Chapter I – Taris Arrival
It had been a little over nine hours and seven jumps since we left orbit over Dromund Kaas, the capital of the Sith Empire. The hyperspace route followed the Kamat Krot, Dragon Tail, Freena Run, Korphir Trace, Junction-Tierrel Loop, and finally the Hydian Way. The Intrepid was a smooth ship into and out of hyperspace. Only a soft vibration and the differing drone of the engines indicated an interchange requiring a drop from hyperspace and re-engagement.
I should have slept. My body and soul needed rest, but my tumultuous thoughts would not calm enough for sleep. It was not often that one dies, and that event dominated my mind. Actually, I had two near-death experiences in as many days. One at the hand of my master, Darth Zash, when she tried to use an ancient ritual to take over my body and cast my soul into utter darkness, and the second when Darth Thanaton, my master's master, succeeded in killing me less than a day ago.
My ancestor had warned me. He was a Sith ghost named Aloysius Kallig that had haunted a dark temple on Dromund Kaas. He tried to kill me before realizing I was his blood descendant and afterward announced he would use me to raise the Kallig legacy back to prominence. The ghost occasionally haunted my dreams, and I dismissed most of what he prattled on about, except when it gave me an advantage. Thinking back, I should have listened more closely to his warnings.
Tormented ruminations played why and what-if games in my tired and confused mind. One such what-if scenario was why I came to trust and depend on a person, the first since my childhood, who clearly had been plotting against me the whole time I had known her. Why was I so unable to see the signs, to sense the dangers I had in the past easily discerned, and had allowed myself to hope in Darth Zash? The what-ifs were even more disheartening. How much of my success on Korriban had been planned by her and not of my own doing? Was I even a fully trained Sith, or had my master simply paved the way for me to set up her body-swap?
My master's master, Darth Thanaton, took offense to the supposed killing of my master, and announced that Zash's 'corruption' had spread to me, whatever that meant, and that he was going to make sure I did not spread it further. I had absorbed Sith apparitions through the ritual of Force-Walking, encouraged by my ancestor, in an effort to use their power to protect me, but it did not work.
I regained consciousness in my ship. Andronikos explained that the Dashade had found my body being carried away from Darth Thanaton's office. The monster intervened when he realized that there was still a Force essence within me, and carried me back to the ship. Darth Zash's former apprentices, Kaal and Corrin, who were also threatened by Darth Thanaton's purge, worked with the medical equipment of the ship to revive me.
We drifted for a day, a hapless band of misfits with a mark on our heads, until we came up with a plan to find more ghosts to absorb. I had resisted most of Thanaton's attack, so it seemed plausible that the power of one more ghost could make me equal to the task. A quick survey of Zash's old logs produced a lead on the planet Taris, so we made plans to travel there. She had engaged Sith Intelligence to send an agent named Elios Maliss to the planet to investigate Sith ghost sightings. Kaal and Corrin decided to lay low on Dromund Kaas to collect intelligence and we dropped them off before setting course for Taris.
I was reading a novel in my quarters in an effort to forget the harsh thoughts for a bit when the intercom chimed. "Master, we are about to exit hyperspace near the Taris system," 2V-R8's electronically synthesized voice phonated before there was silence in my room again. I looked around the room as I rose from my bunk, appreciating the fact that the ship was mine.
The captain's quarters was a small room off the main hold. The matte black deck and walls were a bit gloomy, but I had managed to collect a few things during my travels to make it seem more welcoming. I had found some area rugs on Nar Shaddaa that helped with the stark military decking. From Alderaan, I was able to collect an end table, desk, and cabinet to fill in the blank spaces near my bed and on the opposite wall under the large panel display. During my Tatooine mission, I found some glow globes for lighting and made some ceiling drapes out of a rough woven material to hide the dark bulkheads and piping that made up the ceiling. The glow globes hung behind the fabric gave off a milder, yellow light that I could dim down to provide sleep lighting, which I needed to avoid complete darkness. Something from my past created that foible.
