Honoghr - Village of Clan Khim'bar

Nightfall had come when Khabarakh set his ship down in his village. It was a tight cluster of huts with brightly lit windows. Leia took it all in with a heavy heart. Their war had caused these beings to be pushed into these little pockets. "Do ships land here often?" she asked the Noghri warrior as he nestled the ship beside a large central structure.

"It is not common;" he replied, "Neither is it unheard of."

Leia's gut tightened a little, translating his words to mean that it would attract a fair amount of attention. Chewie gave a low growl indicating that he agreed with her assessment.

"The villagers are all close family of the clan Kihm'bar," Khabarakh said in response to Chewie's assertion. "They will accept my promise of protection as their own. Come."

They unstrapped and stood, following the Noghri back through the ship, suppressing her anxiety and hoping fervently that Khabarakhs confidence wasn't solely based on youthful idealism. After collecting See-Threepio from the cabin on the way out. "I must go first;" warned Khabarakh as they reached the exit ramp. "By custom, I must approach alone to the dukha of the clan Kihm'bar upon arrival. By law, I am required to announce out-clan visitors to the head of my family."

"I understand," Leia said, fighting back a fresh surge of uneasiness.

She didn't like this business of Khabarakh having conversations with his fellow Noghri that she wasn't in on. Once again, there wasn't a lot she could do about it. "We'll wait here until you com and get us."

"I will be quick;" promised the Noghri.

He palmed the door release twice, slipping outside as the panel slid open and then shut again.

Chewbacca growled something unintelligible, probably his own doubts and suspicions, under his breathe. "He'll be back;" Leia murmured in order to soothe him.

"I am certain he is telling the truth," said Threepio, attempting to be helpful. "Customs and rituals of this sort are very common among the more socially primitive prespaceflight cultures."

"Except this culture isn't prespaceflight," Leia said, he gripping her lightsaber even as it was clipped to her belt.

She fervently wished that Khabarakh had at least left the hatch open so that they could see when he was coming back. Assuming, of course he wanted her to see him coming back. Threepio was continuing to monologue. "That is evident, your Highness. I feel certain, however, that their status in that regard has been changed only recent- Well!"

Chewbacca pushed passed him to head back towards the center of the ship. "Where are you going?" demanded Leia.

His only reply was some comment about Imperials she wasn't able to make out. "Chewie, get back here;" she called. "Khabarakh will be back any minute."

This time, he didn't even bother replying. "Great!" muttered Leia.

Her first instinct was to try and drag him back so that the Noghri wouldn't return and find the Wookiee gone - but if he came back and found her gone as well, that would be worse. "As I was saying," said Threepio, not at all fazed by the interruption by the rude Wookiee, "all the evidence I have gathered so far about this culture indicates that they were until recently a non-spacefaring people. Khabarakh's reference to the dukha - obviously a clan center of some sort - the familial and clan structures themselves, plus this whole preoccupation with your perceived royal status-"

"The high court of Alderaan had a royal hierarchy, too," Leia reminded him rather tartly, still looking back along the empty corridor.

No, she decided, she and Threepio had better stay and wait for Khabarakh. "Most other people in the galaxy didn't consider us to be socially primitive."

"No, of course not!" said Threepio, sounding embarrassed and mildly alarmed. "I didn't mean to imply any such thing!"

"I know;" soothed Leia, suddenly slightly embarrassed as herself for jumping the droid that way. She knew he meant no harm.

"Where is he, anyway?"

Of course, she hadn't expected an answer of any kind so when the hatch abruptly opened, she started. "Come;" said Khabrakh before noticing that Chewie wasn't with them. "Where is the Wookiee?"

"He went back into the ship," Leia replied. "I don't know why. Do you want me to go and find him?"

Khabarakh made a purring, hissing noise. "There is no time," he growled. "The maitrakh is waiting. Come."

Turning, he started down the ramp. "Any idea how long it will take you to pick up the language?" Leia asked Threepio as they followed.

"I really cannot say, your Highness. Learning an entirely new language would be difficult indeed;" explained the droid, "but if it is similar to any of the six million forms of communication with which I am familiar-"

"I understand;" said Leia, cutting him off.

They had been lead through a dirt courtyard towards the larger building. It was well lighted and as they approached, a pair of even shorter Noghri pulled oped the double doors for them.

