Chapter 3- Coruscant
"Your mother took a blaster wound to the chest." Han Solo looked weary, he had been by Leia's side day and night. "They gave her medicine to speed the recovery, but it makes her drowsy."
Jacen sat beside his mother's bed, Tenel Ka stood behind him. Luke and Mara stood on the other side of them bed, with Han. Jacen asked his father, "Who did it?"
"That's the worst part. It was two of your mother's own guards. Last night, we were leaving to go to dinner, and they were standing by the doors of our rooms. One of them called her name, and she turned around. He just shot her with his blaster." Han looked genuinely scared, an emotion few in the room had seen before. "We can't trust any of the guards now."
"It's a scary thing, to lose trust in your protectors." Luke said thoughtfully. "Where is the guard who fired the shot?"
"Behind bars, for the time being." Han said.
"He should be interrogated." Tenel Ka had much experience in situations such as this. On Hapes, constant attempts on the Queen's life were made.
"We were waiting for the Force-sensitive to arrive." An official looking man stepped into the room, wearing a high-ranking New Republic Intelligence uniform. "I am General Niron of the NRI. Now that you are here, shall we begin?"
*******
Niron led them through the palace, down into the lower levels, and held the interrogation in a small conference sized room. Luke, Mara and Tenel Ka questioned the man while Jacen sat with a notepad and pen. He tended to avoid direct confrontation when possible; his mind worked in a way the others' did not. He could analyze the way the person's mind worked, and could use the Force to detect truth or lies.
"Well, that man is clearly unstable, and easily manipulated." Jacen and the other Jedi sat in the medical wing, chatting over cups of caf. Leia was still in her deep sleep, and had gone into a healing trance with the help of her brother.
"True. He did mention something about 'the big office building close by'. I think that's our biggest clue." Mara said.
"That must be that huge office building next to the Senate building. It's easily the biggest one in the area," Luke added.
"We should send people in, undercover, and see what they can dig up." Mara's favorite missions were the sneaky ones.
"Who, then?"
Jacen and Tenel Ka had been silent for the last few minutes; they had pondering looks on their faces. Mara looked pointedly at them.
"Us? No, really we can't." Jacen looked at Tenel Ka, baffled.
"You worked for the NRI, they must have taught you something." The group could almost see the gears ticking in Mara's head. "And you," She pointed at Tenel Ka, "can be easily taught."
"I've never done anything of the sort.I-" She shook her head slightly.
"We'll get you secretarial jobs in the building, fake IDs, costumes."
**********
Jacen waited anxiously outside Mara and Luke's room. Mara had been with Tenel Ka for almost two hours, teaching her how to be a "ditzy secretary". Jacen seriously doubted that it would work.
"Aunt Mara, how is it coming?" Jacen was surprised when the door whished open. Mara was standing there, hands clasped behind her back.
"Very well, thanks." She called behind her, into the apartment. "You done?"
A blonde woman emerged from the apartment, wearing a light gray business suit. She had blue eyes and strawberry blonde hair, with a slightly flirtatious look on her face. Jacen felt Tenel Ka in this woman, and had to reassure himself that it really was her. He walked up to her and took her hands in his. He then realized what he just did and dropped them, jumping back to the wall.
"Ah! But.how.it looks so." Jacen floundered for words, waving his hands around.
"It's good to have friends in high places." Mara said. "They made the arm quickly with schematics sent from Hapes of the one they made years ago."
Tenel Ka looked wary. "It is strange.I have adjusted to only having one hand." She flexed the fingers and moved the hand around. "Having two hands will help avoid suspicion though."
"It's amazing." Jacen took her new left hand and held it in his. "Can you feel this?" He traced a finger around her palm.
"Yes," She pulled her hand away. "But I will only wear it for this mission." She said more quietly, "I know it hurts to see how things could have been, but they aren't. It still isn't your fault." She reached out for his hand again, this time with her real hand, and gave it a squeeze.
