Post 3
En Route to Yavin Four
Jacen breathed a sigh of relief as the Rock Dragon entered hyperspace. The young Jedi knights had begun their journey to Kuar upon learning that he was last known to be traveling there for a secret meeting. The search had been harrowing--for many reasons. There had been some minor advances in their search for Bornan Thul--a message warning of danger--and one major setback: Tyko Thul, Raynar's uncle, had been kidnapped by IG-88. The fight with the bounty hunter had scared him--they had almost not all gotten out alive. Even after defending the Jedi Academy from the Shadow Academy, Jacen still worried about his abilities. He had been able to save Tenal Ka this time but being there when it counted, when he was needed, frightened him. What if he slipped…He looked up and caught Jaina's eye and smiled warily. Their twin bond allowed them to share each other's feelings--she sensed his nervousness and sent him some reassurance.
Jaina shielded her emotions for a moment and tried to concentrate on breathing. She glanced at the display and made a slight adjustment to the internal compensator. Beside her Lowie growled softly, and Jaina shrugged, "I thought I'd make it more comfortable." There was something nagging her, the fabric left by Raynar's father warned of mortal danger for all humans, which was something that she could not logically wrap her head around. What could threaten an entire species? She wondered how Zekk's search for Bornan was working out; hopefully he would find him before anyone else did. She glanced at Lowie in the co-pilot's seat. Then there was Raaba. Her reaction to Tyko's ill-advised insult to the leader of the Diversity Alliance had stuck in Jaina's mind; it was strange to sense the aversion to human company that emanated from Raaba's force sense. Something was going on there, but she couldn't quite figure it out.
Lowie shrugged as Jaina adjusted the compensator, but his mind was elsewhere. Part of him was ecstatic that Raaba was alive, but after their conversation the night before he was hurt and confused.
Humans can't be trusted, deception comes in many forms.
Her excuse for faking her death, bothered him too--what was it about the Diversity Alliance that caused his fur to ruffle in disgust? Why could Raaba not see that this was a path very similar to what was carved out by Palpatine before they were born?
Fiery enthusiasm
Single-minded purpose in pursuit of her goals.
Teaches about the atrocities committed by humans against all aliens.
Those were qualities, and arguments that set the Diversity Alliance separate from other advocate groups Lowie had learned about. By focusing on the atrocities, Nolaa Tarkona refused to see the humans that were not involved. Her enthusiasm and single-mindedness spoke to Lowie's heart as a sort of fanaticism. He growled low to excuse himself, seeking something to drink, and moved aside as Tenal Ka made her way into the cockpit.
Tenal Ka nodded briskly to Lowie as he moved passed her, she could sense his feelings of confusion regarding someone he once considered a friend, and quickly shielded herself so that he would not be self-conscious in his thoughts. Sitting next to Jacen, she pulled her crash webbing around her. Taught while growing up to look at the bigger picture, she had tried to piece together the events of the last few days. Tyko's kidnapping had unbalanced her; it seemed out of place, almost surreal. The asteroids falling from the sky seemed reminiscent of some portent, and how had all those battle droids known to come to Kuar--had they been tracked? She looked at her chrono, maybe with some rest they could figure what exactly was going on.
~~~
Coruscant--NRI Demonstration Room 4
Wedge glanced at Gavin Darklighter and grimaced. For the past thirty minutes the forty or so odd Intelligence fighters and pilots had watched Leia, Corran and Mara spar--without the Force. Dripping with sweat, the three of them had fought quickly with Leia and Corran fighting Mara in a beautiful unchoreographed dual which had ended first with Corran and then Leia submitting to Mara's almost lethal flashes. Now Talon Karrde and his companion left the room with the nutrient frames and he was sure that there had been a remarkable glint in the Chief of State's eyes as the Force returned to room.
What they had seen before was no comparison to the furious fighting occurring now. In a blink of an eye Mara had flipped over both Leia and Corran and stepped to the side to allow the Alderaanian to dual with the Corellian. Silver sparked against green and moved faster then Wedge's eyes could keep up with. He turned at a tap on his side, and blinked at seeing Mara suddenly at his side.
Keeping her voice low as to not draw anyone else's attention away, she whispered "Wedge, could I borrow your blaster?"
