"And, then in this final stage, the baradium we have received from mining companies all over the planet is sorted and inserted into the various demolition-type items that we offer, from thermal detonators to plasma mines." Turk's voice was dangerously close to putting her into a Jedi trance.
She exchanged a quick look of excruciating boredom with Bastila.
"Mr. Turk, might I ask what types of weapons your plant produces?" He chuckled again, something he had done after each and every one of their occasional questions.
"You may ask whomever you like in the next stop on our tour, which will be our research department. They will be able to recite in numerous detail the hundreds of available weapons in our arsenal, if you'll excuse the term."
They followed him down the walkways, Katrina trying to control a slight feeling of vertigo over the abyss of machinery and rock beneath her feet.
The 'research department' was little more than another room with computer terminals and large windows overlooking flat scarlet plains.
"Researcher Lorr?" A green-skinned Twi'lek bent over a datapad and a terminal barely glanced over his shoulder at them.
"You haven't brought more tourists for me to entertain, have you Turk? I'm really quite busy," he snapped in his native tongue.
"Ah, no no Lorr, these ladies are quite different from tourists," Turk said quickly, smiling apologetically at them. "They're investors."
Lorr whirled around, his lips pulled back revealing a hungry sharp-toothed smile.
"Ladies," he began warmly in Basic, "allow me to welcome you to our humble research facility here at Fornia Demolitions."
Katrina had a sudden urge to reply in Twi'lek.
"We were hoping you could tell us what kinds of weapons you produce here besides your every-day hand grenades."
Like, say, something that could be launched towards the brand new top-of- the-line ship of a Republic war hero and not be detected by either until it was too late.
She swallowed the rising lump in her throat.
"We have a few specialty items, of course, that can be prepared for an incredibly hefty commission. These purchases are, of course, reviewed in full so that we can be sure no law is intended to be broken."
"Specialty how?"
"These items are fine-tuned beyond the simple triggering pins of the other weapons," Lorr continued amicably, as if it wasn't the least out of the ordinary for a rich woman to be inquiring about the workings of hand grenades. "We can produce models that can be controlled in their launch from a separate datapad, and can even be detonated at the owner's discretion. The target would be quite impossible to miss this way."
That takes care of how it made its way to the cockpit so accurately.
"Would these items be detectable by sensors?"
"That, miss, is where the real genius of our work comes in," Lorr said excitedly. "We have begun testing of prototype models that allow the weapon to escape detection by being read as something benign. The weapon sends out false signals of elements present in it surroundings, so that any sensors or detection equipment would sense nothing out of the ordinary. These models, of course, are not available to the public, but we have had private purchases of up to eighty-thousand credits."
That takes care of avoiding Carth's keen eyes, the ship's sensors, and my Jedi senses.
"Might I have some of this information downloaded into my datapad? I'd like to review it later when deciding on an amount to fund your research." Lorr reached out for it furtively, as if it was the credits it might help her decide to give him.
"Certainly, miss. Anything for two ladies willing to help advance the field." He turned to the computer terminal for a moment, and then handed it back to her.
"Sorry to have disturbed you, Lorr." Turk called out as he moved back out towards the plant.
"Well, ladies, we're nearing the end of our little tour. Are there any additional questions you might have?"
"These new prototype demolitions: have there been a lot of special orders for them?"
"Not many, as hardly any have the credits nowadays to afford such items, but they are making a handy little profit on the side. We're predicting they will become big sellers, so long as their usage is approved by the officals on Corsucant."
"Has anyone notable purchased these items?" Turk chuckled again. Katrina was definitely sure it was about the thirty-fourth time she had heard the irritating sound.
"That information is safely tucked away in our private files." He inclined his head to a security room behind him.
"Surely you can give me a few hints?" Turk shook his head brusquely.
"After all," Bastila added, "we'd like to see who the competition might be." Turk looked somewhat more sympathetic, but still shook his head.
"I'm sorry, ladies, the files are quite off limits, even to prospective investors."
"We need to see those files," Katrina replied calmly, staring him directly in the face.
