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Chapter 23

Unknown Regions, aboard Trepidation

He looked completely broken as he sat on the cold durosteel floor of the cell that held him and silently sobbed. It had been a week since the death of his wife and he still hadn't recovered any. She kept her feelings under tight shields that she covered with a projection of indifference, but her heart ached for the once proud Chiss/human man who grieved for the wife he hadn't even had time to have a life with.

It made her hate her "master" all the more.

Cassie had been assigned as Cleven Fel's occasional guard since the heartless, cold blooded murder of Florin Fel. She nearly revealed her true self in the shock that flooded her when she watched Erida kill the young Chiss woman. However she recovered quickly enough and swallowed her repulsion. But ever since she wondered what she had gotten herself into.

She had let her anger and hate for her father surface while in the Embrace of Pain and, although she knew she touched the Dark Side, she knew she hadn't turned Dark. She had studied the Unifying Force long enough to know that to truly turn to the Dark Side, she had to have evil intent. Sure, if her father had been there that day when she was released from the Embrace, she probably would have tried to kill him, which would have possibly turned her completely. Although, after she was taken back to her quarters to recover, she came to her senses so to speak, she decided to continue with the ruse of falling to the Dark Side. She knew it was a risk in more than one way, but it was a risk she was willing to take.

She would use the feelings she felt towards Erida and even her father to allow her to project the embittered feelings she knew the Sith probed her for. It wasn't really that hard to feel embittered for real. However, she remembered the way her father did grieve for Tahiri and the real pain she sensed from him when he held her after he had come back from the mission Tahiri had died on. She knew that her father loved her mother, but she was angry with Valin and she still couldn't believe he would have stooped low enough to sleep with Anakah. She did love him, even if she also hated how he handled everything else about Tahiri's death. Well, one thing was for certain when she got out of this she was going to have one hell of a long talk with Master Valin Horn.

She was sure Erida could figure out that Cassie wasn't really Dark. Cassie's fall was too quick, but obviously the Sith thought Cassie had more issues than she did and during her "training sessions" Erida continued to pick at Cassie, trying to find something to ensure Cassie's fall was a true and lasting one. Fortunately, her uncle had thought her a lot of techniques concerning how to hide in the Force and how to project false emotions. Doran had learned these things from his mother who had traveled the galaxy learning Force skills in a si milar fashion as Bail's father had. Of course, Jacen Solo had taught her mother a lot of the same skills as well during the Swarm War and Tahiri expanded upon that knowledge after she and Valin had married, which Tahiri had passed that knowledge along to her Apprentices.

Now, though, as she watched Cleven, in his broken state, she wondered if she could carry the charade through. She knew Erida was itching to kill someone else, to prove to Syal Antilles-Barrett that she was serious. Although, the Chief-of-State was distraught about what had happened to her cousin's wife, she didn't break. She refused to give into Erida's demands that she renounce her presidency. She also knew that things hadn't turned out the way they had planned on Naboo or in the Unknown Regions with the battle with the Fifth Fleet. The queen wasn't dead and Cleven's father had defeated her fleet of cobbled together ships. All of which was making Erida very impatient.

Cassie also knew that her "test" was fast approaching and she knew what that would mean. She knew she couldn't kill one of her friends, even if it meant her own life was at stake. She had decided to enter this dangerous game to save her uncle and her friends. She already felt awful that Florin had been killed. She won't let something like that happen again.

She felt a presence at the door of the anteroom of the cell area and quickly reassessed her shields. Then when it slid open she looked over at the newcomer. He was a tall older man who looked like he had spent his life living on Tatooine. The guard, bowed his head and was careful not to meet her gaze as he said, "Mistress Horn, the Boss has asked for you to meet with her in the training room."

She nodded and moved past him and out of the chamber. She glanced once more at Cleven and hoped that she could soon end this. But she knew the Chiss captain would take a long time to heal.

She entered the training room to find Beth there. She was running through a lightsaber exercise with the use of a remote and didn't let up until Cassie was well into the room. Cassie looked around and when she didn't see Erida she inquired of the young girl, "Lady Erida had summoned me, is she here?"

Beth finally stopped with her exercise and looked at Cassie. Cassie couldn't miss the girl's disdain for her in her words or expression, "Yes, Mother wants us to duel. She feels that I'm too fa miliar with her and that I need a new challenge."

"Oh," Cassie was actually surprised. Up until now, Cassie's lightsaber skill hadn't been addressed. In fact, Cassie still lacked possession of her lightsaber.

