Chapter 7
Taz and Lyra rose early as they had for the past couple of days, but like clockwork, Jerric came by and insisted they have some breakfast before they left. Varun and Tess were already there, and Lyra wondered if they'd spent the night. Bixy rolled by, beeped and hooted what passed for morning greetings in the binary language of droids, and handed around cups of sarna.
Reiko and Sera filed in twenty minutes later, just as Amanda was taking a breakfast casserole from the oven. Lyra hadn't really eaten breakfast much with her family; Dinner had always been the big family meal at the Nimor household. She appreciated the sense of belonging that the Daros seemed to inspire with their generosity.
They sat down to breakfast and tucked in right away. Jerric looked like he suddenly remembered something. He uttered a mild curse, then said, "Forgive me, Lyra. I meant to get the turbine manifold looked at yesterday, but it got away from me."
Lyra was about to dismiss his concern when Rei interjected, "Nothing to worry about, Mr. Daro, I took care of that for you yesterday." To Lyra she said, "Should be good as new."
"Now Reiko dear, if you keep doing things like that, how am I ever going to get my husband to fix anything around this house?" Amanda joked.
"It's the least I can do, Mrs. Daro. You've treated us all so well since we arrived."
"Well thank you, young lady!" Jerric exclaimed, looking chagrined and grateful all at once. He helped himself to another big spoonful of Amanda's casserole.
The site Taz had selected for the day's survey was smaller, and quite a bit closer than the expansive temple where she and Taz had discovered their mutual attraction two days ago. Lyra barely had time to warm up the engines before they'd arrived. She circled the site so Taz could take some high angle recordings before she set the Skywagon down.
Taz hopped out of the aircar and took his gear from the back seat. Wonder if he'll want to revisit that part of our first trip? She considered the possibility, but decided it wouldn't be a good idea. She'd enjoyed herself, maybe more than at any time in her life. But over the last couple of days she'd confirmed to herself that she definitely was not ready for a serious relationship, with Taz Oktos or anyone else. I might settle for a casual one, though. Whether he'd want that was an open question that she'd need to answer at some point.
She wondered about the pendant he'd offered her. She hadn't really gotten a good look at it in the darkness, but it must have been crafted by hand. Did he make it for me himself? If he had, then her rejection had probably made him feel even worse. Maybe she'd been too hasty. She could ask for it now, but she couldn't think of any way to do that without sounding awkward, patronizing, or both. After a minute she decided to leave things as they were. She'd just have to look for the right time.
Vexing relationship questions aside, she grabbed her pack and trotted after him. Taz was already at work, setting up a tall tripod he'd borrowed from Jerric Daro in the approximate center of the latest tumble of old stones they were visiting. He attached his hand scanner to the top of the motorized mount and extended the tripod's center post until the scanner was about nine meters in the air. Taz checked the level on the tripod, then stepped back.
"You're actually enjoying this, aren't you?"
"These were left here by a race of tall humanoids. We won't have time to do anything more than a surface scan, but it might be interesting to know who they were." Taz pressed a button on a small remote. The tripod motor began rotating. "Maybe someone who actually knows what they're doing can make use of the data." He tapped at his pad to start the multi-spectral imager on his hand scanner.
"Why'd you decide to set up the scanner like that?"
"I attended a technical academy on Filve that was run by HyperDyne Comm Systems, the company my parents worked for." Data began appearing on his datapad. "It was mostly engineering, computers, other technical subjects, but there were a handful of non-technical courses that were actually kind of popular. I audited a class on filvian anthropology. It was a nice class. Kept me interested in school when I was bored with my 'real' subjects." Taz looked over his shoulder at Lyra. She watched him with a hand on her hip and a hint of an amused smile. "What about you? Did you study anything non-technical like that?"
"My mother was a maths teacher, and dad was a sculptor. They wanted Allegra and me to have a 'balanced' education, so we got history, languages, science, philosophy, music, art, dancing, and math of course… you name it."
"Wow, that sounds like a full plate. Did you like it?"
"Some, but not all of it. I was only average in maths. Mum never let me live that down." She laughed.
Taz smiled. "I like it when you laugh."
Lyra was caught off-guard by that. "Um, thanks." She blushed in spite of herself. She'd never been good at receiving praise graciously, and he made her feel even more self-conscious about it. Maybe because he's so earnest. She cleared her throat and went on. "Besides, I was a teenage girl. I wanted to go shopping, hang about with my friends, sneak out of the house to meet boys, stuff like that. Being studious was pretty far down my list of priorities."
Taz grinned. "I'm having a hard time envisioning Lyra the delinquent."
"Yeah. Seems like a long time ago. Funny how much people change when something happens." She drifted into silence, and Taz could see she was remembering the tragedy she'd suffered.
"Were they nice people? Your parents, I mean."
