The Odd-Couple
-sparkvallen

Disclaimers: All the usual disclaimers apply – Pharinseaya and Muac "on loan" and inspired by friends. Rym is mine. Everyone else belongs to Lucasfilm basically!

Chapter Twelve

Pharinseaya was waiting at the landing pad for the younger Jedi, Rym, for their mission to Coruscant. The galactic hub was a system she had visited once as part of a research trip; delving into the lower levels of the city-planet was not something she looked particularly forward to and Pharinseaya suspected that was exactly why Master Skywalker had assigned the task to her, along with Rym.

Rym came up beside her as silent as a ghost which was a change in the younger woman's style compared to how she carried herself in her pre-Jedi life. She too was dressed in the outfit and robes of the Jedi Order and carried her new lightsaber on her belt.

"Mornin'," Rym offered with little enthusiasm.

"Good morning yourself!" she chuckled. "Rough night?"

"Somethin' like that. Just nervous I guess."

Pharinseaya nodded. "To be honest, I am too. Coruscant's lower levels aren't to be traveled lightly. And this mission is more than peculiar."

"Corsucant's lower levels aren't gonna be much worse than growing up in a bad part of Coronet City, I'm sure," Rym said defensively. She laughed. "Don't worry - I'll take care of ya."

"That makes me feel so much better," the Knight shot back, smiling.

They fell into silence, watching the horizon for the approach of their transport.

"Were ya able to find anything out about this prophet?" Rym asked.

"Not a word, you?"

She shook her head. "Nothin'. Kinda weird, don't ya think?"

Pharinseaya shrugged. "It's a strange galaxy. And those who want to stay hidden can if they do it right," she said. "We'll do our best to learn what we can once we're in-system though."

Rym nodded, remembering how they learned as they went back on Corellia when they found themselves on the search-and-rescue team.


Coruscant

Svoby stared wide-eyed at the skyscrapers and spires that surrounded the docking bay on Coruscant. She'd never been off Corellia until meeting Pharinseaya nearly a year earlier and then, Yavin IV was the most she'd ever seen. The view was unbelievable to her eyes and it took Pharinseaya's prodding to bring her back to the moment.

They left the spaceport and stood on the many intersecting walking paths that covered the city-planet.

"Uh. Where do we start?" Rym asked, still awestruck.

Pharinseaya suggested, "I don't think its wise for us to just charge down to the lower levels demanding to see his prophet. Perhaps we could do a little research and gather information from the locals."

"How?"

"Being mindful and... well, eavesdropping if need be." She grinned widely. "We'll play it by ear."

Pharinseaya led Rym across the many catwalks, letting the Force guide her steps. Her instinct was that listening in and even asking leading questions about this prophet could pan out with the right crowd. Rym followed along dutifully, trying to keep her eyes on the Jedi Knight rather than gaping at the architecture. Coronet City had been a large enough city to have seen many a different type of species so that was not surprising for Rym; just the sheer quantity of people was overwhelming to her.

Pharinseaya nodded toward a "psychic gift shop" across the walkway from them. "Feel anything from there?"

Rym frowned, drawing on the Force as she'd been taught, and directing her senses toward the gift shop. "I don't pick up on any Force sensitives if that's what you're asking," she said. "It's all kinda 'dull' in fact."

"Agreed. Not a likely place for the prophet, but somewhere we could still drop a question or two."

They walked side-by-side to the psychic gift shop. Rym led the way into the small store and choked on the powerful smell of burning incsense. It was gloomy and the strong smell permeated everything.

"You have questions for which you seek an answer," came a disembodied voice.

"Now that's powerful, whoa. Way powerful," Rym said sarcastically.

Pharinseaya gave her a Force push to quiet her. "We're just browsing, actually," she said calmly. "Your shop is our first visit here on Coruscant."

"I can tell you everything you need to know... You are searching for for something-"

"Someone," Rym muttered, shaking her head. She coughed again from the incense burning into her lungs.

Pharinseaya sighed and rolled her eyes at Rym's continued defiance. The younger Jedi had much to learn about finesse as far as being subtle went!

"We do have questions that we seek an answer for," Pharinseaya said, "though it would take someone of considerable skill to be able to 'know' such answers."

The disembodied voice chuckled at the challenge, taking her bait. "I am one who is skilled... for a fee."

"Of course."

"Rym!" Pharinseaya was getting exasperated with her, seeing her fall into her old habits. She thought if anyone could, Luke Skywalker would have broken the Corellian of her mouthiness. To the psychic, she said, "We are more interested in information to be honest, rather than our futures."

"A good psychic would provide you with both. For a fee."

Enlightenment came upon Rym finally as she realized this was simply business. Piping up again, the Knight-to-be asked, "So whaddya charge anyway?"

Pharinseaya smiled.

The speaker materialized, coming from the shrouded corner of the room. She was a small older woman, Pharinseaya's senior by a good thirty years. "So you are Jedi. I thought so. Interesting to see them about again."

The Jedi remained silent now, waiting her out.

"Kind of amusing that you'd come to a place like this to see someone like me when you are Jedi," she added.

"We are looking for information rather than a reading, as I said," Pharinseaya reminded.

"That you did. What sort of information do you require?"

Rym remained silent, not wanting to mess this up now that the mysterious speaker was finally showing her face. Pharinseaya continued to discuss with the psychic on their behalf. "Have you heard anything out of the ordinary in the business lately?"

"Such as?"

"You tell me," she countered.

The psychic laughed. "Silly Jedi, there are always things 'out of the ordinary' in this business! I suppose what you're really asking about is the Prophet, hmm?"

Rym's eyes widened but she remained quiet.

"That could be," Pharinseaya said evasively, smiling back. "Is there anything of note to tell there?"

"Just that he's gained quite a following and its been murder for business up on these levels of the city," the psychic said.

"Oh really?" Rym finally asked, feeling ridiculous.

"M-hmmm. Something about a power mad leader with 'magical' skills does that to people. They flock to him."

Him, Pharinseaya noted. Finally, we hae a lock on the gender at least. "What sort of 'magical' skills, have you heard?"

"No, no. That remains mysterious, unfortunately. Likely a faded magician rather than a truely skilled psychic, if you want my credits on that though."

The Jedi nodded, listening.

"Bad for business is all I can really say," the old woman repeated. "Really bad."

Pharinseaya thanked the woman for her time and set a small handful of credits on the countertop. "You've been a great help to us, thank you."

She retreated out the door and into the smoggy air rather than the closed quarters of the gift shop. Rym coughed repeatedly, trying to get the smell from her system.

"How much did you give her anyway?" Rym asked.

"What does it matter?"

She frowned. "Um... I dunno. I just wasn't expectin' that we'd have to pay for that conversation, I guess."

Pharinseaya shrugged. "She was eventually helpful. A little, anyway. I felt badly for her, losing business."

"Alright. What now?"

"We keep asking questions until we have enough information to work from. Although, I think we should alter our appearance some," she said. "Perhaps we shouldn't travel as Jedi."

"OK, but I don't understand one bit," Rym admitted.

Pharinseaya explained. "We are both a welcomed and unwelcomed presence in the galaxy, Rym. Some harvest a strong dislike for Jedi for their own reasons. I am only thinking that if we were dressed as 'civilians' in regular clothing with our lightsabers hidden, we may be more approachable to more people. Tourists rather than Jedi on a mission, see?"

"Uh, alright, if you say so," she said, still unconvinced. "Guess you gotta shell out more credits to buy us some different clothes though."

"Me? This bill is on you, kid."