=Palace security headquarters=

Vin and Nelson jogged stride for stride to the palace guard offices as soon as they parked their speeder, and pushed through a set of double doors to the meeting rooms. At the other end of the spacious atrium, Vin saw Sergeant Hogan, the man who had called to meet them. Hogan was not alone; with him was Captain Panaka, head of the security forces and the queen's official bodyguard, and four Jedi.

Nelson whistled softly. "Whaddaya know," he said out of the side of his mouth to Vin. "It's a bunch of Jedi."

"Well, they were invited," Vin replied quietly. They squared their shoulders as they approached the group.

Before they could utter any greeting, Captain Panaka spoke abruptly. "Officers," he said, nodding to them curtly. "These are the Jedi invited from Coruscant to attend the Peace Day celebrations."

"How do you do?" said one politely. He had mottled, orange-ish skin and wore a strange dark mask over part of his face. It obscured his eyes and his mouth… if he had one at all. Vin recognized him as a Kel Dor. He'd seen a few of those in his wandering years before coming to Naboo. They needed those masks to breathe in oxygen-rich atmospheres. Unluckily for them, oxygen-rich atmospheres were the dominant type in the galaxy.

"Honor to meet ya, sir," replied Nelson with a crisp salute.

"Officer Dag Nelson, correct? My name is Plo Koon. This is Master Agen Kolar," he gestured to the long-haired Zabrak to his right, "and this is Master Luminara Unduli and her padawan Barriss Offee." He swept a hand in the direction of the two Mirialans to his left, and continued, his deep metallic voice sending echoes throughout the room. "It would seem that, due to an urgent call from outside the system, we may be unable to attend your festivities tomorrow morning."

"We heard about a Sith acolyte," Nelson offered.

"Right," cut in Panaka. "The spaceport is on lockdown, and unfortunately for the Jedi, we've got to run thorough checks on every Republic pilot and ship in the city. Our main systems are down, no thanks to this Sith acolyte, I'm sure, so we have to trace everything through a much older system."

"Can't you Jedi fly a ship yourselves?" Nelson asked. "Why do you need a pilot to take you?"

"We are capable pilots," explained Plo Koon. "As are many of the Naboo guard. However, whatever ship we take may have been traced and bugged. Our destination is classified and we can't risk a Sith acolyte having knowledge of our departure or location."

"So you have to check everything and everyone with less-than-operational computer systems," Nelson stated flatly.

Panaka frowned. "Unfortunately-"

"Did no one get a good look at this guy?" Vin interjected.

"He was wearing a hood," Panaka explained with a hand wave. "We don't have much of a reliable lead."

"How'd he get past palace security?" Vin asked.

Hogan, who'd been standing quietly the whole time, answered in the usual abrasive tone he reserved for speaking about the palace guard force, who he generally viewed as snobs who thought themselves superior to the wider-ranging Naboo guard. "It would seem that with the festivities at hand everyone was a lot more preoccupied with the palace grounds more than the interior itself."

"We believe he may have used a sort of mind trick on someone who works inside the palace to get in," declared Agen Kolar tactfully.

"A mind trick?" Nelson repeated.

"Yes," said Luminara Unduli, folding her hands together. "Sometimes those with Force abilities can use the Force to influence the minds of others."

A Jedi mind-trick, thought Vin. She's being delicate. Those only work on the weak-minded and the weak-willed.

"I see," said Nelson vaguely. "So until you find a ship and a pilot who check out, the Jedi are stranded here?" Vin tried not to roll his eyes. Nelson, if he knew the Jedi were stuck here, would probably try to tail them as long as he could. The Force fascinated him, as would any tale of Sith he could try to milk from them.

"So it would seem," said Plo Koon.

"What's our part in all this?" Vin asked, jutting out his chin and crossing his arms.

"Listen, kid," said Panaka gruffly. "Everybody says it's me who has the quickest eyes on Naboo. But you've got some fast eyes, too. I'm preoccupied with watching what leaves the city. I need you to watch what goes on from the inside."

"Okay…"

"Nelson's got nothing but praise for you," Hogan added. "Like that time you spotted those smugglers, and the time you tracked down Mauritu and his thugs. You certainly know what crime looks like-" Vin's eyebrow twitched at the backhanded compliment, but he kept his expression level- "and you know what to look for."

"So you're putting me on patrol duty."

"The most important damn patrol duty you'll ever have," Panaka spat. "The queen will not call off the celebration. She refuses to be intimidated. You know what this means to the people of Naboo."

Vin nodded tiredly.

Panaka continued. "You know what terrorists do. They spread terror. It's our job to find the threat fast before the media catches onto this and there's widespread panic. And if we stop that from happening, then we don't let him win."

"I understand."

"So you and Nelson," Hogan resumed, "are going to be our eyes and ears in the city's shadows. The Jedi have assured us that the Sith acolyte is still here in the city. And you're going to find him. You're to dress like civilians and report anything suspicious that you see. Anything. Those are your orders. Got it?"

"Yes sir," Vin and Nelson said, snapping to attention and saluting.

"Dismissed."