"Yeah, they were," she said, sounding melancholy. She put on an upbeat smile. "Yours?"
Taz shrugged. "They loved me, in their way, my sisters too. But they were both engineers, busy all the time with one project or another for HyperDyne. I remember one time they were working on some kind of subspace communication booster. We didn't see them for three months. They bundled us off to the school dorms. After that we pretty much just lived at the technical academy. Funny, them being Dahannists and all."
"What's a Dahannist?"
"Dahann is one of the philosophies that human Filvians practice. Some people think of it as a religion. I suppose it could be, but it doesn't have a concept of deities, as such. It's more like… striving for enlightenment. They stressed the importance of family relationships in a lot of their scriptures. I suppose that part came from the native Filvians. Most of It never caught on with me, though they made us sit through the teachings. I use the meditations sometimes. They make it easier for me to clear my mind when I want to use the Force."
Lyra looked a little somber. "Sounds like your childhood wasn't all that happy."
Taz waved his hand. "Don't get me wrong, we had it alright. We just had to look after ourselves. Dahannists are pacifists, too, so they weren't too happy when I decided to join the Filvian resistance. I ended up running away from the academy when I was seventeen. It took mom a couple of years before she'd return any of my holos, and by that time, well, I'd pretty much decided I was going it alone anyway. I'd met Tess in the meantime, and she and the rest of the Olminar's crew kind of became my family. Eventually, I stopped writing. We were busy, or on the run. I let time get away from me. It was only when Vrast was destroyed that I realized the opportunity I'd lost."
They both were silent for a while. "Well, that killed the mood," Lyra said.
"Yeah." He scowled and fiddled with his datapad. The scanner finished the laser imaging survey. "Anyway, sand over the dunes, as they say. Sorry."
"Don't apologize, Oktos. We both have regrets."
Taz nodded. Their families had been casualties in the war that had ripped the galaxy apart. She knew the anguish he felt, and he knew hers. "You know, if you ever want to talk about anything… I might not have any answers, but I can listen."
Lyra smiled a little. "Thanks. You too, I guess."
She's hesitant. I said too much. "You don't have to," he hastened to add. "I'm not asking you to listen to me or anything." Taz exhaled, feeling awkward and frustrated. This is hard. I wish it wasn't. "I'm not trying to obligate you or anything. I'm just saying the offer's there if you want. No strings attached." The corner of his mouth twitched into a nervous scowl. "Anyway, looks like the scan's done. Give me a hand pulling this down?"
He's just trying to help, Lyra. It was endearing in a way, but it scared her too. Opening up had never been easy for her.
Taz started lowering the center mast. She put her hand on his arm. "I appreciate the offer, I do. I'm just not sure what I'd say."
He nodded, but didn't look at her. "As much or as little as you'd like, Lyra. Or nothing at all."
"I'll… think about it." When they'd secured the scanner, Taz folded the tripod. She was glad for the distraction. "What's next, Doctor Oktos?"
He tapped at the datapad, reviewing the imaging map the scanner had uploaded. It showed the surrounding area for a radius of thirty meters. Without the tall waving grasses to obscure things, they could clearly make out the contours of dozens of small round foundations, laid out in a rough grid with space between them that could have been something like intersecting footpaths. He overlaid the EM and chemical surveys.
Lyra leaned over to get a better look. "What do you make of it?"
"Maybe a settlement of some kind. These foundations could have been houses. See these chemical readings showing carbonized cellulose, and these disturbances in the local magnetic field? Those could correlate to something like hearths, cooking fires... something like that. They line up with the building foundations pretty consistently." He looked at her and grinned uncertainly. "That's just a guess from someone who audited a class once, though."
"Seems like a good one, or something plausible, I guess." She checked her chrono. "We've got another seven hours before we have to get back. What do you say we keep going and see how big this site is."
"Are you sure? I don't want you to get bored while I waste time."
"You're not going to go into another trance for six hours, are you?"
Taz looked embarrassed. "Not this time."
"Then I don't think it'll be a waste of time. Honestly, I've never really seen the point of this kind of thing. I mean, why spend years studying something that's been long dead and gone? But after visiting that temple, I think I understand why it could be important. You said it yourself; there's no harm in bringing this information back. Maybe someone will be able to use it." And spending the day with him probably won't be terrible. "It'll be like a treasure hunt."
Her eyes sparkled, and it looked to Taz like she might be having fun too. "Well if you insist," he teased, "then I think it sounds like a great idea. Treasure hunt it is."
