Chapter 45:
How predictable. Revan was almost disappointed. The damned tail-head didn't have an original thought in his purple head. Just as the Jedi assumed, he was waiting for them at the Hawk's docking bay and (as equally predicted) he had two Selkath thugs lagging behind him.
"There she is!" Xor pointed towards "Get her men, but remember keep the cat alive, kill the knife-ear and the human!"
"This is your show Juhani. However, you want to play it out." The Nagai muttered softly to the younger woman at her side.
Juhani jumped into the fray almost immediately. She used a Force push directed into the thugs, hurling the fish-men into the landing struts of the Hawk before they could even get a bead on her. She spun a reverse-roundhouse butterfly kick into the side of Xor's head, sending him spiralling into the grime and oil covered floor of the landing bay. Dazed, he tried to climb to his feet but Juhani's Jedi reflexes were ten times faster. She hoisted the Twi'lek up into the air with the Force and propelled him into the Hawk's hull. His back snapped with a sickening crunch before he was once more on the floor. Purple blood leaked from his mouth.
He was alive but just.
It had all happened in a matter of seconds and before the Selcath could rise to unsteady feet and reclaim their bearings, the two had lightsabers drawn on them held almost passively by Revan and Bastila.
"Ua ah ah." Bastila shook her head and wagged her finger in front of her as if to discipline younglings.
"I'd take her advice boys. Leave and live. Draw and die." Revan backed up her lover's almost parental warning.
They men cast a look to their fallen employer, the Cathar with her own glowing blue blade at his throat and to then back to the two Jedi before them.
The one Bastila held captive managed to regain his footing, "We're not paid enough for this," he slurped in his native tongue. His body ached where it had slammed into the durasteel of the ship's landing gear.
"He didn't say anything about you three being Jedi," the other growled. His knees almost buckled as he rose up. But rise he did and hobbled off, not looking over his shoulder to see if his buddy followed or to the fate of Xor.
"And you?" Bastila said to her captive.
He shook his head. He crawled to his feet leaving his carbine where it lay. The hundred credits he was paid wasn't worth his neck. And it sure as hell wasn't enough to face off against one Jedi, let alone three. To hell with it.
"Wise." Bastila crowed at their retreating back.
Xor on the other hand didn't seem to recognize that wisdom. Oh, he knew something burst inside him, something that was going to kill him, but his anger ran away with any sensibility he might have had left.
"Seems you beat me Cathar, but I'll have the last laugh in the end," he snorted, ignoring the blood his lungs had coughed up.
Juhani advanced; her anger had not yet abated. "What do you mean?"
Revan and Bastila looked at one another but kept their tongues, this was for their companion to resolve on her own. They would stand as her support system but for now Juhani alone had to see this confrontation alone or she would find no peace.
"I had the pleasure of killing off your species. Not everyone who fought alongside the Mandalorians did it for their stupid concept of honor. Some of us just did it for the pleasure. The pleasure of seeing your world… seeing your world burn."
"YOU! You animal!" Juhani's rage boiled, threatening to erupt over her thinly held control. "You wretch!"
Xor, unable to continue to stand, fell backwards; he fell hard against the floor and rested his back angst the starships landing gear. His body wrecked with a coughing fit causing more blood to pool into his hand and down his tunic.
"I'm beyond your petty vengeance now fur-licker. You can never have your revenge." He held up his bloody hand and smiled past his pain.
Only now did Revan step forward, recognizing the haze clouding the other as much as she once recognized it within herself. She knew all too well what that seething fire in her heart could do if unleashed. "Don't give into the Dark Side Juhani," she whispered.
Rage purged Juhani's heart into the core of her soul. "I will not give in to him." Juhani said as much to herself as to her fellow Jedi.
Xor scoffed. "Worm! I killed your people on Cathar in the sky, on the ground, in their homes. I hunted them down like the animals they were." He lashed out, which launched him into another coughing fit. "I did it just to see them burn! Babies skulls so easily dashed against the rocks, just to hear the cries of their mothers. Hell, I even raped a few of them just to see the look of horror on the mother's faces…" the tips of his lekku flexed in the memory of the pleasures has had taken in those days on Cathar.
"But the treacherous beasts fought back and left me with injuries which meant I could never fight again…" this time the coughing fit caused him to double over. Even still he felt the looming shadow of the cat over him, felt the heat of her lightsaber so near his lekkus. They coiled on instinctive protection around his shoulders and neck. "...or so they thought!"
Revan's own rage surfaced. Old memories. This was why she had shed the Masters orders not to become involved with the Mandalorian wars. But she could not. None of the Jedi who had followed her could. Cathar had been the catalyst for the rise of the Revanchist.
"Stop trying to provoke her!" Bastila snapped. Her eyes were not on Juhani struggling to maintain control over her heated emotions however but the former Dark Lord's cold contempt.
Juhani's blade slid home. "No. I will not give into him." She stated.
A dying man's testimony was said to be the truest. For his own reasons beyond the Cathar's keen mind, Xor continued his confessions. "I ended up in the Lower City of Taris, and what did I find? A few of those stinking beasts living there! The male was easy enough to best, but the females proved elusive." His breathing was raspy now, haggard and drawn.