I made a game of collecting a little something from each of the worlds that we visited, and slowly my room was transitioning into a refuge. The rest of the ship remained the same stoic, military decor. The main hold was the largest room on the ship and contained the holo-com, the tactical console and interfaces, equipment panels, and was the access point to the other sections of the ship. I glanced around it as I made my way toward the bridge, noticing nothing out of the ordinary. The swirling light-storm of hyperspace caught my attention when I stepped into the bridge. A red countdown timer flashed two minutes and twenty-four seconds in the center of the screen.
Andronikos was seated at the con looking over the navigation display. He was a human captain with a checkered past, and our meeting and eventual partnership on Tatooine was somewhat forced and uneasy, yet he was competent and self-reliant, which worked well for me.
"Ah, master," 2V-R8 toned, its triangular metal head and electric eyes turning to focus on me. "Two minutes, thirteen seconds until we arrive in Taris system."
"Yes, toovee, I see that."
"Let's hope Thanaton hasn't sent a message ahead of us," Andronikos grumbled.
"I doubt he even knows I'm alive yet. He left for Malachor Three before the Dashade rescued me."
"It's still a risk."
"Do you know where the hyperspace route is going to drop us out of hyperspace?" I asked as I watched the countdown drop below one minute.
"The nav controls are Imperial standard, so I assume it will drop us in near orbit. The latest intel I could gather indicates that the Imperial navy has deployed a mobile orbital station to the planet for logistical purposes. The Republic has a defense fleet, so hopefully, the nav computer adjusts for orbital travel and doesn't dump us right next to them."
"Do you have any good news?" I protested.
We both stared out the front window at the swirling hyperspace aura for a moment, pondering what was awaiting us.
"If Thanaton got word out ahead of us then the Republic might be more welcoming."
Andronikos' words hung in the air as the hyperspace engines deactivated and the planet Taris appeared large before us. I gazed across the orbital area around us and my eyes caught a dark shadow blocking out stars to our starboard. The station wasn't in the sun which made it difficult to observe, but the silhouette seemed Imperial. The com chimed and we all flinched nervously.
"It's the imperial station," Andronikos replied, "they're hailing us."
"Is our transponder active?"
"Yes, they know who we are," he sighed.
"I guess we press our luck, then. Open the hail."
"This is Taris station, Foxtrot Zulu 381. You have entered Imperial planetary space from an unscheduled hyperspace jump and must decelerate to an orbital velocity, keep tactical distance from this station, and provide authorization for your presence in restricted space. Will you comply?"
"Taris station, this is Intrepid. We will comply," Andronikos stated flatly. He turned to me after muting the holo-com and activating the orbital navigation system, "Well, what's our reason for being here?"
"Let me handle that. Open the com." I waited till the holo-com indicated green again. "Taris station, this is Lord Kallig. We have arrived in system from Dromund Kaas. I am on a mission authorized by Darth Zash to meet with a Sith Trooper named Elios Maliss at the Imperial base planet-side."
"Very well, Lord Kallig, please maintain course and distance while I obtain authorization."
The com was cut, and Andronikos and I gave each other a worried stare.
"Here's where we find out what news has preceded us from Dromund Kaas. What do you want to do if things turn on us?"
I looked at the small picket fleet in orbit around the mobile station, at least two frigates and numerous corvettes and gunboats. "We'll have to jump out. There's no point in trying to fight our way through to the planet."
"Assuming they don't have an interdictor frigate," Andronikos groused as he started to fidget with the nav computer. "The hyperspace navigator says it can make the jump in thirty-five seconds. I suppose that is quick enough if we have to flee."
"I don't see an interdictor frigate in the fleet," I replied, my eyes searching the shadowy silhouettes nervously. Moments of silence passed before the com chimed again, and Andronikos opened the hail.
"Lord Kallig, this is station commander Yelka," a hearty female voice echoed through the cockpit. "Your visit is a surprise," her tone did not sound happy.
I waited, wanting her to feel the significance of my authority. The Sith hierarchy was above the military and intelligence command chain.
"My orders are to have every ship dock and be inspected. I'm sorry, my Lord, there are no exceptions." The commander was sticking to her orders and this put me in a hard place.
"The nature of my mission is confidential, commander. It is also time-sensitive." I did not want to dock the ship. It was not that I was not worried about an inspection - there was nothing aboard out of the ordinary and our paperwork with Sith command was accurate, at least up to the point of my superior being dead - I did not want the delay or the feeling of being in the control of the station should unfortunate news arrive from Dromund Kaas.