Toma Orras, Project Rho-277's chief engineer, looked over the new focusing array that had just exited the auto-assembler. She held a long, delicate looking sensor probe and touched it to the array at different points. It transferred information along a slender fiber optic cable to the cerebral implant that wrapped around the back of her head from temple to temple. She consulted the information displayed on the holographic eyepiece extended from the implant as she went. After minutes of examination, she turned to the other two people in the big, sterile room. "The focusing array meets our specifications, Director Tafo, Adjutant Ruatha." Her voice was tonally flat, with a distinctly metallic ring. Like many who'd had cybernetics wired directly to her brain, she displayed minimal emotional affect. She ran a gloved hand along the four-meter length of the carefully ground and highly polished kyber crystal. "This should amplify the nominal output of the KX-Twenty-nine turbolaser by a factor of one thousand or more."
Tafo took the pad from Orras and reviewed the data himself. Ruatha clasped her hands behind her back and rocked back and forth on the balls of her feet. After all of the production delays, she looked satisfied, for once. The director finished scrolling through the data. Handing back the pad, he said, "How soon can we move into full production, Orras?"
"Sir, manufacturing line four is in the final stages of construction. It should be completed within the week. The team confirms that the other auto-assemblers have passed their pre-production testing."
"How many of these arrays will we be able to produce at the line's rated capacity?" asked Ruatha. She had little patience for the minutiae of the manufacturing process. Results were what they needed now.
"Twelve to sixteen per week, ma'am, assuming we have the necessary raw materials."
"Excellent. How long to install this focusing array on the Kantorius?"
The activity lights on Orras's cerebral implant blinked as she accessed the schedule data. "Work will begin in four hours, Adjutant."
"Get it loaded on the transport," Tafo ordered.
"Right away, Director." Orras connected to the droid coordination center via her implant's data link. A wide door panel rolled up at the far end of the inspection chamber. Six cargo lifter droids came in bearing a repulsor frame. They fitted it to the crystal-enhanced focusing array, then activated the coils. The array lifted twenty centimeters off the ground. Orras nodded and the droids moved it back through the door they came in from.
"Oversee the completion of the manufacturing line personally, Orras," Ruatha said, tilting her head toward a smaller door at the other end of the room. "Well? Go on."
"Very well, Adjutant, Director." She saluted and strode out of the room.
After she'd gone the two of them went to the wall. Ruatha took a code cylinder out of her right shoulder pocket and plugged it into the scomp port. A rectangular panel in the clean white wall depressed, then slid aside and a round, black hatch behind opened with a sharp hiss. Tafo stepped into the tube car, ducking through the low opening. Ruatha followed. They sat on facing upholstered benches. The hatch hissed closed behind them. Repulsor rings around the tube car hummed, pushing it through an airless tunnel at a terrific velocity.
"These interminable delays, finally over." Ruatha said, clenching her fist tight. "No thanks to you!" she snapped.
Tafo was having none of her insolence. "You act like new science and engineering runs on a schedule, Vaniel. I shouldn't be surprised. COMPNOR and ISB don't need people who actually think, just loyal drones."
"Have a care, Director," she spewed the word. "Your disloyalty to the Empire—"
"You're joking, right? Either that or you're even stupider than I'd have thought possible for someone with a functioning brain. What idiot would remain loyal to a state that lost?" He barreled on, heedless of the sharp retort she'd opened her mouth to deliver. "You think Palpatine's Empire is worth resurrecting? That madman wanted the Empire to fall! It's clear as day, Ruatha, if you cared to look. He never intended the Empire to survive him. You think his order to gather all of our forces at Jakku was for its strategic advantage? It was intended to strangle us and the Rebels, to leave both sides so bloodied that neither would survive!"
"You're so wrong, Tillisk," she seethed, "but then, your loyalty to the Empire has never been more than superficial, has it? If it was genuine, the Emperor would have had no need to send me here."
"Hah! You're here because you failed everywhere else! This fantasy of yours that you were Palpatine's hand-picked choice is pathetic, even for you. The ISB sent a failure to Rho Two-seven-seven, Vaniel. That shows how much they think of you and your fawning loyalty. Besides," He gestured, swinging his arm in an arc to take in the expansive facility, "we've been operating outside of our mandate for months. You know as well as I that we're only authorized to mine crystals for the Onager fleet."
"Watch your tongue, Tafo. You think I need you to keep Sigma Nova alive."
"No, I know you need me. I have the command codes for the Kantorius, and the specs for the kyber enhancements. And I have the contacts we'll need to build a fleet of ships that won't attract attention from the self-styled New Republic."
She opened her mouth to continue their row but thought better of it. Tafo was a self-important popinjay with an outsized impression of his own importance, but she understood that he had a role to play in their plans. She'd bided time to her advantage before. She could do the same now. And when she no longer needed him, she'd take immense pleasure in eliminating him herself.
The tube car slowed to a halt. A hatch opened at the opposite end of the carriage. Ruatha climbed out, stepping onto a poured permacrete floor in an immense hangar. Overhead a network of steel girders supported a gigantic moveable roof. Tafo stepped beside her, tugging on the hem of his tunic.
