I hope you liked that chapter!
I'm sorry for the English mistakes. I try my best.
The journey to the Embassy Area was not exactly a pleasing experience. In my new attire, I hardly felt at ease. I thought for sure that everyone's attention was on me. However, my rationality urged me not to slip into this burgeoning paranoia. Still, to avoid encountering any stares, I kept walking head down, praying to the gods that no harm would come to me that might jeopardise what was to come. About twenty minutes were enough for me to eventually reach a first Embassy, or more precisely a Consulate. Most likely the Consulate of Makeb, a planet that had been colonised by the Republic during the Mandalorian wars. However, the Republic's power there was still precarious, hence the need to set up embassies on various planets.
The Embassy area was very vast, and the Taris authorities were obviously taking great care of the place. All was particularly gleaming. From the first stone column of the Onderonian Consulate to the last cobblestone pavement at the end of this unique avenue, home to the Sith Embassy.
The Sith had seemingly been marginalised at the very back of the zone, almost like they had been kept out of the public eye. Yet as I walked down the almost deserted lane, I could see in the distance that the Sith had devoted considerable resources to their facilities: the entrance was more like a massive bunker rather than a somewhat ostentatious chatelet. The Sith knew they were in hostile lands. Getting into the Embassy could not be done too easily.
However, it wasn't my destination. About a hundred yards from the legation, I spotted a barred passage on my right, guarded by a Sith in full armour. This was the lift I was looking for. I nervously patted the pocket that housed the pass Mikann had rigged. It was time to move on. I spun around to face the Sith soldier and started walking, pulling the small object from its pocket which I hoped would allow me to get down safely.
As I was standing a few feet away from the Sith, I noticed him pointing the face of his shiny helmet at me. At the same time, I saw that he was gripping his shoulder-mounted blaster rifle more tightly.
« Hello. » I greeted politely, ignoring these last, rather threatening movements.
« Sir. » A synthetic voice answered through the helmet. « May I help you? » He then asked in a surprisingly cordial tone.
I hadn't been around many Sith. The few I had spoken to had been, I must admit, rather friendly. They were often depicted as power-hungry beasts, so perhaps there was an excessive tendency to lump them all together. The man standing in front of me was nothing more than a soldier doing his job. He had no reason to needlessly attack me, be he Sith or not. And his nervousness could be attributed to the somewhat tense political climate here, and certainly also to the fact that he was guarding the access to an area of Taris that was swarming with thugs and criminals.
« I have to get to the Lower City. »
I stated assertively, holding out the security pass to the man. He loosened the grip on his rifle, grabbed the item and replied as he started to turn his back to me:
« I'll have a look at this, please wait a moment. »
The soldier made his way to a small terminal hidden in a sort of lectern right beside the lift door. He inserted the passkey and performed a couple of manipulations. Although I was by no means qualified to make any judgement, I knew that Mikann had done a fine job. She had no reason to play me. At least, I could not think of any way in which it would benefit her. The consequences would, in my opinion, be more harmful than favourable for her. Despite all these thoughts, I couldn't help but feel anxious. I needed to maintain my composure. And I needed to be ready to play the role of the idiot who'd been conned if anything went wrong. Seconds later, the Sith retrieved the pass and came back to me. He handed it to me, I wordlessly picked it up and slipped it back into my pocket.
« All right, I'll get you in. »
I resisted exhaling a sigh of relief. The soldier returned to the terminal and, using it, he opened the door to the lift. I stepped forward, ready to board, although somewhat apprehensively. Before I could cross the threshold, I saw the Sith waving his hand at me:
« Be careful down there. » He began. « Your pass is anonymous, so you are not familiar with the Lower City. »
I kept quiet, but still paid attention to what the soldier was saying.
« You're going to be dealing with a completely different population than here, trust me. I'm not saying that you're going to necessarily get into trouble, but don't draw too much attention if you want to get back up in one piece. »
I remained silent for a short while. Then I nodded gratefully:
« I understand. » I replied. « I'll be careful. Thank you. »
The man nodded back and let me into the lift.
Once inside, the Sith immediately locked the door, leaving me bathed in the yellowish glow of the machine. There was a switch that offered me a simple way down to a single level.
« No need to worry about getting it wrong. » I said, pressing the button.
The lift started working immediately, and with a dreadful roar it began to move downwards. Right next to the switch, I noted that some sort of countdown clock had appeared.