Turk eyed her strangely, as though she had just started speaking Huttese.
"I'm very sorry, miss, but the files are sealed." Either her skill at persuasion and using the Force were fading, or the people of this planet were far more strong-minded than most.
"Now, if you'll just follow me," Turk finally continued, still eying her suspiciously as he turned around. "I'll direct you to the exit."
Katrina hung back for a moment.
"We need to see those files," she hissed to Bastila.
"So you tried unsuccessfully to tell him,"the Jedireplied tersely.
"Distract him."
"And how do you suppose I do that?" Katrina smirked. Bastila's face contorted in outrage.
"He likes you, Bastila. Humor him."
"Sometimes I have my doubts about your having completely turned away from the dark side,"the Jedimuttered, moving towards Turk.
'Dark side' festered in her ears for a moment while she stubbornly told herself that Bastila had only been joking.
"Query: Shall I assist you, Master?" HK said, having stayed silent and appropriately threatening throughout their tour.
"No, follow Bastila. He's less likely to notice me missing than you." The droid lowered its blaster resolutely, as if it had finally given up on any violence occurring, and moved towards Bastila and Turk.
Katrina turned towards the sealed door.
Doubtless there were cameras watching her, but she could only hope that both the Force and luck were still on her side. Besides, any breaking in could be negated by her evidence that someone had used a weapon from this plant to attack her.
The security door wasn't cracking. Apparently the files on who purchased the weapons were far more important to protect than a storeroom of the actual weapons.
Katrina glanced around, making sure no one was watching. She pulled out her lightsaber and began the process of slicing through the locks. With a hiss of electricity and steam, the doors finally slid open.
Computer terminals were the only things in the room, along with lockers probably containing datapads and invoices. She quickly moved towards one of the terminals.
Her spikes worked better than her security skills, and she moved to find the prototype and special purchases. There were around forty names listed.
No time to deduce through all of them. Take them all, deduce later. She downloaded the names into her datapad and slipped out of the room.
Bastila and Turk stood around the corner, back near the front of the plant. Bastila's head was high, a hand on her hip and a petulant expression on her face. Turk looked utterly terrified.
"Again, madam, I apologize most heartily for my untoward behavior. I have no wish to anger the wife of a Mandalorian. Your husband Canderous certainly doesn't need to know of a man's honest mistake, does he?"
Katrina stifled another laugh as she silently moved behind him. Turk glanced back at her.
"And you, miss, you certainly will vouch for me? Just a simple misunderstanding, correct?" Katrina nodded.
"I suppose we can make allowances for a misunderstanding, can't we, Bastila?" The Jedi nodded.
"So long as it doesn't happen again." Turk sighed, visibly relieved.
"Well then, I suppose all that is left is to wish you ladies a fine day and hope that you make the right decision involving our company. The exit is directly through this door. My droid will show you out." He scurried away and back into the factory as if a horde of Mandalorians stood behind them with blasters at the ready.
The droid led them back outside the building.
"Your husband Canderous?" Bastila inspected her fingers with renewed interest.
"I had to say something to stop his pathetic attempts at seduction."
"Supplementation: The meatbag was quite forward, Master," HK added.
"I'll be sure to let Canderous know how your feelings have changed." Bastila glared at her.
"I take it you succeeded in getting the purchasers of the special weapons." Katrina tossed her datapad up in the air and caught it.
"There are a lot of them. I thought we could sift through them later." Bastila nodded.
"For now, let us try again to meet with the Committee- they can perhaps provide information that will help us to narrow down the list."
They followed the path back into the city, towards the government offices again. The crowds had not died down, despite the fact that an orange colored sun was setting quickly in the distance.
Katrina inhaled deeply, glad to finally be out of the demolitions factory.
The woman behind the counter didn't look any less irritable the second time around. She glanced at Katrina and then back at the datapad, this time without any kind of acknowledgement.
"I have information on the type of weapon that was used in the attack against my ship and a possible list of suspects." The woman held her hand out, still refusing to look at Katrina.
There is no frustration, there is no anger. There is no desire to throw my datapad directly at her head.