In the center of the space sat the Kantorius. The 150-meter-long dagger of a ship swarmed with tech droids. On its dorsal surface near the bow had been grafted a long KX-29 turbolaser cannon, a model that was meant for a much larger ship. Its power and cooling conduits dug into the Imperial corvette's hull like burrowing worms. Robotic armatures lifted the new kyber crystal and aligned it in the turbolaser's focusing chamber. A dozen droids made minute adjustments to the alignment. Another dozen fixed it in place with micrometer mounts and secured them within the big gun's chassis.
A man wearing a naval officer's uniform strode forward, accompanied by a pair of stormtroopers. Squads of the white-armored shock troops stood in formation at the other end of the hangar, under review by their superiors.
The officer, who wore two blue and one red tile on his rank plaque, stopped before Tafo and Ruatha. He rendered a snappy salute. "Director, Adjutant."
"Progress report, Lieutenant Braxx," demanded Tafo. He knew how far behind schedule they were.
"Sir, fitment and alignment testing of the enhanced KX-Twenty-nine will be finished in ten hours. After that, she'll be ready for trials."
"What about the new shields?" Ruatha asked.
Braxx looked uncomfortable. "The technicians are still working through— " he quoted from his datapad— "'inconsistencies in the field density'. The shields are operating at up to seventy-eight percent above normal strength, but the increase isn't uniform. The average field density appears to be one hundred twenty-one percent of nominal."
Tafo and Ruatha both wore scowls. "Unacceptable!" Ruatha snapped. Braxx flinched.
"No one has ever tried modifying shield emitters this way," Tafo pointedly reminded her. "It's not ideal, but for trials, it will be acceptable." Ruatha looked sharply at him. He raised a gloved hand to forestall her. "The shield team can continue their work while the trials on the weapon move forward."
Ruatha didn't look happy about it but she crossed her arms. "Very well."
"Consumables for the laser, Lieutenant?"
"We're loading crystals in two hours, sir. Accommodating the reactor for the enhanced laser and shields required more space than we anticipated. We've removed the concussion missiles, and converted the cargo holds and about half of the crew spaces to compensate. She'll have to run on a skeleton crew."
Tafo waved the issue aside. "No matter, for our purposes, Lieutenant. Anything else?"
"Environmental sys—" he stopped as the comlink in his ear beeped. After a moment he said, "Sir, ma'am, Admiral Jellick is calling on the ship's comm for you. He says it's urgent."
They boarded the corvette and took the aft lift up to the command deck. Jellick's holo image appeared on a table. "Clear the bridge!" Tafo ordered. The three officers present saluted and exited through doors at the rear of the control pit.
When they were alone, Tafo activated the comm circuit, "Admiral Jellick. What have you to report?"
Jellick frowned in the holo image. "The names you wanted me to check came back. You have Rebels and traitors in your midst!"
Ruatha looked infuriated and vindicated all at once. Tafo's assured countenance faltered. "Explain, Admiral."
"ISB has data on four of your 'guests'. Varun Numarkos is a captain in New Republic Fleet Intelligence. He's a Corulag Academy grad who started training with the ISB before defecting to the Alliance four years ago."
"His position at TaggeCo?" Ruatha prodded.
"Checks out, but it's probably a cover."
"What about the others?"
"Tessalyn Daro and Serasana Rendix are both flagged as members of a dangerous Rebel cell in the Dufilvian sector. They're suspected of interdicting funds and equipment at Borga that were intended for a new sector fleet, destroying the star destroyers Emphyr & Hammer of Vengeance, and disrupting the Filvian subjugation. We also think they assassinated the Imperial Governor on Filve and conducted acts of insurrection against the protectorate forces there, including the destruction of several capital ships. They are dangerous people."
"Ensign Lyra Nimor is AWOL from the Customs office. She was last listed as having deserted her post on Jakku two months ago."
Ruatha seethed. "You've let spies and saboteurs run free at our facility, Tafo! Who knows how much they've learned of our operation?"
"You are ordered to detain them at once for capital crimes against the Empire. I'll dispatch a security team to bring them to Eadu immediately. Agent Ruatha, you may begin interrogations, but I want them alive and unharmed. They will be made an example of, after which they will be executed for sedition."
Tafo was red-faced as he clenched his gloved fists. "'Holistic approach' to research. I knew that doctor was a fraud as soon as he said that!" Then to Jellick: "They've been under Ruatha's surveillance since their arrival." He looked at her sharply. "Have they gained access to the mining or manufacturing operations? Gotten any information from the workers? Made any unmonitored transmissions?"
"No, but there are gaps in the surveillance. It's likely they've been using maskers." She jabbed a finger at him. "Don't try to wriggle out of this, Tafo. I warned you that the security of this operation was your responsibility!"
"And I assure you, they will be dealt with. Anything else I need to know before we arrest them?"