Beth grinned but it never reached her hard eyes, "Ahh, you are wondering how you are to fight me without a lightsaber."

Cassie pretended to miss the contempt in the girl's eyes and s miled, "Well, that had crossed my mind, yes."

Beth turned toward the bench on the other side of the room and, as she reached out with her hand, Cassie's old fa miliar lightsaber flew into it. She turned back to Cassie and held out the silvery hilt with an arrogant grin. "Mother is returning this to you. She seems to think that you are ready to make the next step."

Cassie swallowed hard and reached out for the weapon that she had constructed when she was twelve. She remembered her Master's excitement at Cassie being old enough and skilled enough to build it, and Cassie remembered her mother's fears. As she took the cold metal into her hand she suddenly remembered Tahiri's soft words about the importance of a Jedi's lightsaber:

"You must take great care of this weapon, Cassie. And you must take great care with this weapon. It must be properly maintained and looked after because it will become your shield against evil and because you wield it will expose you to evil. You will come to love it and you may someday even hate it, for the acts that you may have to do with it. But above all, Cassie, never, never, use your lightsaber out of anger and hate, for those are the acts that will lead you to the Dark Side, no matter what your intentions are."

Cassie looked at the weapon and then at the girl, "Thank you."

Beth grunted a response and moved into the dueling circle. She reignited her red saber and scowled at Cassie. "Let's see what you have, Jedi."

Cassie stepped before her and ignited her silver blade. With a snarl she really didn't feel she countered as she attacked, "You just made your first mistake. I'm no longer a Jedi."

X

Erida watched her apprentices as they dueled. She suspected Cassie would beat Beth simply because she had more experience, but she wanted to see it herself. She didn't completely trust Cassie, however, the Jedi had taken to her training with interest and with a passion to learn more. She had already passed one test. She killed the Chiss to see what Cassie would do as much as she had killed her to punish Fel and to prove her point to Syal Barrett. The girl, although shocked at the action, had not reacted in anyway that would not have been expected of a detached Sith Apprentice. Soon Erida was planning to present Cassie with her test of loyalty and true commitment to the Sith in a few days. It wouldn't make her instantly a Sith, but it would ensure her fall to the Dark Side. However, first she needed to get to the Unknown Regions and try to figure out what had happened to her navy.

"You like her."

She didn't turn to acknowledge the speaker, "She is powerful, despite her lack of telekinesis. But I've noticed that when she uses her anger she is able to do more telekinetically with the Force." She let a small s mile cross her lips as she watched Cassie attack and Beth parry. "She will learn to enjoy that power and she will crave it. After all, she never had the skill as a Jedi and it is something her mother possessed. That attachment to her mother will be her downfall, if it's handled properly. It's a shame she wasn't on that mission and saw her mother die."

He stepped up beside her and she finally met her pawn's eyes. "But my training regime isn't what you are here to discuss."

"No," he grinned and went on to say, "I've been trying to find out what happened on Naboo. Apparently, Padmé pulled a trick from her name sake's sack of tricks. The poison worked. But it was a double who died."

She narrowed her eyes and glared, "Pader, without Naboo's support I have no backing. I want the girl dead."

He sighed, "I know. But short of me going to Naboo and hoisting the dagger myself, I don't know how it will work. My contact also reports that she not only is surrounding herself with only her most trusted advisors and guards, she also contacted Count Aven Picardo of Vannard. He is to be arriving within the next day."

She hated surprises, "What interest does he have in Naboo?"

Pader snickered, "It seems the two of them have been corresponding and they have an interest in each other. My contact seems to think that the good count intends to convince Padmé to go away with him."

"Will she go?"

He shook his head, "Of course not. Padmé is a naive young idealistic fool. She will stay thinking that it would be what is best for Naboo." He moved over to the drink dispenser and poured them each a glass of wine. Once he returned, he handed her one and snickered, "We will just have to eliminate Picardo too."

She scoffed, "You can't even eliminate your niece. How are you going to kill this count too?"

He sipped his wine and looked at the monitor that showed the heated lightsaber battle. He grinned and turned back to her, "You know, our daughter is quite good. I hope she never decides to use that lightsaber on me, her dear ole dad." He continued to smirk as he took a sip of the wine watching for her response. Erida knew not to take the bait concerning Beth with him. When she didn't respond to his quip he went on, "I intend to go to Naboo."

"You can't." She sat the full glass of lavender colored wine on the table without drinking any of it. Then she went to the dispenser and poured her own glass as she said, "You know you can't be seen until we have your wife resurface. Remember, you are taking care of her in her distraught state."