Taking one deep, steadying breath, Leia followed her guide inside. From the amount of light coming through the windows, she would have expected, she would have expected the interior to be almost uncomfortably bright. So she was quite surprised when the room she entered was even darker than it had been immediately outside. A cursory examination showed why. What had first appeared to be windows were actually self-powered lighting panels. The interior of the building was only lit by a pair of floating wick-lamps. Apparently, once again, Threepio had known what he was talking about when he analyzed the Noghri.

Facing her in the center of the room stoop five Noghri, all in a row. She swallowed hard, sensing somehow that the first words should be theirs. Khabarakh stepped to the Noghri in the center, dropped to his knees, ducking his head to the floor and splaying out his hands to his sides. It was, Leia remembered, the same gesture he had extended to her back on Kashyyyk.

The young warrior spoke in his own tongue. "Can you understand it?" Leia asked Threepio under her breath.

"To a degree," the droid replied. "It appears to be a dialect of the ancient trade language-"

"Sha'vah!" the Noghri in the center of the line spat.

"She said be quiet;" murmured Threepio.

"I got the gist;" replied Leia.

She drew herself to her full height and brought the full weight of her upbringing in the Royal Alderaan Court to bear upon the aliens. It was important to observe the local customs and authorities of her hosts, but as the daughter of the Lord Darth Vader, there were some discourtesies she would not put up with. Regally, she demanded, "Is this how you speak to the Mal'ary'ush?"

All six of the Noghris' head snapped around to look at her. Reaching out with the force, Leia could sense that there was mingled doubt and nervousness among them. "I asked a question!" she said in the silence.

The Noghri at the center took a step forward. "Maitrakh?" Leia murmured to Threepio.

"A female who is a leader of a local family or subclan structure;" answered the droid, his voice clearly nervous after being yelled at.

"Thank you;" Leia murmured before turning her focus back onto the Noghri. "You are the maitrakh of this family?"

"I am she," replied the Noghri in heavily accented but understandable basic. "What proof do you off to you claim of Mal'ary'ush?"

Leia held out her hand to the maitrakh who hesitated a moment before stepping forward to her and gingerly sniffing. Khabarakh asked, "Is it not as I said?"

"Be silent, thirdson," said the maitrakh as she lifted her head to stare into Leia's eyes. "I greet you, Lady Vader, but I do not welcome you."

Leia held her gaze steadily. Through the force, she sensed the doubt ease but the apprehension only grew. Her sense also picked up something else; Chewbacca had left the ship and was rapidly approaching the house, his force signature tense with agitation. Leia fervently hoped that the big Wookiee would not smash his way in and end the barely civil discussion. "May I ask why not?"

"Did you serve the Emperor?" the maitrakh countered. "Do you now serve our lord, the Grand Admiral?"

"No to both questions;" answered Leia firmly.

"Then you bring discord and poison among us," the maitrakh concluded darkly. "Discord between what was and what now is. We do not need more discord on Honoghr, Lady Vader."

Before Leia could even think of a reply, the doors swung open and Chewbacca came in with a snarl. "Are you sure they're Imperials?" asked Leia as a cold fist squeezed her heart and gut.

Chewie growled an impatient affirmative, mentioning Lambda-class shuttles that were coming from the direction of the principle city. Khabarakh spoke urgently to the maitrakh. "He says he has sworn to protect us and asks that the pledge be honored."

For what seemed like forever, the maitrakh didn't answer. Finally, she sighed and bowed her head. "Come with me;" said Khabarakh, moving towards the door. "The maitrakh has agreed to hide you from our lord, the Grand Admiral - at least for now."

"Where are we going?" asked Leia.

"Your droid and your analyses equipment I will hide among the decon droids that are stored for the night in an outer shed," he explained. "You and the Wookiee will be more of a problem. If the Imperials have sensor equipment with them, your life-sing profiles will register as different from Noghri."

"I know;" said Leia, keeping an eye on the dark sky above for the shuttles' running lights and trying to remember all of the algorithms for life-sign identification. "We need a heat source;" she told Khabarakh. "As big a one as possible."

"The bake house;" said the Noghri, pointing towards a windowless building not far from them.

"Sounds like our best chance. Khabarakh, hide Threepio; Chewie, come with me."