"That should be more than enough for you to do your job, Director," Jellick said, with just a hint of sneer coming over the transmission. "The incompetence you both have displayed is… disappointing. Clean up this mess. Now." The holo image winked out.
Ruatha started to say something, but Tafo's enraged look stopped her. He stalked away toward the turbolift.
Vaniel smiled after him. This blunder will be his last. She wasn't worried about Jellick; his neck was in the noose just as surely as theirs were. Even though he was an admiral, he was just a functionary. Ultimately they all answered to Moff Kir Dromo, though. His spy network and cadre of assassin droids had earned him a reputation as a dangerous, ruthless man, even among the ranks of dangerous, ruthless sector governors. He was expecting kyber crystals for the fleet of Onager-class Star Destroyers he planned on riding to a renewed Imperial throne. Sigma Nova, Jellick and Tafo's secret side project hadn't really had an impact on Rho-277's ability to produce crystals for Dromo, but if they were disrupted now because of these Rebels...
Vaniel headed back to the repulsor car. She'd need to manipulate surveillance records, but she'd make sure all of the blame for this fiasco fell squarely on Tillisk Tafo. As she left the Kantorius, she ticked off her resources; the corvette had a skeleton crew, just enough to get it into orbit and back to Eadu for trials, but the ship itself was fully operational. If she needed to, she could wipe the entire base off the face of Beta Fonidian II from orbit. On the ground she had two platoons of Stormtroopers, detailed specifically to the ISB, who had been deliberately segregated from Rho-277 and Tafo's staff of engineers, techs and workers. When the time came to arrest the Rebels and subdue Tafo, she knew those troops would follow herorders without question. Agent Ruatha wore a little satisfied smile as she climbed into the car for what promised to be a very enjoyable day.
Tess had argued all morning with Varun. Despite her elation at rediscovering her parents, she couldn't fully enjoy the reunion. Lying to them was tearing her apart. She stood before the mirror in the bungalow, pulling a brush through her hair. Varun noticed she'd been glum all morning. He slipped his arms around her waist and planted a kiss on the back of her head. "What's wrong, sweetheart?"
Tess reached under the towel folded on the dresser and turned on the masker to jam the recording devices in their cottage. "You know. I'm so happy I found my parents, but lying to them… It's killing me, Varun!"
"I know it is, but if we tell them who we really are, it puts all of us in danger."
"But I can't believe that Mom and Dad would betray us. I'd never believe that."
"I know you wouldn't, Tessa. Jerric and Amanda wouldn't betray us on purpose, but you have to know the scrutiny they're under. Any slip-up and Ruatha will sweep them up. I started ISB training before Aunt Dee recruited me. Believe me, you don't want them in her clutches. She'll use them to get you to talk, and she'll use you the same way."
"I know that, I do!" There were frustrated tears in her eyes. She turned in his arms and laid her head on his chest. "I just can't stand lying like this. Are we just going to fly off in a few days, and leave them thinking we're loyal citizens of an Empire that only exists as a dream for the insane?"
She began crying. Varun held her, stroking her back. He knew the emotional toll that came with lying to loved ones. He also knew that Tessa was a good officer who understood the risks that came with divulging the truth. He had no choice but to trust her, and hope that his love for her would be enough of a salve for her wounded heart.
Jerric and Amanda met them in the little park next to the domestic quarter. Jerric pulled a repulsorcart laden with sandwiches, fruit, cheese and, of course, a big flask of sarna. Amanda waved a greeting while she spread a broad square sheet over the grass. They sat as Jerric passed out plates and cups, then served lunch.
Amanda squinted at the sky. "Looks like the rain might chase us back home. We'd better eat while we have the chance."
Tess finished her lunch and desert, and leaned back on the sheet, staring at the gathering clouds. Her stomach churned despite the good food. She looked over at her parents, then Varun. He might not forgive her for what she was about to do. She slipped her hand into her pocket and switched on her masker. "Mom, Dad, can we talk about something?"
"Tessa—" Varun began.
"I'm sorry," she said, fixing him with an intense stare that was half desperation and half resolve. "I can't keep lying to them." Then she turned to her parents, who looked confused. "We… I haven't been honest with you."
"What do you mean, dear?" Amanda said, looking concerned.
"We aren't from TaggeCo, here on a trip to survey ruins." She made a bitter sound. "We came to rescue you, and to disrupt whatever is going on at this base." She took Amanda's hand. "Mom, we're with the New Republic. We fought against Palpatine and his Empire, and we won."
Amanda shook her head, still confused, but looking pale now. She reached for Jerric's hand. Varun looked around, wary for signs that they might be interrupted.
Tess trembled. "The Emperor died two years ago on a battle station he was building near the planet Endor. Then a year ago, most of the remaining Imperial forces gathered at a planet in the Fringes called Jakku. They fought against Alliance forces— the people you called terrorists— people like Sera and Reiko. People like Varun and me, Mom. We defeated the Imperial forces on Jakku. We forced the Empire to surrender."
