Jaina and Jag walked towards the bridge area in Danni's starship, hand in hand, to see what the emergency was. Considering that they were in the same star system as Sekot, she couldn't imagine what could be happing there that they couldn't have seen during their approach. Her imagination ranged from an all out revolt of the Vong to an invasion from the remnants of the Vong Free movement. She was not surprise, but was sadden, to discover that her anxiety level had shot back up to where it was before they started this journey. For the past week or so of peaceful and relaxing travel had been very welcome change of pace for Jaina. After dealing with the fall out from the Vong Free movement and having Jag all to herself, Jaina had let herself forget all the bad things that could be lurking out beyond the hull of this ship. Now to her surprising disappointment, she was afraid that reality was about to rub her face into some new grim way to die.

When they walked into the control room, she saw that Corran and the Imperial scientist was already there with Danni, who was seated behind some alien looking controls and a hood over her head. The hood was a Yuuzhan Vong piece of technology that allowed Danni to 'talk' directly with the ship, which was an unusual blend of mechanical and living systems, and control its flight without using steering or thruster controls. Danni had told her early in the trip that the Yuuzhan Vong, who helped designed the ship, had disagreed strongly against any non-living machine parts to be integrated to a living creature but had reluctantly agreed to do it only after Sekot intervened. Jaina had snorted out a comment about the Vong still being too twisted to be any help to the rest of the galaxy, but Danni just gave her a shrug and a smile. Danni truly believed that while they were reforming, some ideas were too engrained in them to be so easily removed in such a short amount of time and she had insisted that Jaina should not look at their resistance in the beginning but at their end product. As far as Jaina was concern that was all nice and good except for the fact they were discussing Vong and with the Vong the glass would always be half-full.

"So Danni, what's the emergency?" Jag asked letting go of Jaina's hand to stand next to the Imperial scientist while Jaina moved to stand next to Corran.

A perfect analogy to the galaxy, Jaina thought with some humor, Imperials and Chiss were on one side with the GA and Jedi on the other and they were all being surrounded by Vong life.

"Sekot wishes for us to land at an alternative site," Danni said looking up at Jag, but keeping the hood on.

"I see," Jaina said suspiciously.

"It is not what you think, Jaina," Danni said whipping her head around. Even with her hood covering her eyes, Jaina could feel Danni's hard stare at her. "Although, Sekot is not giving me any details, I am sure it has nothing to do with Yuuzhan Vong aggression. Zonama is a planet at peace."

"Then what is the reason for our detour," Jag asked.

"Sekot would not say, except that it is something that Jaina, Corran and I would have an interest in."

"I hope this detour, as the good colonel called it, won't interfere with our mission to Zonama Sekot."

"Of course not, Lt-commander Yoder," Danni answered easily, "Your inspection and reports on the converted Yuuzhan Vong has top priority to Sekot. The information you gather for your respective governments is very important to Sekot as well as to various Yuuzhan Vong leaders. After all, the decisions that are decided upon from the information will affect the galaxy for thousands of years to come."

"That is grandiose statement to make don't you think," Jaina said.

"Not at all Jaina," Danni said sounding dreamily, as if caught up in some vision, "if the gifts of Sekot are accepted by all a new age of peace and prosperity would follow. After all if all are content and happy with their lot what need is there for war." Then her voice grew heavy and mournful, "but if they reject the gifts." Danni turned back to face the control panel while slowly shaking her head, "Sekot and I both fear that by ignoring the gifts only chaos will follow. Too many will continue to suffer and grow resentful of those who were unaffected by the war. Any creature who can't feel at peace can never learn to love or forgive."

"That may be true Danni," Corran said while studying their course, "while it is true we must do something to help those who have and still do suffer from the war, we want to make sure it is the right thing to do. Sometimes doing the wrong thing could cause more damage in the long run then doing nothing." Corran then let out a soft grunt and pointed to something on the screen "That is interesting."

"What is?" Jaina asked straining to see what Corran had saw.