He turned to her again, "I don't intend on making my presence on Naboo common knowledge."

She thought about it for a moment as she sipped her wine. Finally, she said, "All right. However, remember all of our plans hinge on Violetta's death and your wife renouncing her office. You cannot be seen."

He s miled and sat his empty glass beside the full one on the table, "Don't worry. I should have taken care of her myself from the beginning." Then he surprised her by reaching up to brush the backs of his fingers along her cheek. Erida found herself responding to his touch, despite her disgust for the man who had helped create her daughter.

When she didn't instantly flay him or Force strangle him, he became bolder and with his other hand he reached around her waist and pulled her toward him. In a husky voice he said as he pierced her with his green-eyed gaze, "I want you, Lina."

Her mind was telling her to push him away and punish his importunateness, but the part of her that was still Lina Doglan refused. She wanted him as much as he wanted her. She dropped the glass of wine and wrapped her arms around his neck pulling him closer to her. He smugly grinned and roughly claimed her lips in a searing kiss that she returned with as much demanding passion.

XXX

Naboo

Marko peered at himself in the mirror and nearly laughed at his appearance. He was dressed in what he considered the most ostentatious outfit he had ever worn. At his neck and cuffs was white lace ruffles of a silk shirt and he wore breeches of rich dark green satin. The over tunic was of a fawn colored tan and was made of soft suede and over his shoulders hung a cape of the same color as his pants which was clasped under his chin with a silver chain. His rich brown knee high boots were made of leather from some Vannard lizard. Upon his fingers he wore replicas of the many rings of office the real Count Picardo, who was the nephew of the King and sixth in line for the throne of the Outer Rim planet of Vannard. His blond hair was slicked back and tied neatly at his nape and he had a false goatee that would eventually be replaced with his own facial hair in a few more days. He was glad that the real Aven also had blond hair even if it was slightly more ashen in color than Marko's golden hue, because he hated dyeing his hair. He looked too much like his father with dark hair.

However, Marko thought that the hair color was all they had in common. Aven was shorter and five years older than Marko. He also had hazel eyes versus Marko's emerald. Besides the physical differences, Marko was finding the Vannard accent of long drawn out vowels and slightly slurred consonants also difficult to master. Simply because he thought it sounded ridiculous when he spoke with the accent and often ended up sniggering by the end of his sentences—something that infuriated Picardo's personal advisor.

All in all, he thought he looked worse than Bail Solo-D'jo ever could have in any of his worse Hapan get-ups. At least the Hapans had a sense of when enough was enough, the Vannardi just kept piling on the trappings thinking more was going to make their already grandiose traditional outfits look better.

He shook his head again in amusement as he wondered just how in the nine hells of Corellia he was going to possibly pull this off, despite all he had learned. He had arrived on Vannard a week ago to have a whirlwind education on Vannard's royalty and to learn about Aven Picardo.

It had been as Anakah had speculated. The count knew of and fully agreed with Queen Violetta's scheme. However Marko still didn't quite get it. He had to admit he had taken a liking to the flamboyant, yet extremely private, count. Which considering Marko had to pretend to be him for an undetermined amount of time, it was a good thing. Vannard was a small, backwater planet that sat on the Outer Rim near Wild Space. It was a member of the GA, but it shared its Senator with the entire Vannard Sector. The Picardo fa mily was wealthy, but no where near as so as the Hapan royals or some of the aristocrats of Kuat. However, the royal family liked to live as if they were as rich, unfortunately at the expense of their subjects. Marko was glad that, despite Avan's taste in outrageous clothing, he didn't like how his family maintained their lifestyle on the broken backs of the people of Vannard.

Avan's estate was large, but not as large as some and he shared the dwelling with his personal advisor and as far as Marko could see his best friend, Jayms Kristlow. Marko had, up until his last night with the count, wondered about what Avan's and Violetta's relationship and why the secretive count would let a complete stranger pretend to be him.

Finally, on his last evening before departure while they were going to their rooms to retire for the night, Marko had pointedly asked the count why he would agree to this charade if the other man really had a romantic interest in Violetta. Marko actually was stunned by the count's response:

"I'm not interested in Queen Violetta, Jedi Quee, not in that way," the shorter and slightly older man all but smirked. "Oh, Padmé is an exceptional young woman and quite beautiful. But do not fear that I'll hunt you down and challenge you to a Vannardi traditional duel of honor if you were to fall under her spell. I'm her friend and I enjoy her correspondence and occasionally her company and I worry for her wellbeing because she is a good and honest ruler, of which there are too few in this galaxy. But I have no intentions of pursuing more with her."

