Chapter 24: CC-4678 "Nites"

Coruscant

On the landing pad attached to the balcony of Apartment 761, Phare Apartments, Central District, an LAAT/le police interceptor was parked. At 0300 in the morning, a group of three Covert Ops Clones stood at the front door, in black and grey camouflage armour. Two were tinkering with the door controls.

Sergeant Nites, their sniper, enhanced his helmet vision with an electrobinocular, nervously looking across the speeder lane for heat signatures. While the interceptor was a genuine LAAT/le, and it was very late at night, their position was completely exposed. Someone in an adjacent apartment building could be watching them. It was also entirely possible a surveillance camera somewhere in the vicinity was active.

This would have been much better to pull off on a Coruscant rain day.

"All right, got it," Moz, their combat engineer, said onto the comm.

Nites heard the automatic doors hiss open. No alarm sounded.

"Kagi, swing by and pick us up in twenty," Commander Venn ordered, "your position is too exposed."

"Yes sir," Kagi replied onto the channel.

A gust of wind blew against their armour as the interceptor ascended from the platform. It turned gently to port, then looped around the apartment complex, before ascending into the night time clouds.

"Everyone inside," Venn said quickly. "Clear off the platform Nites."

Reluctantly, Nites turned away from the apartment across the street, then followed Moz and Venn into the apartment. His infrared helmet display remained useful as he stepped into the dark room.

"This is weird sir," Moz said worriedly, unpacking hyperspace tracking devices from his bags. "The lights didn't automatically turn on."

"Jazal is a Miraluka," Venn explained cautiously. "They don't have eyes."

"Right sir."

"Not detecting any threats," Nites said, looking down at his datapad display.

"We already checked that," Venn said gruffly. "Were you paying attention?"

"Yes sir," Nites stammered, looking around the room. "It's just… Ah… found the lights." He walked around the kitchen counter, reaching for a lightswitch—

"Leave the lights," Venn ordered. "If we start turning on lights, we'll be more likely to be detected." He approached Nites, holding a sack of small clothespin-sized plastic devices. "Take these."

Nites took the sack, looking curiously inside.

"Same plan," Venn explained. "Imperator Actual wants us to put one on any outer article of clothing that belongs to Itoll Oc'skar. Don't put them in underwear, socks, shirts—Things where he's likely to feel it. Stick to coats, hats, Boots..."

"Uh yes sir," Nites muttered, walking around the room. He jostled the sack, feeling its weight. "This seems a bit excessive, how likely is Itoll Oc'skar to have this many items of outerwear?"

"I dunno," Venn muttered gruffly. "Trooper, just follow orders. If you have extras, take them back with us."

"Yes sir," Nites and Moz chanted in unison.

o.o.o.o.o

Itoll Oc'skar

"Hey asshole!" a familiar gruff voice came from behind Itoll, slapping him roughly on the shoulder.

Itoll scowled, looking up from his bowl of Anoat Oats.

Sitting across from him at the breakfast table, Sey'les did the same. "Who's this guy?"

"Rael Averross," Itoll said with mock cheerfulness, looking up at the human's bearded face.

Rael Averross looked much the same as he had nearly a year ago. His hair was slightly greyer, but the main difference was his attire. Instead of the tattered rags and tank top he used to wear, Averross was in the same patchy brown prison robes Itoll and Sey'les wore.

"Nice to meet you," Sey'les said, extending a hand.

"You are looking sharp," Itoll snorted, nodding in approval at Averross's prison robes.

"I heard things," Averross said darkly, taking a seat next to Itoll without being invited. "My friend says you two finally found Pax. That you're here because of what happened afterwards. Sedition against the Jedi. How did you commit sedition against the Jedi?"

"Huh," Itoll sighed, ear batting in annoyance. He sure knows more than I'd expect.

"Who is your friend?" Sey'les asked, ears perked up. "The one who told you about us?"

"That is my business," Averross said, giving a suspicious glance over his shoulder to the Temple Guards.

"Well, if I don't answer your question, will you throw a safe at me?" Itoll growled wryly.

"That's not fair Oc'nel," Averross grunted, balling his fists. "I was not myself when that happened."

"It's Oc'skar now…"

"Oc'skar?" Averross asked incredulously. "The kriff does that mean?!"

"Wait, he threw a safe at you?" Sey'les snarled, flashing her teeth. "A safe?!"

"Not at me. At Pax," Itoll explained. "Back on Alpheridies, before we returned to Coruscant, right before I joined your team. It was part of the shtak that… That caused all of this."

"I did not throw a safe!" Averross yelled, jumping to his feet. Two of the Temple guards reached for their lightsabers, but stood back. "That Wookiee threw a safe! I just cut it in half to defend myself. I was only—"

"—Rael," Jazal hissed, walking up to their table.

"Hey Jazal," Itoll sighed.

Sey'les looked completely confused. Her fur swirled with suspicion as she looked at Rael, then at Jazal. "What is going on?"

"A reunion it seems," Jazal muttered, taking a seat.

"I'll—I'll be going then," Averross said in a disarming tone, noticing that several Temple Guards were now staring at him. "Nice to see you all again."

