The Value of Information
All was going according to plan, at least as far as Raven knew. She had distracted the guards long enough for Joshua to disappear into the building. She made sure it keep them talking, or perhaps roasting her was a better way to think of it, some time past his departure from the street so they didn't connect the two.
The only hitch was the fact she ran into another morality discussion on her way to the rendezvous point. This one was being conducted by a very young man, one who was perhaps not even twenty. He spoke vehemently on the bureaucracy and corruption of the Senate and swore that someday he would take office and try to change that. Raven recognized him from her own personal studies. His name was Finis Valorum, the son of a rather powerful senator from a cluster of stars. That family had a long history of political attachments, and Raven had few doubts that he would someday hold a position that would allow him to make good on his current promises, if he bothered to remember them.
The Rogue rounded the next corner, at the intersection where she had told Joshua to meet her, when suddenly she found herself pinned to a building wall, the air knocked out of her. Joshua stood before her, hand slightly outstretched. Raven was confused but remained calm. She was held against the wall by the Force, and she didn't struggle against it. Instead, she worked to exude serenity.
"Why did you tell me you were a rogue?" Joshua demanded loudly. The few people in the street glanced their direction, more attention that Raven didn't particularly want. She had regained her breath, but she didn't like the irate way he was looking at her. Her mind raced, wondering what was so important that he would lose even the Jedi calm over this. Rogues were not completely uncommon.
"There will be a time and a place for such questions," she replied, "but this is neither. We have a task to accomplish, and then I will answer your questions."
He glared at Raven. "I trusted you."
"Why don't you still? I haven't done anything differently. I promise on the Oaths I took to become a Jedi Knight that I will answer your questions when we get back to my loft. But first we have to visit S'rmen. All right?" She looked at him almost pleadingly. He had to understand.
Joshua stepped back and dropped his hand, and Raven felt the pressure against her slack away. He handed her the data pad then turned away. "What are you carrying?" he asked instead, still looking annoyed.
Raven gave him a relieved glance that he didn't see, walking stiffly ahead of her. She activated the pad and skimmed the information on it. It was encoded, but the code was one of his she had already broken. Although she trusted S'rmen, she still felt justified in reading his information, whether to add to her own files or just know what she was carrying. "It really is about his daughter," she explained. "He's worried for her safety, and it's an update from her ship. She's a smuggler for him, trying to avoid the high tariffs imposed by the Trade Federation. It describes her last run and the bombing of her ship. He must have gotten word that the ship was destroyed, but his daughter is all right."
Suddenly, that made a little more sense. Perhaps he was concerned about what kind of illegal activity in which he was involving himself. If she were a Dark Jedi, he might have been carrying the orders that would bring about another Jedi's death or something along those lines. Still, this was rather innocent business as far as illegal activities went. Perhaps that prompted his outburst.
Joshua nodded.
They walked the rest of the way in silence, each left to his own thoughts. The drop was uneventful, except for the fact a grateful S'rmen gave Raven an extra bonus for her timely delivery, indicated that he was more worried than Raven suspected. Joshua waited on the street, watching as night began to fall on this side of the planet, the lighting banks beginning to illuminate the street. He didn't know what to think. But at least she had promised him answers.
***
"Why didn't you tell me you were a rogue Jedi?"
Raven and Joshua hadn't even made it all the way in the door before he asked his question again. She could tell it was burning within him, the desire to know every reason behind her decision.
Calmly she went into her small kitchen, taking a small pitcher out of the fridge. Raven produced two mugs, pouring brown, pleasant-smelling liquid from the pitcher. She put the two mugs on heating elements then looked across the bar to where Joshua stood, waiting with an un-Jedi-like impatience for his answer. Raven smiled slightly. "Did you learn patience at the Temple?" she asked, waving away his response. "I didn't tell you because it's not something that would be safe for a number of people to know. Besides, you, being a Jedi, become a kind of risk to me, depending on your opinion of rogues in general. Next question?"