"It should not take long to verify your credentials."
"Very well. Send the docking code." Forcing the issue would only draw more attention to us.
"I will clear you to dock. The code will take over your navigation and dock you automatically." The commander cut the transmission and a few moments later the navigation computer chirped with the docking code.
Andronikos cocked an eye at me, "Are you sure about this?"
"I'm not sure about anything at the moment, but we have no choice."
He reluctantly pressed the activation button and the Intrepid's thrusters engaged as the docking protocol lit up on the HUD. I watched anxiously as the ship banked and accelerated towards the station. It seemed unlikely that Thanaton would have discovered that I was alive so soon, but Andronikos was right to be wary. At some point, Thanaton would discover that my body was not properly disposed of. When that happened my freedom of movement through Imperial space would become problematic.
The mobile station was not large enough to dock the Intrepid, so the ship angled sharply as it drew near the dark hull and then rotated to bring the ship's airlock into line with the station's. Maneuvering thrusters hissed as the ship grew still, followed by a metallic clank as the airlocks latched and sealed. Andronikos gave me a look of nervous frustration.
"Hopefully, this won't take long," I assured him as I turned to walk toward my room.
"You should wake up the Dashade and take him with you," he replied as he got up and followed me.
"It will just cause complications," I replied. The Dashade, named Khem Val, was a Force resistant sentient creature trapped in suspended animation for thousands of years by the Sith Lord Tulak Hord. I had to awaken him as part of my apprentice trials, and after defeating him in combat, mostly due to his weakened state, he gave me a life bond.
"There are too many unknowns; you don't know what you are getting into," he persisted.
I turned to look at him. "I want to keep a low profile. Having a large monster following me around threatening everyone and talking about eating people isn't going to help. I can take care of myself, and as I said, this shouldn't take long."
He did not look happy, but didn't comment further so I stepped toward my room and the door swooshed aside as I approached. My first thought was to collect my satchel and lightsaber, but as I passed the mirror the motion of my image drew my attention and I paused. I was in my casual outfit; a black synth-weave top and matching slacks. The material was soft and pliable, clinging to my petite frame like a unitard, with some decorative embroidered patches on the shoulders and down the middle of the front and back of the top.
It seemed a little too casual, so I drew out the skirt that went with the outfit and pulled it on. The material of the skirt was the same, except the cut was much looser with two embossed embroidered bands, one along the top and another part length down so that the skirt could be doubled up to fall just below the knees. I chose the doubled-up form, and pulled on my heavy black boots which covered most of my shins. Finally, I grabbed my black cloak and clasped it around my shoulders.
My hair was already pulled back in a loose ponytail, a little unruly with dark curls and waves, but I decided to leave it that way. My satchel was resting on the counter opposite my bed, and it was usually stocked with the personal items I needed when going out. A quick look inside confirmed it was ready for use and I picked it up and slung it over my shoulder. Finally, I reached for my belt and lightsaber, and noticed Pez's closed storage box nearby.
I was hesitant to let him out, remembering the reason that he had been put away, but part of me thought that he could come in handy. Reluctantly, I reached out and hit the activator on the face of the box. With a soft click, the top of the compartment split, and the sides slowly fell away, revealing the personal droid's black sphere.
Slowly, the red glow appeared in his eye and it swiveled to look at me. With a burst of chirps and warbles, Pez lifted out of the box with a whoosh of his thrusters and swirled around my head.
"Hey!" I snapped, "settle down or you're going right back to prison."
The round droid buzzed over my shoulder and spun so that his red eye was looking directly into mine. "Beep-duooh."
"There's a reason I shut you down," I scolded.
"Dweep," Pez replied as he shook back and forth in front of me.
"Yes, there was. You weren't listening to me and became unruly."
"Doo-ooh," the droid mourned softly and drifted closer, trying to light on my shoulder.
"No!" I snapped as I pulled back, "I said no touching." Pez shot back and shook himself back and forth again, his little red eye half-lidded and looking down. "I swear, someday I'm going to find the crazy man that programmed you and punch him."
"Beep-duooh," Pez sighed, his round form shaking 'no' in front of me.
