Chapter Twenty-One
The hot mid-day sun was blazing as it streamed through the warped glass windows. A passing workman glanced in and caught a glimpse of black and red. He shook his head as he continued on down the street, heading for his work site, pitying the poor sod who was trapped in there.
The tall man hunched over the large desk sorting through the masses of datapads was oblivious to both the heat and the workman's pity. His thick brown hair was graying at the edges and divided into six parts, evidence of his hands running through it many times. He sighed and looked up, one large hand cupping his clean-shaven chin thoughtfully. His blue eyes were unfocused as he tried to understand what the Mon Calamarians had been thinking. "They weren't thinking," he muttered at last, then looked back at the datapad's glowing screen. His tanned face was unnaturally wrinkled as he read the report. He and his wife had been attempting to discuss this the night before but she was too worried about their eldest daughter to sufficiently concentrate. He loved his wife dearly but he also realized that she was a mother hen and was probably making Jo's sudden disappearances out to be a lot worse then it really was. She always came home within several hours.
With a sigh, he stood up and stretched, his joints snapping and cracking as he moved them for the first time in hours. Brushing imagined lint off of his clothes, he walked over to the wall and twisted his crimson robe around a tad unconsciously as he pulled out a datapad from the bookshelf. His garments were reminiscent of the Alderaanian style favored by his cousin, Mon Mothma. He smiled gently as he recalled their last holo conversation - she looked like hell. His smile disappeared as he remembered that it had been the last conversation he'd ever have with her.
The Senator Organa-Solo had killed her. Iedor Joran turned and hurled the datapad against the far wall, feeling no relief when it sparked, smoked, and bent nearly in half.
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Jo groaned as freezing coldness invaded her warm cocoon of darkness and stars. Chilling water slid down her face and gathered in the high neck of her jump suit. Some ran in little trails into her hair, and one particularly icy stream raced down her spine. She groaned again. "I'm up… Up…"
A sudden wave of iciness smashed over her face and torso. "Aaaaai!" Her honey-brown eyes flashed open with frightening awareness, her damp brown curls clinging to her skull, her salmon-colored lips parted in shock and her jumpsuit almost black with water.
"Okay, she's awake now," a grumpy voice said from somewhere above her head.
"I think we might have used to much water," an amused one commented.
"I hope that brat appreciates everything we're doing for her," the first one groused.
A smack, echoed by a yelp of pain rang out. "Why won't you simply behave?"
"Because that'd be no fun."
"Men."
"Girls."
"How juvenile."
"Stop - talking." Jo demanded, one hand cradling the side of her face as she closed her eyes in pain.
A gasp of mock-shock rang out. "Emperor's black bones, she lives!"
"Of course she lives, you dolt. Now help me get her inside."
"As you wish, O Queen of the Galaxy."
"And shut up!"
"Whatever you say, Most Brave Warrior-Maiden."
"I mean it Booster!"
"Hey, listen. You're the one who gave me the Most Holy Chocolate!"
"Only the Force knows how much I regret that now!"
"Are you saying that you don't appreciate me??"
"Only when you're on Chocolate!"
"So now is not the time to tell you that the only profitable thing I've done today is buy a chocolate factory?"
"You didn't…"
"I did!! It can make three square miles of chocolate, a foot deep per day! It's net worth was almost seventy thousand credits but I managed to get it at the bargain price of four thousand."
A stunned silence fell for a few moments.
"You're kidding. What'd you do, drug him within an inch of his life? Threaten to kill his family? Kill him outright?"
"As if I'd do anything so ostentatious." Booster fairly sniffed. "Hardly. I spoke in Ghi, but I think he thought I was speaking Squib." He shrugged. "It's not my fault if he didn't know the smuggler language. I think I need a refresher course on Ghi though; I made four grammatical errors in under half a minute."
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Tanyr raked his hands through his hair angrily. "You're kidding me."
"Why would I do that, sir?" Zylar asked.
He sighed. "Never mind. Are you sure that's what she meant?"
"Positive, sir."
"And about the Katana fleet?"
"I believe she requested that we make it 'unavailable for other traffickers at any cost'."
"Right." He stood to his feet and tugged at the bottom of his shirt to straighten the wrinkles out. "Get me the first officer."
"Right away, sir." Zylar slipped out of his quarters quietly and Tanyr let his head fall to his chest.
"Why didn't I just tell her now?" he sighed softly. I need to tell her…
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Zylar slipped around the corner and shook her head, her (topknot) swaying gently from side to side. "He didn't tell me."
"See? I warned you, Falleen. I warned you."
"I heard you!" Zylar's eyes flashed dangerously and the man took a step back, hands raised.
"Whoa, calm down dame."
