Tahiri slowly got up from the medical bay bed to reached for her clothes that Elassar had left for her on the near by chair. They had all gotten back to the 'Hawk-base' yesterday and Elassar and Face had both rushed her into medical bay. She was still very exhausted, even after the 2 days it took for them to get back here and she had lost about 10 kilos of weight too. She wasn't that big to began with so any weight loss was bad news for her. She offered no argument when they hooked her into a machine that would help feed her through an IV tube nor when Elassar orders her to stay put for the night. She thought it was really sweet when all of the Wraiths made a point of stopping by to check on her while Elassar was out of the room. Even Flush stayed with her during the night to watch over her since Little Brother was still out on a mission. Charm Boy didn't offer any complaints about that as long as neither one of them tried to fix anything.
Tahiri had been worried since they told her that Rat and Little Brother was sent back out again so soon after the mess they left at Denon. She was always worried about them, neither one of them was very good at staying out of trouble and she hated them leaving without her having a chance to see them. She had so few friends left she didn't like the idea of any of them leaving without her having a chance to say good-bye. Just like it hurt to leave Master Skywalker, Master Jade-Skywalker, Master Horn and the Solo's behind like she did without being able to explain what was going on. She could feel Han and Leia in the background, she could feel the buried pain they felt for her 'death' and wanted to ease their pain. She couldn't help them yet, her mission was more important then their feelings or her own. Although she knew she would be in for a serious lecture from Han when she got home. A lecture that she was more then willing to sit through.
Then there was Jacen … she shuttered when she thought of him, if it was really him. She got such a confused vortex of emotions off of him that she was not sure what was standing in front of her. At times it almost felt like Sekot. Tahiri would have dismissed the whole thing if she hadn't had the vision again while trying to sleep on the way back. The Force was trying to tell her something but she wasn't sure what … yet. She had some serious mediating to do when she got a chance.
After slipping in a fresh tizowyrm, she opened the hatch and stepped out in to the trench. Standing outside, like a sentry on duty, was Little Brother. Rat and him had just returned an hour ago from their mission. Their early return and the information that Shalla had found while on Denon had prompted this briefing and her escape from the medical bay.
"Hey Little Brother," Tahiri said kneeling down to give his dome a hug, "how you been?"
TAHIRI, I AM FUNCTIONING WITHIN NORMAL PARAMETERS. YOU, HOWEVER, HAD A MALFUNCTION?
"Well, it wasn't a malfunction really, it was more like exhaustion. I did too much too long and just got run down."
YOU HAVE TO MAKE SURE YOUR POWER SUPPLIES ARE AT FULL CAPACITY BEFORE YOU ENGAGE IN YOUR MISSIONS, TAHIRI. DID YOU FORGET TO RUN A SYSTEM CHECK ON YOURSELF?
"Yes, I did," she said with grin and a laugh. His out look on life was a very different from the others she has grown up around but no less valid. "I just spent a lot more energy then I though I would but it is ok everything worked out."
NEXT TIME MAKE SURE YOU HAVE ADEQUATE POWER RESERVE.
"I will Little Brother, I promise," she said seriously and gave him another hug. Just because he was wiring and lubrication didn't mean that in his own way he didn't care or that he was wrong. When she stood up, she looked at him closely, "when was the last time you were clean?"
WE HAVE BEEN UNABLE TO TAKE THE TIME FOR MAINTENANCE SINCE WE ORIGINALLY LEFT ON THIS MISSION.
"We better make time after the briefing then," Tahiri said in a no-nonsense voice, "by the way where is Rat?"
SHE WENT TO HER QUARTERS TO CHANGE AND CLEAN UP, SHE ASKED ME TO INFORM YOU THAT SHE WILL MET YOU IN THE CONFERENCE ROOM.
"Lets get the meeting done with then, the sooner we get down to business the sooner we can get started on cleaning you up." Little Brother let lose with a sound that communicated his opinion of her working on him without saying anything. On the short walk to the conference room they had a lively but good nature argument, Tahiri kept thinking how good it felt to be home again.
"So that is it," Road Kill said with a smile that could swallow Yavin. Face watched her scan the room as her excitement caught on with the others. "We got half of the puzzle solved."
"Looks that way," Shalla said leaning back and putting her hands behind head, " with the stuff I got from Fusty's safe and what Flight Officer Bora and Little Brother has collected, we have quiet a few senators and high ranking military people right where we want them."
"Almost, we still need to find out who is at the center of this web," Piggy interjected.
"And where that fleet is supposed to head too," Face said draining his cup of caf.
"Why don't Little Brother and I head back to Denon and see what else we can get?"
"Shouldn't you two get some rest before you head back out?" Tahiri said sitting between Little Brother and Ratnena; eating a steak. Face saw that, while she was still suffering from her ordeal, her appetite was getting back to normal.
"We will sleep when we are done," Ratnena said with a dismissive wave and trying hard not to watch Tahiri eat. She never did like watching anyone eat meat, especially after that prank Tahiri pulled on her. "Besides the computers on Denon might know what happened to that ship yard we found."