"Okay, well I'm going to take you with me, and I expect you to behave." I clipped my belt on my hips and shifted it so that my saber hung on my left side. "This is important to me, so I don't want any nonsense."
"Dee-zwip," Pez annunciated excitedly and buzzed past me toward the door.
"No," I chided, "remember what I said? Stay behind me, about arm's length away and head high. Where are you now?"
"Beep-duooh," Pez sighed as he drifted much less enthusiastically back towards me.
I left my room into the main hold, where Andronikos was still waiting. He looked past me at Pez, who I could hear puffing his thrusters to stay with me.
"You don't want to take the Dashade, but you're going to take that thing?"
"Dweep-click," Pez answered harshly.
I put my hand up to warn the floating black ball. "He's going to behave," I stated strongly, "and he's not likely to try to eat any of the station personnel."
"Whatever," Andronikos responded in his raspy, disinterested sounding voice, "just make it quick. I don't like being under this station's control."
"I feel the same, hopefully, this won't take long and we can head to the surface. Have the ship ready."
"Already is," he grumbled as I stepped past him and turned down the hallway towards the airlock. Pez was swishing his thrusters way more than necessary to keep pace with me as I walked, and I wondered what he was doing behind my head.
I paused in front of the portal and took a deep breath; closing my eyes to discern what I might encounter on the station. I wasn't great at force sensing, but after a few moments the pulsing energy of the reactor came to my mind's eye, then the softer bio-energy of the station occupants nearby. Satisfied that there was no strong Force presence opposite the airlock I reached out and pressed the door activation.
The Intrepid's door split open and slid away top and bottom, revealing a dimly lit octagonal tunnel some dozen steps long to the station's airlock doors. I stepped forward and began to sense the difference in ambiance of the station. The inner airlock doors swished open, and a puff of air drifted across me, carrying a different aroma and humidity. It was odd how ships' atmospheres tended to have unique characteristics.
A woman in an officer's uniform stood just inside the airlock entrance with a burly-looking man in a navy work uniform next to her. "Lord Kallig, I presume," the station commander stated as she looked me over. I got the sense that she was not impressed.
"Yes, Commander." I stopped a few steps from her and the bodyguard. Suddenly I sensed a tension between us. Pez's thrusters whooshed behind me and the commander's eyes looked past me at the droid for a moment, making me regret my decision to bring him along already.
"If this is a surprise inspection, I would like to first let you know that we have been in system for almost a month with no support and no response on the equipment and supplies that I requisitioned. If I am to be judged by the condition of this station . . ."
"Commander," I interrupted, "I am not here to inspect anything. I'm on an important mission for Darth Zash which requires me to get to the planet's surface."
The commander seemed to physically relax. "Oh," she gave a quick glance toward her brute of a companion, "from your tone I got the impression that maybe you were in system to perform a readiness assessment."
"I am not tasked with performing any assessments, commander."
"Very well then, welcome aboard." She stepped back and aside so that I could move into the station corridor. The airlock doors swished closed.
"I don't need a welcome, Commander, only your authorization to proceed to the surface."
Her eyes assessed me again and her frame stiffened. "I had to get the inspection officer away from other duties, he should be here momentarily. My orders are to have inbound ships registered in the log. I can have that done by a link to your ship's com."
"My mission is covert, commander," I protested with an even voice.
"I'm sorry, I have no leniency. There have been numerous altercations with the Republic fleet in orbit around the planet. Command has closed off Taris to all Imperial traffic and put us on a war footing."
"Well, that is unfortunate. I suppose you must do as you are directed, even if it compromises this station's standing with Dromund Kaas."
Commander Yelka gave me a frustrated look. "I follow my orders, Lord Kallig."
As she spoke a young officer hurried around the corner with a tablet in hand and his eyes locked on Commander Yelka. "There is no request or flight plan on the schedule from Dromund Kaas . . ." he stated as he slowed to a stop, his eyes regarding me nervously.
"Thank you, Lieutenant." The commander looked at me again and I wondered whether we were going to have a problem.
"Proceed with your orders, Commander," I replied as confidently as I could.
She nodded curtly to the lieutenant, who stepped past me and into the Intrepid with the swishing of airlock doors.