She's not even breathing heavily. Only his curiosity at seeing what was going to happen prevented Wedge from refusing her. He watched her set the blaster to stun and let out a yelp as she walked into the separated portion of the demonstration room and pointed the blaster towards Corran. It reached him a heartbeat after Leia leapt out of the way of the incoming beams.
What the…Wedge watched in wonder as Corran closed down and dropped his blade, and then caught the energy bolts with the palm of his hand. Beside him Gavin and Face wiped their eyes in wonder, as the blue beams dissipated letting in a brief smell of charred air before the ventilators kicked in. Mara's voice came on over the rush of clean air…
"Each Jedi has their own talents, some like Corran can deflect electrical energy, while others can lift large objects without a second thought. The difference between a Jedi and a dark-side user is their usage of the Force for cruelty, without conscience. I've put together some techniques for combating a Force-user, and if anyone's game, I'm sure we'll be happy to help you practice."
Wedge let out a breath he hadn't known he had been holding. This was going to be an interesting afternoon.
~~
Kath II
Amira Wason ran down the corridor, not daring to look back at her pursuers. A human female of moderate build she was the local Intelligence liaison for the NRI posing as the deputy assistant to the NR representatives from Kath II. That is she had been until the week before when the newly elected representatives, and members of the Diversity Alliance, had asked her to leave demanding that her replacement be non-human. Puzzled she had cleared out her office, leaving only her Landa Frond on the windowsill. The frond was a micro-recorder, one that was modeled after the Delta Source recorders that had been found in the Grand Corridor years earlier. From the recorder she had been able to listen to her replacement discuss arrangements for a transfer of funds to the Diversity Alliance.
Amira had sent this information to the higher-ups, and then had gone to retrieve the pulse-transmitter which was mounted a few floors above her former office, knowing that if a slicer was able to determine the encrypt code, she would be caught. Unfortunately, the Wookiee and Twilek entering the office after her appeared to be searching for the same thing and had decided that killing her was the only solution, so she ran…bringing her to a corridor with a locked door at the end.
Her solution was quick and easy, there was something going on here and rather then allow herself to be killed and buried in an unmarked grave, she clicked open her comlink and entered the commcode for her partner P-tah
"P-tah here"
"Sometimes the sun goes supernova--"
"Mistress Amira, no--" but it was too late. Amira dropped the comm on the floor smashing open the glasteel vial inserted next to the battery. In one smooth motion she grabbed the hyperisite inside and slipped it under her tongue smiling as the burly Twilek lifted his blaster. She felt a sense of satisfaction in knowing that the pill would mimic a heart attack, and having sent the proper code to her droid friend P-tah, the NRI would know to keep an eye out for her disappearance. There was a slight pressure against her chest, then darkness…
~~~~~~~~~~~
Coruscant
Luke played with Mara's fingers as they watched the transport Bakuran Sun II settle into its dock. He had not seen Malinza since before his wedding to Mara; he had sent an invitation, but at the time her Aunt Laera had not been able to make the trip.
He felt a small tug on his heart as the girl grew nearer, the little girl he had first met during the Corellian Crisis had grown into a young girl about ten years of age, with hair as dark as her fathers has been…but…
Luke, her eyes are like her mothers.
Looking closer he noticed that the eyes that had been dark brown when he had first met Malinza had cleared to become distinctly like Gaeriel Captsion's. One green, one gray they made the dual impression of wariness and intensity.
Malinza's chaperone nodded a greeting. "Master Skywalker, Master Jade Skywalker My name is Linsi--a friend of the family--I'm studying at Coruscant University for the first term, and agreed to accompany Malinza. There was some last minute trouble, and Laera was unable to accompany Malinza at this time, she said that she will arrive later this week to accompany her home. "
Mara nodded graciously, "Thank you Linsi, is there anywhere we can drop you off? "
The girl shook her head, "I have friends waiting for me," she dropped on her knee to Malinza and whispered softly, "Remember what your aunt said, behave yourself." The little girl nodded solemnly and then turned to Luke.
Awkwardly biting her lip, she turned her attention to the couple in front of her. "Hello Uncle Luke" she hesitated and looked at Mara. "Hello…"
Mara smiled tentatively, "Hello Malinza, my name is Mara--I'm your uncle Luke's wife."