"Ahem." Mara interjected, "Ask her some questions." "Okay, What is your name?"
Tenel Ka slipped back into the mode of acting out another person. "Liana Dajal"
"I see, Liana. And where are you from?"
"Hapes." Liana smiled prettily, something Tenel Ka would never do under normal circumstances.
Jacen laughed. "How'd you get her to smile like that?"
Tenel Ka reached over and slugged him in the arm, reminding him that it was still her. "It is for the good of the mission," She said through a forced smile and clenched teeth.
"I see," Jacen rubbed his arm. "So, Liana of Hapes. Where on Hapes are you from?"
"A small town outside the capitol city. It's very nice."
"Hmm.has anyone told you that you bear a striking resemblance to the Princess of that world?"
Liana smiled again. "Really, how flattering!"
Jacen looked at Mara. "You taught her to say that one, right?"
Mara nodded. "I think she's doing remarkably. Now it's your turn."
"Uh oh."
******
Two days later, Mara walked with Tenel Ka and Jacen to the bus stop where they would board a hoverbus and be shuttled off to work with the rest of Coruscant. Tenel Ka wore her gray skirt and jacket, and her hair was still more blonde than red, and she swung her new arm expertly at her side. Jacen had blue contact lenses and had dyed his hair a few shades darker. Since he was such a public figure, Mara had added a little make-up putty used mainly for actors, to enhance his nose and chin.
"Remember," Mara said in a low voice, appearing to only be making casual conversation with the two, "It will be less suspicious for you two to be sneaking around if you start a little 'office romance.'"
Jacen and Tenel Ka glanced at each other quickly, then turned their attention quickly back to the crowd of people getting on the bus.
Mara smirked, "That might not be much of a stretch, now will it?"
Tenel Ka got a seat near the back, Jacen near the front, and they waved to Mara as the bus took off, full of busybody commuters. Tenel Ka projected a thought through the Force to Jacen, This will be an interesting day indeed.
"Your mother took a blaster wound to the chest." Han Solo looked weary, he had been by Leia's side day and night. "They gave her medicine to speed the recovery, but it makes her drowsy."
Jacen sat beside his mother's bed, Tenel Ka stood behind him. Luke and Mara stood on the other side of them bed, with Han. Jacen asked his father, "Who did it?"
"That's the worst part. It was two of your mother's own guards. Last night, we were leaving to go to dinner, and they were standing by the doors of our rooms. One of them called her name, and she turned around. He just shot her with his blaster." Han looked genuinely scared, an emotion few in the room had seen before. "We can't trust any of the guards now."
"It's a scary thing, to lose trust in your protectors." Luke said thoughtfully. "Where is the guard who fired the shot?"
"Behind bars, for the time being." Han said.
"He should be interrogated." Tenel Ka had much experience in situations such as this. On Hapes, constant attempts on the Queen's life were made.
"We were waiting for the Force-sensitive to arrive." An official looking man stepped into the room, wearing a high-ranking New Republic Intelligence uniform. "I am General Niron of the NRI. Now that you are here, shall we begin?"
*******
Niron led them through the palace, down into the lower levels, and held the interrogation in a small conference sized room. Luke, Mara and Tenel Ka questioned the man while Jacen sat with a notepad and pen. He tended to avoid direct confrontation when possible; his mind worked in a way the others' did not. He could analyze the way the person's mind worked, and could use the Force to detect truth or lies.
"Well, that man is clearly unstable, and easily manipulated." Jacen and the other Jedi sat in the medical wing, chatting over cups of caf. Leia was still in her deep sleep, and had gone into a healing trance with the help of her brother.
"True. He did mention something about 'the big office building close by'. I think that's our biggest clue." Mara said.
"That must be that huge office building next to the Senate building. It's easily the biggest one in the area," Luke added.
"We should send people in, undercover, and see what they can dig up." Mara's favorite missions were the sneaky ones.