"You mentioned Elios Maliss," Commander Yelka stated in an odd voice. "He is aboard this station. I had all non-combat personnel brought up to the station as a precaution. Tensions have grown pretty high with the Republic presence planet-side. I can take you to him if you would like."
"Of course." I was not sure if it was good or bad that my contact was on the station, but all my answers lay with him.
Commander Yelka began walking slowly down the corridor into the main station concourse. I started walking behind her, with Pez swishing softly behind me, followed then closely by the burly man, which made me feel like I was being guarded, so I kept my senses piqued.
"He was in the lounge hitting on my second in command," she complained, "but I saw him scurrying toward his office when he heard your ship was docking." She stopped then and turned to face me, "It's none of my business what the Sith hierarchy is doing or who they send to complete their orders, but Elios Maliss is about as unprofessional as they come." As she spoke the lights in the corridor began to brighten and dim erratically. She noticed me glancing up and her face tightened in a deeper frown.
"The reactor has several bad cells and is under-performing. We've had multiple power outages in order to service it. My combat readiness is below 50 percent, and the Republic has just increased their planetary fleet by two frigates and a squadron of gunboats. As I said, I have had no response to the requisition order I placed."
I looked at the lights flickering again and then at the commander. I could sense that she was under a lot of stress. "What command do you report to?"
She hesitated nervously, worried she might have said too much. "We are under the Twelfth Fleet, planetary support division. This station was pulled out of mothballs and rushed into service. The whole Taris expedition has been haphazard and not very well-planned, if you ask me. I don't want to make waves, it's just that we're kind of out on an island here and I shoulder responsibility for all Imperial assets in system."
"I don't have direct connections with the Twelfth Fleet, but I can ask my resources on Dromund Kaas to look into it."
"As long as it doesn't get anyone in trouble," she replied, looking genuinely surprised.
"I can be discrete, commander."
"Okay," she nodded, still looking unsure, "let me show you to Mallus' office."
Commander Yelka led me through the main concourse of the station, and I could not help but notice that the structure was old and needed maintenance. It indeed looked like it had been pulled out of mothballs, and the staff I could see did not look excited to be there. The overwhelming presence of military personnel made it clear that the Empire was not building a political or economic presence on Taris. The station seemed geared for war.
We turned down one of the smaller corridors with more flickering lights and walked to the dimly lit end and through a bulkhead into a small lobby with several doors, one labeled Imperial Intelligence. The commander hit the activator without knocking and the door swept open to reveal a small office with a man attempting to clean off his metal desk. He looked up in surprise to see us stepping into his office.
"Elios," Commander Yelka spoke his name flatly.
"Commander," he replied with a grin, his eyes moving between her and I.
"Lord Kallig is here to see you," the commander added. She seemed to be shooting darts at the man with her eyes, and Elios looked nervous despite his grin. It was clear that there was unspoken tension between the two.
"Yes, I was expecting contact with Darth Zash or her apprentice, though not in person. It is nice to meet you, Lord Kallig." His dark eyes focused on me. The commander seemed to hover for a moment, as if she was going to make an additional comment. "Thank you for showing her to my office, Commander, we have important intelligence to discuss, so . . ."
The commander looked at me in irritation, her lips ready to say something until her mind seemed to change. "You will need permission to leave the station, orders from fleet command. See me after you've completed your business." Without waiting for my response, the commander turned and stepped back through the door and marched down the corridor with her bouncer in tow.
Elios Maliss watched the door swish closed before sliding unceremoniously into his desk chair. "This is quite a surprise, my Lord," he drawled as he pointed to the only other chair in the office, "take a seat . . . if you want to of course," he added after noticing my hesitation.
His demeanor instantly irritated me, and I felt myself sympathizing with the commander. "You were sent here to gather intelligence. I'm here to collect what you've found."
"Oh, I've found out quite a bit," he smiled, "it's a requirement in my line of work. Take for instance this little nugget of information. My so-called boss is dead."
He seemed to be hoping to get a rise out of me. "I am your boss."
"No," he shook his head slowly, "not even Zash, rest her tormented soul, was technically my boss. She borrowed me from Sith intelligence." He reached into a personal case on his desk and pulled out a holo-pad. "I've got a letter of inquiry from my real boss, Watcher Three, sent three days ago wondering where I am and why I haven't reported back to him." He flicked the pad on so that the letter was displayed in 3D above the desk.