"We are headed to the hyper drive engines," Corran said over his shoulder to Jaina, "in fact we will be landing at the same spot where Tahiri and I crashed when we first got here."

"The same location or just the general area, Master Horn," Jag asked, Jaina could hear suspicion in his voice.

"Very close to the shelter we stayed in while waiting for someone to notice us," Corran responded. His face reveled as much as the aurora he gave off in the Force, which meant not much to Jaina.

"Interesting to Sekot as well," Danni said as she directed the craft down the well to the surface. "Sekot knew you had been in the general area but never knew exactly where."

"I would have though the Zonama Sekot was aware of everything that happens on it," Yoder said neutrally. "After all it is said to be strong in the Force."

"It is a matter of scale Lt. Commander Yoder," Danni replied easily as the ship dipped into the clouds, "could you feel and track every molecule within your body or see a virus enter you skin."

"I understand the comparison Ambassador Quee, however, none of my cells … by the Sith …" Lt. Commander Yoder said as the ship broke through the clouds.

Jaina would have made a remark about the lack of understand was fairy typical of the Empire if she had not also standing there, mouth open and a hungry stare on her face as the huge hyper drive engines had swarmed into view. She had never seen them in person and no holo in the galaxy did it justice. Like shinny mountain rising out of the ground to challenge the sky, the engines just dominated the landscape.

"Impressive," Jag said, only due to her intimate relations with Jag over the years allowed her detect the awe in his voice. "And Sekot controls the engines with its will?"

"Yes," Danni said making a gentle bank to port; Jaina could see a large transport ship as well as some kind of village south of the engines. "No one but Sekot can access the controls or the engines, only Sekot connection to the engines make it possible for the engines to fire."

"And yet Sekot could not detect a ship from it and two Jed only mere meters from it's engines."

Jaina had to stamp down her annoyance with the Imperial officer, the nerve of that woman to question Sekot.

"Of course Commander Yoder," Danni said easily and a faint smile on her lips, "with the power of IT's mind can control the engines as if it was the engines were nothing more then a prosthetic hand. A person who has lost a hand can control their new hand through the same electrical impulse that would control their original hand."

"Are you suggesting that Sekot evolved with nerve impulses that could control an organic hyper drive?"

"Of course not, Commander, but I chose that analogy to illustrate the point that many humans can control mechanical components with the power of their mind even if they can't sense each individual cell."

"I see your point," Yoder said with a thoughtful look on her face.

After making a landing so gentle that, Jaina wasn't sure that they actually had touch down; they all left the ship to be greeted by a small party of Yuuzhan Vong. Jaina didn't recognized anyone, not that she was looking very closely, so instead of listing to them jabber back and forth she opened her self to the Force and look over the landscape. The feeling of peace and contentment flowed through her as she gazed at the small settlement they were growing out here in the middle of nowhere. She was, at first, surprised that any of them would build where they could see the engines but she immediately gained a kind of understanding, with 2 billion Vong living on Zonama they may have no choice.

"Master Horn, Jedi Solo, I am afraid they found something none of us will like," Danni said turning back to her small party with a painful grief stricken look on her face and small tears running down her face.

"What's the problem, Danni?" Corran asked, his voice a mixture of concern and suspicion.

"Tekli had come to this site to assist in the growing of the village," Danni said while Jaina had a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach, "she went missing about a week ago. The Yuuzhan Vong here in the village had just assumed that she was doing some kind of Jedi ritual or something in that vain and never organized a search party to looked for her or even though that there may have been a problem. However, about two hours ago, in a small cave near here, they … they … found her."

"Found her how," Corran said in his most police sounding voice.

"She is no longer with us," Danni said sadly.

"They killed her!" Jaina said, her hand straying to her light saber. Automatically reaching out through the Force to look deeply in too the 2-dozen or more Vong standing near by. Of course, she could not sense them even within the power of Sekot.

"No," Danni said sharply, "they don't know how she was killed, just that she was."