"I didn't know what happed to them after I killed the male, until I saw this cursed fur-licker on the auction block, a little thing, half-starved. A perfect pet all the same. She was mine. But then the Jedi came and ruined everything before I could have my Revange..."
Juhani's breath came in great gulps. It took all of her strength not to lash out. "You... you killed my father, you killed my people, you treat us like animals ... you deserve to die!" She screamed, her teeth bared. Her claws unsheathed gouging into Xor's purple flesh. On her other hand, they dangerously close to ripping the heart from his chest.
Only then did she felt the hand of Revan upon her left shoulder; upon her right was Bastila. "Don't give in, Juhani." Bastila said softly.
"You are stronger than this." Revan echoed.
"You should let her give in and embrace her hate." Xor goaded. "You are no better than me, fur-licker. You are nothing! You are no Jedi!"
Then he fell. He had pulled the trigger.
"I am Jedi." Juhani proclaimed proudly. "No. I will not do this Xor. You will die but it will not be by my hand."
"You're a coward." Xor snarled barely able to rise up to all fours from where he had been dropped. "You're weak..." but his body's strength finally gave up with a strangled gasp topped back down into a pool of blood and bile.
"That man was a beast!" Juhani cried out. Her own strength making her feel weak in the knees. Her companions walked her over to a crate where she could sit. The Tripe of the Spirit can wax even the stoutest of hearts and bodies. Once on the plains and now again here, Juhani had faced the tribulations. The waves of such a test washed over her now all she could do was lean on the arms that now held her.
"He was a monster!" she continued her voice cold, hard. "I am glad the galaxy is now rid of him so he may not harm others again." She looked up looking with gold eyes deep into the blue ones of the Nagai. "I do regret though that he had not died by my blade and claw."
"What you did was best, Juhani. He was wrong. You have proven you are the purest of Jedi." Bastila said reassuring the younger woman with her hand on the small of Juhani's back, rubbing it in small circles.
She turned her head to the human. "But must I always feel the lure of the Dark Side?"
"We all do," came the Sentinel's answer.
Juhani let out a small nod of the head and then sighed. "Yes, it was for the best," a smaller smile tugged at the muzzled lips. "I am grateful- no glad- you both were here for me. That you both stood by my side through all of this."
"Of course." Revan offered. "Where else would we be?"
"After what I said about you and Bastila and Taris..."
The Nagai shook her head. "Hey like I said before and you did, we all have to vent. And yeah, our being there was causative... and it's why we have to stand together so Tin-Jaw doesn't do it to another planet." Revan looked down and then back up having decided that now perhaps was the time for more truths.
"There is another causative reason." She said as a preamble to her forthcoming confession of who her true identity was. Bastila knew what was coming and tried to convey her support of what needed to be aired through their bond. "Malak... he's partly my fault."
"What do you mean?" Juhani asked.
"I want you to look at me Juhani. Really look. What do you see...?"
"I don't understand..."
"Just look," urged Revan. "Push past the clouds... past the whispers of the Masters. What do you see?"
The Masters' conditioning created a block in her memories, a block that caused Juhani to mentally skip over Revan's features and see Skye Ravensong. As she continued to fix her gaze she felt the presence of both the Nagai and Bastila within her mind. She allowed them in, allowed them to touch her, to probe deeper until they came to the wall.
The mental blockade began to crumble. Her head rang with liberation from the Masters' conditioning. The memories flooded back.
She recalled the masked woman who had freed her from the auction block, who took her into their reclaimed quarters of the Jedi enclave on Taris. Only there, in deep seclusion with a young human woman with brown hair and deep blue eyes did the Revanchist remove her mask.
Under it was the most stunning woman a very young Juhani had ever laid eyes upon. She was a Nagai. Her tapered ears stuck up on either side of her head which was covered in a thick black mane, pulled back into a ponytail. Hey eyes were the deepest of blues Juhani had ever seen. She became enamoured. Her heart thudded behind her chest... she was in love.
That face... it was the face starring at her now.
NO!
No, it couldn't be.
But Skye... no, not Skye- Revan nodded her head.
"How...?!"
Revan looked to Bastila then back to the young woman and then they told her the whole story. How the Masters formulated the plan to trap Revan using Bastila's battle meditations, the betrayal of Malak against his Master. How the Dark Lord Darth Revan survived the attacks, body severely broken, her life barely there but enough for Bastila to connect with and pull back from the brink of the abyss.
And a Force Bond was formed.
Revan was so badly damaged that the Masters and Bastila didn't think she's survive. But she clung to life, desperately. Her mind was clouded in a fog and the Masters took advantage giving Revan a false identity; false memories of a life they created, a life that was never Revan's and Skye Ravensong was born.
Skye who was utterly loyal to the Republic, a scout in the military who was once a Sister in the Monastery dedicated to the Night Mother. Memories of a mother murdered by the Tof, a father who used her mother's blood to mark her face in the same markings as that of Revan's mask.
