Here I though we were becoming friends and all …"
"But …"
"… friends don't just yell and scream about their friend, you are a protocol droid couldn't you have found a nicer way to say that." She screamed as she entered the refresher camber.
After the door closed he looked over at Little Brother at his control station, he was making the same noise that Prankster and Peacekeeper have said was his laughing noise.
"Humans!"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"I don't care get rid of it!"
Face watched as Tahiri stood her ground on the far side of the cabin, arms crossed and a very sour look on her face. Kell, Piggy, Elassar and her had landed at the old Hawk bat base an hour ago, joining Face and second flight in the main briefing cabin.
Face and the rest had come here after leaving Denon to get the old mining base up and running again. Now that training was complete for all intent and purpose, he wanted the Wraith to operate out of an unknown base, since the Wraith Base was no longer secure. If Circuitry Girl worm program worked properly and if Prankster were successful in uploading it, it would hunt out and erase all links, suggestions and files that mentioned the Wraith's undercover operation at this base, it's location, and even the existence of the mining base that they took over. The only ones who would know about this base were the retired Wraiths, which Face trusted with his life. One nice thing about the cold of space, it does preserve well. It didn't take them long to get the power generator, life support and other essential systems up and running. Now they had to load the shuttles and the Double Trouble, with the equipment from their other bases and move in. The support personal, what little they had, would have to be reassigned. With Kell and Ratnena doing ship repairs, a few pit droids would be needed to help them. The rest of the duties could be divided up among all the personal. Hopefully by the time Kell and the rest left he will do a much better job screening potential replacements, even if it was only a mechanic to help Ratnena.
They were all set to head back for the first of many trips when Kell and the rest arrived, when he heard that he held off long enough to give Tahiri her gift, which was not going well.
"Think of it as your life day gift." Elassar said he was also staying as far as possible from the creature.
"My life day is another three months away!" She glared at the thing on the table, as if she was wishing it away. "Anyways I was carrying something like that in Anakin's vision!"
"Are sure it is still alive?" Road Kill said picking it up, "it has not moved since you got it Poster Boy."
"As near as Luke could tell it is in a hibernation sleep. What wakes it up, although, we don't know there is nothing in the instruction about waking it or even how it works?"
"So what is the problem Peacekeeper, I know you have used living weapons in the past." Kell said after making sure there were no known surprises hidden inside of it. Luke and the rest had already run test on it; it was an animal with a Lambert crystal in it's gut. They also found evidence of eyestalks and a series of plates on the stomach to help in locomotion, like snake.
"Those were Yuuzhan Vong weapons which I could use defensively or offensively, this is something entirely different." She twisted her face up even more, "I don't want it around me!"
"Does it bother you because of what it is or because of who sent it?" Face said, many emotions flashed across her face as she thought of an answer. If he was to pin it down she was torn between accepting it and rejecting it, in fact she was working hard at rejecting it. He bet that if it had come from anyone or anything else but Zonama Sekot she would have picked it up by now. She finally got her emotions under control, at least enough that she was not telegraphing them, she dropped her arms and addressed him directly but still she didn't stop staring at her present.
"Yes, now get rid of it."
Face looked at the rest of the people standing around or sitting at the table, the younger Wraiths seemed to willing to go along with what ever he did but they didn't look thrilled with the weapon. Piggy seemed to waiver, Elassar seemed more horrified then intrigued and Kell scanned and poked at it with growing fascination.
"Even if she doesn't want it, we should take it back and study it, Poster Boy." Kell said looking over the data on his pad that the scanners had collected. "We should study it for no other reason then the bad guys may come up with this too."
"Agreed," Face said taking the creature from Road Kill and placing it back in the clamshell, "Piggy and Elassar will go back with the Wraith 2nd flight. Kell and I will go with Tahiri; we all met up at Borleais. I sure Science Boy will be interested in this…"
"You can't take that back!" Tahiri snapped at him in a tone that no Flight Officer should ever use to a superior, the rest of the room went still as Face stared her down. Tahiri, too her credit and his dismay, started back with an unflinching resolve in her eyes.
"I am sorry Flight Officer Tahiri but what did you say?"
