Well, here it is. Finally. I'm almost done with the next chapter, which is good, because... well, you'll read it below. I actually had free time this weekend, so I could type this up. Please be kind, as you always are, dear readers, and review upon finishing your reading.
Disclaimer: Not mine ever ever ever ever ever ever... (you get the picture)...
Upon entering a key code and unlocking the door, Marana motioned for the two Jedi to follow. She said, "Here we are." It was quite a large room. Consoles lined each of the walls, touchpads fastened either next to or below them while diagnostic trays lay scattered on the two tables in the middle of the room. Three lab technicians scurried about until they noticed the lady of the house. With a speed that even a clone commander would envy, they snapped to attention.
"Milady!" One started. "What a surprise to see you here! I wish you would announce your arrival better."
"I see the alarms I installed aren't sufficient to gain your attention," Marana said mildly. "Be at ease! And bring out the data disc. Our Jedi friends have finally arrived to aid us in the rest of the data recovery process."
"Actually," Master Luminara interjected, "my Padawan will begin the actual decryption along with Commander Skee. I will help with the transferring of my men and informing the others back aboard our ship of what our next course of action will be. Any of my men that I deem to be needed I shall send up here."
"I will join you then," Marana said. "Anything I can do to help. Finara will be able to direct them. Let's leave Ani and Commander Skee to their work, then." Once the door swooshed close, Ani gestured to one of the lab techs. "Show me to a console," she said. "Let's get to work on this. Also, any insight the three of you may have, any training, and any knowledge that may be useful, please don't hesitate to speak up. Otherwise, feel free to continue with whatever you were doing before we interrupted." Any tension that had been left behind after Marana left was dissipated with this statement. The lab tech that she had directed flashed a smile as she finished typing commands onto a touchpad. The human looked to be no more than eighteen, a little nervous and a very pretty dark-skinned female.
"I've set this up for you to begin your decryption," she began as the Jedi and clone sat down in front of the console. "As you already know, the first three files we accessed had some detailed information, but what you weren't told was that it triggered some sort of alarm so any attempt to access the rest became impossible and nearly disastrous. We almost destroyed the disc and some… really expensive equipment. I'm afraid we don't have the technology our government or you Jedi may have to tell what kind of traps the Separatists may have put to stall the process or destroy the chip while being decrypted, but between the three of us we have a general idea what traps might be favored."
"Speak for yourself, Danyelle," The older technician, the one who had spoken to Marana earlier, snorted. "You're the one who remembers that sort of thing better than me or Dala here."
"Daran, quit singling out the newbie," said Dala. "'Sides, you the one who remembered how to use the machines but ended up near destroying the prototype we was workin' on." Daran mumbled something and went back to the console he had been looking at. "Plus, you're makin' us look bad in front of Miss Coruscant here." Skee stood up next to Ani, who just now took attention off of the disc in front of her. "Aw, ain't that cute! Her commander is coming to the res –"
"Her term of address is 'Padawan Laminara'," Skee issued in monotone. Ani winced inwardly.
"But you can call me Ani," she said quickly, turning from the screen to face the techs. Skee was, unwittingly, playing into their teasing, and last thing she'd have happen was for any respect for the two of them to be lost, one of her master's lessons that she kept on hand after some… near disastrous consequences last mission. "I gather you're the expert, Danyelle?"
"Yes, I am," she said, blush easing from her cheeks. "At least, I remembered more than these two did from 'Decryption of stolen material' and other related courses."
"Ain't my specialty, ya know," Dala drawled. "I do the programming. Daran does encryption and development."
"I believe the young Jedi knows all about what we do," Daran said, coming forward to stand behind Ani's chair. "Am I correct?" The Padawan nodded absently, attention now returned to the screen in front of her. The disc was ready to begin decryption. "Just as we – actually, I should confine that to myself – know about you." That got Skee's attention.
"Yep," Ani responded, still not as alert to her surroundings. Typing commands into the keyboard the tech had brought out with one hand, she used the other to touch the screen and begin the scans. This was going to require all of her concentration, especially when it came to using the Force to detect any traps Count Dooku's Sith lackeys may have set that wouldn't be detected by regular scans. She'd hear whatever information would be passed on to her through Danyelle or any of the other techs, but hearing didn't always translate to listening. Speaking of Danyelle…
"I'm afraid I won't be able to actively participate in the decryption process," the young woman said, coming up to stand beside her, "but I will be looking over your shoulder so I can see what you're seeing. I hope you won't mind if I seem to be invading any sense of personal space."
Still somewhat oblivious to everything except the disc, Ani replied, "Go ahead." While Danyelle relaxed behind her, occasionally recommending something in technical jargon that everyone generally understood, Daran thought that pertained to him as well.
"Lady Kiln thought it wise to inform us of your… ties here. How much about us do you know?" Skee, seeing his commander wasn't going to answer right away, took it upon himself to do so.
"You and Danyelle are both children of successful and wealthy government technicians here in the main city of Alderaan," he responded. "Dala, however, is from the country, as is her older brother. Her parents were both farmers."
