Chapter Six - Sighted
Liselle couldn't help grinning at the sight in front of her. Well, she could, but she didn't try not to. Kai and Ty were laughing at each other, as they both tried to top the other's politician impression. Kai had just completed her recitation of Mon Mothma's Declaration of Rebellion, or at least the beginning of it. By the time she'd gotten to the word 'Goals', she'd begun laughing. Though Lis knew her sibling and Kai very well, she couldn't help but feel that something had gone on between them that had changed their entire view on each other. In the past week, both had been nothing short of buoyant and ecstatic except when there was reference made to Kessel, the Loran twins' mission there, or Reggie Grandar. But that was entirely understandable, of course.
Reggie Grandar. Inyri and she had been given a datacard with a holoimage of the man, though it was over 15 years old, to show to the squadron. According to Aunt Adra, he looked much the same now. How she knew that, Lis didn't know, but she had a suspicion it was because of something going on between Kai and her mother. But that was nothing she should be nosing in, so she didn't.
Instead, she continued walking, Rane's arm over her shoulder. Inyri, Dav, Tynian, Kai, Rane, and she had all gone for a walk in the city-planet's park. The walk had originally been planned by Kai and Tynian who had wanted to go 'wander' Coruscant's main streets, but Aunt Adra and Nicola had both insisted they not go alone. Though nothing was said on the topic, Lis knew it was because of the holoimage in her pocket and, Aunt Adra had privately told she and Inyri, some sort of dreams Kai had had.
Walking behind Rane and she were Inyri and Dav, no doubt discussing some antic of their younger siblings. Ahead were Kai and Tynian, the latter now doing his best Iella-impression. When the two of them were younger, she wouldn't have believed anyone if they had told her they would end up dating and would actually end up talking at great length. Kai had been a miniature Aunt Adra in that she lived for her computers. Ty had been a younger version of their father: quiet and always trying to stay out of the way unless something would go wrong otherwise. Then something had happened, about two years ago actually, that had gotten those two together.
A sudden sense of discomfort washed through her and it took Lis a minute to realize it was coming through her connection with Inyri. That connection was an odd one, since she and Meli weren't really triplets with Inyri, yet it still existed in its own right. Lis turned around quickly, extricating herself from under Rane's arm. Inyri was staring ahead of Kai and Ty, looking at the figure of someone beyond the visible fountain. Lis followed her gaze to make out the very distinct profile she'd been studying only that morning. A scowl formed quickly on her face at the sight of him.
You seeing him too? Inyri's voice came across her mind as her 'sister' walked up to stand next to her. Not even bothering to look over at her in more than a glance, she nodded. How could she not see the damned Imperial?
The man seemed to sense their focus on him, because he promptly disappeared into a passing crowd of people. As he did so, Lis silently cursed that the park was crowded today. It was then she noticed Inyri was not standing next to her any more. Instead, she had moved over to where her younger sister was standing. Quickly, Lis ran up next to them, looking between Kai and Inyri. Ty was still holding Kai's hand, his expression drawn. Kai herself was white-faced and wide-eyed, staring at the point both Lis and Inyri had seen Mr. Reggie Grandar.
Next to her, Inyri was trying to get Ty to release Kai's hand so she could lead her sister to a bench. Lis sighed to herself as Ty stubbornly refused and instead led Kai to a bench himself. By this time, the Fel twins had gotten over being startled into realizing their respective girlfriends had moved away very quickly and were once again standing near the group.
Lis glanced over her shoulder to try to relocate Grandar, but again had no luck. And the park was too crowded for her to even think about being able to hone in on his Force presence. So instead she looked quickly to Rane and then on to Kai. The girl looked, if possible, even paler than she had a moment ago.
"What is it?" Inyri was asking her. "What's wrong?"
Before anyone else could throw in their two credits, Kai was on her feet again. She'd turned around to stare behind her to another walkway that was perhaps thirty yards away. The trees afforded a view of it, though it was at a distance. Kai's lightsaber was in her hand as she watched it, though not activated.
And then Lis saw what the girl was seeing. Grandar was leaning against a tree directly across from where they now stood. He was puffing on a cigarra, his expression taunting. Somehow, the younger girl had managed to notice the Imperial's Force presence, even in this large a crowd, not that Lis had any doubt as to why or how.
Though Kai still looked ghostly pale, her expression had contorted into one of hatred. Slightly behind her and to the left stood Ty, lightsaber also in hand. And behind his back, Ty was holding a blaster. And then, as quickly as he had been seen, he was suddenly gone again.
Her expression drawn, Lis looked around them quickly, only to find Inyri doing the same. There was, once again, no sign of Reggie Grandar. Unfortunately, that didn't make their position in the area any safer. If anything, it made it worse. In the course of a half hour in the park, they'd learned three very important things. One: Grandar was on Coruscant. Two: He seemed to be stalking them. Three: He was very good at disappearing.
Lis glanced at Inyri again, having heard her triplet's thoughts moving on a very same thread as her own. It was hardly surprising, after all, but it was still the same. We need to move, Inyri said, looking around them again. We need to move now. I keep getting a feeling that if we see him again today it's not going to be a simple 'passing look'. Agreeing, Lis nodded to Inyri and then looked at Kai, who had turned to face the rest of the group, and Ty, who'd done the same.
"We need to go, you guys," Liselle said, looking around the group. "We need to go back to base and we need to go now. Inyri and I keep getting a sense that if we don't we're asking for trouble."
Without any sign of argument, the rest of the group nodded and they all began moving off towards Wraith Headquarters.
* * * * *
Nicola looked up quickly as the six teenagers entered the room. Immediately, she knew something had gone wrong. Inyri and Lis kept glancing at each other and were probably having a conversation through the bond they shared with each other and Meli. The Fel twins also seemed to be conversing through their twin bond, Rane nodding every now and then. Perhaps half a minute after they'd walked into the lounge, they were walking out again. And then Nicola's gaze turned on her son and his girlfriend.
Now, Nicola prided herself as being someone who had seen a great many things in her life, and she was right in doing so. However, she'd never seen a live human being with a face as white as her 'niece's' was now. Almost instantly she was standing from her rather comfortable seat and was walking towards Lis and Inyri. When she was within three feet of them, she glanced between the two and spoke. "Alright, what went wrong?" Before either of them could answer, Adra walked into the room, Bror following. The Fel boys followed after, apparently having gone to get them.
Briefly, Nicola reminded herself why she liked those two, but then reverted her attention to her husband and Adra. They both were looking between the six teenagers, taking in what they could from appearances and the Force. After what seemed an hour, they both looked back at Nicola herself.
What happened? Bror asked quietly. His question was immediately repeated by Adra, only not quite so quietly.
I don't know. I've yet to get an answer from those two, she gestured at the oldest of the 'kids' present. And I highly doubt asking Tynian or Kaizan would get us very far.
Adra's eyebrow was raised by the end of her answer. Sighing, Nicola shook her head, and then looked over at Tynian and Kai. With a bit of unease at doing it, she asked Bror, Could you see if you could get past your padawan's shielding and find out what went wrong? She received an instant affirmative from her husband. Adra was already beyond using the Force in that sense and instead was taking a more direct route: interrogate the boyfriend.
"Ty, what happened?" Nicola heard her friend ask.
Shaking her head again, Nicola turned back to the Fel twins, Inyri and Liselle. "Alright you four, answer me now."