"Commander, you brought me on board as your Yuuzhan Vong Jedi," she said more respectively but no less resolved in her position, "and to advise you on all matters that I have a special understanding on. I would be failing in that duty if I didn't advise you to destroy that … thing, now!"
"Correct, to advise, I chose what to do and you advise. I can choose not to take your advice if I deem it necessary. You, however, do not have that option, you will obey all my orders, do you see the difference?"
"Yes sir."
"Good now we are going to go back to Borleais and let Science Boy exam the creature, you have a problem that plan?"
"Yes sir, I do have a problem with that plan."
"Tahiri," Face felt years older then his true age, wishing it were Wedge here instead of him, surly Wedge never had to deal with the problems Tahiri and Ratnena gave him. "Can you tell me why without just saying it bad or sounding like an ungrateful spoiled brat?"
"Yes sir I can."
"Very well," Face sat back down and crossed his arms assuming a relax pose, "lets hear it."
"Yes sir, I want it, badly."
Face watched her face, it was carved out of stone for all he could tell but she sound sincere. He exchanged confused looks with the rest of Wraiths; none of them seemed to understand her either.
"You want it?"
"Yes sir. I want to pick it up and carry it around with me with every fiber of my being."
"And that is bad because …?"
"I am fighting every impulse I have to rush over there and hold it, sir."
Again, Face look around a sea of confusion everyone seem to be wearing on his or her faces.
"She is insane let's just shoot her." Elassar said shaking his head.
"Why is it so bad that you want the gift?" Road Kill said laying her head down on the table in a gesture of defeat.
"Because," she paused and for the first time her face relaxed in to a softer almost sad expression, "because I am not sure if it is my desire or Bangor's desire."
"Bangor? That thing has a name!" Sparks blurted out before anyone else could say anything.
Tahiri just nodded her head sadly; she looked quickly over at Face with pleading eyes.
"Tell you what, why don't you four go run the preflight on the shuttles?" As the four left Sparks and Scavenger gave her an encouraging smile, Road Kill squeezed her arm and Long Shot nodded to her, no surprise there really of all the Wraiths is was the least talkative.
"Wasn't your Bantha named Bangor?" Kell asked.
"Yes sir, why Sekot decided to give that name to this … this thing is beyond me."
"You are talking to it in the Force?" Piggy asked with that far away look he gets sometimes when he is working through a complex math problem.
"No sir, it is in hibernation right now. I can feel it's anticipation, it's desire to join with me. It knows why Sekot gave it birth and it is excited … a level of excitement is almost …" She broke off and turned away from them, after few minutes she started up again but he could hear a slight tremble to her voice. It was so slight he was sure no one else could hear it, "when I was 10 I had my first life day party. I never had one growing up; my tribe didn't care about such things. We are not even sure when I was born just the year, my parents never got around to registering my birth. Therefore, Master Skywalker picked a day. By then I had learned what a life day was, Anakin Solo and the others all celebrated theirs' with a big party and many gifts. It was one of the few activates that Master Skywalker would permit. He wanted to let us be children for a while. Life Day parties were big events and everyone always looked forward to the next one. When mine came, around I was excited, finally I would get to be like everyone else, and I would be just as good as everyone else. However, no one seems to notice or care, I was devastated. Even Anakin Solo seemed to have forgotten what that day was. I know now how silly this sound but at the time, for a fraction of a second, I knew I was not as good as everyone else was. I stayed in my room during break period and I tried to skip dinner period but Master Skywalker came and got me out of my room. Lecturing the whole way about the responsibility, I had at the Academy and how he expects the best from me at all times. When we walked into the … mess … everyone was there. They had decoration up and … Mr. and Mrs. Solo were there with Chewie, 3PO and the twins, they flew in special from Coruscant. Even Master Jade-Skywalker was there. I felt a love so powerful and desire to prove to them I was worthy of this unconditional love they all were showing me I would have done anything they asked me, anything!" Tahiri turned back, her eyes blazing, "and that is what I am feeling from Bangor right now. This overwhelming desire to prove to Sekot and I that he is worthy of the life he was given."