"A Sith Lord has rank over a Watcher. You were on a mission that has not been completed."
"It was completed." He paused and narrowed his eyes at me. "It was completed the moment Darth Zash was killed. According to my sources, you are supposed to be dead too."
"Obviously they are wrong," I stated flatly. "Hopefully not all of your information is that worthless."
He took my rebuttal in stride. "I'm pretty confident in my sources, Lord Kallig."
His conviction made me pause. I was dead to many people at the moment, so it would not be a surprise to find out that word had gotten out. A real surprise was how calmly the man before me was reacting to the fact that I was not dead. Either he was a fool, or he knew more than he was letting on.
"Are you going to help me?" I asked in exasperation.
He pressed a button on his pad to switch to a new image. "I've got a communication from Darth Zash stating that I should. It was an odd, rambling message about her legacy and such."
"I don't see the problem then," I replied. "She gave you orders to help me continue her plans."
His grin grew wide, and he flipped his feet up onto the desk. "Oh, I'm sure you don't see the problem. After all, Zash's communication is very convenient for you."
"I don't understand what you think is so funny, and I don't like your attitude," I snapped at him. "Cut the double talk and tell me why we are having this annoying conversation."
He actually smiled then, "of course," he said in a dismissive tone, "as I expected, blunt and impatient." Before I could respond he clicked another button on the pad and an image of Darth Thanaton appeared. "Do you recognize this Sith?"
"Tweep!" Pez screeched behind me.
I tensed up, and as shrewd as Elios was, I could guess that he noticed. I was growing angry with his attitude and lack of respect. "You'd better come to a point quickly," I said as I swept my cloak aside to reveal my lightsaber.
His smile slipped away, and his eyes hardened, fear and cunning creeping into his features. "Easy, darling, it was just a question. You see, I've been told through Imperial Intelligence that this Sith, Darth Thanaton, killed you for assassinating Darth Zash. The news of your demise appears to have spread through the Citadel on Dromund Kaas. Unfortunately, that's not all. My source has warned me that all of Darth Zash's resources are likely to be frozen, and her supporters could be liquidated."
"Duooh," Pez mourned behind my head.
"Silence!" I snapped, pointing a finger at the foolish droid. "Not another peep or you get the lightning again." The black orb shuddered as he floated in the air, but remained quiet.
We exchanged tense gazes. I could sense desperation and frustration in him. I'm not sure what he thought of me. I was angry at his defiance and wanted to stick him with my lightsaber, but I needed his information. Slowly my brain waded through the darker emotions, and I processed the moment. He was distressed and did not trust me. He likely thought he might be killed by Thanaton for helping Zash. He needed an ally, and the knowledge he had was a bargaining chip.
"I can help you against Thanaton."
"You can't help anyone, sweetheart, you're dead, remember?"
"I can explain what happened and why you should help me . . ."
"I don't care! The last thing I need is to get into the middle of Sith politics. Especially when I'd be joining the losing side."
"You don't know what you're talking about, or why I'm here. You don't know half of the story."
"I know enough to get far away from you."
"We need each other," I stated in a measured voice, trying to ease the tension.
"Like hell!" he snapped. "You being here is a direct threat to me. You're toxic, lady. This Darth Thana-whoever tried to kill you once before and now he's mad, and if I help you, I'm as good as dead too."
I clenched my fists, "you might be as good as dead anyway for helping Darth Zash . . ."
"Not the way I see it," he shook his head vigorously. "No one knows why I was in this forsaken hell-hole except Zash, you, and Watcher Three. Zash's dead and you might as well be. I'm packing up and getting the hell out of here! I'll report back to Watcher Three and act like nothing happened."
"Your Watcher won't help you," I countered, "not when faced with losing a career. You have no idea who Thanaton is; he'll despise you the moment he sees you."
"I'll take my chances," he said defiantly.
My hands flexed at my side, and I resisted the urge to throw lightning into the man's stubborn face. I was so angry that I was seeing red as the rush of adrenaline made my heart race. The darkness within me was welling up, driven by fear and frustration, and I teetered on the edge of attacking the Imperial agent. In that angry moment, I realized that I needed to get away from him.
