Part V

"This is preposterous," Ferrin muttered weakly as binders were applied to his wrists behind his back. "Chief Omas… you know me, you know I'd never…" he trailed off as he caught the infuriated gaze of the twenty-five year old Jedi woman.

For his part, Omas sat, stunned along with the rest of those with whom they had been having an ordinary, tedious meeting only moments before. As the security team walked him through the door into the outer office, Omas snapped out of his astonished stupor and jumped up to follow. "Wait just a moment!" he called after them. "I demand to know on what grounds you are accusing my chief of staff!"

The man in charge read in clipped tones from a datapad. "Substantial evidence has been uncovered linking one Ferrin Belotab's personal computer to a remote infiltration into the security system at the joint Imperial Chiss Embassy, and thereby knowingly creating a diversion to facilitate the attack on Envoy Fel's apartment six standard days ago." Ferrin looked about hopelessly as security experts sat down as his work console and began pulling data files and records, while another attached a slicing device to his datapad. "Another team is en route to Mister Belotab's apartment," he briefly showed the warrant to Omas for Ferrin's arrest and the investigation of his home and work files.

With a man flanking him from each side, Ferrin was led miserably through the office, entirely too aware of the attention that the debacle was drawing from the rest of the staff present. "Chief Omas," he called forlornly over his shoulder, "I don't know how this happened, but I can assure you that I'd never do something like this. I'll get this straightened out, I promise."

"I know you will," Omas said a little unsurely, Ferrin thought bitterly. Before he had time to ponder his immediate fate, however, Solo's sharp voice rang out.

"Stop." The security team paused as one, seemingly unbothered. The Jedi squeezed past the man in front of Ferrin and stood, staring into his eyes. "Did you hack into the Chiss Embassy's security system?"

"No!"

"Did you in any knowing way participate in the capture of my daughter?"

"Of course not! Mrs. Fel…" he trailed off weakly, seeing the despairing expression in the woman's eyes.

She sighed heavily. "Release him. He's telling the truth."

They hesitated a moment. "Are you sure?" the man in charge queried his young companion.

"Yes," her voice was thick with frustration. "If he had any part in this, it was unknown to him." Letting out a quiet sigh of relief, Ferrin rubbed is wrists in the restraints came off. "But that doesn't change the fact that someone did use your computer, Mr. Belotab," she said pointedly. "Do you live alone?"

"I- no," he stammered. "I'm married. But my wife doesn't have access to my clearances or anything…"

Solo-Fel snapped a comlink from her pocket and shushed him. "Jag?"

A few seconds later, a tinny voice responded. "Yes? Problems?"

"In a manner of speaking- he's innocent."

A pause. "You're positive?"

"Yes."

"Okay. Well we just arrived at his apartment, the team is already setting up the computer slicers."

She bit her lip. "Be careful. There's definitely something not right about-" An explosion of static burst from the small speaker. "Jag? Jag!" Stricken, she turned to her security team. "Come on," she snapped. "And you," she pointed at Belotab, "come with us."

Scene. Scene. Scene. Scene. Scene. Scene. Scene. Scene. Scene. Scene. Scene. Scene. Scene.

Jag Fel coughed to clear smoke and dust from his throat. The acrid stench of burning wires assaulted his nostrils and he fought to keep from gagging. He looked down at the comlink in his hand, pressed the transmit button a few times, but knew it was useless- the explosion had taken out the signal relay. Cursing, he rose to his feet, not entirely sure when he had fallen in the first place, and surveyed the scene.

Two men were dead, another injured. Two more men were wrestling a woman to the ground who apparently had used the explosion as a diversion to get away- and clearly failed. The team leader staggered over to Jag, apparently a bit dazed from the blast.

"The system was rigged; it blew the moment it fully powered up."

Obviously. "Who is she?" Jag gestured at the woman gnashing her teeth and struggling on the ground.

The leader hesitated. "We think she's his wife. It's unclear whether she caused the explosion or just ran because she was afraid…" he glanced down at the angry woman. "I'm leaning towards the former option, however."

"Me too," Jag muttered. "Jaina just called me- she seems convinced that Ferrin isn't our man, so…" he glanced at the woman, "I guess that makes her the new primary suspect number one. Come on," he looked around nervously, "our comm is down. Let's get her in the transport and get someone up here to take care of the bodies, and to see if anything from that computer is salvageable."