Revan revealed the truth of it came to her during her time in the crystal cavern within the kinrath caves when she meditated over the crystals she discovered there. Revan also spoke that there was one other person who might know the truth of who she was, was keeping very tight lipped over the whole affair. Jolee Bindo. Why he kept his council if he did know the truth was yet to be revealed.
For a long moment Juhani remained silent. "But how can you be Revan? The one... the Jedi whose troops rescued me on Taris... it was Revan out leading an army to defeat the Mandalorians. It was you..." She looked at the Nagai, touched her face and shook her head. Her voice became a soft purr. "I knew when I heard that you had become the Dark Lord of the Sith that something was wrong."
"The woman who saved me, who I... I have come to care for, could never go completely to the Dark Side," golden eyes blinked.
Revan took the hand cupping her cheek and squeezed it before she set it down upon Juhani's lap. "It's all a bit fuzzy, Juhani." Revan admitted. "I don't know why, or how- not completely. It's connected to the Star Forge, I know that. But as to why I turned... I can't remember. Maybe I had my reasons back then but all I know is that I'm no longer the Dark Lord. I'm just Revan- and I am Jedi."
The younger woman smiled. "It is good to know that you have truly changed. It gives me hope. I do not think now that I will fall to the Dark Side. I only have to look at you and follow your example and there is no way I can fall."
Revan opened her mouth the closed it as she tried to form her words. Emulating her wasn't the best idea. After all she was a self-confessed Grey.
It was Bastila that spoke. "Overconfidence can lead to the Dark Side, Juhani. I know that, it's what I fear."
"But hey... you'll do fine." Revan quickly said. She knew Juhani had an issue with low-self-esteem. Finding her confidence was as much as a struggle for the young woman as was battling her anger and hatred for Xor had been.
"That is especially meaningful coming from you, Revan." Juhani said softly. "I will never forget what you did for me. Back on that day in the grove when I thought I had killed my Master Quatra and today with... that monster," she looked behind her to where Xor's body was still warm. "And more importantly that day you freed me on Taris even if you do not remember, I will never forget the chance you gave me Revan."
The Nagai smiled and in her typical levity moved around the emotional moment, "Well all I can say of my former self is that I clearly had good taste in discovering the talented. I'm glad you found your way to the Jedi, Juhani. And maybe I can say for her... she'd be proud of the Jedi and the woman you've become because I sure as hell am."
It shouldn't have been a surprise and yet it was to find herself being bear hugged by a very overwhelmed Cathar. She hugged her back then pulled away.
"Okay... I think we had our fill of drama for the day, don't you?" Revan climbed to her feet. "Now all we have to do is figure out what in the hell we do with that pile of trash over there," she pointed to Xor's corpse.
"I'm sure there is a trash compacter somewhere." Said Bastila in an atypical jest. "That is what is done with the garbage is it not?"
"I like your thinking babe, but ah... the authorities might have a thing or two to say if they find the corpse all mashed up in the week's refuse."
"Shark food." Juhani suggested.
Revan smirked. "Even better, but still problematic. I don't relish chopping up that thing over there for chum, doubt either of you guys do either. Buuuttttt... we can have our resident psychotic droid incinerate it. I'm sure HK will revel in taking care of a meatbag. He goes absolutely gundar-shit if he hasn't done something violent at least once a day. This should tide him over."
Bastila shook her head. "I still do not know why you insist on lugging that murdering tin can around with us."
"Meh... he's useful." Revan said nonchalantly.
"Until he turns on one of us," Juhani commented dryly. "And we become just one more tale of his former masters."
"Yeah look we all die, but I won't go by way of droid. Believe me. Hell, I want a very boring death when I'm very old, that will suit me just fine."
"There is no death, there is the Force," both Juhani and Bastila quoted the Code at the same time.
To which Revan only rolled her eyes. "Yeah, I tell you what, hell in a few centuries from now, if I'm somehow kept alive by the Living Force you both can come and tell me 'I told me so'."
"With you…" Bastila touched her lover's shoulder and gave her a very quick chaste kiss on the cheek. "I wouldn't at all be surprised if something like that happened. After all you cheated death once before."
"Speaking of 'cheating'…" Revan started, "If you're game Juhani I think I have a way to get Belaya with us."
It took a moment for Juhani to absorb the last hour. She was still overwrought, but not only from the battle with her father's murderer and the terrorist that had slaughtered her people. She also had to contend with the news that the very woman who saved her from a life of slavery all those years ago, was sitting with her now. Rebel Jedi, war hero, Dark Lord and now once more a hero and leader.
A small flicker of enlightenment or rather a realization occurred that Revan had not only saved her once but twice or perhaps it was even three times. Once on Taris, once when she was told she had the power of the Force and must be trained and more recently when Juhani was once again brought to the Light that fateful day on the Khoonda Plains.
The young Jedi took in a great breath of air; it tasted of oil, blood and metal. Belaya… her sweet beloved Belaya… here, with her…
"YES!" Juhani nodded her head. "Please. I miss her so. As Jedi I know…"
"Look, right here between the three of us, we all know that's not an issue. Bastila and I… our Force Bond is deep, but our love is deeper still. The Masters may disapprove but we're not lesser Jedi for it. We're stronger for it. So are you and Belaya. We'll need this strength when we go against Malak."
