Chapter 16: Jazal

Aboard the Liberator, in Hyperspace

The much smaller bridge of an Acclamator made it much more difficult to delegate tasks to an entire fleet. While Venator-class Star Destroyers offered two bridges, with ample room for advisors, analysts, and science officers to work within earshot of the flag officer, as well as six holoprojectors spread over the two bridges and two war rooms, an Acclamator offered none of that infrastructure. It had just one bridge, half the size of a bridge on a Venator, one war room, and a few offices.

But Jazal did not feel she could use either of the Venators. Both were staffed with dozens of officers who had been commissioned into the Republic Navy directly from the Eriadu-based Outland Regions Security Force. Buzz wouldn't survive the night on the Bisectrix, Jazal had thought grimly to herself. Buzz killed Miralo.

Jazal wasn't sure she could trust the almost entirely Clone crew of the Liberator either. Yet, sensing no deception from any of the Clones around her, she felt relatively safe in her decision. The Pelta-class would be ideal, but there's no way the sickbay on it would be up to the herculean task of keeping Wulf alive.

"Ma'am, message to you from General Windu," the Clone at the comm station reported.

"All right, patch it to me," Jazal sighed, pulling out her Shadowsync. Out of all the Jedi on the Council, Mace Windu had seemed the most skeptical of Jazal's claims that Bothans were engaged in consciousness transfer.

The moment she felt Mace Windu's bald head bubble up on the viscous surface of her datapad, she opened her mouth, speaking with a polite smile. "Greetings, Master Windu. There have been developments."

"—Friendly fire?!" Mace Windu gasped incredulously. "And you've taken an Admiral into custody. Jazal, do you have any idea how this looks?"

"I am just as upset as you, Master Windu," Jazal cautioned. "But, as I have been saying since my mission to Krant, the Bothans are up to something. Master Ras Andromias, I reported, had a Bothan-shaped mind—"

"—What does that mean?! How do you know a mind is 'Bothan-shaped'? How—"

"—CT-0099, Buzz, also has a Bothan-shaped—"

"—Jazal, do you know how crazy this—"

"—I am bringing CT-0099 to the Temple myself," Jazal interrupted, raising her voice to a near-shout. "Along with Lieutenant Commander Lir Sey'les, Lieutenant Itoll Oc'skar, and Admiral Wilhuff Tarkin, who are in my custody. Lir Sey'les and Itoll Oc'skar will verify what I told you, if you give them a plea deal."

"I can't grant them a plea deal," Mace Windu said sternly. "That is not in the control of the High Council, but entirely at the discretion of the ROCI. You haven't offered them a plea deal have you?"

Sensing dozens of eyes were on her, Jazal turned around, walking to the emptier part of the bridge as she lowered her voice. "No, Master, I haven't. I have not interviewed them yet."

"Then how do you know they will accept a plea bargain?! How do you know they will verify what you say? How—"

"—Because I know Itoll," Jazal snorted derisively, as if finding Mace Windu's remark completely stupid. "And clearly, the Spynet betrayed him. If he starts talking, Sey'les will too. CT-0099—"

"—Must be examined by the Kaminoans," Mace Windu interrupted impatiently, in a tone far more neutral than Jazal's.

"WHAT?!" Jazal screamed furiously. This must be a coverup… "Master Windu, I don't see the utility in covering this up."

"I am not covering anything up," Windu huffed in affront, clearly reaching the limits of his patience. "I don't believe CT-0099 is a Bothan. I believe he is a rogue Clone suffering from Cloning Madness, and the Kaminoans need to examine him to make sure—"

"—I am not turning this ship around, flying all the way to Kamino, so you can STEAL my one piece of evidence!" Jazal gasped, gripping her datapad tightly. "That is not going to happen!"

"You're right," Mace Windu grunted. "I am ordering you to Carida, where you will rendezvous with Doctor Nala Se at Valor station. She is on her way now, and is arriving before you. You will allow her to examine CT-0099, after which point you will return to Coruscant with him and the results of her scans."

"I—I will take this up with..." Jazal stammered, beginning in a furious voice, but slowly calming down. Whoa. He agreed with me. Okay, maybe I was giving him too hard of a time. She sat still, feeling Mace Windu's face on her screen as she pondered this.

"All right," Jazal sighed at last when Mace Windu said nothing more. She then spoke in a calm serene tone, as if she had never been upset at all. "That is agreeable. Thank you Master Windu. Have a good day."

Mace Windu's eyebrows furrowed. With a bitter sigh, he hung up without saying a word.

o.o.o.o.o

Asir Kroy'lya

Aboard the Fensk, in Hyperspace

Asir could hardly wait to get Vasa Ro'val off her ship and back to Atzerri. While she kept her feelings and thoughts about that infuriating elderly ex-Spynet Director to herself as best she could, Asir's cream and brown fur twitched impatiently. Asir found that meditating more often did little to alleviate her anger.

Her casual partner, subordinate, Spynet asset, Defel, and pet project, Arakh, was able to perceive Asir's frustration. He often ran his grubby fat Defel fingers through her mane, cooing "it will be okay, Major. Just tell me what's bothering you."

Asir found this nearly intolerable. I wanted Arakh to be more perceptive of others' emotions. More thoughtful. I did not want this!

What was most perturbing to Asir, as she sat in the pilot's seat, was that even though Vasa was seated right behind them, Arakh reached his lanky arm from the copilot chair, and began petting her mane. As the hyperspace star streaks reflecting off her bright blue golden-speckled irises, both of Asir's ears batted in annoyance, as if warding off a swarm of pestering insects.

"Arakh," Asir growled cautiously, "perhaps I don't want you rubbing your fingers through my hair when we have company."

"Oh, sorry Asir," Arakh stammered, withdrawing his lanky arm.

Vasa choked, making gagging noises as she looked up from her datapad.

"WHAT?!" Asir snapped, snarling as she spun around. Her fur bristled with fury. "Do you have a problem with Arakh because he's a Defel? Because he's a bit different from you?! Do you—"

"—No!" Vasa interrupted, greying fur swirling nervously. "I mean, yes, but no. No, I just got a message from our friend on Leritor."

"Who's our friend on Leritor?" Arakh growled, ears perked up high.
Asir blinked in surprise, shaking her head in confusion at Vasa's nervousness. "Who is our friend on Leritor? Wait—Where is Leritor?!"

"That information is need-to-know," Vasa said abruptly. "Pray that you never need to know."

Then why are you telling me? Asir's annoyance with Vasa flashed returned with vengeance. "Why the hell would you tell me the codename of an asset I have no clearance to know about? Why do you constantly dangle information in front of my snout?"

"We don't have time for this," Vasa yelped. "Fen's been compromised! Our friend on Leritor says the Kaminoans are picking him up from Carida, so we are going to Carida."

A wave of dread suddenly came over her. Without saying a word, Asir turned around and grabbed the hyperdrive lever. The Fensk reverted to normal space on the Hydian Way.

"Asir to all hands, change of plans. We are going to Carida."