For a tense moment, Averross walked towards the exit with Itoll, Sey'les, and most other beings with eyes staring at him.

"Best to make friends Itoll," Sey'les growled once Rael disappeared out of sight. "We might be in here for the rest of our lives."

Itoll sighed despondently, looking as absurd as ever in his old Jedi robes. The rest of our lives… "I suppose Rael's getting old too, and he smoked a ton. We'll probably only have to deal with him for another five years? Maybe ten? How long do humans live for?"

"You're right," Jazal said grimly, seeming to snap out of a daydream. "No—I mean, not about being in here for the rest of your lives, nor about human life expectancy. Rael is 63 Itoll. He's gonna be around for… Never mind."

Itoll and Sey'les both turned to Jazal with confused looks on their faces.

"You're right about just… Kriffing all of it," Jazal sighed cynically. "Everyone. Anyone. The system. Being loyal to the highest bidder—"

"—Jazal!" Itoll yelped, "I didn't do anything for the highest—"

"—Why does it matter anymore?" Jazal interrupted with a rhetorical question. "You were right to participate in a plan to kill Tarkin; wrong in how you went about it, but kriff… It's all gone to hell!"

Itoll gulped nervously. "Jazal, what is the matter?"
"You can talk to us," Sey'les added, fur swirling as she put a hand on Jazal's shoulder.

"The Vice Chancellor pardoned Tarkin," Jazal whispered, lowering her voice.

"What?!" Itoll yelped.

"No way," Sey'les snarled. "There's… For what? What did they pardon him for?"

"Everything." Jazal leaned back in her chair, turning her eyeless face towards the ceiling. "Everything. The Navy discharged him, just like they did to you, but then the Chancellor gave him a direct commission."

"So he's an admiral again?" Itoll asked, snout hanging open.

"No... No. He's a Captain," Jazal explained. "The High Council couldn't seem to decide whether they wanted to kill Tarkin or protect him. Either way, Even Piell assigned himself to Tarkin duty."

"Assigned himself?" Itoll could not fathom how that could possibly work.

"Even Piell is a member of the High Council," Jazal said, still staring up at the ceiling. Her tone sounded like she still did not grasp the situation fully herself. "He's… He assigned himself."

"Well, that explains it then Jazal," Itoll scoffed sarcastically.

"I should have had your backs the entire time," Jazal croaked. "You were right. This entire system... I can't even…"

"Jazal," Sey'les growled cautiously, "I have a question."

"What is it Sey'les?" Jazal sighed, sitting up straight.

"Why are Itoll and I in Jedi robes?"

Jazal snorted, shaking her head. "We need to focus on your statements. Framing things… I've been thinking… When you two sold profiles of the Jedi to the Spynet, did you use any classified information?"

"No…" Sey'les growled thoughtfully, thinking it over for a moment.

"I didn't sell any Jedi psych profiles to the Spynet," Itoll sighed, clasping his hands together between his billowing robe sleeves. "My first interaction with the Spynet was when Sey'les brought me to Vasa Ro'val's office."

"You… Oh," Jazal gasped then began stammering. "I thought—I wrote—This changes things."

o.o.o.o.o

A few mystifying hours later, Itoll stood at the steps of the Jedi Temple. The chilly early spring Coruscanti air pushed through his fur. He was now a free Bothan.

So many things about the last few days were both confusing and stupid… At least I will be able to make it to Fojo's funeral.

"Itoll, you should stay at…" Jazal started, but then her voice died.

Itoll gulped. At your apartment. "Yeah. It really doesn't feel right coming home to Fojo's parents," he croaked, tears forming in his eyes as his fur twirled unhappily under his billowing Jedi prison robes. "I will stay there, at least for a few weeks."

Jazal took a step forward then stood still, as if to stop herself from invading his personal space.

Itoll took a step forward and squeezed his arms tightly around her. Jazal gasped in surprise, then hugged him back.

"It would be nice if you came by," Itoll sighed. "I feel like I am… Not really afraid of you anymore."

"Re—really?" Jazal stammered.

"Yeah. Just try and help Sey'les. She really…" Itoll started, but then wasn't quite sure about what Sey'les really was. It felt very wrong though to just leave her in prison. "It was wrong of Sey'les to use her knowledge of Jedi to help the Spynet do their stuff. But she's suffered enough. This really isn't a big deal… This whole war is nonsense and you know it. Maybe if you get Sey'les out, you can form your own investigation of the consciousness transfer. Maybe with Kev's help, we can at least find more evidence."

"Maybe," Jazal agreed thoughtfully. "I won't be able to make it over to the Central District for at least a few days."

"I have nothing to do. Nowhere to go," Itoll sighed despondently. "I will be waiting."

"You don't sound too happy about that," Jazal snorted.

"You're right," Itoll sighed. "On the bright side, my record is not clean but… I can put this whole thing behind me. With Pax dead, the Separatists won't be after me and with my discharge, I no longer have to fight a war I know is nonsense. I just hope it can end soon… Maybe with the Corporate Alliance headquarters hit, the Separatists will be scared into surrendering?"

"I doubt it," Jazal said firmly. "If anything, we probably made the Separatists more angry."