"She's right Juhani. All our training rallies against forming attachments. For a time, I felt our connection- that we shouldn't indulge in it. That it is as a distraction, but I find myself drawing strength from it- from her." Bastila looked to her lover. "As I know you do with Belaya and she with you."
Juhani's expression looked less pained and far more uplifted than it had in the past few days. "Perhaps she can meet us at Korriban. It will give her time to…" here the Cathar paused, she didn't want to say the word 'escape' but that is exactly what it was if truth were to be told. "…to do what is necessary to ensure she can leave her duties."
Revan nodded. "Korriban it is. The thing is that the Masters may not let her go. She will have to get inventive."
Juhani smirked "Worry not, Belaya can be inventive. She'll be there to meet us." She looked up to the Nagai. "Speaking of being inventive- what of you Revan, will you keep up the pretense of Skye or will you claim your true name?"
The former Dark Lord seemed to gather a few seconds to gain her thoughts. "For now, we have to keep up the charade. Canderous won't have an issue with it when I come out, hard to say about Jolee. Mission will be shocked, but I think she'll accepted and because of the life debt Zaalbar has no choice. But Carth will go high and to the right and make a 'right mess' of everything."
"Perhaps when we leave Manaan the truth can come out. Perhaps it is better sooner than later. Malak will surely know you are here and by now so will those closest to him, including Admiral Saul Karath." Bastila said. "Should Carth learn of the truth by any other means than our mouths he will, as you say, go high and to the right."
"He'll do that no matter how he learns of the truth…" the shrill of a comlink altering them of an incoming call inputted the rest of Revan's statement. She stopped and pulled out the link, activating it.
KOTOR~ KOTOR~ KOTOR~ KOTOR~ KOTOR~ KOTOR
The investigation into Sunry's murder trial was progressing, whether or not it was on a positive note for Jolee's old friend was hard to say.
Jolee and Carth had interrogated the hotel's concierge named Ingus. He admitted that Elassa rented a room and an hour or two later Sunry was seen entering her room. There were sounds of blaster fire a couple of hours later and then Sunry was seen fleeing the scene. That one damming bit of the testimony did not look favorably on the old war hero.
'He couldn't run good because he's a cripple. But he was still going pretty fast. I could have sworn he ran after the shot.' Of that Ingus was absolutely positive.
Elassa was known to rent rooms at the hotel every week or so and sure enough like clockwork Sunry would eventually show up. Being a war hero did not make one remain faithful to the spouse. Same old story if in war it didn't count if you had a affairs or one night stand with some whore in a back alley or a brothel or so soldiers told themselves. Even if he wasn't in the military any more apparently Sunry decided that the Jedi Civil war counted as war-time for him giving him license to have an affair.
The second witness named by the hotel's proprietor was a human man, named Firith Me. He was a pazaak player who was apparently big in some circles. More importantly however was that the man was a regular.
He knew nothing of Sunry other than he was some kind of old time war hero and was always going to Elassa's room. He was a bit flustered that 'they kept the hotel up half the night with their damned antics.'
He wouldn't say they were having an affair, what one did in the privacy of their hotel room was their business. There wasn't any rule after all saying that a Sith and a Republic couldn't see each other for personal reasons.
Elassa being a Sith was of no surprise- that Elassa was a Dark Jedi was. That of course was pried out of him via a bit of Force persuasion as he waved Carth's attempted bribe of hundred credits well away. He had accidentally brushed up against her and when he had her cloak, something she normally wore anyway, fell open and under the heavy mantel was a Sith's lightsaber.
Firith wasn't about to poke that hornet's nest, he knew how ruthless they are and that was all he was going to say about the matter.
To Carth that had been reason enough to kill the treacherous bitch. A fallen Jedi were the worst of all traitors. In the Commander's books her death, murder or otherwise was justified. There could be no forgiveness for betrayal.
The third and final witness was a skittery rodian male named Gluupor, who looked like he was going to soil his smalls at any moment. As the others, he didn't actually see the murder. But he did see the 'Republic cripple—Sunry his name' run away from the scene of the crime.
He saw nothing else at all, a statement that was repeated over and over which meant that of course he had seen something epically in the murdered woman's room. Gluupor admitted to being curious to see what had happened and no one of course paid him…
Paid…
Jolee didn't even have to press the rodian much into admitting that the Sith (a human man he didn't recognize) gave him Sunry's war medal to plant on the body of the fallen Sith woman, before the Selcath arrived.
So, evidence had been planted.
"Firith was right that woman's master had to know she was having an affair with Sunry. He finds out, gets mad, kills her for it and then blames Sunry for the deed. The poor slob was probably under some Force spell to make him turn against his wife, too." Carth said as they were leaving the hotel room.
Jolee shook his head. "You don't need your wits scrambled by the Force to jump in the sheets with a woman, Boy. This wouldn't have been the first time he did extracurricular things outside the marriage. .."