The Noghri were waiting for them as they stepped from the shuttle. Three females stood side by side in a row in the courtyard and the two children acting as door wardens to the clan's dukha building.

Thrawn gave the group and the surrounding area an evaluating sweep before turning to Pellaeon. "Wait here until the tech team arrives, Captain;" he ordered quietly, "Get them started on a check of the communications and countermeasures equipment in the ship over there. Then join me inside."

"Yes, sir."

The Grand Admiral turned to Ir'khaim. "Dynast," he invited, gesturing at the waiting Noghri.

The dynast bowed and strode towards them. Thrawn threw a glance at Rukh, who'd taken Ir'khaim's former position at the Grand Admiral's side, and together, they followed. There was the usual welcoming ritual, and then the females led the way into the dukha.

After the shuttle arrived and after he had fulfilled his orders from the Grand Admiral, Captain Pellaeon hurried to dukha, rather surprised at the number that the maitrakh had managed to drum up almost half the village. The dynast stood beside Thrawn while the three females faced him with a second tier of elders behind them.

As Pellaeon stepped to Thrawn's side opposite of Ir'khaim, a young Noghri bowed and mewed, "I greet you, my Lord. You honor my family and clan Kihm'bar with your presence here."

"You may rise;" said Thrawn. "You are Khabarakh, clan Kihm'bar?"

"I am, my lord."

Thrawn studied him. "you were once a member of Imperial Noghri team twenty-two. A team that ceased to exist on the planet Kashyyyk. Tell me what happened."

Khabarakh might have twitched but Pellaeon couldn't tell for sure. "I filed a report, immediately upon leaving that world."

"Yes, I read the report;" said Thrawn, his voice cooling somewhat. "Read it very carefully, and noted the questions it left unanswered. Such as how you managed to survive while all others in your team were killed. You escaped three Jedi, not to mention the Wookiees after the planet had been fully alerted to your presents. And why did you not return to Honoghr or to one of our other bases after your failure."

This time, Pellaeon definitely saw a twitch at the word failure. "I was left unconscious by the Wookiees and the Jedi during the first attack," said Khabarakh. "I awakened alone and made my way back to the ship. Once there, I deduced what had happened to the rest of the team from official information sources. I suspect they simply were unprepared for the speed and stealth of my ship when I made my escape. As to my whereabouts afterward, my lord-" and he hesitated. I transmitted my report, and then left for a time to be alone."

Thrawn's red eyes looked like tiny coals ready to burn into the Noghri. "Why?"

"To think, my lord, and to meditate."

"Wouldn't Honoghr have been more suitable place for such meditation?" asked the Grand Admiral, motioning to the dukha around them.

"I had much to think about, my lord."

Thrawn rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "You were slow to respond when the request for a recognition signal came from the surface," he finally siad. "You then refused to land at the Nystao port facilities."

"I did not refuse;" protested Khabarakh. "I was never ordered to land there."

One blue-black eyebrow lifted. "The distinction is noted;" Thrawn said dryly. "Tell me why you chose to come here instead."

"I wished to speak with my maitrakh. To discuss my meditation with her, and to ask for forgiveness for... my failure."

"And have you done so?" Thrawn asked, turning to face the maitrakh.

"We have begun," she said in mangled basic. "We have not finished."

Suddenly, the dukha doors opened and one of the tech team came in. "You have a report, Ensign?" Thrawn asked him.

"Yes Admiral. We've finished out preliminary set of comm and countermeasures tests, sir, as per orders." said the Ensign smartly.

"And?"

"We think we've located the malfunction, sir. The main transmitter coil seems to have overloaded and back-fed into a dump capacitor, damaging several nearby circuits. The compensator computer rebuilt a pathway, but the bypass was close enough to one of the static-damping command lines for the resulting inductance surge to trigger it."

Thrawn rubbed his chin and turned his glowing red eyes back on Khabarakh. "An interesting set of coincidences. A natural malfunction, do you think, or an artificial one?"

The maitrakh stirred but a glance from Thrawn made her still again. The tech continued, "Impossible to say, sir. Someone who knew what he was doing could probably have pulled it off. I have to say, though, sir, that compensator computers in general have a pretty low reputation among mechanics. They're okay on the really serious stuff that can get unskilled pilots into big trouble, but on noncritical reroutes like this, they've always had a tendency to foul up something else along the way."