Instead Katrina placed it in the woman's outstretched palm and waited expectantly while she skimmed it.
After a few moments, the woman put down both her datapad and Katrina's. She leaned over the counter, finally facing the two Jedi with an exasperated look in her face.
"I'm sorry, Master Jedi, but you have a list of nearly forty names here and a few schematics of prototype weapons. This is not enough to warrant a formal investigation into your claims."
There is no desire to brandish my lightsaber.
"We need information from those in charge around here to make our claims more airtight. How are we supposed to get that if you won't let us in to see them?"
"The Committee is very busy, Master Jedi. Surely you can find other ways of gathering such information."
There is no desire to use said lightsaber to chop this woman's smug head off as an example.
"Look," Katrina snapped, pounding her fists against the podium. "I will not be able to sleep knowing that there is someone who wants to kill me and I haven't gotten a bit closer to discovering who."
"Revan..." Bastila whispered.
"Now either you let me meet with this Committee or you'll..." She stopped, her momentum challenged by her morality.
A Jedi does not threaten. A Jedi does not come this dangerously close to saying 'or you'll regret it'.
Bastila's hushed whisper and her desire to say the words, to knock this woman off of her podium, conflicted and left her there with her mouth hanging open, unable to go any further.
The woman held her datapad out towards her, a triumphant smirk on her face.
Katrina snatched it away and stormed off back through the crowds. She began to pace back and forth in the middle of the street.
Carth is there. Dustil is not, I am not. Someone tried to kill him, no one is there with him, and I have supposedly left to discover who and I'm not even doing that.
"Revan..." Bastila whispered again, reaching for her arm. Katrina shrugged her off, finally stopping and putting a hand up to her forehead.
She felt Bastila trying to get in her head, trying to see what their bond used to reveal involuntarily to each other. The bond would still sometimes allow that, if the other fought desperately to see it.
"Perhaps we should return to the ship." Bastila's tone was hesitant, as if she too feared that Katrina would whirl around and shock her with lightning as well. "We can look over the names, do some research, perhaps return tomorrow when we have more information."
"Master Jedi!" Before she could reply, Katrina spotted a couple of similarly dressed young people running towards her.
"Forgive us for interrupting you, Master Jedi, but we need your help!"
Help. That was all anyone wanted. For her to stop whatever she was doing, put whatever was important to her on hold so that she might get them through their problems.
Her resentment irritated her, and her irritation made her feel ashamed.
A Jedi is not impatient. A Jedi does not long to tell all these people to help themselves, that she's very sorry but she's busy. A Jedi betters themselves by helping others.
"What is it?" It was a trio of young people, a woman and two men with flushed, excited faces.
"I'm Margot, and these are Sach and Lorado." The men nodded enthusiastically.
"We're members of the local mining union, and we're meeting with the Committee in a few minutes."
"You're luckier than us, then," Katrina replied.
"But this is our third time meeting with them," Sach added, "And I doubt it'll turn out any differently than the others."
"Why are you meeting with them, exactly?" Bastila asked, stepping closer to them.
"We're lobbying for better safety conditions for the miners in the Anellian Mining Corporation," Lorado said.
"But every time they tell us we have to take it up with the company, and the company doesn't give a damn," Margot continued.
"It's happened twice now, and we don't want any more accidents or injuries. Something has to be done, and the Committee has to see that." She looked down at the ground for a moment, as if shy to ask whatever it was she wanted.
"What do you need us for?"
"We'd really appreciate it if you could meet with them with us, Master Jedi," Margot finally said, looking up desperately. "They might take us more seriously when we have two Jedi accompanying us."
Katrina glanced back at Bastila with a sardonic smile. The Jedi gave her a lofty look as if to say she would have helped them regardless of whether they had a desperate need to meet with the Committee for their own reasons.
"Certainly. We'd be glad to help you." The trio clapped their hands together, wide grins on their faces.
"Thank you so much, Master Jedi!"
That old hypocrisy hit her again as they praised her and called her 'Master Jedi', but she shrugged it off.
I would have helped them regardless, she repeated to herself, not entirely sure she believed it.