"You two are investigating the Sunry murder trial," came a vice from an impeccably well-dressed man blocking their exodus. "This case isn't at all what it appears to be." His voice was low and graveled. "There are many currents- shall we say- below the surface."
"What do you mean?" Carth demanded.
Jolee stayed silent, listening intently to the words spoken and to those that weren't.
"That this murder is much more complicated than it first appears." Gravel-voice spelled it out slowly as if speaking to a dull-witted child. "Sunry and Elassa are proxies for their governments. And both sides want the other to fail. You can see the journey by the footprints and then you will know what your next step will be."
Jolee smirked. Gravel-voice spoke like a Jedi. "So, both had something to do with it." He said speaking up on behalf of Carth's befuddled expression.
"Indeed. They both had their hands in this from the start." Gravel nodded his head. "If you wish to get to the bottom of it you will need to talk to both Sith and Republic. Likely in their embassies."
"Well they're not just going to give it to us." Carth intoned catching on.
"Of course, not. You think state secrets are for sale on the common market? Ha! You will have to be devious to get what you want." Gravel-voice started to walk past them in the hall, his parting words tossed over his shoulder were as strange as his greeting. "Heed my advice and you may yet find the truth in this matter."
After he had gone Carth turned to Jolee. "Ok… that was weird. He's a Jedi, right?"
Jolee gave a peculiar look that neither confirmed nor denied the possibility that was the case. "He's something." the old man said. "Alright looks like we head off to the Embassies. Hell, we should have gone there in the first place. Now is as good a time as any. Radio Skye and tell her we should meet there. Seems to me our missions are becoming conjoined, considering that Mandalorian and his team needs information from there as well."
Carth nodded. "So, you think that Sith woman was here on Malak's orders. I mean we found a couple of the blighters on Tatooine, Skye fought that Bando guy in the Shadow Lands."
"Anything is possible but you heard the owner, she's been here for months. If Elassa was placed here by Malak to get at our leader, it's been a long time coming. No, I don't think she was here for Skye or Bastila for that matter. I might chalk it up to luck if I believed in it. Which I don't."
"Coincidence?"
"Don't believe in that either." Bindo commented.
"What do you believe in then, the Force?"
"Look at my robes boy, you tell me."
"Stupid question."
The old man smiled.
KOTOR~ KOTOR~ KOTOR~ KOTOR~ KOTOR~ KOTOR
*Skye, we've got some news. *
The Nagai smirked as she looked to the others who returned her smile. "Speak of the devil… yeah Carth go ahead."
It didn't take long before Onasi had delivered the SitRep on his and Jolee's murder investigation.
"All roads are leading to the Embassies or so it seems. Alright we'll meet you there in two. I'll contact Canderous and have himself and the kids meet us there as well. After that we'll figure out what to do. I'll inform HK as well, we may well need his special services." Blue eyes looked over at Xor's carcass. "He's got a bit of house-cleaning to do first."
*What'd you mean? * came Carth's puzzled question.
"None of your concern," answered Revan. It wasn't her place to inform the others of Juhani's past. If the younger Jedi wished too, she could tell them of the encounter and escalation that ensued with the slaver. Until such a time- if it ever came- Revan and Bastila were both in silent agreement that between them they would say nothing. Nevermind 'if'. "We'll be there shortly."
True to her word Revan and the other Jedi women arrived twenty minutes later outside the Republic Embassy halls. Canderous, Mission and Zaalbar were right on their heels.
It only took a few moments longer for everyone to catch everyone else up on their individual mission details. Canderous repeated his findings of the fish men younglings stuck in the Sith Embassies, as was potential information on the Sunry case.
"You and the other female Robes going to hit it?" Canderous asked.
"From one point. But we won't be the only ones. When we draw near, the Dark Jedi will sense us and turn their attentions towards us, leaving a window for others. Canderous your team will extract the younglings." She put her hand up forestalling arguments from the old merc.
"You're used to being on strike teams I know and you're not accustomed to rescue missions. But I got a bad feeling this isn't going to be any kind of handholding job. You'll have opposition and these kids need protection. That comes to you and Zaalbar and probably HK."
"Hey! What about me?" Mission pouted, "I've been a part of this since Grandpa Candy and Big Z went into the merc bars. You know I can fight."
"It isn't about fighting Mission or holding your own. No doubt in my mind you can do that. Thing is I need someone who can slice a computer and get into things they shouldn't be getting into." Revan tried to offer clemency. "You'll not be on Canderous's team."
"But that's why I have to be there." Mission pressed.
Revan stepped closer to the former street urchin. "No. You'll be on a shadow team where you'll be more effective. I don't need another gun getting those kids out. I need a slicer and someone who can go around unseen. You and T3 will slip in, slice all the computers, gather the Intel on what the Sith's involvement is with the Sunry case. We know that rodian was paid off to plant that old man's medal into the dead woman's hand. We need proof of it.
"We also need proof what they've been doing with their mercs; no doubt it will have something to do with what's been going down on the ocean floor. And we need to know what's going on here. I need a slicer Mission, a scoundrel, not a gun. So, are you up for the task I need you for or are you going to whine like a spoiled youngling because you don't get to play gunslinger?"