Raven put a finger in one of the mugs. She removed it, nodding satisfactorily, and handed the other mug to Joshua, turning off the heating elements. "It's a drink called a Dantooine mudslide," she explained, cutting off the question before he could ask. "Normally it has rum in it, but I forewent the alcohol for obvious reasons. A lucid conversation would be beneficial. I have a few questions of my own," she said, an amused smile playing across her lips. Joshua followed her up the steps where they settled on the larger couch. Raven sat with her legs drawn up under her, facing him with her back to the armrest. He sat, partially facing her, still retaining some kind of decorum.
"Why did you leave?" he finally asked, taking a sip of the drink. It had a rich, chocolaty taste with hints of vanilla and other flavors he couldn't identify. The drink was very tasty, though.
"That's a more difficult story," she replied, taking a deep draught from her mug. "I have many problems with the way the Temple functions. I don't like how it is essentially an arm of the Senate. Jedi are at the beck and call of corrupt politicians, and there is nothing they can do about it. The Temple has become a branch of the Diplomatic Corps, solving petty problems that ought to be left to Senatorial aides. Since the Galactic Senate is bureaucratic and fraudulent, it's only a matter of time before the Jedi lose their respect. I can't agree with the Council's decisions on missions and political entanglements. Often, the right thing to do in a situation must be foregone for political reasons. Now I get a question. What is your mission?"
Raven didn't miss his uncomfortable shift. "A request that rumors threatening an assassination of a political speaker brought me here. It's rather ambiguous." He took another drink from his mug to hide his discomfort. Raven considered a moment, debating whether the discomfort was feigned due to his reluctance to share his own information. If it was, she decided to let it go. His secrets were his own, as were hers, and she herself hadn't been exactly forthcoming with details.
With a shake of her head, the rogue stood, walked down the stairs, and surveyed the mess of data cards. She perused them, selected one, and returned to the couch. Raven handed him the card. He glanced at it, confusion on his features for a moment. "I don't understand," Joshua said finally.
"It's unfortunate how unhelpful the Council is. This is information that is possibly linked to your investigation. I've been monitoring one of the senator's movements, and he, as do a number of his men, listens to political speakers. Many of the cards on my table may contain information on your mission," she replied wryly. "The speaker who probably is in danger is named Finis Valorum. His father is the senator of a small cluster of planets near Corellia and has many enemies within the Senate. Finis himself hasn't made any friends by speaking out against the government."
"How did you find all of this out?" he said, his voice soft and reflective. Raven smiled, seeing the thought processes of a Jedi racing parsecs ahead to consider political implications, among others. She also didn't miss the touch of irritation on her wealth of information on the subject. However, the defector couldn't help but wonder if he noticed her own discomfort. What did he think of her? Did he only see a deserter? Could she really trust him? Raven shoved the thoughts away. They wouldn't help.
"It's rather elementary. I make it my business to know things. I especially like to find out information on the particular senator I mentioned before, since he makes it his business to know about me. That is why those Corellians were harassing me about being a Rogue earlier today. Boeta told them of my past and my looks. He wishes to aggravate me into working for him. But, in a way, knowing information keeps me alive. What is your real name?"
Joshua was obviously taken somewhat by surprised by Raven's abrupt question, but only to her trained eyes. He shifted almost imperceptibly and raised one eyebrow, training his blue-gray eyes on her. "That information is dangerous," he replied finally, obviously thinking over an appropriate answer to the question.
Raven shrugged, standing up again to look outside on the cityscape. "You have enough information on me to ensure my own death, as well as the torture of others around me," she replied. "Boeta knows I'm up to something, which is why he wants me closer than I prefer. Besides the fact that my history makes me unwanted in most scenarios."
"I can't say I understand your reasons for leaving the Order," Joshua replied, still avoiding the question. He took another thoughtful drink from his mug.
"I can't say I expect you to," Raven replied evenly. The Rogue waited a long moment, sensing nothing but his presence. The tension in the room was evident, and she knew that the trust of this partnership, if they indeed began to work together on this little project, hinged on his response. Raven realized that too much time had passed. It was done, then. The Jedi and she were both on his own. With an inaudible sigh, she decided that he wasn't as trustworthy as she had dared hoped and turned away from the window. "Very well th-"
"Jinn," he broke in. "My name is Qui-Gon Jinn. Perhaps we can work together, Raven Darkfeather."
"That is my hope."
