Post 7

Michael Storm stood, in his daughter's room and watched her sleep. She had spent about five hours in a bacta tank and was now in a secure room at the med center. Jade had woken briefly when they had taken her out, but had fallen back asleep as soon as her head hit the bed. She was exhausted and he wanted to know why. It wasn't just the shooting, though he was sure that didn't help. He had seen it in her eyes for the last couple of weeks but hadn't said
anything. Her job was stressful so he just assumed that was the cause. Now he wasn't so sure.

Jake had left to talk to his connections and see if he could find out any information. His son had needed something to do besides standing around waiting for things to happen. The joys of being a fighter pilot. Michael thought. The senator has left only minutes ago at Michael's insistence. He had ordered him to go home and get some rest as the man was obviously distraught and wouldn't do any good to anyone here. One of them might as well get some sleep.

He had called his wife after they had put her in the bacta to tell her what had happened. He hadn't wanted her to find out over the holonet. Funny, he had always thought he would be calling his wife about their son, not their daughter. After assuring her that Jade was fine, he had promised to call her if he heard anything or when she woke up. Michael sat down on a couch close to the bed and rested his head in his hands. He didn't want to think about how
close he might have come to losing her today. They hadn't caught the shooter, but whoever it was had been sending a warning in his opinion.

The door opened and he raised his eyes as a woman walked in the door. She wasn't dressed as a nurse, which was whom he had expected to see. Her gaze lingered on Jade and suddenly it clicked in his head.

"Iella?" He asked.

She turned her gaze to him and smiled softly. Walking over, she sat next to him and returned her gaze back to Jade.

"How is she?" She asked quietly.

"She got out of the bacta a little while ago. They said she would be fine though."

She nodded and looked as if she wanted to say more.

"What is it?" He asked. It was easy to see where Jade got her directness from.

"How well do you know Bela?"

He furrowed his brow in confusion at her question. He knew from what his children had told him that Iella worked in Intelligence, but he had thought she was here as a friend. Not working. Why would she be asking about Bela?

"I've known him for seven years. As long as Jade has. Why?"

"Two months ago, Jade found something on her data system." She began. Quietly she recounted the story for him, not pausing to let him comment. He probably wouldn't have been able to anyway. He closed his eyes and was now glad he had sent Bela home. He might not have been able to resist hurting his son-in-law at the moment. The man he had handed his little girl over to was nothing more than a criminal and a horrible human being.

Iella was quiet as he digested all the information she had just told him. She knew from the siblings' descriptions of their father, and from what she had heard through other avenues, that he was a trustworthy and reliable man. Telling him was a huge breach of policy but she wanted someone in Jade's family to know. She couldn't tell Jake because he would take matters into his own hands. He was an excellent pilot, but was extremely protective of his little
sister.

"You think she was the target?" He asked as he broke the silence.

Iella nodded and he groaned quietly.

"You don't have enough to arrest him." He commented dryly.

"No. Not yet."

"She needs more protection. From him."

"I know. I'm going to get it for her tomorrow." Iella told him. "I just wanted you to know what was going on. She needs someone besides me to talk to."

Michael nodded. "Thank you."

They were quiet for a few moments before Iella spoke again.

"You're not going to demand I pull her from the investigation?"

The governor smiled. "Even if I would, you actually think she would do it?"

Iella laughed. "Nope."

/____________________________________\

Jared sat outside Jade's hospital room and tried to corral his thoughts. The one day he hadn't been around her and this happened. Edward had pulled him to watch the stupid security cameras today for no reason. Now he was wondering if the shooting was the reason. Not that him being there would have stopped it, he wasn't that egotistical. But he couldn't help thinking that maybe he would have seen something that might have helped.

He was jolted out of his thoughts when Governor Storm walked out of his daughter's room. Jared stood without thinking and was surprised when Michael walked over and sat down in the chair next to his. Of course he had met the governor on several occasions, but wasn't exactly on a first name basis with him. Nervously, he retook his seat and opened his mouth to speak.

"She's fine Jared."

Closing his eyes, the young man slouched in his chair and sighed. "Thank you, sir."

He felt, rather than saw the governor nod next to him. Opening his eyes he looked over and found the man staring at Jade's door. Edward had tried calling him a handful of times, but he hadn't answered his comm. He was more worried about how Jade was than what that son of a Hutt had to say.

"Go home and get some sleep son." Michael told him quietly, breaking him out of his thoughts.

"If it's all the same to you sir, I'd like to stay here. Just to make sure."

Jade's father nodded and stood to walk back into the room, leaving Jared alone with his thoughts once again.

