Four days later, I was in my civilian disguise, kicking back and relaxing in the deli Evenia and I discussed. There were a handful of patrons inside, but I ignored them and focused on my dinner. About 10 after 5, Evenia walked in. She and I didn't make eye contact, but we recognized each other. While I ate a Vrobal sandwich, Evenia ordered a small drink, and headed over to the drink dispenser. She pulled two cups out, setting her other hand on the counter absent mindedly. Or so other people thought if they noticed her. With her other hand, the one with the two cups stacked on top of each other, she set them down where her other hand just was. She pulled one cup from the stack, leaving the other sitting.
Filling the cup with some beverage, she put a lid on it and walked out. Finishing my sandwich, I walked over to the drink dispenser, taking the cup and sliding it towards the end of the counter. Something underneath the cup slid with it, and I caught it in my other hand while I filled the cup with water. I pocketed the random item, and exited the deli with my cup of water. Drinking it down, I tossed the cup in a garbage and headed for the city gate. I showed my ID to the gate guards and exited the city. After walking for a while, I removed the item from my pocket, Evenia's holodisc, safely encased. I grinned as I walked south to deliver the data to Tairek.
/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/
Jaina sat at the receptionist's desk in the front room of the Commandant's building. As usual, she received an encrypted message once every hour from an anonymous source. She got on the comm. to Colonel Strasser's desk.
"Sir, there is a message here for you."
"Alright, bring it in." Strasser replied.
Jaina knew her only way of getting under Strasser's skin would be through a long, slow process of casual conversation, leading to casual dating, and eventually to more intimate sessions. Fortunately, Strasser preferred to see every message in person…he didn't trust the supposedly "encrypted" channels that had been setup by Witter's men. Jaina transmitted the encrypted message onto a datapad, and walked through a set of doors, down a hallway, and finally into Strasser's office. She walked forward, smiling curtly at the Colonel as she set the datapad down on his desk. Jaina knew she had to make her move now. She was single and un-wed, and certainly not stupid: she knew that seduction had to be slowly coerced. If she went in showing off her 'bits,' Strasser would get the wrong impression, or some impression too soon. So Jaina, who was pleasantly covered, looked at Strasser's desk, and saw a framed photo of him, a woman, and a child. The Colonel's family. Strasser was decrypting the message when he noticed Jaina still present, looking down at the photo.
"That's my family. They're not around anymore." Strasser said. Jaina saw the grim look on his face and turned away from the photo.
"I'm sorry sir. I've never had a family." Jaina replied. To that, Strasser looked up from the message up towards Jaina. He made no expression, only nodding before looking back down at the message.
"I'm sure the lucky guy will meet you someday Jaina." Strasser replied. He glanced up for a few seconds, and Jaina smiled. She turned and headed back to her desk. First contact. She'd step up her efforts soon enough.
/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/
I was at the rendezvous point south of Gardoose, the marshes, where Tairek had parked the cargo speeder. I had already handed over Evenia's holodisk, but I remained with Tairek as we waited for Gawain to report. After a while, Gawain showed up.
"Damn that's a long walk. Sorry sir." Gawain said to Tairek.
"It's alright lad. Sit and relax." Tairek said to Gawain. Gawain was about my age, maybe a year or two older. I hadn't talked to him much, but he seemed dependable, and gruff. He sat down in one of the speeder's seats and delivered his report.
"Jaina's made contact with Strasser. Caught his eye, for the moment. No intel to report. Any luck with the Twilek?" Gawain asked. I nodded my head.
"Yah. First holodisk." I replied. Tairek nodded and looked at the cargo hold of the speeder, which was full of weapons procured from defectors in the militia.
"I have to take these back to camp, then pick up supplies from Jan. You boys found lodgings within Gardoose yet?" Tairek asked.
"Mmhmm. Cheap motel a few blocks down from the plaza." I replied.
"Yes sir I have." Gawain said.
"Alright, good lads. Head on back then. I'll see you both next week. If you get compromised, escape and evasion. Don't bring the comm. channel down with you." Tairek said.
"I wouldn't dream of it ner vod." I said.
"Not a chance sir." Gawain said. Tairek nodded, and Gawain and I exited the speeder. Tairek left south to the mountains, while Gawain and I began heading back to Gardoose.
/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/
Days passed. Jaina continued working regularly, not going overboard in her advances. Small chit-chat, little grins. Eventually after a few weeks, she put on a smidge more make-up. Strasser, slowly but surely, began to warm up. A few 'hellos' here and there, 'good mornings, 'have a good night,' civil and professional behaviour it was but it was progress. She went into Strasser's office to deliver the usual message. She greeted the colonel, set the encrypted datapad down on his desk, and turned to leave. As she headed for the door, Strasser spoke.*
"Jaina, wait." Strasser said. Jaina stopped and turned, and walked back to his desk.
"Yes sir?"
"It's pretty slow today, you can go home."
"Oh…thank you sir." Jaina replied. She turned and began walking back, but stopped and returned. "You know, since I have the day off, and pardon me if this is unprofessional sir…but would you like to go get a drink with me?" Jaina asked, interested. Or so it appeared to Strasser. The older man looked up from his desk, initially surprised, but after a few moments a small smile formed on his face.