I assumed it was the time needed to get to the Lower City. Evidently this was not to be done in a matter of seconds; actually, I discovered that I had about fifteen minutes to kill. Fifteen long minutes in this filthy, gloomy semblance of a container. Never mind. I chose to sit down and close my eyes for a while, trying to ease my mind. Gradually, but steadily, the very unpleasant rumblings became more and more tolerable, eventually turning into something restful. The yellowish light coming through my eyelids was now like a gentle twirl against my retinas. In this sensory dance that was taking me away, I was feeling things I had never felt before. At least, as far as my memory was willing to deliver. I was fine. I felt like myself. But all of a sudden, a new emotion arose. A feeling that was familiar, and at the same time completely alien. A feeling that did not belong to me, but somehow belonged to this moment. A comforting feeling. Of a deeply caring and genuinely compassionate nature. It didn't seem to come from me, but it was there. Like a contact that had just been made.
It was strange, but nice.
However, this moment was finally too short-lived, as some turbulence unfortunately heralded the end of this curious journey. I got up quickly, and got ready to face the first images of this Lower City.
The door swung open again, revealing a slightly larger chamber into which I stepped. As I made my way through the chamber, a saturated voice echoed :
« Wait a second, please. »
I complied.
« Good, you can come out. »
I left the chamber and was approached by another Sith soldier, presumably guarding the lift from the Lower City. The man, also in full armour, came over to me:
« I have been sent your accreditation. » He said, as he nervously patted his rifle. « What exactly are you going to do down here? »
He then questioned me. I chose to wait for a moment before answering. With only his synthetic voice as an indicator, I found it difficult to perceive his intentions: was he suspicious or simply curious?
« I don't think you are entitled to ask such questions. » I told him sternly. « The Sith authorities have considered my reason for coming here to be valid. » I continued, pulling the security pass from the pocket and waving it in front of his face. « You should hold it right there. »
I had spoken this last sentence in a somewhat threatening manner although I did not necessarily mean to. The soldier tightened his grip on his weapon. I had offended him.
« All right, move along. » The Sith concluded as he loosened his hold on his blaster.
I shot him a challenging glare before heading into the city. I travelled several hundred metres through dilapidated corridors before I came to a final door leading into the heart of the city. As I approached it I could hear what sounded like a hubbub, which was only growing more and more dense. I finally got the door open.
I was not prepared for such activity. As soon as the passageway was cleared, I was approached by a few onlookers, apparently selling worthless trinkets, who had presumably set up against the door.
« Hey! » One of them shouted. « You've just messed up my whole shop! »
I stared at the man, then at his pile of junk that he had the audacity to call a "shop". I had the feeling that communication down here was going to be much harder than in the Upper City. Only the gods knew how annoyed I was by behaviour like that of the man before me. Surprisingly, as time went on, I grew more and more confident, something I lacked when I was in the presence of my colleagues on the Endar Spire, and even of Carth. Here I was alone. I was no longer the new kid in town serving his superiors.
The man was getting impatient. I scrutinized him another few seconds, before unzipping my vest firmly, revealing the distinctive butt of my heavy blaster.
« Excuse me. » I spoke bluntly, straddling his pile of junk and setting straight ahead, taking significant distance from the onlookers. Fortunately, it seemed that my attempt at intimidation had worked on them. But I was doubtful that such an effort would have the same effect on street thugs.
This area of the Lower City was extremely busy. Making your way through the crowds was quite a challenge. This population was noticeably less "dressed up" than that of the Upper City. Yet, as I looked around at the crowd while searching for the shops Sivir had mentioned, I realised that they were not so different. The people here were also from all walks of life: they were families, workers, scoundrels... And I noted that among these people I provoked no kind of interest. Sivir did well in preparing stuff for me before going down. As I sank into this pseudo-sociological analysis, a piercing female voice startled me:
« Come and have a look at my high value gems and jewellery! Get a safe investment! Or give yourself the chance to make your beloved one happy! Step right up, I exceptionally slash my prices! Just for today, don't miss the opportunity! »
I turned in the direction where the voice was coming from. However, because of the overwhelming crowd, finding the speaker was quite a struggle. Not far from me I could hear a couple of Twi'lek giggling:
« Oh boy, she slashes her prices every day. » The man sneered, his arms folded and his gaze directed at what I assumed to be the saleswoman's place.
« She has determination, you can't deny that. » The woman replied. « But everyone knows now that her jewellery is just crap. I can't believe she hasn't been shot by the Exchange yet. »
« She's probably getting some with the bounty hunters, it's all I can think of. » The man responded, causing them both to laugh wildly.