Jerric spoke with quiet intensity. "Tessalyn Daro, is this some kind of sick joke?"
"It's not, Dad, I swear to you. The Galactic Republic's been reestablished, and the Senate's been restored. The Empire signed instruments of surrender." She was shaking now, but she swept her hand around the facility. "All of this, the work you're doing? It's for a government that doesn't exist. Director Tafo has been hiding the truth from you, and lying for years."
"I— I don't understand, Tess," Amanda responded. "Why would they do that? Why wouldn't you tell us the truth from the start? Why lie to us?"
"Varun laid an urgent hand on Tess's shoulder. "Tessa's telling you the truth," he admitted, looking grim. We believe the director wants to keep this facility's work going so he can arm a remnant of Imperial forces with new superweapons that could devastate the fragile peace we've tried to maintain since the Battle of Jakku."
"I— can't believe that," Jerric said. "Do you have proof for any of that?"
"Mom, Dad, I'm so sorry. We learned that this facility was extracting high-quality kyber crystals so we came to find out why. The Empire's used crystals like those before to make weapons that destroy entire planets."
Varun added, "We've been under surveillance since we arrived. Your home was wired for remote observation. Our bungalows too. Why would they do that if there's nothing to hide here? Why would they cut you off from the most important news in the entire galaxy?"
Amanda fixed them both with hard looks. "Who are you, really?"
"Varun's a captain with New Republic Fleet Intelligence. I'm the second officer on the flagship of the Dufilvian Sector defense fleet. That's pretty recent, though. For most of the last eight years, we've been part of a Rebel cell operating from Filve, in the Mid Rim."
"You were Rebels, and now you're both in the military?"
"Yes, Dad, we are."
"The others?"
"Lyra was an Imperial officer. The others were in Razorclaw Cell with us. They fought with the ground forces on Jakku, to secure the final military defeat of the Imperial forces. They left a few months ago, and went into the private charter business."
"So, you didn't lie to us about everything," Jerric said, looking hurt.
"What about Doctor Oktos?"
The corner of Tess's mouth twitched. "It's just Taz, Mom. He's not really a researcher. He was a medic in the war. He's part of Sera and Rei's crew."
"Why tell us all of this now?"
"Because, Mom, I thought we were going to find a slave labor camp, not a facility where you've taken up with your captors. I came here to liberate you and take you home!" Tears fell down her cheeks as she pleaded with them both.
"Tessa, they're going to figure out we're using a masker any minute now," Varun warned, trying not to look as concerned as he felt.
"Who will?" Jerric said.
"Tafo, and his lieutenant, Ruatha. I'm pretty sure she's an agent of the Imperial Security Bureau."
"Jerric, what should we do?" Amanda asked, seeming lost.
A few raindrops began to fall. "I don't know." He looked at Varun and Tess. "You've lied to us, both of you. We love you, honeygirl, but you've made it awfully hard to trust you and what you're saying." He got to his feet. "This rain might stick around a while. We'll talk more back at the house."
Varun nodded. "We have proof on Allegra's Heart, and I'll show you the recording devices Ruatha put in your home. You understand if we disable them, they'll come, right?"
"We'll deal with that when it happens," Jerric said. He helped Amanda up. She looked distraught and took Jerric's arm while Varun and Tess gathered up the remains of their picnic lunch.
"Mom, you have to understand, I didn't want any of this." Tess said, but when she reached out Amanda shrank from her. Tess took her hand back and looked miserable.
The rain came harder and they hurried back toward the Daros' house.
Sera noticed the four pairs of Imperial troopers as soon as they entered the hangar. Beyond them, she could see four others working at Allegra's boarding ramp controls. Unlike the sentries she usually saw in red coveralls, these troops wore Imperial gray, complete with armored breastplates. The eight troops inside the hangar headed her way. She looked around, trying to act casual, but knowing she was out of position to get to any of the exits. She could probably break out if she had to; none of the sentries looked particularly competent, but there were dozens of workers in the hangar. If the sentries started firing or she got into a gun battle, they were sure to be caught in the crossfire.
All she could think about was getting to Rei. She took a wrench from a tray of tools and side-stepped toward the nearest wall. Two troops continued straight for her, edging workers out of the way. Some began to suspect something was up, and they started to flee. Sera got within a few meters of the wall when she was cut off by a man and woman. They leveled their blasters at her. In one smooth motion Sera threw the wrench at the woman, spun sideways and ducked, then charged the man. The woman screamed, her face bloodied by the heavy tool smashing into her. She fired blindly, and the part of Sera's brain that wasn't focused on the other trooper noted that her blaster was set for stun. She closed the meter or so to the man and forced her fist under his chin. There were screams from the workers, who fled in a panic. Sera smiled at the confusion. She followed the uppercut with a knee to the man's solar plexus, doubling him over. She wrenched the gun from his hand and struck him over the back of the head. She kept moving, whipped the blaster around and fired. The female trooper crumbled to the floor, unconscious.
