Chapter Seven: Afraid of the Dark

After five standard hours, a break was called and Mara felt relief wash over her. She hadn't expected the negotiations to be so intense. Senator Belku's staff had greeted them and within the minute they had been faced with several Counts, a representative from the Trade Federation, a prominent Serenno Worker's Guild activist and four Senators from surrounding systems.

She felt that Anakin had been startled by the sheer volume of beings involved and had made a point that the issues involving the Jedi needed to be discussed in great detail.

Unfortunately that meant hours of negotiations with vastly differing viewpoints on an issue that affected the Jedi Order.

Mara had been impressed with Anakin's diplomacy skills but felt overwhelmed with the weight of the discussions.

Anakin followed Mara out of the grand hall and took the opportunity to stretch. "Is it what you expected?"

Mara shrugged. "I expected the boring diplomacy side of things. I had no idea how passionately the Counts hate the Jedi, though."

"They fear the Force," Anakin corrected.

Mara narrowed her eyes. "Well we're going to a lot of trouble considering the system doesn't produce many Force-adepts."

"And you don't think it's worth our time?"

Just as Mara was about to deliver her answer, many of the opposing negotiators stepped outside the room.

"We are ready to resume," the Senator's aide wheezed as he lifted his datapad high into the air. "We still have several points to discuss."

"Unless the Jedi have something better to do?" another aide asked. "And Senator Belku requests that only Master Skywalker be present for the next set of negotiations."

"And just why can't I come in?" Mara demanded.

The aide looked directly at Mara for the first time. His eyes ran over her and Mara suddenly felt dirty—as if he was undressing her with his eyes and declaring her scum.

"He doesn't wish to be bothered with younglings," the aide sneered.

"Mara is a valued member of these negotiations, Encor Selbot," Anakin started, gauging the aide's furious expression. "It would be unwise for the Senator to dismiss her."

"Senator Belku is insistent," the second aide added. "It would be, how did you put it, unwise for you to disregard his wishes."

Mara could feel Anakin's unease with the situation. It was clear that he did not want a repeat of her earlier behaviour in front of the Senator's entourage. Mara felt the sting of guilt and embarrassment. While it was true that the negotiations were boring, she had found the process somewhat interesting.

"It's fine," Mara piped up, turning to Anakin.

"Mara..." Anakin started to protest before the aide handed him four datapads.

"His Excellency is waiting," the aide reiterated impatiently, firmly pushing Anakin back into the chambers.

I'll see what I can find, Master, Mara sent. It was widely known that Mara was skilful in acquiring beneficial information and Mara was itching to see whether she would be able to break into the Palace's central computer.

"Besides, His Excellency does not like to be kept waiting," Mara said sweetly.

Be careful, young one.

And with a final bang, the chamber doors shut on Mara.

o0o

The Palace's security was nearly foolproof but that certainly didn't stop Mara from conducting her own investigation. Ever the enthusiast, Mara had managed to conceal her lightsaber strategically in her Jedi robes. If Anakin and Obi-Wan or even the Council kept secrets, Mara wasn't any different. Although not entirely becoming of a Jedi, Mara always kept a vibro-blade on her person and often her favourite black blaster.

A contact her father had on Coruscant called Dex had also provided her with a small unable-to-be-tracked hacking datapad that assured her anonymity and standing as a Jedi were never compromised.

Mara knew that her methods were less than orthodox and certainly didn't fall exactly in line with the Jedi Code, however the end result always justified her use of strategic thinking.

A nagging thought that perhaps that was why everyone felt the need to keep secrets from her.

While her mere presence sent the guards into a tailspin, Mara was delighted to find that most were too frightened to approach her as she walked the halls. Her concealed lightsaber assured her that stray glares were avoided and Mara concentrated on becoming a ghost in the halls of the Palace.

So far, she had nothing of consequence to report back to her Master. She had picked up random stray thoughts but even with their presence on the planet, their thoughts rarely strayed to the Jedi.

As Mara continued down the hall, an odd sense of familiarity washed over her. It felt as if she had walked this hall before. Mara's eyes flickered to the door on the left. It had a very intricate design on it and Mara was positive she hadn't passed it earlier.

Mara crept closer to the door and made sure that nobody was actively paying attention to her. As she got closer, the design became clearer.

A crest.