"Thank you."

If Thrawn was annoyed that he hand't caught Khabarakh red-handed in a lie, it didn't show in his face. "You team will take the ship back to Nystao for repairs."

"Yes, sir;" the tech replied with a salute and departed.

Turning fully back to Khabarakh, he said. "With your team destroyed, you will of course have to be reassigned," he said. "When you ship has been repaired you will fly it to the Valrar base in Glythe sector and report there for duty."

"Yes, my lord," said Khabarakh.

Thrawn stood to his feet. "You have much to be proud of here;" the Grand Admiral said to the maitrakh. "Your family's service to the clan Kihm'bar and to the Empire will be long remembered by all of Honoghr."

"As will you leadership and protection of the Noghri people," the maitrakh responded.

With Rukh to one side and Ir'khaim on the other, Thrawn headed to the double doors. Captain Pellaeon fell in at the rear and they went out into the chilly night air, all the Noghri filing out after them. The shuttle was ready for them when they reached it and a minute later, they were lifting off the ground.

"Well that was pleasant;" muttered Pellaeon.

"A waste of time do you think, Captain?" asked Thrawn dryly.

Pellaeon glanced at Ir'khaim, seated farther toward the front of the shuttle. The dynast didn't seem to be listening to them, but it would probably still pay to be tactful. "Diplomatically, sir, I'm sure it was worthwhile to demonstrate that you care about all of Honoghr, including the other villages," he said to Thrawm. "Given that the commando ship really had malfunctioned, I don't think anything else was gained."

Thrawn turned to stare out the side viewport. "I'm no so sure of that, Captain," he murmured. "There's something not quite right back there. Rukh, what's you reading of the young commando Khabarakh?"

"He was unsettled," the bodyguard told him quietly. "That much I saw in his hand and his face."

Ir'khaim swiveled around in his chair. "It is a naturally unsettling experience to face the lord of the Noghri;" he stated.

Rukh sneered back, "Particularly when one's hands are wet with failure!"

Ir'khaim half rose from his seat and the air between the two Noghri thickened with tension. Pellaeon unconsciously leaned back hard against his seat back, remembering something about nasty clan rivalries. "This mission has generated several failures;" Thrawn said calmly into the taut silence. "In that, clan Kihm'bar hardly stands alone."

Slowly and still glaring at Rukh, Ir'khaim resumed his seat. "Khabarakh is still young," he said.

"He is indeed;" agreed Thrawn. "One reason, I presume, why he is such a bad liar. Rukh, perhaps the Dynast Ir'khaim would enjoy the view from the forward section. Please escort him there."

"Yes, my Lord."

Rukh stood to his feet and motioned forward. "Dynast Ir'khaim?"

The dynast was quite reluctant and it even looked as though he might refuse but then, he slowly rose and bowed, "My lord;" he murmured stiffly, and headed down the aisle. Once the door to the forward section had closed behind them, Thrawn turned back to Pellaeon. "Khabarakh is hiding something;" he said, cold fire in his glowing eyes. "I'm certain of it."

Pellaeon had learned in the preceding year not to doubt the Grand Admiral. "Yes sir," he said, still wondering how his superior would ascertain the answer or how he could be so sure. "Shall I order a sensor focus on the village?"

"That's not what I meant;" said Thrawn, waiving aside the suggestion. "He wouldn't have brought anything incriminating back to Honoghr with him - you can't hide anything for lon in one of these close-knit villages. No, it's something he's not telling us about that missing month. The one where he claims he was off meditating by himself."

"We might be able to learn something form his ship," Pellaeon suggested.

"Agreed," Thrawn nodded. "Have a scanning crew go over it before the techs get to work. Every cubit millimeter of it, interior and exterior both. And have Surveillance put someone on Khabarakh."

"Ah - yes, sir," Pellaeon said, "One of our people, or another Noghri?"

Thrawn lifted a blue-black eyebrow. "The ridiculously obvious or the heavily political, in other words?" he asked dryly. "Yes, you're right of course. Let's try a third option: does the Chimaera carry any espionage droids?"

Pellaeon frowned and punched into one of the shuttle's computers. After a moment, he said, "No, sir. We have some Arakyd Viper probe droids, but nothing of the more compact espionage class. Though Diabolus's Dark Jedi might have brought something of Tyber Zann's collection with them."