Bounty hunters, the Exchange... Was that the criminal organisation? Just what I needed... Never mind, I didn't want to spend any more time on it. I resumed my walk, following roughly the direction in which the Twi'lek was looking. Gradually, the saleswoman's voice became louder and louder. After a few more steps, I could finally lay eyes on her and her shop - obviously much more polished than those of the guys I'd been bothering earlier. She had a whole bunch of jewels and stones on display, each one more sparkling than the previous one. So sparkly that it looked very suspicious.
I wasted no more time standing here watching rubbish, I moved my head to the left and saw a long row of shops and kiosks, all of which seemed to be selling jewellery. I turned my head to my left and spotted a long row of shops and stands, all seemingly selling jewellery. This was exactly what Sivir had mentioned. I walked down the lane and past the shops as best I could. After about ten minutes I came upon the very last shop, that was quite close to a doorway, where four or five heavily armed mercenaries were hanging out - they were Kadas'sa'Nikto, given their scaly green skin.
« Don't stare too long, if you don't want any trouble. » The shopkeeper of the last stand annouced. I directed my attention to him. He was watching me with his arms crossed, standing behind his stall.
« Or at least do it somewhere else, away from my business. I've had enough problems with them already. »
I cast a final glance at the mercenaries before taking a few steps towards the man.
« Sorry sir. » I replied. « I don't want you to have any trouble. »
The man stood silent, and kept looking at me. But there was no mistrust, no hostility. He just had nothing to say.
« Do they come after you frequently? » I asked.
« In your opinion? » The man retorted coldly. « I have the worst possible location. And I don't have a very developed network. These thugs get bored all day standing here. And since they're retards, instead of playing Pazaak, they'd rather annoy honest people. »
« I see. » I said flatly. « Indeed, better avoid any form of contact with them. Involuntary or not. »
« I can only advise you to do so. » The shopkeeper responded somewhat more sympathetically. « Vulkars are known to behave like spoiled brats. Only, spoiled brats can still be subdued. The Vulkars have weapons and, despite their generalised intellectual deficiency, they know how to use them. »
So they were Vulkars. Sivir never mentioned this. Even though it was a foregone conclusion.
« You're from the Upper City? » The man suddenly questioned.
« Sort of. » I conceded, trying not to give away any more information.
« So watch your backs. Gangs, bounty hunters, thieves, all of these things make our city a dangerous place, for sure. But what makes it potentially deadly for people like you is the lack of information. When you know how to behave, you can avoid a lot of problems. »
I stared at the man. The words he had just spoken to me were full of an insolent accuracy. He was absolutely right.
« Well then, I thank you for letting me know about the nature of these people. I will try not to provoke their curiosity. »
« You're welcome. » He replied. « You should be messing around in Javyar's cantina, which is in Bek territory. I don't hold them in high regard either, but they're much more pleasant and clever than their Vulkar counterparts. » He went on. He then waved his hand and pointed in a direction behind me: an alleyway facing the guarded Vulkar gate. The alleyway Sivir had advised me to go down.
« It's that way. Just go through the alley. »
I nodded understandingly. I greeted the shopkeeper and set off again. I made sure to mingle with the few people who dared to walk so close to the Vulkars, and hurried down the passageway. It was dreadfully dark. The narrowness of the place left little chance for artificial light to get through. The other end of the long alleyway was nevertheless visible, since the various signs on the opposite street swayed almost harshly in the gloom. I made my way as best I could to the end. However, it was very tricky to move around here in groups. So the alleyway was more like a huge queue than a real traffic lane. Nevertheless, I eventually got to my destination, my senses in turmoil as my eyes had struggled to find their way in the darkness and my nose had been assaulted by the worst smells a poorly maintained city could offer. But I was out of there.
Just as Sivir's message had stated, I soon spotted a small Rodian on my right with an old blaster whose paint was peeling off. I approached him, and as I did so I could read the sign just above the door he was guarding: « Javyar. » There it was. Immediately, I went inside. The Rodian merely glanced at me wordlessly.
The entrance to the cantina led to a huge gaming table. A handful of people were sitting there playing all sorts of gambling games. The most famous of them being Pazaak. I bypassed the table and walked across the room to the main space: a circular area whose central hub was the bar. Around it stood dozens of customers; men, women, humans, Twi'leks, Rodians or even Zabraks. This place was a surprisingly homogeneous mix of all the diversity of our galaxy. At least in appearance.