"Damn straight," Dala interjected. "Mum and Dad wanted us to get away from the farm and be better than they were. Brother was sent to college only for them to realize he wasn't made to sit through all that lecturin' and such. I always did better in school than he did. That's why he's back on the farm and I'm here, servicin' one of the greatest women on our planet." She looked quizzically at Daran. "Why are you bringin' this up?"
"Because her origins actually aren't from Coruscant, unlike what you implied earlier. Weren't you there when Lady Kiln briefed us on this?"
"Don't you remember? I was off with Danyelle to get upgrades for our equipment. It was late evening when we finally got back." She aimed a half-hearted glare at the other woman. Skee noted it, and wondered what else had happened that resulted in them being lost. He knew from experience that it didn't take long to get the parts, unless you went through the mountain of paperwork that was their supply chain. Then again, as his commander would say, he'd never been a civilian. Looking at the three of them, he now understood a little more of what she said.
"Well," Daran sniffed. "If you had been here, you would have known that the Padawan came from here."
"From Alderaan?" Dala looked interested. So did Danyelle, who stopped murmuring long enough to look up, raise an eyebrow, and then return to murmuring suggestions to the Jedi. "So, it's like coming home." Due to the concentration she was exercising on squeezing through two traps simultaneously (one Force-related, the other mechanically set and no, don't ask), Ani didn't stiffen around that word like normal. But she did make an effort to listen closer to the conversation. Nearly halfway with the decryption process.
"Partly. The late master of the house was Torón Kiln. Before he married the current lady, there was another. Another who was… offworld in birth (not the imagined fiancée of our culture, as you understand), more so than his parents had designed for him, but whom he was so infatuated with he would have no other. They were married until she died six years later. They had one child. That is the Jedi before you." The two women stared at him in confusion. Skee glared at him.
"Don't you have better things to do than to engage in idle gossip?" he growled. "Besides, if this was all true, why would Lady Kiln tell you?"
"I'm not just the developer and lead encrypter of all her networks and security systems, I'm also the person who helps her in planning events and coordinating staff. I have been for the past eight years or so. And let me tell you, I've never seen a stepmother more anxious to have everything just so for a visitor, especially for these visiting Jedi." Ani winced unwillingly, eyes still not willing to leave the screen. Almost done…
"Anyone would have done the same," Skee countered. "The Jedi are accorded such respect and honor due to their unique and valued position in the Republic."
"The Jedi are also the ones responsible for the war," Daran sneered. "The Jedi are hardly valued like they once were, if their failures on the battlefield weren't proof enough of that already." The clone commander communicated his thoughts about that comment through a strong glare. "Lady Kiln knows this, despite her position as one of Alderaan's most prominent noblewomen. If you weren't blinded by your loyalty to your Jedi generals, you would see it too, clone." Ani felt Skee stiffen at the insult at the same time she broke through the last barrier to decryption. She mentally sighed with relief. Done with defusing the disc to go defuse the situation. No breaks this time, I guess.
"Well, even if they are family through the late father, at least they are able to get together to make up for lost time," Danyelle offered. She turned to the young Jedi, amazed to find her turned towards the rest of the group. "You're done? Already? I can't believe it!"
"The traps were complicated, but I ended up finding the key to solving the final one through the third one. It was pretty well hidden, but fortunately I'm good at finding those clues." She glanced at Skee, nudging him with the Force to calm down. As amusing as it was, he couldn't afford to be on the receiving end of Marana's wrath. She wouldn't let that happen. Daran found his gaze met and challenged by a pair of cold blue eyes. "I'll wait here until the techs can get up here and start taking an official look at it."
"Fine by me," Dala said, getting up to leave.
"We could start –," Daran began, but Ani cut him off coldly.
"No. From the amount of traps on that disc, the information is undoubtedly sensitive. It is best for all of you, not to mention your welfare, if you don't deal with that kind of information." He stared in her direction before bowing his head.
"Whatever the Jedi asks. We will clear out now."
"But –," Danyelle and Dala chorused.
"Now," he said firmly. "The Jedi has had ample time to see how things work here, and she will ensure that nothing else will be disturbed while working on that disc."
"Of course." She stood up in front of the computer, effectively hiding the screen. "As a Jedi, I will respect your private property." Almost immediately, she regretted saying those words, as Kiln would no doubt learn of them almost immediately. However, she sensed Skee's amusement at her words, despite maintaining a straight face that clones were known for. Well, she thought stubbornly. He did ask for it, after insulting Skee and I like that. If Master does find out and reprimand me for that, at least Skee will back me up.
"Very good." Daran turned to follow the other two technicians out. Once the two women had left, Daran turned back to fix her with his green eyes. "Remember, Jedi, that this will always be your home, no matter what you say otherwise." Once he had left, Skee blew out a breath.
"That guy's a piece of work, sir," he all but growled. Ani sighed and turned to face the clone.