Face figure she was right about that, when Ratnena and Little Brother got to the coordinates that he found on the ghost fleet all they found was a abandoned ship yard. Of course there was another explanation for the empty shipyards.
"Are you sure Little Brother copied the correct file," Piggy asked before he could.
Little Brother let out a string of bells and whistles that caused Tahiri to blush and cover her face and Squeaky to jerk in his seat. When Ratnena read what he said on her wrist translator, she had a hard time suppressing a grin. When Face looked over at Kell, the large man just rolled his eyes.
"Little Brother, kindly remember that Major SaBinring is your superior officer and you should answer him in a respectful manner," Squeaky snapped at Little Brother.
"Do I want to know what he said?" Face asked.
"Well sir, he wishes it to be known that he was not in error when he copied the information from the shadow fleet. There were, after all, some signs that a shipyard had been at that location recently."
"Was that exactly what he said?"
"That is the essence of his comment sir," Squeaky said. "The rest has no value being translated. I think he has been around a bad influence lately that is all. I am sure I can fix that problem."
"Really Vong why do you always have to act that way and get poor Little Brother in trouble."
"Are you sure they didn't abandon it because of your presence at the shadow fleet," Piggy asked before the comedy trio could get started.
"Well sir, I didn't see anything that would suggest that they noticed us. It was kind of creepy, you know, flying around all those ships and not seeing anything running."
"Little Brother agrees," Squeaky translated for the smaller droid, "he also states that their on board security procedures were quite easy to by-pass."
"We were wondering if the ship yards were not abandon because of their activates," Runt said with his eyes narrowed in thought, "but as a reward."
"You mean that they moved the shipyards as a way to pay off certain Senators?" Piggy asked with a grunt but he didn't seem to dismiss the idea out of hand.
"Yes, there had to be Senators on this side of the conspiracy to help funnel funds and personal to the "Vong-Free" movement. We are thinking that the intended use of the shipyards is finished now they will send a few to their biggest supporters as payment for their help."
"Shipyards are not that easy to move, sir," Shalla said.
"True, but they can be moved. Think about it though, if they were automated shipyards that would be a boom to who ever controls them." Piggy seemed to be warming up to the idea, "even if they were divided up among several senators the amount of income they would produce would be more then enough to convince some to help."
"Guess that is another reason to send Bora and Little Brother back to Denon," Kell said looking at Face, "maybe they could find out who is getting what and if there are any other shipyards out there."
"We'll have to find another way to get them in, Sweet Sunrise and Sweet Sunset are both too hot right now."
"That shuttle they borrowed during the escape from Hollow Nebula?"
"Maybe …"
"I don't think that will work," Tyria said while getting up to refresh her drink, "so far a unknown spy has been seen in the presence of a YT-1300. Once while getting away from Denon and once fleeing from the Hollow Nebula while in a stolen shuttle. You better believe that they will be on the look out for a shuttle like that showing up again."
"So we change some id numbers on the shuttle, we have done that before?" Sparks said looking confused.
"True but that takes time an if those ship yards are empty it could very well be that they have enough ships to do whatever they need to do. Which we still don't know what their intended mission is so we need to get her in their fast."
"So how do we do it," Kell asked his wife as she sat down next to him. Tahiri answered the question first.
"Master Sarkin, are you sure you want too, these two are more trouble then they are worth." Tahiri said with a snort.
"Of course," Face said slapping his hand against his head, sometimes the most obvious were over looked. "The Jedi have free run of Denon and even have a private hanger at the main military space port."
"Yes, we could fake up some papers for her to show that she and Little Brother work for me to help out in repairs and another set to get her access to the computers at the base. There is a floor reserved for Jedi that are in transit at the base, we could get her a room there with no problem. We just take my ship and go there with no one the wiser."
"Simple, I like that," Face said making up his mind, "Bora, Hall, Shalla, and Tyria get your heads together and come up with a id set for Bora. Doran, you better go also so you know the full background on her. We'll give you a story to go by if someone asks you about her but the more that you are in the planning the better off you will be. Prankster, how much time will you and Dagger need?" While Ratnena and Little Brother consulted each other, Face watched Tahiri closely. She looked worried about those two running off again without her around but she wasn't saying anything about joining them or trying to stop the plan. Which meant that she understood how important this mission is and was willing to trust everyone to make sure they got back. But no she was not happy about it at all.
"No more then a week sir, we already have a idea where to look and won't have as much to search this time."
"I think I can come up with some reason to hang around for a week and a little more if needed. After all Doran could use some exposure to the other Jedi around there and I could get some pointers while we are there."
"So much for a vacation," Doran said softly from his spot next to Shalla.
"Sorry kid," Shalla said in sympathy, "could be worst you could have the whole team along."
"That is so true the Vong is such a bore … ouch!"
"Yuuzhan Vong."
"Now girls behave," Face said suppressing a grin, "does anyone have anything else to add?" When no one said anything he moved on to the next item, "ok Charm Boy did you get anything out of that qahsa?"
"Nope, it wouldn't work for me for some reason. I think it might be tied into the Yuuzhan Vong bio-signature, that way if it ever fell into our hands it wouldn't work."