Thrawn stroked his chin. "Doubtful; I'm fairly certain the Dark Jedi only brought their weapons and other personal effects with them. No, I think we'll settle with a little improvisation, Captain. Have Engineering put a Viper motivator into a decon droid and rig it with full-range optical and auditory sensors and recorder. We'll have it put in with the group working out of Khabarakh's village."

"Yes, sir;" said Pellaeon, keying in the order. "Do you want a transmitter installed, too?"

"No, a recorder should be sufficient. The antenna would be difficult to conceal from view. The last thing we want is for some curious Noghri to see it and wonder why this one was different."

Pellaeon nodded his understanding. "Yes, sir. I'll have the order placed right away."

Thrawn shifted his eyes back to the viewport. "There's no particular rush here," he said thoughtfully, "Not now. This is the calm before the storm, Captain; and until the storm is ready to break, we will spend our time and energy inspiring and motivating the Noghri with my presence here."

Pellaeon frowned slightly. "For how long, Admiral."

A thin smile crossed Thrawn's face. "For as long as it takes."

Coruscant - The Jedi Order's Headquarters

Everything had been set out for dinner when Mara walked in. Luke could be heard moving around the kitchen unit of the suite, humming some song or another to himself and murmuring. On two plates were the best cuts of nerf steak that money could buy with small bowls of the miasma sauce next to them. Neatly sliced meiloorun was arranged on a platter with another sweet dipping sauce that she normally would have enjoyed but at the moment didn't look at all appetizing to her. There was also a basket of soft rolls and salads as well. When Luke came in with a platter of tubers, fried and sliced into sticks, Mara began to get suspicious. "Wow;" she said. "You really went all out. You usually aren't this extreme unless we're having guests..." and then she narrowed her emerald eyes at him. "...or you have bad news. What is it, Skywalker?"

Luke chuckled and set the platter down. "It's not all that terrible, I promise. I know not all of this looks appetizing but if you don't eat it, I'll have leftovers for later. How is the investigation going?"

Mara hmmphed at his change of subject as she went over to the chair and sat down in it. Her stomach growled at the smell of the food and her mouth began to water. "It's going. We hit a dead end with the financial thing. It was clearly put there by a slicer who made it appear to come from Imperial space but I doubt that it will be enough to clear Ackbar just yet because of Sluis Van. Regardless, I'm going to send the report to Mon Mothma and recommend that I continue on the investigation."

Luke nodded as he poured them both some water. "What else would you like to drink?" he asked.

Mara pulled a face and growled, "A nice Naboo miscote but that isn't an option, is it?"

"I'm afraid not, dearest;" said Luke, patting her arm sympathetically.

"Fine. Do we have any blue milk?"

It was all the farm boy could do not to laugh. Mara normally despised blue milk but he knew that, by the way she was glaring at him, if he laughed then he was in danger of bodily harm. "Coming right up. Any clues as to the spy or spies in our midst?"

"Not a one just yet. There have been no comms traffic that is suspect, at least not yet. Wade programmed us an algorithm to try and track it but thus far, we have nothing."

Luke nodded as he sat down and they dug in. As they sliced their steak, Mara asked, "So, my beloved husband, what news do you have that 'isn't all that terrible'?"

Luke took a sip of water before answering, "Intelligence picked up word that a cash of Jedi artifacts was found on Raxus Prime. Winter brought me the info and tomorrow, I was going to go to the masters and get permission to put a recovery team together."

Mara nodded slowly, chewing a piece of steak she had dipped in the miasma sauce. After swallowing and washing it down with blue milk, she answered, "Raxus Prime, you say? I suppose it makes sense. That place has been a junkyard world for centuries if not millennia. I do have a couple questions though."

"If they were there all along, why didn't Galen sense them the two times he was there back during the war?" asked Luke. "And what was the intelligence source? Finally, doesn't it all seem just a little to convenient?"

Mara nodded and speared another piece of steak. "Do you have any answers, Detective Skywalker?"

Luke chuckled and selected a slice of the fruit. "No definitive ones. To the first, they probably weren't there. The second, a group of pirates communicating with one another. Apparently NRI said that the algorithms caught the words Jedi, death, New Republic, Empire and several others which triggered the selection. Analysts listened to the transmission and apparently the pirates didn't think it was worth getting paid by the Empire to earn the ire of the New Republic or the Jedi Order."