"Are they sure she was killed and didn't die naturally," Corran said placing a hand on Jaina's arm. While Danni was asking the Vong for more information, Corran leaned down and whispered to Jaina, "Calm down Jaina. We don't have enough facts yet."

"Tekli is dead and they are Vong," Jaina hissed back, "what more facts do you need?"

"I'm not discounting that as a possibility," Corran said evenly, "but I want to know more facts before I start throwing around accusations."

"She was younger then me, it is not likely she just died of old age!"

"Granted," Corran said giving her a tight nod, "but we have to keep an open mind if we want to know what happened to her and get justice if needed. If we go in assuming too much, we could over look a clue that would let us find her murder." Jaina thought it through and reluctantly conceded to his point. "Besides, we have the bigger picture to think about. If she was killed by a rogue Yuuzhan Vong here it could torpedo the whole reason we were sent out here."

"I hadn't thought about that," Jaina said, giving her a mental kick. "Very well Master, I shall follow your lead."

"That would be a switch," Corran said turning back to the Yuuzhan Vong, "well Danni?"

"They claim that the state in which they found her body leaves them little doubt," Danni replied after a lengthy pause. "Also, the shaper which found her claims that there are no signs of any predators or scavengers had disturbed the body."

"I wish to see it for myself."

"Of course Master Horn," Danni spoke to the crowd and a young female shaper stepped out, "Hytra Hur was the one who made the discovery and can show us where it is."

"After you ladies," Corran said with a small bow. As the Vong and Danni lead the way, Jaina and Jag kept a weary eye on the other Vong who wisely refrained from following them. They walked about a half hour from the village, up a small rise toward a cave in the side of the hill. Corran kept looking around with a concern look on his face but not saying anything.

When they entered the cave, it was obvious to see what happened, Telki was hanging to the side of cave, spread eagle, and she was about a meter off the floor. The pain she had suffered before she died was still written on her face.

"How many have been up here since they found her," Corran asked as he slowly walked in the cave to examine the body.

"As far as Hytra Hur knows, she was the only one." Danni said after a lengthy discussion. The Vong said some more that Danni translated. "She also stated that when she made the discovery she didn't enter the cave. She instead went to the village to contact the main settlement so they could inform Sekot." Danni paused again and returned with, "Sekot also wishes to know if you have any ideas Master Horn."

"Too early to say, but I would appreciate if Shaper Hur would kindly wait down at the base of the hill for me," Corran said, "I might have some more questions to ask her later."

"Of course, Master Horn."

Corran looked over at Yoder, gave her a small nod towards the shaper and Danni. The Imperial, by either training or just the desire to get away from the sight, noticed the clue.

"Ambassador Quee, if you wouldn't mind assisting me in translating to Shaper Hur while Master Horn does his investigation," Yoder said straight faced. "It appears that he may be awhile and I would like to ask a few questions to our young shaper here but I don't know any Yuuzhan Vong."

Danni gave the party a suspicious glance but agreed in the end. After the three women where out of hearing range, Corran asked Jag for his opinion.

"I would need more information, such as how many people had access to the location of Zonama Sekot." Jag answered quickly.

"Officially, no one but Sekot, Danni and the Magistrate," Corran said searching the ground of the cave. "But I'm sure one person who could tell us who knew unofficially."

"Agreed," Jag said turning to Jaina with an expectant look on his face.

"What?" She asked, feeling her face flush. Jag didn't say anything verbally but his face spoke volumes as to his opinion. The one sore spot between them was her involvement in the Vong Free movement. To his way of thinking, no greater crime could an officer commit then to turn against the very oath that officer took to protect his or her people. They didn't discuss it much but when they did, it was guarantee to start a knock down drag out fight. She gave a loud sigh and told them the truth; "I don't know how many people had access to the location of Sekot. A couple hundred maybe, after all the Shadow Fleet had the coordinates programmed in it. How many people could have gained access through the fleet or the programmers, I just don't know."

"Thank you Jaina," Jag said with a hint of a smile, "it doesn't help us much. However thank you for being honest."