"He has a right to speak his mind, just like everyone does. It's a freedom we have in this Republic. Unfortunately, people like him can take advantage of that freedom to be royal kriffing jerks. That plus this war has brought out all kinds of nastiness both on the front lines and back home. At least they left without demanding to see this." She nodded to the screen behind her. "From what I've seen, this disc has enough information to keep the techs happy for a year. It's also dangerous enough to warrant keeping this information from everyone who lives here. Last thing we want is to drag them into this fierfiek war."
"Is it okay if I ask you something, Commander?"
"Skee, when will you call me by my actual name?"
"I believe you taught me a phrase for that."
"Which is?"
"When snow falls on Tatooine." She leaned back and glared at him. Kriff that bucket of a helmet, and that smug look he probably had on right now.
"… You can be really cheeky at times, Skee. Sure that's not in your programming?" He smirked, relishing the fact that his bucket gave him some privacy. That would be lost as soon as they had to go to civvies.
"Not at all, Commander. That I learned from serving under you." She snorted in amusement.
"What's your question?"
"Why is Marana so concerned about our arrival being noticed? I mean, it's not like everyone saw the Republic cruiser from space, or the shuttle that dropped us off here. It only stayed long enough to drop us off before returning to the cruiser. Also, why would she suggest we stay within this mansion? I understood the initial reason why we had to bring civvies, but won't the presence of twenty or thirty of us who look alike give away her asking for our help?"
"First off, that was two questions you asked, Skee." Ani grinned. "Despite the fact that we are sequestered from the majority of the population and essentially all urban centers, she requested our help through the Alderaanian government. That request had the potential to be seen by anyone or told to anyone, despite strict rules saying otherwise. Our cruisers must request access to enter all Inner Core worlds, as per Senate order This one was the first to employ such defenses (you remember Organa's case, right?).
In our case, our mission is to be kept under wraps, so they'll employ a special sensor that masks our cruiser from any prying eyes on the surface. The shuttle that dropped us off was bulkier than usual, but that was due to it being designed to slip past the sensors that every urban center has plus from pretty much any of the high security rich homes. Basically, unless someone is in the government, and they'd have to have pretty high clearance to even see the memo, our trip shouldn't even be noticed. As for you and your men, your civvies have you identified as security guards, and since you'll be identified as such, you'll have your own helmets." She grinned wider; Skee merely frowned. "That means you can have your privacy you like so much." She went quiet. "What's wrong, Skee?" She could sense his moods by now. Sometimes, as a Jedi general, she had been accused of doing it on purpose, but in this case it made communication easier.
"She did say she was worried about someone knowing about our arrival, right?"
"Correct." Her forehead wrinkled. "You're thinking –"
"What if she knows something we don't, like maybe who is the mole, if there is one to begin with?"
"Here or in the government?" She sighed gustily. "Well, normally I'd think she was setting up something, but maybe she does know or at least suspect something. When she said in the report her place was ransacked, it was concentrated in two areas: this and the main dining hall. The latter was more of a diversion, as nothing was taken, just destroyed or mangled, and here…" She grew thoughtful. She probably knows more than she's letting on, especially when she mentioned her "friend" of decryption earlier. Only Daran acted like he'd be the friend, but special introductions were never made, and in any case both he and she sound firm in their loyalty to one another. "Well, given our suspicions we'll have to ask her." She sensed Skee's look. "What?"
"Are you going to tell me what history you have here, or am I going to have to guess?" he asked. She sighed.
"While we're here? Yes. But when we have more time." Hopefully never, she thought, but if I didn't let my mouth go so often, he wouldn't be asking. Plus, it could affect this mission, thereby affecting him, so I'd have good reason to do so. "Another question? Skee, you're really becoming almost conversational, you know?" She laughed. "Keep this up, and maybe you and I can switch duties. I'd much rather watch sensors than speak to politicians." He took his bucket off and glared at her. "On the other hand, guess not." He shook his head slowly, but continued to meet her gaze.
"Did you really come from here?" Skee asked quietly, waiting until silence just enveloped the two of them.
"I did." She inhaled deeply, and focused on centering herself, just like Master Luminara had taught her. She met Skee's gaze. "Despite that tie, there is nothing else binding me here. This is a mission, nothing more." It had to be. If there wasn't that to hold on to, there would be nothing keeping her from nearing complete and total emotional breakdown. Walls had to be kept up if she was going to make it through. Some things, though could only be kept at arms' length for so long, and part of her feared that knowing she could confront her limit at any moment.
Especially considering the new information. Even though her Master and Skee seemed oblivious to it, she sensed something was off with Marana, and vowed to find out what it was. The possibility of a mole grew larger, and she would have to allow Marana Kiln slack because she could be innocent in this case. Her lips tightened, thinking back to the dress. People could change in a decade or so, Force knew she had, and maybe she was really trying to make up for the wrongs of the past. Instincts, in this case, could be biased, and her stepmother seemed sincere. Mistakes could only be apologized for and forgiven, but it took both parties to step forward to improve things (and who said she didn't learn anything from the few diplomacy missions she'd gone through?). Personally, Ani would wait and see before personally approaching and talking to the lady. As for giving Marana Kiln the benefit of a doubt? She would do this, if only for her master's sake.