Mara's sense of the Force pulsed as it had been doing since before she and Anakin had left Coruscant. Mara then knew, without a doubt, that there was something very important that was behind that door.

Mara looked around and finally spied a darker outline on the doorframe. The lines blended in with the frame and Mara rubbed a thick layer of dust from it. To the naked eye it would be nearly impossible to see but to a Jedi on the lookout for a clue, it was the most obvious thing in the galaxy.

Mara gave the hidden panel a nudge and frowned when the panel stayed shut. Mara skilfully took out her datapad and quickly scanned through the information about the Palace. Her eyes danced over the information until a fact caught her eye.

Dooku, also known as Darth Tyrannus, returned to his Palace to assume his rule at Serenno as his birthright as a Count.

This information had piqued Mara's interest.

Mara continued to scroll through the information until she came to a timeframe that matched the dates the datapad said Dooku left the Jedi Order.

With a triumphant smile, Mara used a series of taps and swipes on the hidden panel on the door. Mara could barely contain her excitement when the hidden panel embedded in the frame slid open.

Using all the stealth training she had received at the Temple, Mara positioned herself in a way that blocked what she was attempting to do. Mara took a holoshot of the complex terminal that appeared and programmed the datapad to analyse the terminal.

As Mara leant in for a closer look, a bright, red glow in Aurubesh appeared on a screen. As the words appeared on Mara's datapad, the same words appeared on the screen.

Blood sample.

Mara grimaced at the use of such barbaric, archaic security practices. With quick fingers, Mara began to create a simple override code. As she scrolled down, the fact that she would still have to provide a blood sample finally dawned on her.

Mara strengthened her shields and with a quick slide of her finger over her vibroblade, a small trickle of blood appeared. Mara thanked the Force that she had enough sense to follow her instincts and pressed her bloody finger to the terminal.

Before Mara had the chance to input her override code, the terminal let out a soft beep. Surprised, Mara stepped back as the door lifted. Every fibre in her being screamed at her to move.

Mara's own sensibilities coupled with the fact that her entrance was all too easy screamed at her to turn around and report her findings to Anakin.

As if on cue, his voice sounded in her mind.

What's wrong?

Mara knew then that there was no way that she could relate this information to him now—he would have to stay in the negotiations and wouldn't be able to help.

There is something down there, Mara thought to herself. I am not a coward. I am not afraid.

Mara steeled herself, prayed to the Force and silently slipped into the darkness.

The door closed quickly behind Mara and as soon as she went to ignite her lightsaber, a series of lights turned on, illuminating a path culminating in a staircase.

The same crest that was on the door was delicately painted, probably by hand, appeared on the hallway. Mara looked around and sensed no danger on the top level. Her fear gradually gave way to curiosity and Mara took one final glance at the crest and continued on the path.

The stairway was three flights and Mara easily made her way down the narrow staircase. Much like it had when she first stepped foot on the planet, the Force pulsed around her and now, more than ever, Mara believed that the answers to all the secrets her father and her Master were hiding from her were about to be discovered.

As Mara set foot on the ground level, the lights all activated and Mara gasped as she surveyed the room. Computer terminals lined the wall on the left side. A thick layer of dust had gathered and it was obvious the room hadn't been accessed in some time.

Mara moved forward and saw weapons on the back wall, next to what was presumably an office or sleeping quarters. A fresher was in the far corner and Mara spied two inactive protocol droids, sitting lifeless at a charging station.

What shocked Mara was the mess in the middle of the floor. Crystals in red, green and blue littered the floor. Mara let out a yelp as she bent down and examined the crystals.

"These are lightsaber crystals," she said to nobody. Her eyes finally rested on the other rubbish on the floor—old lightsaber parts. She recognised the parts.

A beeping coming from one of the terminals tore Mara's attention away from the lightsaber graveyard. A computer terminal was flashing and Mara assumed it had been programmed to activate when someone entered the room. She sped over and her fingers flew across the archaic keyboard attached.

Thankfully, the computer didn't seem to be setting off an alarm, but loading a holo. Thanking her foresight once again, Mara quickly connected her datapad and began a download of any information readily accessible.

As Mara finally sat down at the terminal to see if she could identify the holo, an image filled the portable holoprojector that Mara hadn't noticed in the other corner of the room.

The unmistakable face of Count Dooku appeared and the sound of his voice, calling from beyond the grave, settled like ice on Mara's bones.

"My child, welcome."