"You're a fool," I sneered before I headed for the door. The door to his office swished closed behind me and I stomped down the dim corridor, unsure what to do next. Pez's thrusters puffed softly as he drove himself to keep up. I did not know where to begin looking for information about Sith ghost sightings planet-side, let alone navigating to the surface and through the Imperial and Republic zones. While I thought through those complications, I heard the sound of footsteps behind me and my Sith training raised the Force within me. I spun to see Elios rushing down the hall towards me. He was close; reaching a hand out to grab my arm.
"Hold on a minute," he urged.
Pez swept past my head with a swoosh to stay behind me, his red eye large and shaking.
"Don't touch me!" I growled as I pulled away from his hand, "don't ever touch me!" I reflexively went to grip my lightsaber.
He backed off and lifted his hands, "okay . . . take it easy."
With anger and the Force coursing through me I was like a predator ready to pounce. Luckily, I sensed his fear and he took a non-threatening stance. "What the hell is wrong with you!"
"I'm sorry . . ." he paused and sighed. "Look, I had a good thing going before your boss forced me to come to this wreck of a planet, wasting months of my time. Everyone involved in this deployment is angry, frustrated, and depressed. It's worn off on me. When a Sith ship was announced inbound from Dromund Kaas, I assumed you were here to kill me."
"Sneak up on me again and I just might." He stood there with a shocked face and his hands still up in the surrender sign, looking like a fool, but I still recognized stubbornness and craftiness in him. I turned away from him and took a few steps down the hall, angry and wanting to use the Force to wipe the contumacy from his eyes.
"When you asked for information, and I realized you weren't just going to kill me . . ." He paused as I turned back towards him. "I don't want to be hunted like an animal by a Sith Lord driven by some political vengeance. I've worked too damn hard to stay out of your conniving and murderous ways for it to end like this. I reacted harshly because I just don't see my best option, I don't have enough information. You looked like you were ready to kill me, but you didn't, and you are right about me not knowing anything about Thanaton. Maybe you can be helpful to me after all."
"I thought you were on your own, that I was toxic?"
"You are, I mean . . . no offense, but from my perspective, it seems like helping you is a bad idea . . . but . . ."
"But what?"
"You seem to have information that might be helpful."
"You're a piece of work," I snapped.
He grinned, "what can I say? So, can we just forget the last few minutes and start over?"
"There is no way I will forget the way you've treated me just now. It's no wonder people don't like you."
He acted hurt. "Are you referring to the station commander, Miss Stuffy Pants? She just doesn't know how to have a good time."
"Maybe people want you to act professionally."
"I can be professional when I need to be, and one person's opinion doesn't form a consensus. You haven't met my friends yet. Look . . . you need to cool down and I'm hungry, why don't you join me for a meal at the cafe? The food's not great, but I know the chef and she will often make something special for me."
I was stunned by his offer. "Are you serious? I walked away from you to cool off, sitting down and having to listen to your double-speak isn't going to help me calm down. All I want is the information I've come a long way for. I don't want to be your friend, meet your friends, go to dinner with you, or frankly even have to look at you!"
"Ouch," he feigned being hurt. "Well, that's my offer. I don't think straight when I'm hungry, and I need to think really hard about my future right now. Come with me to get something to eat and you will get your information."
He was serious. I did not know how to respond with anger still swirling inside me. It seemed ridiculous to change moods and sit down for dinner with someone so selfish and irritating, but I could not think of a better way to get the information I needed.
"I don't have time for this," I complained.
"Sure, you do. I just reviewed the last communication from Fleet before you docked. There was nothing from Intelligence in the com beyond what I just told you, and the next hyper-buoy communication isn't expected for another four hours. You said yourself that it is unlikely Thanaton knows you are alive. Besides, imperial assets planet-side are in the dead of night. No one will be awake to help you if you drop down now."
Despite my reluctance, I could not think of another way to gain his cooperation. "Very well, but let's make it quick."
"Good, see we can get along," he said with a grin that made me instantly regret my agreement. "I'll buy, it's the least I can do." I was going to continue arguing with him - something about his smug demeanor made me want to - but I resigned myself and followed him into the main concourse.