"Okay," Marko had responded than he stopped again and turned toward Aven. "But why would allow me to pretend to be you. You won't even let HoloNet reporters take your holo?"

"I am very private minded. It is true normally I would be appalled at such a suggestion of allowing someone impersonate me." He smiled, "Padmé is very persuasive, but besides, I think her plan is a good one and I want to keep her safe. Not only that, for an indefinite time I can be someone else. Jayms and I are leaving for Zeltros at the same time as you do for Naboo."

Marko sniggered despite that this was a count he was talking to and Aven looked away as a slight blush touched his cheeks. Then he turned back to meet his imposter's eyes. "It's not what you think, my boy. If it will ease your mind to know, I'm in love with someone else and let's leave it at that. Because for this charade, as you call it, to work, knowing of my lover's identity is the least bit of information that you require to know about me. For if you were to incorporate that knowledge into your version of me, this charade won't work." Then he leaned in and impishly said, "In other words, Padmé Barrett Violetta isn't my type."

Marko almost stumbled at the revelation. He hadn't expected that. The other man gave him a mischievous grin and winked before turning smartly on his booted heel to toward his advisor's rooms.

Marko snickered at the memory as he finished fussing with the lace at his neck. I'm glad that I don't have to go that far with this farce.

"Are you ready, Sir?" Marko turned to the voice of the Naboo royal guard, Bendel, who had piloted Marko from Vannard.

"I'm as ready as I suppose I'll ever be," Marko said.

Marko could feel a sadness in the young man who s miled and responded, "I know you don't understand what the queen is up to, but trust me, this will work. No one on Naboo has actually seen Count Aven for a few years. And despite the differences, you are si milar enough in build and looks to pass all but the closest scrutiny."

Suddenly, Marko was beginning to understand. He returned the guard's grin, "And Aven Picardo would never allow a close scrutiny to begin with. And the queen can't afford to allow one because she is under protection."

The guard beamed and nodded, "Now, you are beginning to see why we came up with this." Then he became more serious. "Count Aven, his personal advisor, the queen, Minister Josté and myself are the only ones who knows your real identity, Knight Quee. Jedi while undercover had tried before and your colleagues were successful at stopping that assassination, however, we need to discover who these people are who would kill our queen. Those Jedi didn't fail but they weren't close enough to figure it out."

"You think someone within the inner circle is the assassin?" Marko turned his full attention on Bendel.

"We do not know. But we think someone is watching Violetta closely. A romance between Count Aven and Violetta has been speculated for some time by the gossip and rumor mill. So, if the concerned Count arrived after the second attempt on her life it wouldn't be unusual. Especially, since it's been leaked that you, meaning the count, and Queen Violetta are at entering a—um, courtship. Josté and I concocted this idea of having a Jedi pretend to be the count and Violetta said she knew the Jedi perfect for the part and that she was sure she could convince the real count to go along with it." He paused for a moment and then more quietly said, "I've lost my wife in the last attempt on the queen's life and I have no intention of letting Stefané's death be for naught."

Marko was taken aback at the man's candor and sincerity, and he suddenly realized just what was at stake. "I'm sorry. I will do all that I can to help catch these criminals."

The other nodded then turned to put his own disguise on. Bendel said that the palace hanger would be closed off to all personnel and traffic, but the security cams would still be operational. It simply wouldn't be realistic for a count of Vannard to arrive with a Naboo guard. Twenty minutes later they touched down in that hangar.

Marko stood by the hatch and took a deep breath. He said the mnemonic that Jayms had given him to practice the sounds and cadence of Vannardi speech. He heard a chuckle behind him and turned to find Bendel coming down the access way.

Marko snickered too, "Don't laugh or I'll blow it with the first words out of my mouth."

Bendel shook his head, "Actually, I was laughing at myself. Do you see how ridiculous I look?"

Marko quirked an eyebrow, "Oh contraire, I corner the market on ridiculous, I think." Then he looked at the large floppy hat in the guard's hand, "But the hat is a nice touch for the utterly ridiculous."

Bendel's grin only became larger and more mischievous but he said deadpan, "Oh, this isn't my hat. It's yours."

Marko just stared at him for a moment and then groaned as he dropped his gaze to the large floppy brimmed hat of fawn colored tan. But if the size and the shape of the hat wasn't enough, it possessed a large dark green fluffy plume of some bird on the side of it. "You have to be kidding," Marko mumbled as he finally reached for the hat to place it on his head. "No wonder Picardo doesn't allow holos of himself, I wouldn't either."

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