"I'd love to. Pick you up at 6?"
"Ok." Jaina replied, an innocent smile on her face. She turned to leave, when Strasser stopped.
"Oh, and Jaina?"
"Yes sir?"
"Call me Henry."
Jaina and the Colonel went out for the night. Dinner, drinks, and a walk about town. Most people that were out as late as they were would have been sent home by ERCS patrols, curfews and all that, but the Colonel of course had special privileges. Strasser walked Jaina home. It was now or never. After some convincing by Jaina, Strasser came in for a night cap. Jaina could see he was conflicted – he had been a gentleman the whole night, and now was pushing his limits. Or maybe he felt he had betrayed his dead wife by seeing another woman. For Jaina, she had her ulterior motives, but now she found she was enjoying being with Henry. Every lie she told damaged her as much as they did Strasser. But she went with it. Jaina was not a deceptive nor vindictive woman – seducing a man for information was not something she liked, but she found herself getting better at it. As the night went on, Jaina managed to glean more of Strasser's past, his family, their deaths, and how he had come here. She was building trust. He was an old man nursing a broken heart, and she was becoming his bedrock of normalcy. When the time came, with Strasser insisting he leave, Jaina convinced him otherwise.
/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/
I was in Gardoose one morning, sitting on a bench reading the morning paper. Evenia wouldn't be delivering intel until later that day, but there was still work to be done. I was on general surveillance, scoping out the happenings of the city. Nothing was happening on that street. As I was about to get up and leave, I spotted an ERCS patrol walk down the street towards the nearby residential area. I stopped and stayed put, leaving this new happening within just a sliver of my vision.
The squad knocked on the door of the house. Nobody came to the door. They knocked again. Nothing. They began to shout, warning the inhabitants to open up. The squad leader nodded to his men, and they geared up. Scatter rifles ready, one man walked forward, kicked the front door open, and burst in yelling. His comrades followed suit, coming in behind him to cover the perimeter. There were multiple gun blasts, screaming, then suddenly everything went silent.
Bystanders turned and stared. A few stood in place, watching curiously, while the rest fled the street. I remained at my bench reading the paper. There was an interesting article, that reaked of propaganda. It declared the Republic soldiers as "heroes," linking them along the same lines as the Jedi, Revan and Malak. 'Hero' was used quite often in the article, though any sensible man knew that 'Hero' is a MacGuffin. Alternatively, a conflicting article, much smaller and printed in the back pages, protested the Republic presence here on Rori, as well as their systematic use of torture and kidnapping within Gardoose. I suddenly had the feeling that whatever happened here on Rori would not be put down in the history books. A few minutes passed, until the ERCS returned outside. One soldier was pulling a young girl, almost my age, by the hair. She was kicking and screaming, begging them to stop. Her screams turned into cries, as the soldier shoved her up against the wall of the house. She begged him not to kill her. The rest of the squad returned outside. The soldier who dragged her out held her against the wall, his arm against her throat, while his other hand had a pistol shoved into her mouth. The other men were standing around, talking with one another about whether to kill her or not. Something about whether she was 'fit' or not for work.
By now, curious bystanders had fled entirely. This block had turned into a ghost town. I returned my attention to my paper, detached from the situation down the block. The soldiers nevertheless continued talking amongst themselves about what to do with the girl. As they talked, the soldier holding her pulled the trigger. Her cries were silenced as the blaster bolt blew through her skull, frying her head and blasting a messy swath of blood, skull and brains across the wall. The other soldiers began shouting and yelling at him. The squad leader cut through the arguments, and shot the responsible party in the knee, and then ordered the rest of the squad to carry him back to HQ. They began walking my way.
I remained reading the paper, not sure whether to bolt or stay in place. I decided to stick. As the squad passed by, one of the soldiers, the squad leader himself, came over, using his rifle to press the paper down to get a look at me.
"You waiting for somebody boy?" He asked, the rifle barrel conveniently pointed at my face.
"My ride, officer." I replied calmly. I held back from telling the soldier that that wasn't the first time I had a gun pointed at me. I had a cover to maintain, and bravado had no place next to discretion.
"How about you take a hike, or we'll bring you downtown." The squad leader warned. I had already seen his squad's version of "justice." I was in no way equipped to take them on, but I wanted to. Not just to prove myself. But for that girl. Something about it struck something inside me. These Republic types, that girl, and all these other aruetiise were folks my people were fighting against. But now I was face to face with them daily. I hated them. But now these people…I pitied them. And seeing that girl die so violently…got me. I didn't know why.
"Yes sir." I replied. I folded the paper, stood up and began walking the opposite direction of the ERCS, my mind moving in a million places. I turned to look back around as they headed off. One of the soldiers looked back in my direction, then turned back. All I could think about was the girl. And those ERCS killing her. They were terrorists, no way around it. Just as brutal, if not more, as…us. A thought came to mind, that I couldn't get out of my head the entire day. Every time I thought of that girl crying and suddenly dying, I thought it.
What's the point of the Republic?