Sera sprinted toward the hangar's gaping mouth, trying to blend with the crowd. The other troops, perhaps sensing they were losing their quarry, began firing on the fleeing workers. As they fell, Sera broke into a sprint. The troops at Allegra's Heart had succeeded in overriding the ramp controls. She had only a few precious seconds to get there before the ramp descended. She yelled, enraged, and brought up her blaster, but she was thrown to the permacrete by a terrific wallop from behind. She fell, dazed from the stun blast, but still conscious. Sera raised her blaster, flipping the selector switch from its stun setting. Another blast hit her before she could squeeze the trigger, and she screamed an instant before she blacked out.
Jerric opened the door and stopped in his tracks. Vaniel Ruatha stood in the parlor, flanked by a pair of troops with their blasters leveled. Outside, six more armed guards appeared from between the houses and bungalows, their blasters trained on the four of them.
Ruatha wore a dark smile. "Come in, Mr. and Mrs. Daro. You'll catch your death of cold out in the rain." She looked past them, to Varun and Tess. "You too. We can't have Rebel saboteurs loose on our peaceful facility, can we?" She drew her own blaster and pointed it at Amanda. "Hands where I can see them, Captain Numarkos. I wouldn't want any of your actions to be misinterpreted."
The guards prodded them inside, forced their hands behind them and shackled them with binders. Tess protested, "My parents have nothing to do with this, Ruatha!"
"You probably should have considered that before you decided to infiltrate my facility, Captain Daro." Seeing their reactions, she added, "You didn't think I'd check your stories? You must take me for quite the fool. She walked up to Varun. "I despise traitors!" and struck him across the face as hard as she could with the muzzle of her blaster. Tess screamed with rage, but the guard holding her slammed his fist into her temple. Her knees buckled but the guard held her up.
Amanda cried out in anguish. Jerric yelled, "STOP!" He turned to Ruatha. "There's no need to hurt them!"
She put her pistol under his chin. Amanda whimpered. "You're useful here, Jerric Daro. Don't confuse useful with indispensable. You're one snap of my fingers away from summary execution for sedition and treason against the Empire."
Varun moved his bruised jaw painfully. "For what, Agent Ruatha? The Daros haven't done anything, except welcome the daughter your Empire took from them. Besides, the Empire was beaten a year ago."
"You're confusing a setback for defeat, Numarkos. We will regain our rightful mastery over the galaxy, and soon."
"With weapons made from kyber crystals? How many planets will you burn this time? Alderaan not enough for you?"
Director Tafo walked in, surrounded by a quartet of armored troops carrying blaster rifles. He shot a dark look at Ruatha before spinning on his heel to stand nearly nose to nose with Jerric. "I'm very disappointed to learn that your daughter and her collaborators intended harm to this facility and its work, Jerric. I gave you authority, respect, freedom. You've betrayed that kindness."
Jerric looked angry. He opened his mouth to respond, but Varun cut him off. "Kindness, Director? If you wanted to be kind, you'd have been honest with them."
Tafo turned on Varun, his gloved finger jabbing. "YOU, Numarkos, are one wrong word away from being shot where you stand. You're a traitor to the Empire, and you'll be treated as such. And you, Miss Daro, tsk tsk," he wagged his finger at her, then grabbed her by the chin and brought his fleshy face very close to hers. "How many loyal Imperial lives have you and your Filvian terrorists taken?"
"Don't talk to me about lives," she spat. "Not when your subjugation force bombed seventeen million innocents to ash on Filve."
"Enough!" Ruatha blared. "You are hereby charged with sedition. You will be interrogated, then sent to our fleet at Eadu. Enjoy the few days of life that remain to you. Take them away!" she ordered.
The guards began to move, but Tillisk forestalled them with a raised hand. "I give the orders here if you recall, Adjutant," he said, slashing a warning glare at her. "The Daros are to be released."
"They are clearly a security threat, Director," Vaniel said through clenched teeth.
"Their roles are vital in the kyber extraction process." He turned to Jerric and Amanda. "You have gained a reprieve, provided your daughter remains cooperative."
"Tafo—" Varun snarled.
"Or would you rather I had them shot now, dear girl?" The director gestured with his fingers. Guards trained their blasters on Jerric and Amanda.
Tess's eyes went wide. "Leave them alone," she said through tears and gritted teeth.
"Or what, my dear? What will you do to save the lives of the parents you found again, after so many years apart?"
Tess looked angry, but desperate.
"Quickly, I'm not a man given to patience." He raised his hand.
"Alright," she relented finally. "I'll do— whatever you want. Just leave them alone. Please."