Mission's blue face turned a shade purple from embarrassment. "I can do what you need, Skye," she looked abashed. "I'm sorry."
"Don't be sorry Kiddo, just do your job." Revan clapped a hand on the girl's shoulder. "And next time you get it into your head I'm keeping you out of things because of your youth try to remember the bigger picture."
Mission nodded.
"And will you have us enter the Sith stronghold as well?" Asked Jolee.
"No. You and Onasi can't go anywhere near that place, not if we intend to keep the integrity of the Sunry case. You two need to be seen keeping on the up and up. Find that evidence your mysterious man was going on about. Like I told her, when she's in the system Mission will look for any evidence linking the Sith directly to what happened in that hotel room. There's work to be done, let's get to it."
KOTOR~ KOTOR~ KOTOR~ KOTOR~ KOTOR~ KOTOR
On a good day, Representative Wann had to contend with countless visitors, endless supplicants, the eternal buzzing of his comlink, small skirmishes in the streets with his people and those of the Sith- which typically meant sending one of his aids over to the courthouse to argue the case. This morning he had done just so and the Republic had been fined 10,000 credits for the trouble.
Then there was this mess with Sunry. Damn old fool couldn't keep it in his pants and it ended up in murder. War hero or not that old man was seven kinds of trouble. Add to that one of the young soldiers came running back from the docking bays with news that amongst the traffic today a new ship had arrived carrying four Jedi. Four!
Here?
What could possibly make four Jedi come to Manaan. The supplies of kolto were regular and the scuffles with the Sith Empire were an agitation at best, surely not enough to warrant the attention of the Jedi Council to send one of their own, never mind four of them.
He had enough troubles as it was trying to keep the Republic citizens from inciting an incident with the Selcath government that would cause the fish-men to sanction the Republic. A single Jedi was a minor inconvenience to the political game but there was no telling what four of the dammed Robes would do.
His day just went from bad to worse. Because wherever Jedi went trouble was not very far behind. Like many people, he regarded the Jedi with suspicion and dislike, not just because of this damnable civil war of theirs. It was hard to tell when one of their kind would go all rogue like war heroes Revan and Malak and all the Jedi that followed. One of them was so bad the Council had even exiled her after and it was said, if the stories were to believed, they stripped her of the Force.
Wann wasn't alone in his view of the Jedi. There were many in the Republic that placed the blame for the Sith ascendance firmly on the Jedi Council's collective shoulders. If they had united together and rallied with the great cry that went out to help the Republic stand against the Mandalorian horde this civil war wouldn't have happened. Instead a bunch of Rogue Knights went against their Masters and took lead of the war. Yes, they won it, but once a rogue always a rogue. Was it any wonder that Revan then turned against the Republic the same as she had against the Council?
And those Jedi that followed as if she were some sort of messiah well… it only stood to reason they would become her willing servants and dance under the strings she pulled. When the Council finally sent more Knights to put her down, her apprentice Malak rose from the ashes like some unholy phoenix and took his master's mantel as his own. Only he was ten times worse, ten times as violent and ruthless and he was only a fraction of the leader Revan had been. Half the Council's retreat to remote enclaves hadn't helped.
It hadn't helped Wann's day either when those four Jedi came strolling into his offices. And they were not alone. Wann looked over the motley crew and noted a Republic naval Commander, and what looked like a Mandalorian… what was a Mandy doing with Jedi? Then there were the odd socks… a Twi'lek youngling and a Rug and lastly an astrodroid.
Wait hadn't his merc recruiter spoken about finding a Mandy and his two young charges, matching this description? Bettrdige had signed them on, hadn't he? Well there was nothing for it now; the Jedi would find out eventually, they always did. But it wouldn't be from Wann himself. Working so closely with the Sith, his mental conditioning to resist mind control was staggeringly high. After all, the Supreme Commander could not have an agent that Sith envoys could rip secrets from with one of their dark Jedi mind-tricks, could he?
Wann stood and offered a very slight bow of respect to the Jedi as they neared his desk. The one in front- a Nagai woman of her species, typical lean and tall build- seemed to be the leader of the party. She was dressed in impressive half-mail armor as were the other two women. At her hips, he noted two light sabers. The human female had one of those double blades, more kill per swing he supposed. And the Cathar had a single hilt as did the older human male. He worse only the very simple brown and white ropes of a Jedi yet he did not have the look of a wizened Master. Or at least not the sort that sat on the Council. That knife-ear though, she most certainly carried the air of pure authority.
"Welcome to Manaan. I am Roland Wann. As the official representative of the Republic Embassy on this planet, I am here to help all citizens of the Republic should they require aid." He said formally.
"I am Jedi Skye Ravensong," she gave no other introductions. "My companions and I are on a mission form the Jedi Council; perhaps you can help us with it." she replied in the same diplomatic tones as Wann's salutation.
The Council, of course it had to be the Council… why wouldn't it be the Council sticking their heads in?
Bad day to worse day.
