Two Ways
When Qui-Gon returned, Raven had many implements spread out on her table. She glanced up when he entered, her face impassive and stony. Ava had gone back to her own apartment, somewhat soothed by Raven's ministrations and her promises to do what she could. "She may be back soon," the rogue told him, turning back to her study of the things on the table. Methodically, she was looking through them and placing some of them in holders or pouches on her belt. "I need to finish this before she does."
"What are you doing?" he inquired, although Qui-Gon was fairly confident he already knew the answer.
"I'm going to rescue Dane," she replied evenly. Her hands found a silencer attachment for her blaster, and she withdrew the weapon, fitting it onto the barrel before replacing it.
"I can think of two immediate problems with that," Qui-Gon countered, moving to stand directly in front of her. Raven looked up, a stray lock of her falling in her face as she looked defiantly at him. "One, you are injured. Two, unless Ava knows something she wasn't letting onto with me in the room, you don't know where you are going."
"You're not going to stop me, Qui-Gon," Raven replied, still looking into his gray-blue eyes. "This is something I have to do, and the more time I waste discussing it with you, the more danger Dane is in. I put him there, and I won't do that to him. Or to Ava." She removed a few of the unused pouches on her belt and swung it around her hips. Then, she began putting the other things on the table away into the extra pouches.
"Hang on a second, Raven. I have some information that might make this effort a little more reasonable. I don't want to see you killed. You're a good ally, and I may need your help completely my mission before this is all over. Besides, I think Dane is a part of it. And the Obrid blast."
Raven looked up. "Enlighten me," she replied dryly, stacking the bulging pouches and beginning to put them away in drawers built into the wall supporting the second level.
"Our assassin-attracter is connected to the Obrid system, as you predicted. Seems, when they had some controversial internal strife, he spoke out against embargoes placed by various other systems against the Obridians. Alderaan at least seemed to heed his advice, whether it was intentional or not, being the only planet to give the Obrid system aid. It also seems that that royally irritated Corellia. There, three links in a row, am I correct? Now what am I missing?"
"You've connected Corellia, the Obrid System, and Valorum. However, I don't understand what the connection with Alderaan matters, except that Dane was kidnapped from their embassy. You're talking information, but you must know something I don't."
Qui-Gon grinned a little impishly. "Actually, I do. The original threat sent to Finis's father was printed on Alderaanian paper, something one can only get at the embassy. So, the logical thought is that someone is either very sloppy with his death threats, or Alderaan is being perpetrated."
Raven's eyes widened. "And each step is closer to Finis himself. S'rmen's ship was probably a warning, if he did run blockades for Alderaan and Obrid. That wasn't enough of a warning, so he moved into the Obrid system. Kidnapping Dane is probably no fluke, given his connection to me, and the fact he works at the Alderaanian embassy is an added bonus. He's probably getting close to Finis now, that being the next logical step, and using Dane to frame Alderaan. But who is behind this? It wouldn't be Boeta, because he's not that patently stupid. Bombing an embassy is too far for him, although I'm sure he owns a Twi'lek, making the plant easy enough. Maybe the Ch'ean is the key."
The Jedi thought for a moment, furrowing his brow. "Does the name Nathaniel Younam ring a bell?"
"Sith," Raven swore. "You've got it. Nat is essentially in charge of the Ch'ean. He's probably manipulated Boeta into providing him funds to pull of this little assassination by fronting the credits, the Twi'lek who planted the thermal detonator, as well as funding the attack on S'rmen's ship."
"Nat? This fellow seems rather powerful for a simple gang member, manipulating senators. You also sound like you know him well."
Raven gave him a startled look, one that was full of irony and aversion. "You've met him. He's the one who placed the blaster bolt in my back this morning. And he's not powerful because he's a simple gang member. He's the leader of the Ch'ean because he's a rogue. Unfortunately, he's not quite as sentimental about his days in the Temple as I am." Raven moved to a drawer and produced a full-length cloak, the one she had worn the first day he met her. She swung it over her shoulders.
"So Sith isn't an entirely inaccurate word," the Jedi commented wryly. "Where are you going now?"
"More so than Jedi," Raven replied. "I'm going to the Alderaanian embassy to track Dane, because Nat is probably still two steps ahead of us. And you're coming with me."
"Why is that?" Qui-Gon replied, amused. There really wasn't any question to the truth of her statement, just the way she stated it.
Raven looked at him, no amusement on her own face. "There are only two ways to kill a Jedi, at least according to popular consensus from people who ought to know. Those ways are to overpower him with numbers or to lull him into a false sense of security. I figure we're going to need all the cunning and skill between us since we have neither advantage. Dark Jedi play dirty, even more so than rogues."