"Who, then?"
Jacen and Tenel Ka had been silent for the last few minutes; they had pondering looks on their faces. Mara looked pointedly at them.
"Us? No, really we can't." Jacen looked at Tenel Ka, baffled.
"You worked for the NRI, they must have taught you something." The group could almost see the gears ticking in Mara's head. "And you," She pointed at Tenel Ka, "can be easily taught."
"I've never done anything of the sort.I-" She shook her head slightly.
"We'll get you secretarial jobs in the building, fake IDs, costumes."
**********
Jacen waited anxiously outside Mara and Luke's room. Mara had been with Tenel Ka for almost two hours, teaching her how to be a "ditzy secretary". Jacen seriously doubted that it would work.
"Aunt Mara, how is it coming?" Jacen was surprised when the door whished open. Mara was standing there, hands clasped behind her back.
"Very well, thanks." She called behind her, into the apartment. "You done?"
A blonde woman emerged from the apartment, wearing a light gray business suit. She had blue eyes and strawberry blonde hair, with a slightly flirtatious look on her face. Jacen felt Tenel Ka in this woman, and had to reassure himself that it really was her. He walked up to her and took her hands in his. He then realized what he just did and dropped them, jumping back to the wall.
"Ah! But.how.it looks so." Jacen floundered for words, waving his hands around.
"It's good to have friends in high places." Mara said. "They made the arm quickly with schematics sent from Hapes of the one they made years ago."
Tenel Ka looked wary. "It is strange.I have adjusted to only having one hand." She flexed the fingers and moved the hand around. "Having two hands will help avoid suspicion though."
"It's amazing." Jacen took her new left hand and held it in his. "Can you feel this?" He traced a finger around her palm.
"Yes," She pulled her hand away. "But I will only wear it for this mission." She said more quietly, "I know it hurts to see how things could have been, but they aren't. It still isn't your fault." She reached out for his hand again, this time with her real hand, and gave it a squeeze.
"Ahem." Mara interjected, "Ask her some questions." "Okay, What is your name?"
Tenel Ka slipped back into the mode of acting out another person. "Liana Dajal"
"I see, Liana. And where are you from?"
"Hapes." Liana smiled prettily, something Tenel Ka would never do under normal circumstances.
Jacen laughed. "How'd you get her to smile like that?"
Tenel Ka reached over and slugged him in the arm, reminding him that it was still her. "It is for the good of the mission," She said through a forced smile and clenched teeth.
"I see," Jacen rubbed his arm. "So, Liana of Hapes. Where on Hapes are you from?"
"A small town outside the capitol city. It's very nice."
"Hmm.has anyone told you that you bear a striking resemblance to the Princess of that world?"
Liana smiled again. "Really, how flattering!"
Jacen looked at Mara. "You taught her to say that one, right?"
Mara nodded. "I think she's doing remarkably. Now it's your turn."
"Uh oh."
******
Two days later, Mara walked with Tenel Ka and Jacen to the bus stop where they would board a hoverbus and be shuttled off to work with the rest of Coruscant. Tenel Ka wore her gray skirt and jacket, and her hair was still more blonde than red, and she swung her new arm expertly at her side. Jacen had blue contact lenses and had dyed his hair a few shades darker. Since he was such a public figure, Mara had added a little make-up putty used mainly for actors, to enhance his nose and chin.
"Remember," Mara said in a low voice, appearing to only be making casual conversation with the two, "It will be less suspicious for you two to be sneaking around if you start a little 'office romance.'"
Jacen and Tenel Ka glanced at each other quickly, then turned their attention quickly back to the crowd of people getting on the bus.
Mara smirked, "That might not be much of a stretch, now will it?"
Tenel Ka got a seat near the back, Jacen near the front, and they waved to Mara as the bus took off, full of busybody commuters. Tenel Ka projected a thought through the Force to Jacen, This will be an interesting day indeed.