"Tess, no sweetheart," Amanda pleaded. "Director—"
"You see?" He said to Ruatha. "She can be reasonable, and I'm sure she'll answer all of your questions truthfully, won't you, my dear?" He addressed the Daros. "You will be confined here except during your work shifts. You will be under guard at all times." He lifted a finger. "Do not test my leniency or my patience, or your daughter suffers the consequences."
He took Tess by the chin again. "Agent Ruatha will have a word with you." To Ruatha he said, "Bring her to me when you've finished questioning her. That is all." He flicked his fingers at the guards holding Varun and Tess, who pushed them out the door. Tess looked back at the frightened faces of her parents before they were dragged from the house, Jerric and Amanda's cries calling after them.
Lyra ran for the aircar as soon as the sprinkling turned to a hard, steady rain. She shut the canopy door and spun up the turbines on the Skywagon, but Taz still stood in the field. He spread his arms and turned his smiling face to the sky, relishing the feel of every drop on his skin. Before long he was drenched from the storm, but he didn't care. It was rain, real rain, not the artifice of a weather park at one of Filve's domes. The smell of ozone and wet loamy soil filled his nostrils with every deeply inhaled breath. Even the sudden chill from the building wind felt like a new, exciting experience.
Lyra turned on the speeder's headlamps and opened her side window. "Oktos! Get in here before you drown!"
He took a few more seconds to enjoy the sensation, then picked up his gear and walked to the aircar, still not in any hurry. He put his impromptu survey equipment in the Skywagon's cargo compartment, then got into the aircar's cab, still smiling, dripping water everywhere.
Lyra shook her head as she got the speeder into the air. "You're crazy! Haven't you ever seen rain?"
He ran a wet hand over his wet face, a mostly useless exercise. "Once before, when I was ten or eleven," he said. "It's incredible."
Lyra's scowl softened. "You're crazy," she repeated, but less vehemently. A blinding flash of lightning split the air a few kilometers away. The crack of thunder arrived a couple of seconds later.
Taz smiled at the booming sound. "That's fantastic."
"One of those strikes can crash this thing," she said, looking serious.
Taz's smile faded a little. "Sorry, it's just so new to me. I've wanted to get caught in a real rain storm most of my life."
"Well, you got your wish today. You're probably going to get sick for your trouble." She looked over at him. "You look like a drowned womp rat."
Taz grinned at her. "I guess I do, don't I?"
Lyra angled the aircar toward the base. "We'll get you dried off when we get back."
We? That sounds nice. Taz was about to say something, but Lyra was already on her comm speaking with the control tower for landing instructions
Ten minutes later they'd left the rain behind. She landed the speeder as the daylight turned to gray dusk under a heavy blanket of clouds. On the landing platform they noted a lot of uniformed Imperials. "This doesn't look—"
Taz uttered a little yelp of pain as a shock behind his eyes made him jump. "Trouble," he uttered.
Lyra applied power to the turbines, but at that moment Lieutenant Forstner's voice crackled over the comm. "You are to land immediately and be taken into custody. Failure to comply will result in your destruction." Bright spotlights from the laser batteries bathed the Skywagon as the turrets swung to cover the little airspeeder. She swore and looked over at Taz.
He wished the Force warning would have come a few seconds sooner. "What do you want to do?"
She screwed her mouth up. "Make a run for it, but those cannons would blast us to dust before we got a dozen meters. What about that?" She nodded down at Aurora Ascendant, clipped to his belt.
"I might get one or two of them before the rest shot us dead," he answered, looking grim.
As soon as they landed, armed troops surged forward, surrounding the aircar. Lyra and Taz stepped out "What's this all about, Lieutenant?" Taz demanded.
"You're under arrest, by order of the Director."
"What's the charge?"
"Sedition, Mr. Oktos," Tillisk Tafo said, stepping out of the shadows. He stood before Taz and looked at his lightsaber. "That's a most unusual device, Doctor. Doesn't much look like a piece of surveying equipment." He nodded to one of the troops who unhooked it from Taz's belt and handed it to Tafo. "You probably think I'm ignorant of the history of this place. You would be wrong about that. I know the significance of kyber crystals and their connection to the Force." He tapped the lightsaber in the palm of his hand, then wagged it under Taz's nose. "Now what's a Rebel saboteur like you doing with the weapon of a Jedi, I wonder?"
Taz covered his surprise behind a sneer. "I found it, buried beneath some rocks. You know, like the kind you crawled out from under."
Tafo frowned as a guard cuffed him across the face. "That's enough," the director ordered. He tucked Aurora Ascendant into his belt. "An engineering drawing of a lightsaber will make an excellent addition to my collection." He flicked his fingers at Forstner.
"Take them to the detention center," Forstner ordered. The troops stripped them of their weapons and cuffed them with binders, then led them away.