CHAPTER THREE – OPEN CLOSET, REMOVE SKELETON

STEELA

For a former king and a general, Tandin's a pretty good cook.

I sit down between Saw and Hero and stare at my plate. Shaak meat and vegetables; standard fare for whenever Tandin's in the kitchen. Hero's recently been too nauseous to cook, so I foresee many such meals in our future.

Mina leads the group in a Unifras blessing (during which Kira bows her head but doesn't say the words) and we dig into our meals.

Kira eats delicately, like the well-mannered Jedi she is. On my immediate right, my brother shoves food into his mouth.

"All right, so we need a plan." Lux brings up, probably desperate to cut the silence at the table. "Are any ideas coming to mind?"

"It doesn't make sense." I muse. "If the Empire went to all the trouble of the Lazarus Project to mollify its citizens, when why do something as extreme as legalizing slavery?"

"Money," Kira says. "Revenue. When the Empire came into power, they put a tax on anything to be sold or traded. The more items for sale being circulated -."

"The more taxes generated, and more money for the Empire."

Kira tightens her grip on her fork. "Bingo."

Mina makes a disgusted sound in the back of her throat.

"There's one surefire way to keep out of the circle, and that's enrolling in the Academy." Kira explains. "If someone tries to sell a member of the Imperial military and gets caught, they've sunk in the quicksand big time. Fines, imprisonment -."

"We could take it the whole nine yards." Lux says.

"You forgot something. If we did that, we'd have to convince Molec to sell a member of the Imperial military. Not just Sierra with a wig and an alias, but an actual, genuine member of the Imperial military." Hutch says. "If I were Molec, I would run background checks on the slaves to make sure I didn't accidentally snare a few soldiers. An alias wouldn't hold up against that type of investigation. We need an actual soldier."

Everyone's gaze goes to Kira.

"Will a cadet work?" Hero asks.

Kira grips the edge of the table and purses her lips, but before she can speak Ahsoka bursts in. "After what happened last time, I don't recommend anyone going undercover as a slave. We can't afford another rescue mission, especially on Zygerria. It's a good thought, Kira, but unfortunately we need a different one."

"That means we're back to the old idea." Lux says. "If the Empire can levy taxes on slaves, then slavery facilities fall under imperial building codes, regulations, and all types of bureaucracy that's just waiting to be exploited. Unfortunately, I don't know much about them."

"We need more information." Ahsoka mulls. "Kira, did the Empire offer any courses concerning slavery or any other type of containment?"

Kira thinks for a moment. "No, I don't believe so. Not in so many words, anyway. The Academy did host a speaker a month ago by the name of Torrance, a prison warden. If I never see him again, it'll be too soon."

Sierra chokes on her food. Mina pounds her back to clear her throat.

"Tor? What did he talk about?" Sierra rasps when she's able to breathe again.

"Interrogation tactics. I was relieved he was called away during the middle of the speech; the man has no heart whatsoever." Kira glances sideways. "Why do you ask?"

I can practically see the blood cells draining from Sierra's face, like grains of sand in some sadistic hourglass.

"Sierra, what's wrong? Are you alright?"

Sierra nearly knocks her chair over getting up and darts from the room.

"I'll handle it," Lux volunteers and sprints after her.

Mina rests her forehead in her palm. "It's not your fault, Kira. It's something that happened to her a few months ago. You said Torrance was called away during the middle of the lecture?"

"Yes. I assumed he had a prisoner arrive at his facility." Kira says, brow lifted with slight confusion.

Mina sighs. "Well, considering the timing, I can safely guess that this prisoner was Sierra."

Kira's brow falls as realization hits. I can only imagine all the ugly lessons Tor lectured to the cadets, probably using his most matter-of-fact voice to say such horrible things. After seeing the Lichtenberg figures on Sierra's arms, I would believe every word.

"Four days," I say hollowly. "It took four days for us to rescue her. The jerk knew just how to stall us too, he arranged for the Inquisition to kidnap Katooni."

Kira stares. "I didn't know."

"We understand," Ahsoka says. "But it would be wise to be quiet around Sierra for the next few hours."

As a response, Lux's (low, soothing) and Sierra's (high, panicked) voices come roughly around the area of the refresher, followed by the sound of vomiting.

I sigh, watching my sleep prospects fade before my very eyes.

"Kira, if you want we can drag the trundle bed into the common room. This isn't your burden."

"I'll be all right,"

"Are you sure? It isn't going to be very peaceful in there tonight." If that isn't an understatement, I don't know what is.

"I'm sure," Kira says. "Thank you for your consideration, but it shouldn't bother me."

Famous last words. It's almost impossible to sleep when someone's having nightmares three feet from you.

…

Four hours later Mina nudges the bedroom door open.

"How are you doing?" she whispers.

Kira stirs in the trundle bed, but Sierra's sleeping like a log. "I think she's finally settled down. Kira seems okay."

"That's good," Mina whispers, running her eyes up and down Sierra and then Kira. "Get me if you need anything. Good night, Steela."

"Good night."

I roll over in bed, thanking goodness that the night is turning out quieter than I imagined. Maybe Lux gave Sierra a sleeping draught. I know Tandin keeps them somewhere in his room for those days when Tav would cry all night. I could hear the lucky duck snoring all the way from my room.