"Sounds like a simple security procedure," Kell said getting up to get some caf, "has Peacekeeper seen it yet?"
"Nope, she was being so good about staying in bed that I didn't want to take my chances by showing her the qahsa and having her run around thinking of getting in trouble. Do you want me to have her play with it after she gets done eating?"
"Naw, if we wait for her to get done eating even she will be ready to retire." Kell said straight face, Tahiri tried to give him the evil eye but even she was having a hard time not laughing with the rest. "Go get it for her, there may be something in there important for Prankster to know before she leaves."
"While we are waiting for Charm Boy to get back, Boom-boom and Sparks we need new transponders and such for our ships. Go through what records we have here and see what we can use. Get Sweet Sunrise done first, Shalla and Road Kill will help you when they get done with Prankster."
"And this time Boom-boom and Road Kill try not to waste too much time sucking on each others faces," Kell said as a quip. Face and Kell had known about the two lieutenants for a while and just wanted them to know they knew. By the look Tahiri gave them she had known too but was discrete about letting anyone know. It was Tahiri who was the clue that gave it away, not that she meant too but she used to get fluster and go red around those two. Not as red as Stacy was right now but enough to make Face watch those two a little more closely. Face really didn't care what they did during their off hours or even during relax duties here at the base, he just wanted to give them a little reminder that he knew all. Not that Fred seemed to mind, he was sitting there trying to deny that they were doing anything, which was hard to believe with that grin that he wore. The good nature joking went on until Elassar came back with the qahsa.
["Open,"] Tahiri said in Yuuzhan Vong after Elassar gave it too her, " hmm, there doesn't seem to be much in there. ["List the contents,] I was right there aren't much here one video file and a text file. The text seems to be a list of times, in Yuuzhan Vong format I will have to translate that later and coordinates."
"Planetary coordinates?" Face asked wondering why they included that in the message.
"I think so, Little Brother where is this located at," she rattled off one long set. The numbering system she was giving didn't sound like Basic but Yuuzhan Vong numbering, which only made sense since this was intended for a Yuuzhan Vong warrior, however Little Brother had been program to understand Yuuzhan Vong as well as Basic. Little Brother was quick in answering and when he was done she just nodded her head, "Yea I thought they sounded familiar."
"What sounded familiar," Face asked, Tahiri was a very smart person and knew three languages and with the worm she could understand droid talk but sometimes she forgot that not everyone could do the same thing.
"Little Brother said that it was in the Carida system, specifically in the Big Boom cantina, Nova station." Squeaky supplies before Tahiri could, "and there is even a lower set of coordinates which he could not plot but I believe it may be a certain table."
"Well, I always knew they were efficient but that is taking thing a little far," Shalla said in the long pause.
"Too efficient sometimes," Face said straighten up in his seat. It has been his experience that when someone was that detail they wanted something very badly and willing to kill to get what they wanted. "When do you have to be there?"
"Um three days sir, looks like at 2100 hours; if I remember correctly that was the start of the peak hour for that cantina." She looked over at Face; "there are a couple alternative dates and places if we miss this one."
"Does that file say what they want?"
"No sir, it is just a list of places and times."
"Maybe it's in that other file, Vong."
"Gee, wiz Rat, what would we simple folk do without a brain likes yours around?"
"I keep telling you …ouch!"
"Just play the file, Peacekeeper," Face said as Ratnena rubbed her shoulder. He wondered when Ratnena was going to learn not to push Tahiri like that. Probably never, like sisters those two are.
"Ok, [play video file] … its working," Face could hear a typical Yuuzhan Vong voice coming from the qahsa, arrogant, harsh and full of growling, … Warmaster is greeting me in the name of Yum-Yuuzhan and …" Tahiri broke off, her eyes widened then narrow in a fashion that he always associated with trouble. Tyria and Doran suddenly flinched away from her, as if she was radiating heat. Squeaky started murmuring to himself and he looked as worried as a droid could.
"Tahiri," Ratnena said softly, so how she even knew not to push Tahiri right now.
"Tahiri," Face said a couple times but she was fixated on the qahsa, "Squeaky what is it saying."
"They are calling her the 'savior of the people' and the gods have sent vision to many of their people about this new mysterious Yuuzhan Vong warrior who is Jedi like. Not to just their priests and priestess but to many of the warriors, it has caused much dissent since this savior is Shamed. The gods have made it clear that this warrior is the only way they can survive but they would have to prove their loyalty to this warrior since," he broke off as Tahiri launched a string of curses in Basic, Yuuzhan Vong and Tusken Raider, "oh my."
"They have to prove to me that they won't kill me since I am a Shamed One," Tahiri growled out. When she looked up, Face was surprise to see her eyes, while flashing with anger, were also wet with tears. "And the gods had told them that I knew … that I knew."
"Knew what?" Face asked once she stopped talking and didn't seem to want to go on.
"That she knew of the purges that took place after the defeat at Yuuzhan'tar," Squeaky said.
"They killed them sir, not in sacrifice but in cold blood! Everyone of them they found, millions of them were wiped out!"
"Killed who?"
"The Shamed ones sir, the officer on that qahsa was talking about the purge of millions of shamed ones."