Mara snorted as she swallowed another bite of steak. "Why isn't that lucky for us? I'm sure that there is no way that it's a trap."

Luke nodded. "The Jedi stuff will be a great prize and all that but I'm far more interested in hopefully being able to turn a trap on some of Diabolis's Dark Jedi. Who knows? The Dark Lord himself might even be there."

Mara's fork clattered to the table. "Please don't say that Luke!" she begged. "Don't you remember Dathomir?"

"I do;" he said, reaching across and taking her hand. She gripped his with desperate strength. "I plan to get one of the masters to come with us, not to mention a few of the others. I'm also hoping that I can get Mandalore Wren to lend us some of her super commandos."

Mara's lower lip began to tremble and then she scowled, annoyed at her own turbulent emotions. "Please be careful;" she said, still gripping his hand. "I won't be there to keep you out of trouble."

Luke smiled and kissed her hand. "You know that I will. Now eat up. You and the baby need it."

Mara smiled and focused back on her food. For some time, they ate in silence and, much to Luke's amusement, Mara had decided that she wanted the sweet dipping sauce meant for the meiloorun. Instead of the fruit, however, she was dipping her fried tuber sticks in it. The meiloorun, naturally, was also being dipped int he miasma sauce with the nerf steak. When the food was eaten and cleared away, Mara yawned and went over to the couch. "Can you get my shoes please?" she asked, suddenly very tired.

Luke smiled. He happily untied her shoes and pulled them off, rubbing her feet as he did. Mara gave a moan and leaned back. "Feels good." she murmured.

Within minutes, she was sounds asleep. Luke didn't move. He was perfectly content to sit there with his wife, lean back and sleep that way. He could shower and change in the morning.

Luke had kissed Mara goodbye at zero-seven-hundred and gone straight to the main meeting room, comming Galen Marek, Kanan Jarrus and the Jedi Knights who were still on Coruscant and asking for a meeting. When they were all gathered, Luke explained the situation with the Jedi artifacts. Just as he and Mara had, the others were skeptical. "It's a trap;" said Galen Marek. "If there were Jedi artifacts in a cache of the size those alleged pirates were talking about, I would have sensed it at least on my second trip when Raxus Prime was freed from Kazdan Paratus's control."

"I figured;" said Luke. "However, I think this might be an opportunity to thin Diabolis's ranks. If we're lucky, he might even be there himself."

"Lucky?" asked Kanan, lifting an eyebrow. "The last time you faced the Dark Lord in combat, he nearly killed through of you and managed to kill two others. I don't think that a few artifacts are worth risking our lives for at the moment."

Luke lifted a hand. "I would agree accept that if we were to put together a team including myself, Ezra, Ferroda and one of you two, we'd stand a chance. I was also going to get in contact with Mandalore Wren and see if she can loan us some super commandos."

Ezra Bridger, a Jedi Knight and member of Mandalorian Clan Vizsla, chuckled and said, "I hate to bust your bubble, Luke but I doubt she can spare the manpower considering the current political climate on the planet of Mandalore."

Luke shrugged, unfazed. "Okay, we can put another team together. Look, I personally just think it would be worth it both for the knowledge that we would gain and for diminishing the numbers of Dark Jedi Diabolis has to throw at it. We've all heard the intel reports. They've been kidnapping force sensitive people from their homes and forcing them into training as Dark Jedi."

Galen looked over at Kanan. The blind Jedi Master shrugged. "I'll go with them. Ezra and Ferroda will come with us. Hera and Chopper will come too and we can take the Ghost. As to what team we can take with us, I just heard earlier today from General Cracken that Inferno is back home. I'd be willing to bet that we could convince Commander Versio to lend us a hand."

Luke smiled in satisfaction. "Excellent! When do we leave?"

Kanan shrugged and pulled his comlink. "No reason to wait. We'll say our goodbyes to whomever and meet at the Imperial Palace's main hanger bay."

"Be careful;" said Galen, "and may the force be with you."

"May the force be with us all;" replied Kanan before thumbing his comlink. "Hello, dear. Fancy a trip in the Ghost?"