All was going according to plan, at least as far as Raven knew. She had distracted the guards long enough for Joshua to disappear into the building. She made sure it keep them talking, or perhaps roasting her was a better way to think of it, some time past his departure from the street so they didn't connect the two.
The only hitch was the fact she ran into another morality discussion on her way to the rendezvous point. This one was being conducted by a very young man, one who was perhaps not even twenty. He spoke vehemently on the bureaucracy and corruption of the Senate and swore that someday he would take office and try to change that. Raven recognized him from her own personal studies. His name was Finis Valorum, the son of a rather powerful senator from a cluster of stars. That family had a long history of political attachments, and Raven had few doubts that he would someday hold a position that would allow him to make good on his current promises, if he bothered to remember them.
The Rogue rounded the next corner, at the intersection where she had told Joshua to meet her, when suddenly she found herself pinned to a building wall, the air knocked out of her. Joshua stood before her, hand slightly outstretched. Raven was confused but remained calm. She was held against the wall by the Force, and she didn't struggle against it. Instead, she worked to exude serenity.
"Why did you tell me you were a rogue?" Joshua demanded loudly. The few people in the street glanced their direction, more attention that Raven didn't particularly want. She had regained her breath, but she didn't like the irate way he was looking at her. Her mind raced, wondering what was so important that he would lose even the Jedi calm over this. Rogues were not completely uncommon.
"There will be a time and a place for such questions," she replied, "but this is neither. We have a task to accomplish, and then I will answer your questions."
He glared at Raven. "I trusted you."
"Why don't you still? I haven't done anything differently. I promise on the Oaths I took to become a Jedi Knight that I will answer your questions when we get back to my loft. But first we have to visit S'rmen. All right?" She looked at him almost pleadingly. He had to understand.
Joshua stepped back and dropped his hand, and Raven felt the pressure against her slack away. He handed her the data pad then turned away. "What are you carrying?" he asked instead, still looking annoyed.
Raven gave him a relieved glance that he didn't see, walking stiffly ahead of her. She activated the pad and skimmed the information on it. It was encoded, but the code was one of his she had already broken. Although she trusted S'rmen, she still felt justified in reading his information, whether to add to her own files or just know what she was carrying. "It really is about his daughter," she explained. "He's worried for her safety, and it's an update from her ship. She's a smuggler for him, trying to avoid the high tariffs imposed by the Trade Federation. It describes her last run and the bombing of her ship. He must have gotten word that the ship was destroyed, but his daughter is all right."
Suddenly, that made a little more sense. Perhaps he was concerned about what kind of illegal activity in which he was involving himself. If she were a Dark Jedi, he might have been carrying the orders that would bring about another Jedi's death or something along those lines. Still, this was rather innocent business as far as illegal activities went. Perhaps that prompted his outburst.
Joshua nodded.
They walked the rest of the way in silence, each left to his own thoughts. The drop was uneventful, except for the fact a grateful S'rmen gave Raven an extra bonus for her timely delivery, indicated that he was more worried than Raven suspected. Joshua waited on the street, watching as night began to fall on this side of the planet, the lighting banks beginning to illuminate the street. He didn't know what to think. But at least she had promised him answers.
***
"Why didn't you tell me you were a rogue Jedi?"
Raven and Joshua hadn't even made it all the way in the door before he asked his question again. She could tell it was burning within him, the desire to know every reason behind her decision.
Calmly she went into her small kitchen, taking a small pitcher out of the fridge. Raven produced two mugs, pouring brown, pleasant-smelling liquid from the pitcher. She put the two mugs on heating elements then looked across the bar to where Joshua stood, waiting with an un-Jedi-like impatience for his answer. Raven smiled slightly. "Did you learn patience at the Temple?" she asked, waving away his response. "I didn't tell you because it's not something that would be safe for a number of people to know. Besides, you, being a Jedi, become a kind of risk to me, depending on your opinion of rogues in general. Next question?"