"Uh… of course, of course. I will do whatever I can. But I am only a simple diplomatic representative of the Republic. I doubt I can be of any use to the Jedi Council." What he didn't say was 'please go away'. But the words lingered in his eyes nonetheless.
"I can see you are busy person." Revan continued in her diplomatic undertones. She had been very quick to read his body language but it was no matter as she had trudged this sort of field before. "Information is what I want. We seek a Star Map, the remnant of an ancient and forgotten race."
"An ancient and forgotten race… and you think it's here on Manaan?" That was not something Wann was expecting. Not at all. Ungh… he had no time for archeological endeavors.
"We do not just think it Representative Wann. We know it." Bastila said more authoritatively.
"Humm… perhaps there is something to that. But if you want to get information about that, you'll have to do something first."
How had the Jedi found out? The reports of that strange hexigonical monolith had been buried under so much paperwork considering the kolto harvests, Sith activies and endeavors with the Selkath hierocracy Wann hadn't believed anyone would root it out. And, why would they? There were more pressing matters to contend with.
Revan sighed. "You know just once… just the once I would love it if someone said. 'Oh, yeah sure you need that? Why not? Here you go."
Jolee stretched out with the Force tapping into Wann's mind. "Come now. Tell us what we need to know."
Wann's mind was resisted the old Jedi's gentle persuasions, though it hadn't been easy. The Representative already felt the edges of a headache creeping up on him "No, no. You do what I want and maybe I can help you out. Until then nothing," he said firmly.
Revan crossed her arms and glowered. "You hold dire information hostage? Typical. If you do not come through for us you'll not have four very upset Jedi and my crew to contend with human, you will have the Sith breathing down your neck. And they are not as forgiving as we are. Nor as accommodating. I will not deal in a maybe.
"I want a guarantee you will come through on this bargain. Otherwise find another patsy and we will harvest the information elsewhere. Oh and by the way… the old Jedi here has been named arbiter to the Sunry Case. And you had better be far more accommodating to him for intel than you are to me at this moment, or Sunry may well find himself executed. And you will have to answer to the Supreme Chancellor as to why Manaan is sanctioning the Republic.
"Not the best of career moves. Then again, if Malak wins this war because you're holding out on us… well… guess that won't be an issue for you, will it?" the Nagai sneered a shark's smile.
Wann considered his options… he gambled that the Jedi would not strike him down for holding out on what they found about that old relic under the sea near the kolto beds, but he was desperate. The Mandy looked like he was just itching to pull the trigger on his carbine and the Wookiee, from what Wann could tell of, the rug was none too pleased either.
"This is connected to the war effort, I assure you," he said very quickly.
"I'm waiting." The former dark lord said impertinently. "Spew your demands human."
Wann shifted in his feet unable to look at the Jedi leader in the eyes. His voice however did not betray his unnerved mind. "We were using a submersible reconnaissance droid in the ocean surrounding Alto City and it was… damaged. It took data recordings of the outside of the city before being driven off by fraxon sharks.
"But while it was returning to the surface it encountered difficulties and was disabled. Its automatic systems floated it to the surface, but we could not retrieve it in time. The Sith were applying subtle pressure to the Selkath authorities for some reason we have not yet determined, and were able to delay us long enough that they could retrieve the droid before we did.
"The droid's data centers are heavily encrypted, so it will take the Sith several days, we believe, to get the data. It was captured twelve hours ago. It is imperative that we get it back!"
"And just where is this tin can you idiots lost?" Canderous demanded, feeling as irritated as the rest of the lot. Hell, things were better under Davik Kang; if some shit-eater did this all Canderous had to do as enforcer was blow the mother-fracker's head off. Appoint a new manager-sort-of-person and demand answers from them. Simple. Sometimes the bastard Sith had the right of it.
Who in the hell made you jump through hoops to get what you needed or wanted when you had the power. The Whelp should just cut down two of this tit's goons with that fancy lazar sword of hers and then choke the information from his smug ass. It's what he'd do. It was more expedient and far more effective.
Wann met Canderous heated glare then turned back to the Nagai. "It is heavily guarded; we are sure in the Sith Embassy here on Manaan. Since we have no remaining soldiers to spare and certainly not our elite ones, we have no one capable of entering the Sith base and retrieving it. That is what we would ask you to do, Master Jedi."
"How do we get into the Sith base." Juhani demanded. "We cannot simply disguise ourselves as one of them, and regardless of the stories, the 'prisoner transfer' charade never works."
"There are several leads we have been working on. Any of them should work for you, although it might be wise to concentrate your efforts on just one."
"Leave the wise decision making to the Jedi, bub. They're good at it." Mission retorted as she too had grown exasperated. How many times had people demanded her buddies to do things for them just to help save the stupid galaxy from the stupid Sith and dumb ol' Tin Jaw? "So, what you got?"
Instead of countering the youngling with a more disciplinary correction for speaking out of turn or to her elders with such disrespect Wann foraged ahead with what his people had been working on. It was best not to worry the already fraying patience of this crew.