Wasting no more time, I found an empty spot at the bar and settled there. I leaned nonchalantly on the counter, waiting for someone to come and serve me. On the other side of the bar, I could see a bartender pouring drinks to a curious-looking guy: he looked small, but stocky. He was wearing a sort of sand-coloured cap, with several remnants of cloth falling around his neck. His face, which was massive, was covered by a pair of pilot's glasses with dark lenses. He was dressed in a thick blue jacket topped by large leather shoulder patches. I didn't know who he was, but from the expressions on the faces of all my counterparts at the bar and on the man serving him, he must have been one of those guys you didn't want to mess with. So I averted my gaze from him, to spare myself any trouble. A few moments later I felt a wave of relief all around me. I looked up and saw that the little man had gone into another room.
« What can I get you? » The barman, seemingly appearing out of nowhere, asked.
I stared at the man and was about to declaim the absurdities that Sivir had recorded in the data pad. I swallowed and replied:
« Your strongest liquor, please. »
The bartender immediately got to work. He deftly grabbed a glass and a bottle with a golden liquid. He poured a small measure and placed the glass in front of me. Now it was time to take a sip and speak that crazy line. I felt increasingly uncomfortable, all the more so since I was by no means alone at the bar. All I had to do was raise my elbows slightly to touch my neighbours on the left and right. I was going to look like a complete idiot.
I sighed quietly. Come on. Be strong. I'd managed to outwit the Sith, avoid the Vulkars, I wasn't going to let the fear of being laughed at get the best of me.
I took the glass and tilted it so that the liquid reached my mouth. I didn't know what it was exactly, but the way the alcohol burned my gums, I didn't even want to know what it could do to my gullet. I put the glass back down, facing the bartender who was vigorously wiping off some of the dishes. I gave him a few uncertain glances. At last, I spoke forcefully, yet with great apprehension:
« Here is a beverage worthy of the finest in this quagmire! »
Suddenly a stunned pause occurred. I noted that the customers sitting next to me had all ceased chatting and were staring at me with a look that oscillated between astonishment and contempt. The bartender had interrupted his washing up and was glaring at me.
« She made a fool of me. » I thought.
Now I saw the bartender slam down the cloth and the glass he was wiping. He came over to me and, with his hands flat on the counter, he said in a murderous voice:
« The finest in the quagmire are nothing but court jesters. »
He then straightened up and resumed his business before continuing :
« Drink up, pay up, and get out of here before I have security kick you out. »
I would have liked to just look like an idiot. I had just nearly caused a diplomatic crisis. In any case, Sivir had definitely fooled us. Carth was right. But why had I been brought here so « seamlessly », only to find myself persona non grata in the cantina? And Mikann had assured me that I could trust the Hidden Beks. Or maybe she was playing with me too.
The bartender put down his cloth again, and walked to another guy on the other side of the bar. A colleague, most likely. I hadn't even noticed him. From where I was standing I could see them exchanging in an attempt to keep a low profile. He was probably informing the other guy that he had to keep an eye on me.
Then I saw this new person come from the other side of the ring, from my right. He positioned himself in front of me and leaned against the counter, exactly the way his colleague had done a few minutes earlier. In a hushed voice, he began the conversation:
« I apologise for my friend. » He started with quick glances around us. « We have a room available for people like you who value quality. Please follow me. »
The man straightened up and went to the other side of the bar, from which he emerged through a small swinging door. He turned and gave me a firm nod. I leapt up and, leaving my drink aside for anyone who might want it, set off after the bartender. Alongside him I entered another room in the cantina, a room for bands and dancers. A small auditorium, dominated by a promontory stage and surrounded by benches, armchairs and small tables. The room was particularly crowded that evening. The customers were enjoying their drinks, almost bewitched by the swaying of the almost naked female dancers. Nothing like a room full of horny males, unable to take their eyes off these poor women, to hide more confidential spaces. The bartender and I made our way to the back of the stage, where a secure door appeared. The man made a few manipulations on a small terminal built into the door, and it opened. He entered first. The interior was completely dark. I could hear the man take a few steps, and a couple of seconds later the light turned on. Then he came closer to the door we had just passed and said to me emotionlessly:
« Someone will come. »
Then he left the room, leaving me completely alone. He took care to lock the door behind him. The little comfort I had regained evaporated in a split second. In front of me there was another access to who knew where. I went towards it and tried to open it. Nothing happened. I was trapped in this tiny room. With my arms crossed and my eyes staring at the floor, I paced back and forth. Until the door I had tried to force open was activated. A gigantic shadow stood in the doorway. My heart began to pound. Hard. Quickly. So fast. Without thinking, I grabbed my two blasters, ready to defend myself against whatever was about to fall on me. Then I heard what sounded like an animal roar. Nothing that could soothe my distress. I gasped, an uncomfortable heat running through my body, so that I felt a few drops of sweat trickle down my back.