The woman laughed hideously. "There's nothing on there for you," she grinned. "I erased everything before you got here…"

Jag fought the urge to slam her against the wall. "Get her out of here," he bit. He stayed behind a moment to investigate the wreckage while they slowly maneuvered the struggling woman into the hallway. As he stared at the mangled components, he forced himself to remain optimistic, hoping desperately that there was something that would get them somewhere in this mess. Somehow, he foresaw it taking a long time to get the woman to talk.

When he reached the hangar bay on the roof, he was only a few steps behind the guards and their captive. The transport angled around, ready to load them up, when another GA security vehicle came careening into view. Jag's initial response was alarm, but before it even touched down, Jaina was leaping out of the open hatchway, using the Force to cushion her long drop to the roof.

"Are you okay?" she ran into his arms. "What happened?"

He gestured grimly at the woman. "She blew the computer; killed two men."

The second transport touched down and Ferrin Belotab rushed forward, ignoring the warnings of the guards on the roof. "That's my wife!" he contested hotly. "Trina, honey, what's happened? Release her this instant," he demanded of the impassive guards. "Trina- why aren't you at work?"

He met her eyes earnestly- and then his expression faltered at the steely coldness of her gaze. "Trina?" he whispered.

"Your wife," the team leader said harshly, "just killed two of my men. Back aside, sir."

"You- wait! Trina, talk to me! I'm sure there's been some sort of mistake here. Whatever you think it is that my wife has done…"

"Ferrin!" He stopped as his wife spoke up for the first time. "Shut up."

Jag cringed inwardly at the devastation on Ferrin's face as he read the truth in her eyes and demeanor. "I don't believe it… I can't believe it. Trina- did you help kidnap that little girl? Why would you do that? Who asked you to?"

He continued to search desperately for answers and received no reply. Suddenly, Jaina felt a tingle race down her spine. She looked up and saw a speeder maneuver into position…

"Cover!" she yelled, leaping forward, knowing instantly who the target would be…

The shot rang out. The speeder tore away. Jaina landed next to Ferrin, heart racing, staring uncomprehendingly at Trina Belotab- who had a faint trickle of blood emerging from the corners of her mouth. The guards on either side of her didn't seem to know what to do.

And then she was falling to the ground. One of the security men set to work, attempting to save her, but Jaina knew it was too late. Just like everything else… they were too late.

The medic looked up at Jaina with reluctant failure on his face. Wordlessly, she walked away, leaving the dead woman and her shocked husband on the ground. Jag was staring up into the sky in helpless confusion and anger, knowing that, by now, the speeder had disappeared into the lower levels of air traffic amongst hundreds of other craft.

He caught Jaina as she slumped against him, silent sobs wracking her small body.

Scene. Scene. Scene. Scene. Scene. Scene. Scene. Scene. Scene. Scene. Scene. Scene.

Mara Jade Skywalker panted as she finished the run through the forests with two of the older students. It was a humid day, and the moisture seemed to cling to her jumpsuit and permeate her hair, making her feel gross all-around.

In other words- a normal summer day on Ossus.

She dismissed the two students who, much to her satisfaction, looked even more exhausted than she felt, and headed inside the stone temple, established as the new Jedi academy at the end of the Yuuzhan Vong war, following the terraforming of Yavin IV and the destruction of many of the existing structures.

On the way up to the small living quarters shared by the Skywalker family, she stuck her head into one of the training rooms and smiled, seeing her eight-year-old son Ben sitting and listening attentively with some of the youngest Jedi students as Tionne sang a ballad of ancient Jedi lore. Giving a small wave to Tionne, she went on her way, riding the turbolift up another few levels. Approaching the door of her quarters, she reached out a hand to palm the release pad… and stopped.

Someone was inside waiting.

Luke was downstairs, helping some of the most advanced students understand the finer points of lightsaber construction. She could feel him, safe and relaxed. And she'd just seen Ben. Frowning, she reached out and tried to ascertain the identity of the person inside her quarters. The other's presence was drawn in tight, but when they sensed Mara's probing touch, they allowed her greater access. Mara straightened in surprise, and then hurried in the room, closing the door behind her.