When Qui-Gon returned, Raven had many implements spread out on her table. She glanced up when he entered, her face impassive and stony. Ava had gone back to her own apartment, somewhat soothed by Raven's ministrations and her promises to do what she could. "She may be back soon," the rogue told him, turning back to her study of the things on the table. Methodically, she was looking through them and placing some of them in holders or pouches on her belt. "I need to finish this before she does."
"What are you doing?" he inquired, although Qui-Gon was fairly confident he already knew the answer.
"I'm going to rescue Dane," she replied evenly. Her hands found a silencer attachment for her blaster, and she withdrew the weapon, fitting it onto the barrel before replacing it.
"I can think of two immediate problems with that," Qui-Gon countered, moving to stand directly in front of her. Raven looked up, a stray lock of her falling in her face as she looked defiantly at him. "One, you are injured. Two, unless Ava knows something she wasn't letting onto with me in the room, you don't know where you are going."
"You're not going to stop me, Qui-Gon," Raven replied, still looking into his gray-blue eyes. "This is something I have to do, and the more time I waste discussing it with you, the more danger Dane is in. I put him there, and I won't do that to him. Or to Ava." She removed a few of the unused pouches on her belt and swung it around her hips. Then, she began putting the other things on the table away into the extra pouches.
"Hang on a second, Raven. I have some information that might make this effort a little more reasonable. I don't want to see you killed. You're a good ally, and I may need your help completely my mission before this is all over. Besides, I think Dane is a part of it. And the Obrid blast."
Raven looked up. "Enlighten me," she replied dryly, stacking the bulging pouches and beginning to put them away in drawers built into the wall supporting the second level.
"Our assassin-attracter is connected to the Obrid system, as you predicted. Seems, when they had some controversial internal strife, he spoke out against embargoes placed by various other systems against the Obridians. Alderaan at least seemed to heed his advice, whether it was intentional or not, being the only planet to give the Obrid system aid. It also seems that that royally irritated Corellia. There, three links in a row, am I correct? Now what am I missing?"
"You've connected Corellia, the Obrid System, and Valorum. However, I don't understand what the connection with Alderaan matters, except that Dane was kidnapped from their embassy. You're talking information, but you must know something I don't."
Qui-Gon grinned a little impishly. "Actually, I do. The original threat sent to Finis's father was printed on Alderaanian paper, something one can only get at the embassy. So, the logical thought is that someone is either very sloppy with his death threats, or Alderaan is being perpetrated."
Raven's eyes widened. "And each step is closer to Finis himself. S'rmen's ship was probably a warning, if he did run blockades for Alderaan and Obrid. That wasn't enough of a warning, so he moved into the Obrid system. Kidnapping Dane is probably no fluke, given his connection to me, and the fact he works at the Alderaanian embassy is an added bonus. He's probably getting close to Finis now, that being the next logical step, and using Dane to frame Alderaan. But who is behind this? It wouldn't be Boeta, because he's not that patently stupid. Bombing an embassy is too far for him, although I'm sure he owns a Twi'lek, making the plant easy enough. Maybe the Ch'ean is the key."
The Jedi thought for a moment, furrowing his brow. "Does the name Nathaniel Younam ring a bell?"
"Sith," Raven swore. "You've got it. Nat is essentially in charge of the Ch'ean. He's probably manipulated Boeta into providing him funds to pull of this little assassination by fronting the credits, the Twi'lek who planted the thermal detonator, as well as funding the attack on S'rmen's ship."
"Nat? This fellow seems rather powerful for a simple gang member, manipulating senators. You also sound like you know him well."
Raven gave him a startled look, one that was full of irony and aversion. "You've met him. He's the one who placed the blaster bolt in my back this morning. And he's not powerful because he's a simple gang member. He's the leader of the Ch'ean because he's a rogue. Unfortunately, he's not quite as sentimental about his days in the Temple as I am." Raven moved to a drawer and produced a full-length cloak, the one she had worn the first day he met her. She swung it over her shoulders.
"So Sith isn't an entirely inaccurate word," the Jedi commented wryly. "Where are you going now?"
"More so than Jedi," Raven replied. "I'm going to the Alderaanian embassy to track Dane, because Nat is probably still two steps ahead of us. And you're coming with me."
"Why is that?" Qui-Gon replied, amused. There really wasn't any question to the truth of her statement, just the way she stated it.
Raven looked at him, no amusement on her own face. "There are only two ways to kill a Jedi, at least according to popular consensus from people who ought to know. Those ways are to overpower him with numbers or to lull him into a false sense of security. I figure we're going to need all the cunning and skill between us since we have neither advantage. Dark Jedi play dirty, even more so than rogues."