Raven put a finger in one of the mugs. She removed it, nodding satisfactorily, and handed the other mug to Joshua, turning off the heating elements. "It's a drink called a Dantooine mudslide," she explained, cutting off the question before he could ask. "Normally it has rum in it, but I forewent the alcohol for obvious reasons. A lucid conversation would be beneficial. I have a few questions of my own," she said, an amused smile playing across her lips. Joshua followed her up the steps where they settled on the larger couch. Raven sat with her legs drawn up under her, facing him with her back to the armrest. He sat, partially facing her, still retaining some kind of decorum.
"Why did you leave?" he finally asked, taking a sip of the drink. It had a rich, chocolaty taste with hints of vanilla and other flavors he couldn't identify. The drink was very tasty, though.
"That's a more difficult story," she replied, taking a deep draught from her mug. "I have many problems with the way the Temple functions. I don't like how it is essentially an arm of the Senate. Jedi are at the beck and call of corrupt politicians, and there is nothing they can do about it. The Temple has become a branch of the Diplomatic Corps, solving petty problems that ought to be left to Senatorial aides. Since the Galactic Senate is bureaucratic and fraudulent, it's only a matter of time before the Jedi lose their respect. I can't agree with the Council's decisions on missions and political entanglements. Often, the right thing to do in a situation must be foregone for political reasons. Now I get a question. What is your mission?"
Raven didn't miss his uncomfortable shift. "A request that rumors threatening an assassination of a political speaker brought me here. It's rather ambiguous." He took another drink from his mug to hide his discomfort. Raven considered a moment, debating whether the discomfort was feigned due to his reluctance to share his own information. If it was, she decided to let it go. His secrets were his own, as were hers, and she herself hadn't been exactly forthcoming with details.
With a shake of her head, the rogue stood, walked down the stairs, and surveyed the mess of data cards. She perused them, selected one, and returned to the couch. Raven handed him the card. He glanced at it, confusion on his features for a moment. "I don't understand," Joshua said finally.
"It's unfortunate how unhelpful the Council is. This is information that is possibly linked to your investigation. I've been monitoring one of the senator's movements, and he, as do a number of his men, listens to political speakers. Many of the cards on my table may contain information on your mission," she replied wryly. "The speaker who probably is in danger is named Finis Valorum. His father is the senator of a small cluster of planets near Corellia and has many enemies within the Senate. Finis himself hasn't made any friends by speaking out against the government."
"How did you find all of this out?" he said, his voice soft and reflective. Raven smiled, seeing the thought processes of a Jedi racing parsecs ahead to consider political implications, among others. She also didn't miss the touch of irritation on her wealth of information on the subject. However, the defector couldn't help but wonder if he noticed her own discomfort. What did he think of her? Did he only see a deserter? Could she really trust him? Raven shoved the thoughts away. They wouldn't help.
"It's rather elementary. I make it my business to know things. I especially like to find out information on the particular senator I mentioned before, since he makes it his business to know about me. That is why those Corellians were harassing me about being a Rogue earlier today. Boeta told them of my past and my looks. He wishes to aggravate me into working for him. But, in a way, knowing information keeps me alive. What is your real name?"
Joshua was obviously taken somewhat by surprised by Raven's abrupt question, but only to her trained eyes. He shifted almost imperceptibly and raised one eyebrow, training his blue-gray eyes on her. "That information is dangerous," he replied finally, obviously thinking over an appropriate answer to the question.
Raven shrugged, standing up again to look outside on the cityscape. "You have enough information on me to ensure my own death, as well as the torture of others around me," she replied. "Boeta knows I'm up to something, which is why he wants me closer than I prefer. Besides the fact that my history makes me unwanted in most scenarios."
"I can't say I understand your reasons for leaving the Order," Joshua replied, still avoiding the question. He took another thoughtful drink from his mug.
"I can't say I expect you to," Raven replied evenly. The Rogue waited a long moment, sensing nothing but his presence. The tension in the room was evident, and she knew that the trust of this partnership, if they indeed began to work together on this little project, hinged on his response. Raven realized that too much time had passed. It was done, then. The Jedi and she were both on his own. With an inaudible sigh, she decided that he wasn't as trustworthy as she had dared hoped and turned away from the window. "Very well th-"
"Jinn," he broke in. "My name is Qui-Gon Jinn. Perhaps we can work together, Raven Darkfeather."
"That is my hope."