"True," Corran stated as he continued his search, "anyone could have sold that information. I would have to believe that the location of a thinking planet full of Yuuzhan Vong would bring in top credit. Admiral Kre'fey or anyone on top could have sold the information to pad their retirement accounts before any of the programmers got their hands on it."

"So you don't think it was the Vong," Jaina asked.

"Open your eyes young JedI," Corran said with a condescending smirk, "and see what is and not what you wish."

Jaina glared at him, she hated to be talk down to as if she was still a small child. Giving him what she hopped was a withering stare; she returned her attention to what was left of her fellow Jedi. Trying to keep her stomach under control at the grisly sight, she attempted to see what had prompted them both to ask about who had access to the location of Zonama. Nothing seemed to leap out at her, the body had numerous signs of intense and prolonged tortured, the lack of decay and insects seemed strange to her and the cuffs that she was hanging from … "Oh, the Vong wouldn't use metal shackles to pin her to the wall!"

"Yes," Corran said, "even if they had decided to use non living creatures, where would they get them from?"

"Master Horn," Jag said looking at them carefully, "these are Imperial cuffs."

"Are you sure," Corran asked walking over to him. Jaina enjoyed the look of strained patience that Jag gave him instead of directing the stare at her. Corran just snorted and corrected himself, "ok you would be sure."

"So what?" Jaina asked, "You think the Empire came all the way out here to torture poor Telki?"

"No, Jedi Solo," Jag said with a look of concentration, "just because they are Imperial made does not mean that it was Imperial agents committed this crime. If anything that state of the body would suggest to me that it was not a professional job."

"I would have to agree Jag," Corran stated looking around the cave again, "she was tortured, which is obvious to any one, but given how she appeared to be tortured tells me a lot."

"Such as?" Jaina said wondering why he was not coming straight to the point.

"By the marks on her body, which bones appear to be healing and for how long, the scaring and such, tells me that she was tortured for a long time and in the most painful manner possible." Corran said bending down to pick something up. "Also, it was not done by a professional, too sloppy, so I would guess a very motivated amateur."

"Which rules out any official Imperial or Chiss involvement," Jag said looking at Jaina, and then turned to Corran, "but it doesn't rule out Peace Brigade or the Rouges."

"True," Corran stated as he put the strange fruit in his backpack and straighten up, "or that either party has been around lately. No offense you two, but right now I wish Tahiri was here with us. She could sniff out a lie between the Yuuzhan Vong. While none of them down there are likely to have participated in the crime, they may know or seen something that they would not wish to discuss with us."

"So what do we do," Jaina asked, silently agreeing with the sentiment about Tahiri being here with them.

"I don't have the right equipment here to do a proper investigation," Corran said letting out a sigh, "so we will have to trust the Yuuzhan Vong to help us. We record the crime scene, talk to anyone in the area. In other words, we'll do it the old fashion hard way."


"Oh, let me assure you Inspector Smith that I understand completely with your position." The holographic image of General Sinclair said with a reassuring wave of his hand, "Any time Lt. Bora is concern it is always safer to get conformation then to take her at face value."

"Yes general, that has been my experience with her also," Inspector Gordon Smith, said feeling some relief. The biggest reason was cost, the call to Borleais was not cheep, even though it was a legitimate expense for him to make, and the budget office always frowned on long distance calls for any reason. The second reason he was relieved was more personal in nature. Yes, Bora was a criminal, a thief and he wouldn't trust her as far as she could throw a planet but she was a likable kid. The years he spent chasing her and arresting her was almost more like a game then a serious criminal. She never resisted arrest, she never used any violence against the people she stole from, and she knew the rules of the game and played them well. When she did get violent, which really were the only crimes they could prove in court, the mitigating factors almost made them more self-defense in nature then actual attacks against an innocent by-stander. That held true for him even when she was reported to have attempted to slay her first squadron, the reasons reported didn't fit in with the Bora he knew. Given how she broke one guy's arm for even touching her, made it hard for him to believe that she would really try to sleep her way up the ladder. "So sir, you can verified that she is on leave, has access to an X-wing and a droid identified as 'Little Brother' and the rest of the information in her paperwork?"