A knife flashed dully in the light and his face turned pasty as a single drop of cold, red blood rolled down his neck from a tiny puncture made by the tip. "Treat me with respect, or I swear you won't live to regret it." Zylar's voice was hard as steel and soft as silk.
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Even as the molted stars of hyperspace faded away, Khabarakh's keen eyes pierced the darkened pane of empty space surrounding the dark, verdant planet of Endor. He growled softly when he didn't spot them at first. He quickly started up the scanners on his fast-attack ship and let loose a full blown wail when he came up empty on the search that looked exclusively for the Millennium Falcon.
The Lady Vader is not here… She is gone… She has deceived me… The grey spear-head shape of an Imperial Star Destroyer slid around the edge of the planet and the Noghri's eyes grew wide with distress. "She has betrayed me."
With a high pitched whine, he pulled his ship around and tried to escape the certain death that awaited him there.
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Laedala slid her hand up the glass wall that kept her from her daughter, her red eyes glowing stronger then ever as her thoughts whirled in her mind. Her breath caught as Jaina opened her eyes. The dark chocolate color was poignant and filled with pain and fear. Pain and fear that lanced straight to the core of her confused heart. "Jaina Solo…" she whispered silkily, her eyes narrowing as she fought to regain her mind. Evil, red, and darkness battled for supremacy inside and she fought back with everything she had. Laedala struggled with Leia. Evil and Goodness; Red and White; Darkness and Light. Only one could win.
Laedala forced Leia back.
Evil corrupted goodness.
Red bled into white.
Darkness flooded the light.
One tiny flame survived.
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Kyp crawled out of the room and continued scuttling along the ceiling. "Damn droids… be the death of me…"
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R2-D2 rolled into the Palace. Jade had abandoned him along with Master Luke's X-wing. He rather hoped Master Luke wouldn't be too deeply upset that he had sliced into the New Republic's database and arranged for his ship to be serviced. Artoo knew that Master Luke had forbidden it. He tootled sadly as he lifted his scanner and began to search systematically for Mistress Leia. She would want to know what had happened to her brother. Maybe after his meeting with her, he could look up C-3PO. Threepio would be able to tell him what was wrong with the humans, and why Master Luke couldn't have simply been jump-started.
Artoo bleeped mournfully. They had left Master Luke laying on the ground. Mara Jade had said he was "dead", but Threepio had been torn to pieces once before, and Chewbacca had put him back together. If his memory card was correct, according to Master Han, Chewbacca hadn't wanted to and had claimed that he "liked Golden-Rod the way he was" but Mistress Leia had insisted. Artoo really hoped that Threepio would be able to help…
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The Black Fighter's face was drawn and tight, her odd eyes worried. "And you're certain of this."
"More certain then anything, my Lady."
"Blast. This will increase the difficulty of it all. Blast."
"Is--is there anything you'd like me to do?"
Black Fighter raised her head, her pupils dwarfing her irises and making her eyes look almost as black as she felt. The dull light of the dataport screen on her left gleamed off of her golden hair that fell in masses down her back. Her long-fingered hands were pale with gently curved nails, cropped short due to the massive amounts of time she spent at her computer. Her nose was sprinkled with a smattering of freckles that stood out against her pale skin, and spread into her cheeks but melted into the gentle rosy color that was stretched across her high cheek-bones. Her light red lips curved into a smile, her white teeth flashing as she ducked her head again. "I thank you, Red Flare, but I'm afraid that it is something the Numbers must deal with on their own."
The shifter's eyes flew wide open, then he choked out in a strangled tone, "You're planning on bringing this up with the Numbers?"
Black Fighter gave a mirthless laugh older than her years. "What is there that they do not already know? Yes my friend, I plan on bringing a plan to counter Leia Organa Solo before the Numbers. The next gathering is in two months(') time. I only hope I can come up with something worth of consideration by that time."
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Eire lay curled up, completely asleep beside the groaning form of Alianè. Both girls were on top of a large platform while Shada kept watch over them. The hyper-active Booster had been sent off to find Alianè's parents - whoever they were. Shada was half-asleep and not fighting her drowsiness. Eire cried out wildly, her hands bracing the back of her head as though she expected an ax to fall. Shada jerked, startled back to full awareness. Cursing herself, she reached for a small, clear cylinder about three quarters filled with the dark red stim pills and pulled the stopper out, pouring two into her open palm. Capping it again, she put it back into its small slot on her utility belt and pulled the circular, flat jug containing concentrated stim tea. Tossing the pills into her mouth, she swiftly unscrewed the top of her tea and swallowed the pills and a mouthful of the bitter liquid. "Ahhh…" Her green eyes had cleared amazingly and she felt as fresh as ever. Some small part of her wondered why she hadn't done so before, and then it recalled that she hadn't thought of it earlier and her conscience was appeased. Shada rubbed one hand against Eire's boney back rhythmically, hoping that somehow the tiny girl would be alright. One thing was for sure, she needed to wash - rather badly.