Malinza let out a short nod, "I know, I saw the wedding on the holonet--your dress was beautiful, I'm sorry I couldn't come."
She talks just like her mother too, already the diplomat. Luke smiled, and offered his other arm as they began strolling towards their speeder.
"While you're here is there anything you'd like to do?"
Malinza thought about it for a second. "Visit the galactic museum, and, " she faltered. "The senate"
Mara raised her eyebrows "I think that can be arranged, for now would you like something to eat? I know how bad the public transport food is."
Luke nodded in agreement, "almost as bad as military rations." And your cooking.
Why you think you're so smart…Mara glared at him over the girl's head just you wait until later, Farmboy.
Unaware of the conversation, Malinza nodded enthusiastically, "Definitely."
It didn't take long as the afternoon progressed for Mara to recognize Malinza as a very self-sufficient, independent child. Her age masked her maturity level, and it was clear to Mara that Malinza used it to her advantage.
After a long day, they made there way back to the apartment for a dinner of Leki stew and star fruit. The silence of their visitor made it clear to the adults that Malinza had something on her mind. So Mara and Luke left her at the dining table to give her time to think while they grabbed the plates and utensils from the kitchen. In their short married life together, Coruscant had become their second home, and with more and more research trips, the sparse interior was slowly becoming more warm and decorative. Visitors had often commented on the artwork and streamlined elegance that for the most part was due to Mara's eye for design, and Luke's farmboy simplicity. All of which was lost on the young girl sitting at the table deep in thought. With the meal served, and after a few moments of awkward silence Malinza abruptly placed her knife and fork next to her plate with a slight clink.
She raised her head to look at her uncle, his blue eyes meeting her own mismatched pair--his obvious patience widening at her intensity. "Uncle Luke, how did my mother really die?"
Luke glanced at her and said softly, "Your mother died heroically."
Malinza shook her head, "I know that--but HOW did she die? No one ever told me what happened. I know that our fleet went to help because of the interdictor shield around the Corellian system, but it doesn't say what happened."
Mara's eyes flickered to Luke's, and she answered directly. "Your mother was in the thick of a skirmish with the Saccorian Triad, during which the ship she was on became damaged irreparably. Knowing that she could either try to escape, or prevent more damage to innocents, your mother helped to detonate the ship and cause irreparable damage to the enemy fleet." She paused, and then continued more thoughtfully, "In the brief time I knew her, Malinza, your mother demonstrated herself as someone who put the life of others above her own, she was kind and ready to fight for what was right, to try to bring peace to those who could not obtain it."
Malinza nodded to herself, as if Mara's explanation had cleared some other questions, "Thank you." In the brief moment that followed Mara thought she saw an angry glint in the young girls features, but it was too quick, too unnoticeable and was quickly forgotten as the apartments holocomm and Mara's private comm both twittered at the same time.
~~~~~~~~~~
Our lives move quickly, and often the details escape us to become part of the ever-blinding light flashing by us. It is the details that provide the clues, it is the details that show how things will turn out. It is the details that have been forgotten that should have saved us.
~~~~~~~~
Valdet
Citizen Representative Cordon Nodroc frowned at the datapad in his hand. "Iker are you sure these numbers are correct? Last quarter the production values of the agricultural district in South Danshitie were 15% higher then the same time last year. How is it that the numbers are now 10% lower then the expected projected yearly output?" He looked up at his new aide, barely masking his concern.
"Sir, it appears that at some point in the last cycle a parasite has destroyed nearly 20% of the districts mid-summer crops, the laborers are resowing the field hoping to gain some additional ground before the growing term ends, but the decontamination took longer then expected." Wringing his hands in feigned nervousness Rafagr went on, " If I may sir, the second file on the datapad shows some alternate figures."
Cordon blinked with curiosity, and quickly skimmed the contents of the second file. "What are these elevated numbers based on? If I'm reading this correctly the adjusted numbers say that we will now only be 2% beyond our seasonal output rather then the yearly. Who put these numbers together?"
A slightly frightened look crossed Rafagr's face, as if he had been caught with his hand in the fruit basket. "Pardon, I took the liberty of adjusting the numbers if the farmers resowed not only the decontaminated fields but also the abandoned acreage in the Seridiion Wildlife Preserve."