/____________________________________\

Jedi Temple – Coruscant
Two days after shooting

"So, is there a particular reason you haven't come over lately?"

Kyp and Jaina were sitting in the mess hall of the temple, after one of their weekly sparring matches. The master was leaning back in his chair, his feet up in the one next to Jaina as she sat across from him. She popped a piece of fruit in her mouth as she tried to think of a good excuse for him.

"I was over this morning, Kyp."

"To pick me up. For breakfast."

"I was still there." She said defensively as Kyp felt her ire rise. This game was getting really old for him. It didn't matter how he approached the subject with her, she always had an excuse. Even if it was lame. She was avoiding Jag, plain and simple. And he, Kyp, was getting tired of it.

"Jaina." He growled at her.

She started to say something when Kyp's comm trilled. Looking up at him, she unsuccessfully kept the smile from her face. "Saved by the comm." She said quietly.

"Durron." He answered as he frowned at the woman across from him.

"Kyp, can you come to my office please."

"Sure Luke. I'll be right there." He closed the channel and stood. "We're not done with this discussion young lady."

Kyp walked down the hall towards Luke's office and sighed. Luke had arrived a few days ago, like he always did, to take care of any business he couldn't from Ossus. He and Coran had already briefed him on what he needed to know and he knew this wasn't a social call. So what the hell did he need to see him for? Guess he would find out soon enough.

He got to the door and walked through since it was open already. Luke sat behind his desk reading something when he looked up and motioned Kyp forward. Sitting in one of the two seats in front of the desk, the master tried not to cringe as he nodded at the other person occupying the seat next to him.

Iella Antilles returned his nod and turned her attention back to Luke. He knew neither the intelligence officer nor her husband held any regard for Kyp. They were civil towards each other, but pretty much stayed out of the same circles and out of each others' way. He was confused as to why she was here. Actually, he was just confused in general.

Luke set the data pad down and looked up at Kyp. He smiled slightly. This was not good.

"I have an assignment I would like you to take."

Kyp raised an eyebrow at the Grand Master. He hadn't said that I want to offer you. He had just politely voluntold him. "Ok."

"Intelligence is working on a major case right now and one of our informants is in need of some protection." Iella told him as he shifted his attention to her.

"What kind of protection? I'm a little well known, so I'm not sure how I could help with one of your cases." Kyp asked cautiously.

"We have found a major slave trading ring and instead of pulling our informant out at this stage in the investigation it has been decided to give her a little help." She handed Kyp a data pad and waited patiently while he looked at it.

"Senator Mnaa's wife?" Iella nodded and he moved back to the info. "Who does she need protection against?"

"Her husband."

Kyp's head shot up at her statement and he was sure the shock was written all over his face. Senator Bela Mnaa was one of the most popular, if not vocal, members of the senate. To hear he was under investigation for being involved in slave trading was surprising to say the least. Iella cleared her throat and continued.

"Jade doesn't want to quit at this stage of the game but I'm worried that she won't be able to gather information and watch her back at the same time. She's more than capable of doing this job, but keeping up the façade is starting to wear on her. I'm afraid she's going to get careless and something is going to happen. That's where you come in."

"So that's what the attack on her was about. It wasn't someone trying to get to the senator. They got who they were aiming for, didn't they?" He asked.

"That's what we're thinking. And while she isn't helpless, she's far from an expert when it comes to this stuff." Luke interjected. "She just needs someone to shadow her when she's in public and especially when the senator is gone. You would be staying at the mansion in order to make it easier." He added.

The three sat in silence as Kyp digested the information. Guess you should be careful what you ask for. He told himself mentally. This had to be pretty serious if intelligence was asking the Jedi to help and Luke was offering.

"Are you giving me a choice in taking this or not?" Kyp asked.

Luke nodded, although it was obvious he did so reluctantly.

Well, it's not like I have anything better to do. Babysitting it is. He thought to himself.

"I'll do it."

/____________________________________\

Iella watched as the two Jedi sat and hammered out the details of exactly what Kyp's job was going to entail. He would escort Jade to all her ambassador meetings, functions, etc. There were already guards on the grounds to protect the Senator so Kyp was going to need to work with them to make sure they had all the bases covered, but he was the primary line of defense for her.

"Kyp."

"Yeah?" He answered, as he looked up at Iella.

"I know that we haven't always gotten along." She paused, uncertain how to proceed. Kyp nodded and that seemed to help her continue.

"Jade is a very important person to me and my family. Please don't let anything happen to her."

He stared at her for a moment then nodded. "I won't." And she felt that he meant it.

/____________________________________\