Shift. Toss.

I squeeze my eyes shut and pray, pray like never before that Kira's just turning over in bed. We'll be on Zygerria tomorrow, I need my sleep. I've already sat through one lecture from Tandin about proper sleep habits and I don't want to do it again.

"Aieee!"

Summoning the absolute last dregs of my strength I vault out of bed, land with one foot on the floor and the other on something soft, and close the distance to Sierra's bed.

"Hey, hey! Wake up."

Sierra startles, opens her eyes, and presses a hand to her face to stop any incipient tears.

"It's okay," I wrap my arms around her. "You're okay. You're going to be okay." Another thought pops up in mind. "Kira, did I just step on you?"

"Unfortunately," Kira winces, rubbing her leg.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to but my brain is fried right now."

"Has Lux come in to help?"

"Sometimes, but when Tav's teething he and Ahsoka have their hands just as full."

Kira gives us both a worried glance, like she's seen this same scenario before.

I fell asleep on Sierra's bed that night, the end products of the night being five hours of sleep and a bruise for Kira.

KIRA

When I wake this morning, Steela lays sprawled across Sierra's bed, snoring.

I pick up my folded uniform, change in the refresher, and walk into the galley. I typically don't rummage through kitchens, but Ahsoka made it clear I was welcome to whatever I wanted and that her family usually didn't eat breakfast together. They likely have ration bars or something of the sort.

I open the door to find Sierra, alone, at the kitchen table.

She swallows. "Morning."

"Good morning." I walk over to the stove to inspect a bubbling pot. "Hot cereal?"

She nods. "I usually make a whole packet because the others eat it too. You're welcome to it if you want. If not, Hero keeps the cupboards pretty well stocked."

The Academy usually serves cereals in the morning. "Thank you," I say, as I fill the bowl. "Sierra, I'd like to apologize for last night. I didn't realize what happened to you -."

"It's all right." She interrupts. "Ahsoka asked a question and you answered. You didn't know. I'm not angry at you at all. It's just that - I really hoped he was one of a kind. It's pillow thinking, I know, but I hoped that he wouldn't pass on what he did."

"He didn't finish the presentation." I hope it puts her mind at ease.

"To pick me up from the guy who captured me," she forks her fingers through her cropped hair. "You know what really got to me? He used my real name. He called me Sierra." She shudders. "Nobody calls me Sierra except the people on this ship. You understand, don't you?"

"I do." For those who live under an alias, your real name is sacred, something only given to a select few. When it's used to harm someone it becomes more than just a name, it's a betrayal of everything they trust.

"It was just a presentation, right? Did you have to take notes?"

Yes. "No."

If Sierra's realized my lie, she doesn't comment. "That makes me feel better. I'm sorry for keeping you up at night. Does your leg hurt?"

I rub my bruised thigh. Steela Gerrera is heavier than she looks and has very bony feet. "It doesn't hurt much."

"Steela's used to having Katooni in that bed, not someone your size." She shakes her head. "She stepped on Katooni once, and that was memorable."

"How so?"

Sierra smiles. "Hero blew in like a hurricane."

I wince in sympathy. I don't know Hero much at all, but so far she's the loudest and most impulsive of all the rebels. "I can't imagine that went well."

"Yeah, Hero takes some getting used to," she admits. "Whatever she thinks, she says. How she managed to hold down a waitressing job I have no idea."

"I knew a bartender on Onderon by the name of Tia. She spoke her mind as well, though she wasn't quite as," I search for the right word. "Severe."

Sierra nods. "That's classic Hero. I don't think anyone else has tried to take down an Inquisitor armed with only a bouquet of flowers."

I almost choke on my cereal. "She tried to fight an Inquisitor with flowers?"

"I wasn't there, but everyone else swears it happened."

The Academy mentioned the Inquisition once or twice, but rarely did they go into detail. All I can confirm is that the Inquisition is made up of force-sensitives tasked to hunt down the remaining Jedi and crush the rebellion. To fight one unarmed is lunacy at best, suicide at worst.

"How did she survive? Inquisitors are a force to be reckoned with."

"Saw tackled her before she could do anything."

That makes much more sense.

The door opens again and Ahsoka comes in with Tav. "Morning, girls."

"Good morning." I say and nod to her son. "Good morning, Tav."

This time, Tav ignores me in favor of pulling on Ahsoka's shirt and wailing "Maaa! Hungeee!"

"I know, I know." Ahsoka hoists Tav into his high chair and snaps the tray into place. "Will you give him some cereal while I purée the jogans?"

"Of course." I take a handful of cereal from the box and deposit it on Tav's tray, picking one up to hold in front of him. "Look, Tav. Mmm!"

Tav stops wailing, grabs the cereal, and sticks it in his mouth.

"Did you take care of babies at the Jedi Temple?" Sierra asks. "You're too good at this not to have done it before."

Ahsoka takes a sharp breath.

Sierra blinks. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said that. Do you want me to take over?"

I've crushed the piece of cereal in my hand to so much dust.

"I'm all right," I say, brush the dust off my hands and go back to my own breakfast, memories of a different baby churning in my head.

A/N: Poor Kira, and poor Sierra too. They just can't seem to stop accidentally striking each other's sensitive subjects.

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Lux's Sister