Her hair was a medium brown, but it was the type of brown that came from long periods of mistreatment and not belonging to either DNA or coloring. It was also matted beyond belief and hung to almost her waist. Her skin was fairly translucent and streaked with many unidentifiable substances that Shada didn't really want to know about. Her tiny feet were bare and callused, like she had never worn a pair of shoes. Her scrawny legs were scratched and covered in scabs and old scars. On her left arm, an odd birthmark stood out. It was sepia in color and shaped like a sprig of flowers - heather, Shada's mind instructed. It's heather. - with curling leaves, tiny bunches of flowers, all attached to a larger stem that was thick and then faded away into her normal skin color. "Eire Karrde, little girl with heather on her arm…" Shada muttered to herself thoughtfully.
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Booster sauntered down the narrow streets, humming a tuneless melody to himself. "Little girls, little girls, everywhere I look there's little girls." He sighed. "Just my luck…" the strangely depressed man looked at the empty chocolate pouch with "Worship Chocolate" written on one side and "Then Give Me Chocolate - Or Else" on the other. Empty. This was the source of his problems. He had eaten it all and now he was suffering from withdrawal symptoms.
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Cait'ar's eyes opened wide, and then the large machine to her left monitoring her heart gave yet another quiet, rather long bleep. One of the many doctors' turned to look at her and then froze in horror. The narrow zigzagging vertical lines had gone horizontal. Her heart had not beat in over a minute and a half.
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Dankin carefully filled the darts with the tranquilizer he had been given, then slid the darts into the empty clip. The 44-91LLR was a prototype blaster, and he'd never dealt with one before. It seemed fairly straightforward. Darts go into the clip, clip slides into the butt of the blaster, pull back a lever mounted on the top of the barrel, aim the blaster, pull the trigger, end. He only hoped that it would prove to be as straightforward as the manual had said. He swallowed with some difficulty; practically every other word in the manual had been some variation of the word "maybe". Needless to say, it did not inspire great confidence.
He slid the clip into the dark opening and snapped the restraints in place. Here goes nothing…
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Rosie felt helpless - something the seven-year-old wasn't used to. Oh sure, she had the usual problems of not being tall enough to reach the cookie jar without help and sometimes locked herself into places she really wasn't authorized to be in(move comma to here) but it hadn't felt like this. It had been about herself then - now it was about her friend. Her first friend at that.
Oh, Carson…Rosie's lower lip was in a permanent pout and showed no sign of moving as she accidentally accessed the bond.
A hesitant sniff came over the bond and Rosie jerked, having forgotten about it. R-r-rosie?
Hey lil' one.//
I, I got Ju-J-ustin k-k-k-killed…Carson wailed again, banging her head against the wall on accident.
Rosie closed her eyes, Carson was hysterical. Hysterical. How'd you treat hysterical people? Slap 'em? Nah, can…. WATER!! Without another word or thought, Rosie darted off to the fresher, thanking her lucky stars that her dad qualified for real water rather then sonic…
It was supposed to be ice cold water, right? Rosie grinned fiendishly. Friendship non-withstanding, this'd be fun.
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Djai cursed himself without mercy as he realized he'd screwed up. He hadn't sent Zekk the Vision that the kid needed. He had sent him a nightmare that he wouldn't remember. A nightmare that would stay with him forever. But what was that blonde doing in it, and where had that little girl come from?...
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Oh I say, look at this… We've found our way back here!
My, what a stroke of luck!
I do so hope that he hasn't done anything rash while we were gone.
As do I… Oh, hang on, where are the others?
Dunno, it doesn't look like they've come along! Why the sorry chaps!!
So it's just the three of us?
Aye, and Djai over there.
Oh, him. Mister Obsessive.
Watch your tongue!!
But I haven't got one!!
Figuratively!!
Well, I still don't got one.
Something that we continually thank the good Lord.
Well, here's to you too!
Djai groaned… Terrific… More voices in the rock… As if it weren't small enough as it is… Well, at least there's not twelve like last time… There had better not be any blondes in this batch.
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Mara lifted the sleeping form of her apprentice from the cold roof and began to take him inside. Yes, apprentice. She sighed. If nothing else the Force was a powerful motivator, very powerful.
Having someone else depend on her when she didn't really even know if she'd be alive second to second? Tall order. But she was up for it. After all, she had a blaster and it was just one kid. How hard could it be?...
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So now Mara is going to be training Zekk… How… Interesting. faceevil