The shadow made a movement, and looked as if it would walk through the doorway. As the creature revealed itself in the dim light of the room, I thought I recognised a species which I certainly did not expect to meet here. At last the huge figure passed through the doorway and, standing up to its full height, it presented itself to me like a wild beast launched into the arena, ready to attack its prey. At least that was what my survival instinct was warning me.
There was no doubt now. It was a Wookie. I was facing a Wookie. And for the first time since the beginning of these crazy adventures, I felt small. Ridiculously small.
At the sight of my two blasters aimed at him, the Wookie let out a wall-shaking roar. Just as I was about to defend myself, a soft voice interrupted the moment:
« Stop, Zaalbar! »
Suddenly the Wookie fell silent and turned his back to me. He stepped aside, leaving the way clear for the other person who had just intruded orally. Not quite ready to lay down my weapons yet, I watched this new silhouette in the doorway, who eventually entered the small room. I then saw a very young woman emerge alongside the Wookie. She had blue skin and two Twi'lek lekkus. It was the girl I had seen with the Sivir on the night of the reception. Immediately I lowered my blasters and stared at the teenager with a relieved, if somewhat shattered, sigh.
« You! Why didn't you go in first? » I asked in exasperation. « I would have felt less endangered. » I finished while replacing my weapons in their respective holster.
The young woman glared at me. She put her hands on her hips and responded indignantly:
« Hey, should I be offended?! » She barked in her childlike voice. The Wookie, who had calmed down, nevertheless let out a grunt in solidarity with the Twi'lek.
« I have already seen you before. » I clarified in an effort to pacify them. « You can understand that between someone I've seen before – with someone we both know – and a Wookie twice the height of the door, I might feel a little nervous. »
The very young woman crossed her arms and glanced at her tall companion, who instantly returned the favour. She then smiled mischievously and shifted her attention to me:
« I'm teasing you! » She proclaimed playfully. « Zaalbar is very protective of me. He always takes the lead, he can't help it. » The little Twi'lek explained, looking tenderly at her friend.
I watched these two partners, somewhat bewildered, without really believing what I was seeing. The duo she formed with Sivir had already proved to be a curious one, but here again I was generously served. I took a step forward and addressed this Zaalbar:
« I apologise. » I said sincerely. The huge creature stared at me attentively. « I'm not a psycho. But I would like to stay alive as long as possible. »
The Wookie just stared at me for a while. I could discern from the corner of my eye that the young woman was stomping softly, her face fixed on her companion. He didn't seem to be paying any attention to the Twi'lek's gesticulations.
« Come on Zaalbar! » She exclaimed, giving the Wookie's arm a light tap. « You see, he means us no harm! And Sivir trusts him. Please suck it up! »
Zaalbar stared at her friend and gave a short series of resigned grunts, causing the young woman to smile widely. The Wookie had finally accepted my apologies. By emotional blackmail, indeed, but he had accepted them. If I had the chance, I would try to prove myself worthy of his respect. But in the meantime, I didn't know the details of what was to come.
« Okay! » The Twi'lek continued. « Let's move on to the serious business. »
« Please. » I replied rather impatiently.
« You've made it this far, now you need to get to the Bek base. » The Twi'lek went on. « It is not very far from here. You'll have to walk a few kilometres, in the direction of the lift that leads to the refugee village and the sewers of Taris. I'll give you exact coordinates. »
« Your base is in the sewers? » I cut in with a candid voice.
« Of course not, I never said you had to use the lift! Please let me finish, and pay more attention! » The teenager grumbled. « The base is several hundred metres from this access. It's a door much like the one the Vulkars have. You walked past it earlier. »
I nodded knowingly.
« The person guarding the door is a human, dark-skinned, short-haired and of small stature. She is armed with a blaster and a stun stick. Just tell her that Sivir sent you. She'll let you through. »
I shot the little Twi'lek a wary look, to which she responded with an uncertain pout.
« What? » She questioned.