"Kyp Durron," she acknowledged, locking the control panel. "You've been under the radar of late."

"I've been busy."

She studied him. His eyes were dark and blazing, but the rest of his face was relatively relaxed; she wondered if he'd just arrived and perhaps put himself in a trance for the flight. "Any progress?"

"That's why I'm here. I need some information that you might be in a unique position to provide."

Her lips quirked. "Ah, I see. Smuggler information? Empire information?"

"Have you ever heard of an organization called 'Red Hand' or 'Red Fist'?"

She froze and then turned to look sharply at him. "Yes."

"To which?"

"Both."

He frowned. "Are they the same thing?"

"No," she leaned heavily against a cool, stone wall. "Not as such. Red Hand was formed by the Emperor himself, it was among his most guarded secrets, after the storehouse on Wayland perhaps. It was overseen by a Moff-"

"Morgny?"

She looked surprised. "You have been busy," she murmured. "Yes. Morgny was in charge of the security of the project, though I am sure he was not entirely aware of the full extent of its reach."

"What was the purpose?"

Mara sighed and searched her memory. "The Emperor was as big a hypocrite as he was a megalomaniac. Red Hand was designed to ensure the continuance of knowledge in the Force, but modeled more strongly after Sith teachings I suppose than Jedi ones."

"That seems… counterintuitive," Kyp quirked a brow.

"Yes, well- he wanted to know that his legacy would live on. He never succeeded in training a proper apprentice after Vader, and he didn't fully believe that Vader would be strong enough to continue the Empire when he was gone, given how much of his life he spent as a half-cyborg. So rather than deal with the inevitable power struggle between Vader and a new apprentice, he created a group of firmly-controlled Force-sensitives. They weren't trained fully- sort of like myself, I suppose- but they were enough that, should Vader and the Emperor fall, they could surge up and resume his work and keep the Empire intact."

Kyp's smile was mirthless. "I take it they failed."

She snorted. "I certainly never heard from them again."

"What about Red Fist?"

She hesitated briefly. "Red Fist was meant as a call sign, signaling the network associated with Red Hand that it was time for action." Kyp's blood ran cold. "They had a legion of spies across the galaxy, in all territories, infiltrators in places you'd never expect. Each had a role to do, some job that would facilitate the transfer of power."

He was calculating. "The emperor has been dead for thirty-odd years. Is there any possibility that this has survived?"

Her expression was skeptical. "Given the political maelstrom since then, it seems unlikely. Besides- Morgny has been dead for fifteen or twenty years now. Kyp?" she asked softly. "Where did you get this from?"

"The commando who survived the attack. It was a term he had heard in passing from the woman who accompanied them."

Mara's eyes widened fractionally. "You don't think… Belotab's wife…?"

"The chief of staff?" Kyp frowned, and Mara realized he'd been out of communication in hyperspace for probably three or four days during the journey.

"Yes," she said. "Ghent dug up a lead that incriminated Ferrin Belotab; Jaina and Jag followed up and it turned out that it was his wife who had done the hacking, not him."

"Did they get anything?" he demanded.

She shook her head sadly. "Someone gunned her down on the hangar pad on the roof of the apartment building. Last we got any news, Ghent was working with the GAS teams, trying to reconstruct anything from the computer in their apartment that she blew just before."

Kyp balled his hand into a fist. "It's a possibility, I suppose," he said. "Do you have any names I can back-trace?"

"Just some old codenames," she said apologetically. "I wasn't allowed to know much of anything about them."

Two minutes later, she passed his datapad back with five heavily encrypted codenames. He stared down at it and sighed before looking back up at Mara. "You do know what I have to do now, right?"

Her eyes narrowed and she let out a heavy breath. "Just make it convincing, Durron."

In another moment, she was unconscious, and he caught her with the Force before she hit the floor. Maneuvering her down on to a small sofa, he leaned over and pressed his fingertips to her temple, carefully searching for information…

And then he was sweeping out of the temple, hood up around his face, distracting younglings with a wave of his hand, making them forget they ever saw him. Mara would wake up soon with no memory of Kyp ever having been there.

End Part V

A/N: Hope you're enjoying. Comments are always welcome to let me know one way or another. ;-)