"Of course Inspector," the image of the general bobbing his head in agreement, "she has three month leave, has received a pardon for her crimes both in military courts and on Kidriff 5, she has access to the X-wing in case she is recalled before the end of her leave."

"I see," Smith said, even though he was not sure if he did. When he did a search for what unit she had been attached to the only answer he got was to contact General Sinclair. At the time he couldn't believe a general of the most important military base in the galaxy would know or even heard of Bora but every other office he had contacted keep sending him in that direction. "So she is attached to your office then on Borleais?"

"Bora is not officially connected to my office," General Sinclair responded, "and before you ask Inspector, her actual status is classified. For the time being, she is temporally attached to my office so that if she has any difficulties during her leave or if she is recalled, I have the authority to deal with any troubles or to give her orders."

"Well, thank you for you time sir," Smith said, he was sure that was all he would get right now. Having served in the Kidriff 5 Security for more then 30 years, when the almighty 'security' seal was slapped on official data, he was too much of a solider to try to get the information. At least without a very strong reason to do so and since her orders had been verified by her commanding officer (?) he would let it drop for now. "Hopefully she will behave herself and I won't have to bother you again."

"As I said, I understand her well enough to appreciate how big of an understatement that is," the general said with a small laugh. "If you would please pass on a message to her. Let her know that I have a red bow here for her if she does get into trouble."

"Of course general," Smith said wondering what the joke was. After some more small talk, he broke the connection. As he got up from behind his desk, he again wondered what the connection between the General and Bora was. When he did a background check on her record most of it was security sealed, a level of secret that he had no access to, and just markers to her receiving metals (security sealed) and her two pardons (reasons for the pardons likewise sealed) from GFFA and Kidriff 5. He knew the one from his government was legit since it was reported in the news service long before she showed back up again. Then again, maybe her visit here will be peaceful and he won't have to deal with her again until she left. He let out a small snort, yea and Vader was sweet romantic too.

When he walked out to the main hallway, he could hear his new assigned assistant in an intense argument with someone. When his superiors had found out that Bora had returned they naturally assigned him to the task of dealing with her since he had the most successful history with her. This close to retirement, it was an honor he could have done without, and he never could pin more then one of the droid that had been stolen on her. Which was one more then anyone else could do during her rein as queen of the playground. Her computer skills are too good, which made it possible for her to brake into any secured file which could then be made to 'disappear', and the only reason he was able to keep his evidence from a 'unforeseen accident' was by making multiple and hard copies of everything he had.

In addition, because he was close to retirement, his boss decided to assign a younger officer to help him in keeping an eye on her. In fact, it was the arresting officer, Lt. Fern, whom Smith has discovered in the past few hours, couldn't blow his nose without detail instructions. Lt. Fern had been a student at Kidriff 5 Advance Academy for Children, the same school that Bora had attended but, unlike Bora, he went there because his father was a senator not because of his brain. While some of the students there were exceptionally intelligent students they all had one thing in common, their families were the mover and shakers of Kidriff. Without those connections, he was sure that Fern couldn't have gotten a job as a street sweeper let alone Security. Nevertheless, he did have those connections and so … Smith was sure that at least one of his supervisors was trying to drive him insane before he retired.

"I want to know what is on those tapes and I want to know now!" Fern screamed out at a jr. officer with lab tech badge on her shoulder.

"Then find someone else to do it!" She shouted back at him, not caring who was listening nor without any concern at whom she was yelling at, "I'm not going to risk my job after I lost my computers!"

"What is going on tech?" Smith said before the blow hard exploded again.

"Sir, the tapes he sent me have some kind of virus on it, when I attempted to decoded them the virus went live and crashed my computer and started to spread to the network at a high rate of speed. If I hadn't disconnected it from the network it would have crashed every computer in this building!"

"If you are too incompetent …"

"What are you talking about?" Smith interjected trying to diffuse the growing storm on the young woman face.