"Bangor has something to prove or you have something to prove?" Piggy said in cold hard voice.
"I …" Tahiri started to say but her composure was finally showing some cracks in it, "… I mean he …"
"I thought you said you could not tell who was feeling what?" She stammered some more, her expression was one would expect to see on someone after getting a bucket of ice cold water thrown in her face, and Piggy drove his point harder. "If you are not sure who is feeling what, how do you know which one of you can be trusted? Are you sure you are not the one who needs to prove to the galaxy that you are worthy?"
"And I found it interesting you would chose that story to illustrate you point," Elassar said taking his cue from Piggy. Those two have worked a long time on the good cop/bad cop routine, carefully dissecting any story that some one handed them. Elassar with his calm medical background and compassion bedside manner and Piggy with his cold logical argument and near perfect memory. "You're very human desire to be seen as normal, as one of the gang as it was. But events keep you from ever being like the rest, you always were an outsider and this gift would just push you further 'outside'."
"Worst then that, she had stated earlier that she carried something similar to this in the vision Anakin Solo had of her. The older Dark Tahiri bent on killing all the Jedi, on destroying everything he died to protect."
"Is that it Tahiri?" Elassar said as he finished walking around the table and pulling out a chair for himself. Kell and Face sat quietly at the table watching Tahiri stand there slowing crumble before them. She did, however, remained standing but she no longer seem to be the quiet Jedi Warrior they were used to but now she seemed more child like. "If you accept that gift you accept that vision?"
"I can't fail." She replied softly and for the first time since she saw the gift took her eyes completely away from it. "Anakin Solo died so we, the rest of the strike team, would live. If I fail that means I will be sent back to Zonama Sekot, I fear that idea. If I fail that means that he wasted his life and I won't let his memory be tinted like that."
"And if you take that gift, you fail?"
"I don't know."
"Look Tahiri," Face said picking up the clamshell and walking over to her, "Kell and I can fly the shuttle back, why don't you go grab some shut eye and mediate. After you had a chance to talk to Ratnena and Little Brother you still wish to reject this gift, we will send it back but I want you to give it serious thought."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This is just a dream, a bad nightmare, soon it be time to get up from school and mommy or daddy will come in and wake me up and this nightmare will fade away. She knew that had to be the truth, that everything that has happened to her was just a bad dream. It didn't matter anymore how long she had laid here naked in a pool of her own blood and waste, every bone in her body broken, some twice, because it was all a dream. It didn't matter that she was a Wraith, only one out of the fourteen chosen from a pool of 100 candidates, the months of training, sweating and studying to make the finial cut. It used to matter but that was silly after all this was just a dream. When they cut off parts of her body, pulled out her left eye and her teeth with some kind of tongs, when they screamed at her as they beat her, demanding to know where Tahiri was or when she was coming back; that all used to matter but she knew better now. Maybe mommy and I can go to the park after school. That would be nice; I bet it will be a bright beautiful day! All she had to do was wait for mommy and daddy to come in a wake her up for school.
She barely felt a hand grab what was left of her hair and force her head up; this caused some pain in her shoulder as the bones shifted again. She opened her right eye and saw that one of the monsters was leaning close into her again. Behind the monster was the king of monsters, the Slayer.
"Where is the Abomination?" The monster holding her hair screamed at her.
"I don't know," she barely whispered, when daddy get here and wakes me up he will make you go away monster! That what daddies are for to protect their little angels and my daddy is the strongest daddy ever!
"When will the Abomination return?"
"I don't know," and mommy will give a great big warm hug and cover me in kisses! Then she will make me a big breakfast and you will be gone forever monster!
"The Slayer wishes to know if you did know would you tell us."
"No."
"The Slayer believes you are telling us the truth, he wishes to let you know of all that we found here you out lasted them all. It is his honor to release you now."
Of course, I am the last Wraith, Wraith 12 four lit and all green, sir! She watched with detached interest as the monsters gather out side her room, all of them releasing their pet snakes. She couldn't even feel the snakes as they crawled over her body or scream when they bit her, not that it matter anyways because she just had to sit here until mommy and daddy came in her room and wake her up for school.