"The first method that's possible is to help us interrogate a Sith prisoner we managed to catch after he tried to infiltrate our base. He is being held just inside our enclave. We think he might be able to give us the passcode that the Sith give their informers to enter the base."
Revan shook her head. "Unreliable, passcodes change on a frequent basis and if one of their agents has gone missing, surely they would have changed it by now."
"True. He had proven to be most resilient so far. Perhaps another alternative is best. We managed to pick up a crate of Sith data cards, the type they use for passcards. The encryption system to unlock them is very difficult however, but if you are more skilled than our technicians, you may be able to gain access that way."
This time it was the droid that bleeped an interruption. His chirping caused the Blade to smile.
"Good point T3, the Sith's computers on Taris were child's play for you slice. We'll keep that option open." Revan turned back to the human. "We may go with that. Next option."
"The final one at your disposal involves a more direct approach." Wann sounded almost apprehensive, even if his tone remained quite neutral. "The Selkath have given the Sith exclusive use of one of the main hanger bays. Visiting Sith Masters use this bay to land, then take a speeder over the water to the external entrance to the Sith enclave.
"The luckless spy I mentioned earlier had a passcard to that hanger on him. While it is surely well guarded, it may prove to be the most direct route. Here, take the card."
"You can bet your granny's grundy undies it's heavily guarded. Never seen a Sith base that wasn't, Orange Coat." Canderous chided. "But hell, I'm up for some fun. I'll take the rug and HK with me and hit it."
Revan tossed the old merc a knowing smile and a very small tilt to the head. As if to say: 'we might just do that.'
"Even a Mandalorian vet like yourself with a Wookiee warrior at your side, you will be outnumbered and killed if they become aware of your presence." Wann felt the urge to restate his earlier warnings.
"Pfft. They can try." Canderous scoffed which was very swiftly backed up by what sounded like an affirmation on Zaalbar's part.
"I think we'll keep all options open. But for now, we'll settle on those blank passcards." Revan said.
"Good." Wann tried to sound enthusiastic and encouraging. Even if he had no real love for the Jedi at large, he knew it was best to keep them at the very least amicable- though that ship may have already long since sailed.
"It is a very intelligent and skilled individual who can crack the matrices of a Sith encryption system," he said smoothly. "We've been working on that for a while now but it's been too difficult so far. Maybe you'll have better luck. If your astrodroid has done it before, I'm sure it will be able to do so again." Wann handed Revan another diskette. "Here is a passcard to get you inside our facility. You should find all you need to get started in there." He titled his head. "Once you get the droid, we'll see about getting you that information about the Star Map."
Revan drew closer and stood directly in the man's personal space. She used every ounce of the presence of the Revanchist she once was before she became the Dark Lord before speaking. "No. You will do better than 'We'll see.' I reject such an insipid answer for doing your work for you. You will give us that information by whatever means necessary you have to do to gain it. And it had best be solid and reliable information. Are we perfectly clear?"
Wann nodded his head vigorously, throughout the earlier conversation he had remained detached and level voiced, exceptionally calm even. Now he was clearly shaken, "Yes, it is, Master Jedi."
"Oh, and one more thing," Revan said taking a half a step back. "We will require a submersible. You have no more options here, there will be no more bargaining, Representative. You will make that happen as well. Do not disappoint us." With that she spun on her heel causing the chainmail half-skirt hanging on her waist to swirl and billow behind her.
Once they were out of earshot of the Representative everyone began grumbling at once.
"Do you think it was necessary to get in his face like that, Skye?"
That came from Carth.
"We can't have the Sith get their mitts on our INTEL. He has a right to ask us to do this. We have obligations to the Republic."
"Man, the gall of some people! Do this, do that- then maybe I'll get you what you want. Shutta. Everyone knows 'maybe' and 'we'll see' always means no. " Mission grossed. "And he 'ain't got no right to make us do poodoo, Old Man!"
"Wann's up to something. See the way he stammered about the damage of his droid and the sharks? Something's fishy here and it isn't the Selcath…" said Jolee.
"Yeah I got that too." Revan nodded. "He's hiding something."
"There no emotion there is peace." Said Bastila softly trying to regain her control over her irritation that was clearly threatening to blow into full out anger at Wann's audacity to demand they comply with his wishes.
"He wasn't very helpful, was he?" Juhani shook her head causing her topknot to sway and the beads to clitter-clatter. "I do not like the fact we must play his game to get the Star Map. Surely we can do this without him."
"You should have blasted his head clean off his smug little shoulders. HK's right, he's a fracking meatbag."
Revan turned to her companions; they all had very valid points. Rather than addressing each one she only shook her head and said with a teasing smirk. "Sooooo what's up with 'Granny's grundy undies'? I mean really?"
"What do you expect when you send me to babysit the kid here?" the Merc returned the Nagai's defusing smile. "She's a bad influence on me- sweet innocent demeanor."
"Hey! I'm not a kid! In case you forgot I'm a full-blown woman now." Mission stomped her petulant foot.
"Oh, sure you are." Carth returned the banter.
"UGG…"
And there it was the moment the tension left the crew and became refocused. Now it was time to get back to work and plan their next moves.