« Is that all? » I replied. « I've been brought here, followed some ridiculous protocol, only to be told that all I have to do is tell your guard that Sivir sent me? » As my tone gradually rose, the Wookie seemed to tense up. The teenager seemed to be trying to suppress a fit of laughter from the moment I mentioned the protocol issue.
« What's the big deal? » The young woman added.
« What's the big deal? » I repeated aggressively, which certainly didn't help ease the tension I felt in Zaalbar. « Damn it, why didn't Sivir give these last instructions directly in her message?! Why did you make me play your stupid role-playing game? »
« To cover your tracks. » The teenager retorted flatly. I found myself momentarily speechless. She continued in a much more serious manner than when we started talking:
« Most people here don't care who goes up or down. But the current situation is shaking things up a bit: a guy who manages to get into the Lower City when the Sith are tightly controlling all the accesses, that can raise questions. So we've prepared this little tour for you, and for your potential pursuers. »
I watched the young Twi'lek. I let out a long exhale before speaking again:
« I understand. » I acknowledged, my eyes on the ground. « But I'll have to get out of here, won't I? Any pursuers will just have to resume the process. »
« If you leave the cantina the way you came in, it's pretty obvious. » The Twi'lek remarked. « That's why we're going to take you out elsewhere. Follow us. »
The teenager, followed by her giant companion, walked back through the door behind them. I kept a distance of a few metres before imitating them. On the other side was a wide, dark corridor, lit only by tiny red diodes. At the end of this corridor there seemed to be another entrance. But I wasn't sure, given Zaalbar's imposing stature.
Indeed, the sound of another door could be heard. And immediately the two friends went through it. I hastened slightly and went through it myself. We were now in what looked like an apartment. The same kind as the one where Carth and I had made our « home. » Only this one was much smaller. The windows were completely obscured by thick curtains. In one corner there was a single bunk. In another corner there was a small round table and two chairs, next to a tiny kitchen. I didn't even see a sanitary cell. Perhaps here these facilities were shared with all the occupants of the building.
« Come over here. » The young woman called out, as she walked closer to the bunk. Zaalbar was leaning against the wall near the front door of the flat. I approached the Twi'lek. I watched her dig into a chest at the foot of the bed and pull out a pile of clothes. Then she stood up and gave me a frank look:
« You're going to change. » She told me bluntly. « It's our gang's outfit. » She said.
I reached for the clothes and untied the pile, examining the pieces one by one.
« Hey, we're not introducing you to a fashion parade, so put it on quickly! » The young woman grew impatient. « And you'll let me put the balaclava on you, you won't know how to do it yourself. »
« The what? » I questioned, my eyes fixed on her.
« Hurry up! »
I complied with the little Twi'lek's order immediately. In a few minutes I had discarded almost all the clothes Mikann had given me. Simultaneously, I had seen the young woman working by the door we had come through; a moment later, a vertical panel emerged from the floor and covered the door.
Once I got dressed, the Twi'lek walked over to me again, grabbed the last of the clothing and proceeded to put it on me.
« It would be nice if you could sit down, I'm not exactly your size. » She said. I obliged, taking place on the bed. Now the teenager was able to put on the so-called 'balaclava'.
It took her several minutes to overcome this strange accessory. It was obviously designed to be wrapped around the head in such a way as to conceal the face almost completely, leaving openings only for the eyes and mouth. And before we could even think of starting the manoeuvre, it had been necessary to untie my hair and press it as best we could against the surface of my skull.
« That's it! Now all the curious ones who might have followed you will have a hard time getting their hands on you again! » The young woman exclaimed. « You are ready to complete your journey! »
« I can't wait. » I sneered, getting up from the bed.
« Zaalbar, gimme the coordinates! »
She called out, no longer paying any attention to me. The Wookie lifted himself off the wall he'd been standing on and searched through a satchel slung over his shoulder. He looked like he was getting something out of it, but given his size and the length of his fur, it was impossible for me to distinguish any item. He went to his friend, waiting for him with both hands joined. He dropped a small data card into it and the teenager extended it to me.
« Insert this in your pad. » She said. « You'll get a clearer idea of where to go next. Try to memorise. A Hidden Bek who needs a map to get to his base, that sounds strange. »
I nodded and grabbed my small data pad into which I inserted the card. Indeed, a map popped up, along with a number of instructions. The itinerary didn't seem very complicated. I had been given a few precise landmarks that were easy to remember. I looked up at the young woman and said:
« Thank you… » I paused. « What's your name, by the way? »
The Twi'lek replied with childish cheerfulness :
« Mission Vao! »
