The Jedi Adventure
--sparkvallen
Lucasfilm owns all the characters except those which are obviously original and based on – with permission – people from my life! So there.
Chapter Seven
With the Jedi inserted into the WayneTech complex, Joni gave up his act of being lost and needing directions around Coruscant. Shrugging helplessly, he slipped away and back into the shadows of adjacent buildings to wait on Z'Trooper and Falco. Once he had confirmation from them that they'd been successful with their end of the mission, he could contact Sapharin, Spark and Ebony with the news to proceed on Tatooine.
Within the building, Falco and Z'Trooper let the Force guide them around security patrols within the WayneTech complex. Trusting their intuitions, they also managed to avoid detection by those third shift workers who were out and about the hallways as well. It took longer than either man had expected it would to locate an available computer terminal that they could slice into; when there was one they could reach, it was in an area that left them too exposed. If the wrong person noticed them, their cover was blown.
"There."
Falco looked to see where Z'Trooper was suggesting. "The cafeteria? Z'Trooper, this is no time to think with your stomach! What do you think you are? Like a… a Wookiee?"
Z'Trooper favored him with an exasperated stare. "No," he hissed. "It's empty and the offices would have a computer terminal. For their inventory and what-not."
Falco whispered, "Ohhhhh…" with sudden understanding. "Carry on then."
Shaking his head, Z'Trooper proceeded up the corridor, pretending that he belonged in the WayneTech building. For both men, the instinct was to skulk and creep around but they knew that would again tip off everyone to suspicious behavior. They walked into the cafeteria as though it was their break-time.
Falco began to test the doors to each office to see if anyone had left them unlocked. It was a long shot, but one could never tell…
"Pay dirt. C'mon."
Quickly, the two Jedi trainees slipped inside and closed the door.
"I can't believe they'd leave their door unlocked." Z'Trooper pointed to the terminal. "You want the honors or shall I?"
Falco grinned like a kid in a candy store. He sat down and whirled the chair to the terminal. "Let's see here… this can't be that much different than what we've got back home right? Wait… er… retinal scan?"
Z'Trooper sighed. "Lemme see what I can do then."
He crouched beside Falco and took a look at the program. Z'Trooper began typing rapidly, entering various codes and lines of programming in much to Falco's surprise. They both waited with breathless anticipation as he managed to override the system.
"How in the hell did you know how to do that?" Falco wanted to know.
"Something I got from R2 before he ran off on me one day… alright. Go for it."
Falco reclaimed the keyboard and began searching the system for information on the datapad project. Several minute ticked by as he managed to bring up several references to the project and what the Sith Lord, Darth Valion, was intending. He printed off hard copies of the data and the re-traced his steps in the system to cover his tracks.
"This is good… but not enough," Falco said. "We're going to have to take a trip to the research lab too."
Tucking the paperwork into his jumpsuit, Falco hopped out of the chair as Z'Trooper cautiously touched the Force to check for beings outside the door.
"Um… we've got company."
"What!"
Without another word, Z'Trooper reached for his lightsaber. Falco saw what he was doing and whispered a curse before coming to him beside the door and reaching for his own hilt.
"Got to contact Joni…" Falco remembered. He quickly spoke into his comlink, relaying the message that they had their proof of the tampering and why but that it was incomplete and they'd been discovered.
Z'Trooper hit the panel to open the door and flung himself into the cafeteria with his lightsaber blazing. With a war cry, Falco charged out after him.
Meanwhile on Tatooine…
"…and in here, you will see the workshop in which Luke found the fated message from Princess Leia Organa with the Alliance's distress call to General Obi-wan Kenobi," the tour guide droid went on. "It was only later that Luke and Leia learned that they were twins…"
"This is cool," Sapharin whispered, her brown eyes wide.
The trio of women peeked into the garage, one of the last stops on the tour and admired the restored and spectacularly clean space.
"…and this is our final stop, which is far more impressive by night," the droid said. "Imagine standing here, looking out at the setting twin suns and never having any idea how rapidly your life could change… that you could become a Jedi Master just like Luke Skywalker did, standing here his last night on Tatooine. Our gift shop is on your way back to the transport where you can pick up your own toy lightsaber, vintage Luke Skywalker autograph and 'I saw the Lars Homestead' tunics! May the Force be with you!"
Ebony rolled her eyes at the melodrama, especially considering that of the tour-goers, the three of them were indeed Jedi.
"Saphy!"
Sapharin, Spark and Ebony all whirled at the sound of a young man's voice just behind them. Their eyes went wide as a starfruit as they stared at no one but Talon Sky whom they'd known back on their homeworld. Saph was the first to find her voice as she shouted his name and launched into motion, running as best she could to Talon and giving him a huge hug.
"What are you DOING here!" she shouted in surprise.
His brown eyes showing keen amusement as he smiled, Talon said, "I was going to ask you the same question…" He stepped back and executed a formal bow to Saph, Spark and Ebony.
Spark and Ebony just stared dumbly.
"We're… well, wait a minute! What ARE you doing here?" Saph exclaimed again.
"I'm in Jedi training," he said matter-of-factly.
"But… but! But so are we! I mean… do you mean that you were given the same offer and we somehow never saw you until now?"
Talon shook his head. "Yes… and no. While you were part of the group training on Yavin IV, the Jedi who'd come to find me at the apartment offered me a solo apprenticeship. I've been working with Master Durron all this time."
"KYP DURRON?" Spark shouted, finally finding her voice and her wits.
"The one and the same," Talon replied with a grin.
Saph and Spark exchanged glances. There was no way to catch Ebony up for now since so much of this information relied on knowing the fictional world beyond the films they knew back home.
"I… I can hardly believe this!" Saph admitted.
"Believe it. Now, tell me what you three are doing here on Tatooine."
Taking turns and finishing each other's sentences, the ladies explained that they were the second prong of a mission to take Darth Valion into custody for his corporate crimes.
"Funny since Master Durron and I were also here related to that issue," Talon said. "Master Durron's tactics were a bit more… hard-line than your sightseeing and all, but perhaps we can work together."
As they boarded the shuttle back to Mos Eisley and prepared for another long ride to civilization, Ebony's comlink chirped. She frowned at it and pressed the device close to her ear, not wanting the non-Jedi aboard the shuttle to overhear a message that had to be coming from the team. It was them or it was the Jedi on Yavin IV – she knew no one else in this part of the galaxy, after all.
"Ebony, it's Joni. Proceed with your mission. Have to go. Boys are in trouble."
Before she could even form a reply, Joni had cut the connection. Ebony swore and then looked to Spark, Saph and Talon, her eyes full of worry.
"We proceed with our mission," she said calmly enough. "Joni cut the connection right away because he said 'the boys are in trouble.'"
"Oh no…" Sapharin whispered.
"The boys?" Talon asked.
Spark quickly told him about Joni, Falco and Z'Trooper, the first two being names that Talon would have known from the online world they'd all participated in.
"The Force will be with them," he said confidently.
Ebony bit back a snarl and took a deep breath. What Talon said was true, but it offered her no consolation as they took the long ride back to the spaceport.