Impressed Cordon silently evaluated the man before him. Small in stature, Iker Rafagr had come to him on the recommendation of the local section chief who had stated that he was a gentleman with a keen mind and a great interest in galactic politics. Certainly not young, Rafagr was a humanoid species with slightly chiseled features. A back injury in childhood had mutilated his posture and features', ensuring that any chance of political elevation was moot. "I'm assuming Iker, that you are aware of the bill that is attempting to destroy the preserve, correct? "
He nodded
"This just might be the way to save it, I think I want to introduce you to some people, this kind of thinking just may be what we need to beat down the bill. Could you stick around for the next hour or two? I have a meeting at 1400 that I want you to be involved in."
Successfully dampening his feelings of glee, Iker bowed his head respectfully, and calmly replied, "If I can be of any help, I will certainly stay." And so the game begins.
~~~~~
That was when we first met him, the harbinger of ruin. Elbereth and I had been positioning and fighting for protection of the Wildlife Preserve for both sentimental and practical reasons. His proposal saved the Preserve, and brought him closer into our confidence. How I wish…
Wishing cannot change what has happened.
Wishing exists in the land of innocence and hope and love… A land that no longer exists for me.
~~~~
A few weeks later.
Elbereth paused outside her husband's door and listened. Silence. Relief evident on her face, she pushed open the door and blinked in astonishment. Stifling the laughter she closed the door behind her and slapped the privacy controls.
Her husband, Tristan Romani was asleep, in a remarkably un-monarchial pose; it appeared he had barely made it to the settee before collapsing. One boot lay on the floor with the second, as if he barely had the energy to remove it, balanced precariously on the couch. She sighed, and brushed some of his dark hair out of his face.
They had won the fight for the preserve today. Tristan had worked so hard to save it, not only as the place where they had first met, but also as an agricultural haven and treasure for the people of Danshitie. He was working so hard to prove that he represented both planets equally, to be their monarch in fact as well as name. Iker had told her that the fight today had been exceptionally hard, especially with the main opposition calling for an early vote, a gamble that failed.
Iker Rafagr, what an oddity. The man lacked social graces, but had a keen interest in the galaxy at large. In the few weeks since Citizen Representative Nodroc had introduced him, he had been extremely supportive and influential with various Representatives who had been waiting on the fringes before declaring full loyalty for the legislation. Even taking the sudden death of his mentor CR Nodroc in stride Iker had become an almost forceful advocate of preserving Danshitie's legacy. And now he shall be a Citizen Representative himself, I wish him all the luck I have to give. A man of such intelligence and integrity can only bring light to our worlds. Elbereth returned her full focus on her husband, and carefully shook him awake. "Tristan, wake up. He won Tristan."
As if pulling himself out of a groggy sleep, Tristan snapped open his eyes. For a moment the dream he was having transposed itself into the living and he thought he saw a scarred shadow reaching for Elbereth from behind--before it faded away. He blinked, hoping she didn't notice and sighed in relief. "Hello, love"
Elbereth smiled softly, "He won, Iker Rafagr is now the acting Citizen Representative from the 8th Danshitie District. "
Any remnants of exhaustion disappeared away from Tristan's features when he smiled. "That's fantastic, he'll be a great addition to the legislature. Any thoughts on what his welcoming gift shall be?"
Her purple eyes glowed with mischief. "I was thinking maybe some information on the Jedi, I think that should make him happy."
Tristan let out a light laugh, "I think it will, if there is anything that man is more impassioned about, it is the Jedi Knights. A trip someday to Coruscant would do him good."
"I agree, " she paused, "I have something else to tell you. I probably should have told you it first, but …I knew I'd never remember to tell you the results."
" You're going to be a father."
Tristan felt numb. He knew he should be happy, but the moment she said those words all feeling drained out of him. Something was not right. He let out a strangled whisper. "A father--"
Elbereth looked at him with a frown, "Yes, what's wrong love?"
Her words ringing in his ears, he answered in monotone. "I can't believe it."
She felt cold, "You're supposed to be happy; a little more enthusiasm won't kill you!."
He got a hold of himself; he could deal with those thoughts later. Plastering a smile on his face, he sat up and hugged his wife. "I'm sorry, I love you, this is such wonderful news." He wove his fingers through her hair, struggling to maintain some semblance of calm. How can I ever make her understand, I don't want to fail this child too.