"I was order to run a decoding program on some chips that Lt. Fern had given me. I was informed that they were found in a military X-wing and possibly evidence in a crime cartel. They were encoded with some kind of encryption that I've never seen before and when I was in the process of breaking the code, it released a virus that back flashed into my computer. The virus was imbedded within the program, I suspect it is a security program that is designed to defeat any attempts at decoding. It was spreading so quickly that I had to isolate my lab before it infected the entire network."

"Have you been able to eliminate the virus?"

"No, what ever it is, the virus is able to defeat any countered measure I can think of," the lab tech said with a sad shake of her head. She then turned back to Lt. Fern with a scowl on her face, "and I will not attempt to decode any more until I have more idea who made them, how it was made and what kind of countermeasures I can use to protect my computers!"

"This is not good," Smith thought of the implications of a new encryption system that could destroy any computer it come in contact with; organized crime could get a huge step up on the police. Then a new troubling thought intruded his thoughts, "Wait, a military X-Wing. Those chips are from Bora's ship!"

"It is standard procedures to search all suspect vehicles and seize any possible evidence of criminal activities." Fern said stiffly not looking directly at him.

"You don't just hand off any computer equipment that Ratnena has been near without warning the techs about her skills."

"Wait," the tech said looking surprised, "Ratnena Bora? She is a real person?"

"Yes, she is real and she is really annoying but also incredibly intelligent. I am sure you are correct when you said it was a security program, she probably installed it to keep out people like us."

"She's not that smart," Fern said with a huffy tone in his voice.

"They told me stories about her but I always thought she was just something they tell new people to pull their legs, an urban legend to scare new recruits."

"No, she is real," Smith said, shooting a glare at Fern, "look go back to your lab and get me those chips. Don't copy them or try to fix your computer, I will get her to fix it for you. She created it she can fix it." After the tech saluted and headed back to the lab, Smith turned on Fern. "Fern, you stay here and wait for those chips, also get all her belonging gathered up. She has been cleared so we have to release her."

"Release her!" Fern shouted out, turning red in the face, "are you insane!"

"No, but her paperwork has been verified so we have no reason to hold her."

"But she is Bora, you know she here to steal us blind, she is scum!"

"Not anymore, she been pardoned," Smith said holding his temper in while projecting an outwardly calm. The annoying part was he actually agreed with Fern but as things stood, he had no real choice. "Do you have any information that could justify holding her?"

"Yes, she is scum!"

"Legitimate reasons, one we could go to the courts with." Smith said over his shoulder as he walked back to see Bora.

"Get me a competent computer person to crack her code and I know I have enough to hold her," Fern said while following him to the briefing room that held Bora.

"Fern," Smith stop and let some of his annoyance show through to the blockhead following him. "You know Bora as well as I do, you lived in the same classroom for years with her. You know what she can do with a computer and some time to work on a virus."

"Her intelligence has always been over rated in my opinion."

"No, you just keep wishing that but in reality you have always underestimated her. In fact, you underestimate anybody who didn't graduate from that school and one of these days it really going to come back and bite you at the wrong time. No go do what I had ordered you to do." Fern looked like he was going to argue some more but instead saluted and returned to his duties.

Watching his back retreat down the hallway, Smith let out a small breath of annoyance. To him, almost all those people who graduated from that damn school were more irritating then you common thug. They seem to believe that the world revolves around them and the rest of the poor sad mortals should be bowing down to them for even looking at them. It used to be bad back when he first joined when the Empire was still around, but most of them knew when to keep a low profile, drawing too much attention always invited a visit from Darth Vader. Smith remember a group of those people who had a good size Spice smuggling and slavery racket going on and using the government offices they held to help the shipments get through the Empire. Darth Vader had somehow found out about it, almost thirty years later Smith still shutter at what his training officer and him had found in one of the offices. Darth Vader was effective, messy but effective at attitude adjustments. Smith was glad that there was no more Sith like that around anymore, life was hard enough after the war to look over you shoulder all the time.