Elbereth masked her confusion and hugged him back, she had thought he had gotten over his fears, over his difficulties. Even though he tried to hide them, she knew and understood. She sent him silent confidence. You will not fail us, you never will.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Iker Rafagr walked the halls of the palace at night, trying to learn the layout so that he would be prepared. Today had been a productive day, something was straining the monarch's relationship, whatever it is could be useful. While he figured that out it would be interesting to learn as much as he could about his new home.
The monarchs, his friends, had given him a datacard with the known histories of the galaxy, one with a special section on Jedi. If they were to be successful, it was imperative that they understand the Jedi, it was important so therefore failure was not an option.
He rounded the corner toward his new offices. It really was shame about Citizen Representative Nodroc. He had hoped his death would have been less messy, luckily the speeder accident hid all revealing marks. Nordoc had taken the pain well, silently and respectfully----Rafagr stopped with revulsion. As he entered the tech room, an M5 droid came tottering toward him Blasphemy! And stepped to the side to let it pass.
Tristan sat hidden in the shadows of the tech room hoping to think…no one came in here anymore, so he was surprised when a lone figure stepped into the room. Sinking deeper in the shadow's he watched as Iker Rafagr stared horrified at the M5 droid that was approaching him, and almost like he was afraid of it, he backed up against the wall. Curious, Tristan watched for a few moments as Rafagr composed himself and moved towards a terminal. He's here to read the histories we gave him, I wonder why so late?
Sighing, Tristan brought himself into the light and asked quietly--"Iker is everything all right?"
At the sound of a voice, Iker turned suddenly, ready to strike--there was almost something alien in his posture. Then in an instant, as if he was becoming a different person, he stood a little taller, as tall as his disability would allow. "Your Highness, "
"Tristan, in private remember?"
"Tristan, then, I'm all right, I was merely surprised."
"You don't normally see Citizen Representatives here at night."
"I know but I required some quiet time, so that I could research the histories in peace, without the constant work staring me in the face." He hitched his head to the side, a move that seemed almost unnatural to Tristan. "Are you ok sir, its not normally that one sees the monarch with out a guard."
Tristan nodded, "Can I tell you something, my friend? Elbereth is expecting."
Iker frowned, "Expecting? Expecting what?"
Tristan smiled slightly. "A child, I am to become a father."
Iker clapped his hands, "Congratulations, but you say that as if it is a burden."
"No, no burden, a joy, but…I'm afraid."
"Afraid of what?"
"You are aware of what happened during the revolution? What you do not know is that my sister and perhaps my future brother in law died, horribly in a situation that could have been prevented had I had the courage to break tradition.
"I am afraid that since I failed my sister and Illian, I will fail again, with this child. I lost my parents in the beginning of my adulthood. How do I mold this child's character without imposing myself, my values …my faults…" Tristan trailed off…"How do I mold this child when I am afraid that I will be the cause of his or her ruin?"
"I have no experience in matters such as this, as a humble citizen, Fear and pain are a mark of a soldier, and your child will learn from your mistakes to be better, and greater." His eyes brightened as if he had an epiphany, "In fact you should transform the fear into a tool, for it is through fear and sometimes the pain of mistakes that one learns most appropriately."
Tristan frowned, Strange advice, "Thank you Iker. I'll leave you now." As he walked back to his quarters, he did not see the silent malice that emanated from Iker Rafagr. Nor did he know that he had inadvertently given his enemy the key he had been looking for.
~~~~~~~~~
My friend, HA! The details were all there, the change in posture, the shift in tone, the advice that seemed so alien instead of nurturing. I had given him my weakness, and he did not even have to work for it. Trust no longer comes easy to me. Someone had to have noticed earlier, someone had to have. I don't like to think that we were completely unprepared. But we were, the Jedi and the rest of the galaxy had more immediate problems.
~~~~~~~
Mara looked at Iella and Mirax and placed her head back on the table. She had seen Luke off the week before and had spent the morning seeing Malinza back onto the transport to Bakura. She smiled inwardly; Malinza was a year younger then Anakin, but had-like her nephew-grown up with diplomatic mothers--or rather in Malinza's case, with her legacy. She could tell that the young child of Bakura strove towards life, much like her mother, with the idea of balance in mind. She was aware that although the child had grown up with the loss of both her parents, one from disease the other as a casualty of war, she was intellegent and very aware of circumstances. Before she had gotten on the Transport she had whispered to Mara, with all the strength and confidence of a child growing up. "The cosmos balance, I may have lost my mother, but Uncle Luke and Aunt Laera have brought happiness and strength to balance that pain." Mara sighed, the unwavering idealism of children, especially her nephews and niece always surprised her.
She groaned--for a moment there she had almost forgotten her current problem. "Why did I say yes?" The three women were sitting in a upper Coruscant tapcafe-built on a balcony overlooking the Senate building. Mara lifted her head and sat up staring gloomily at the lines of traffic flowing in an orderly pattern outside her window grimacing as one wayward driver moved too close to the building.
Mirax reached over and gave her head a pat. "They're not that bad."
"In fact--" Iella tried to reassure her, "Wedge insists that they can be um…enlightening."
Mara took her head in her hands again. "Is that Intelligence speaking or Iella Wessiri Antilles?"
Mirax grinned "Translation: are we trying to make it sound better or telling the straight truth?"
"Why I can't…" Iella shook her head in mock anger.
Mara looked up and frowned. "I know the Wraiths are good people…I just..I think I'm getting soft. I'm a master of getting out of things, why couldn't I have just said no?"
A new voice made them jump. "Mara, you are not getting soft. You've just become one of Airen Cracken's latest victims."
"Wedge Antilles, explain yourself."
The former Rogue Squadron pilot slid into the seat next to his wife. "Its simple, really-he fancies himself the master manipulator."
Her eyes narrowed. " What do you mean?"
"Well you remember that mission to Adumar?"
"You mean the planet that adored pilot egos above anything else?"
"Yea; lets just say that took place during the first real extended leave that I was supposed to have after about four years."
"No regrets eh?" Mirax smirked knowing full well that Adumar was where he had first proposed to Iella.
Wedge blinked, "Of course I bear no ill will towards the General now, at the time though I'm sure I was bordering on insubordination."
"I do believe that you got the better end of the bargain." Iella reached over and tapped him lightly on the nose."
"Of course! I would never give up the opportunity to have seen Hobbie and Janson in dresses!."
His audience laughed with mirth, and even the astonished Iella cracked a smile after catching the wink of affection Wedge sent her way.
"Its going to take all of Luke's calming techniques to get through this you know. Starting with this briefing session."
"Don't worry Mara, by the end of it you'll feel really really old, " Wedge thought for a moment, "Oh and before you leave, remind me to give you some ammunition."
Mara blinked, "I'm pretty sure they'll have plenty of that."
"Oh no, the NRI will give you enough to survive the mission. I meant ammunition against the Wraiths, or did no one tell you about their reputation for practical jokes."
Mara groaned again.
~~~
The mission briefing was, thankfully brief. The Wraiths mission was to trace arms shipments through the guise of pirates. They were to make contacts--and insert themselves into the process. All intelligence gathered would be augmented by data dumps pulled by insertion teams that would drop in prior to the contact.
This was where Mara came in. Their regular insertion agent, Tyria Sarkin Tainer, who was the last known Antarian Ranger from Toprawa had recently come down with the Coruscant Flu, putting her out of commission due to regulations for at least a month. As Mara had a known history of commando operations as well as the intrusion skills needed, she was an ideal temporary replacement. Additionally, as two of the regular Wraith members were on undercover assignments elsewhere, Hobbie Klivian and Wes Janson were augmenting the missing pilots needed to put the plans into affect. Consequently, Wes had implied that he would accept the mission if Cracken would 'ask' Mara to come. Probably to torture me. So roughly a week earlier, at the end of the talk with Malinza, Mara had received a summons from Airen Cracken that said he was accepting her offer from the conference to go out into the field with the NRI.
Luke had received a comm that very same day from Tionne to report the return of the young Jedi. Once again Mara said goodbye to her husband, and now was sitting aboard the transport Narra heading toward the Halmad system. She sighed as the stars turned into starlines and prepared herself for an interesting few weeks.
End Post 03
Credit: The scene with the YJK kids is a situation where the summaries I provide are important. Information on the events at Kuar are provided in the summary. The dialogue that Lowie thinks about is from the second YJK book.