"Don't cross that line, or the turrets will kill me!" the Mirialan woman said.

Xal and Corso stopped at the thick red line dividing the room from the corridor. Xal saw four turrets, two aimed at the doorway and two aimed at the Mirialan. He guessed at least two more turrets were around the corners of the doorway. The turrets had been bolted in place, quick and ugly, and fixed with electric eyes.

"Been monitoring you on the security network," the woman said. "You sure know how to make an entrance."

"Are you Kixi?" Xal asked.

"Short for Kixiaralu. You... you came here for me?"

"Relax," Xal said with his best smile. "I'm not here to hurt you. Captain Xaldiba Onoka, ma'am, at your service."

"Is there any chance you could free me? Because I'm definitely ready to not be here." Her eyes echoed her words, not innocent exactly, but hurt and strained. "The Guild locked me up two years ago. Forced me to work for them. I'll do anything to get out."

"You might want to rephrase that, ma'am," Corso said.

Xal gave Corso a look.

"I'm looking for a gutter-slime named Skavak," Xal said.

Kixi groaned. "I knew that Corellian pig-lizard Skavak had ticked off the wrong person. No wonder he was in such a hurry. Skavak paid the guild to clean his identity record. They made me slice into the Republic's main database and delete all his arrest warrants."

"You can do that?" Xal asked.

"It's what I do," Kixi said. "The Republic administrators never even knew I was there."

"No wonder Skavak gets around so easily," Xal said. "Nobody's chasing him but me."

Kixi said, "He mentioned some Sullustan lawman giving him trouble. That's all I know. Now, can you get me out of here?"

"I've got a few ideas," Xal said, flashing her another smile. "They threw this together fast. They needed something autonomous with facial recognition and adaptation subroutines." Corso stared at the captain. "They must have used a droid brain."

"I figured that out," Kixi said. "But I can't get to it."

"But I can," Xal said. "It must be behind one of the panels in this corridor." He took an ion grenade from his belt and held it up. "If I can find it, I can fry it."

"That's nice," Kixi said. "But they'll fire on me if you try it."

Xal smiled again. "Corso, give me your barrier shield." Xal took his shield modules from his belt and accepted the modules from Corso. "Have you seen these before?"

"I've heard about them," Kixi said.

"Two will make a wall; four will make a box," Xal said. "It's not very big, though."

"I don't take up much space." Kixi stared at the modules like water in a desert.

"While I'm looking for the cognitive module, you put Skavak's record back."

"Easy enough," Kixi said. "Anything else?"

Xal thought for a moment and said, "Frame him as an undercover Republic law enforcement agent."

"You really hate him, don't you?" Kixi said. "How do I know you won't just kill me when I'm done?"

Xal said, "That's not the kind of gun I like to use on a pretty lady."

Kixi smiled. "You're sweet in a sleazy kind of way."

"I get that a lot." He took a scanner from a jacket pocket. "Now get to work on Skavak."

Xal started on the nearest wall, filtering out the power cable signal, internal circuitry, and Kixi's net connection, until he isolated the faint droid control wires. He read the signal in the wires, verifying the droid personality patterns, and started tracing them to their source, two of the turrets tracking his every move.

"Couldn't we just cut the wires?" Corso asked.

Xal shook his head. "It'll have redundant wiring and a wireless backup."

He followed the signal back three sections of wall and up to the ceiling. The scanner spiked, showing an independent power supply. He put away the scanner and pulled out a magnetic grapple.

"How much stuff do you carry, Captain?" Corso asked.

"A few necessities," Xal said. "Take the shield modules, and get ready to slide them to Kixi." He waited until Corso was in place, then fired the grapple at the ceiling panel. The turrets watched but didn't fire. Good. They didn't know where their brain was located. Xal attached the grapple cord to his belt and let it pull him to the ceiling. He put shaped micro charges near each bolt and dropped to the floor. "How's it going, Kixi?"

"All done," she said. "The minute he passes an identity checkpoint, it'll trigger an alarm. What about you?"

"I've set the panel to blow," Xal said. "I don't know what will happen when we slide you the shield modules. They're unapproved objects but not weapons. But, you're valuable to the Guild. I think the droid is programmed to kill you when it must, not for every little infraction. Crouch down. If I'm wrong, you'll need to put up that shield fast."

Xal nodded to Corso. His First Mate slid the modules toward Kixi. The turrets immediately tracked the modules but didn't fire. They stopped near Kixi's feet, and she reached for them.

"I wouldn't touch them just yet," Xal said. "Here's the plan; I'm sure the turrets will start firing when the shield goes up. You'll activate the shield, Corso will blow off the panel, and I'll throw the grenade. It's magnetic. We don't need to worry about it sticking. The droid will try to reboot fast. While it's doing that, Corso and I will blow it to shit."

"That'll be it?" Kixi asked.

"For the turrets, yes," Xal said. "But, do you remember when you said 'anything'?"

"Yes," Kixi said cautiously.

Xal said, "I'll have another job for you when I get my ship back."

"I'm all yours, Captain," Kixi replied.

"Really, ma'am," Corso said.

Xal gave him another look.

Corso took the detonator from Xal, and the two moved into position behind a couple of support struts. Xal set his blaster pistols to overcharge, armed the grenade, and nodded to Kixi. She curled up as small as she could and activated the shield modules. The modules maneuvered into place around her, and the remote tops separated from the bases and rose up, creating four shield walls between them. They stopped about ten centimeters above Kixi's head and formed a fifth shield section above her, the box forming faster than the turrets could respond. Even so, four turrets fired on Kixi and two more fired down the corridor. So far so good, but the shield wouldn't last long under that assault. Corso hit the detonator button, the panel blew out, and Xaldiba threw the ion grenade into the center of the smoke. Blue lightning exploded in the corridor, and the turrets shut down. Xal and Corso fired into the open panel and continued firing until the sparking stopped.

Kixi dropped the shield cautiously. No firing. She jumped up, ran to Xal and hugged him. "Thank you! You're my hero!" She kissed Corso on the cheek. "You too. Now, I got to go before they lock this place down."

"How am I going to find you?" Xal asked.

"You said 'ship', right?" Kixi said. "Trust me, I'll want to be found." She looked down the corridor. "I won't mind a bit if you kill some more of those Guild thugs on your way out." She turned and started running.

Xal and Corso followed after her. As they approached the main base, the heard blaster fire and something else.

Corso said, "Does that sound like a lightsaber?"

"Yes, it does," Xal said.

A moment later, they heard Kixi scream, and they started running. They found a group of freshly dead thugs and Kixi cowering in a corner. Agenord stood over her with his lightsaber out. Teeseven was next to him with his shock arm aimed at her.

"Agenord, don't!" Xaldiba yelled.

"Xal. Corso. Friend of yours?" the Jedi asked in a calm voice and deactivated his saber.

Teeseven whistled at the sight of Xal and Corso and retracted his shock arm.

"You know him?" Kixi said to Xal.

"He's my cousin," Xal said.

Kixi's jaw dropped.

"Don't worry," Agenord said. "I was going to interrogate you."

"With a lightsaber?" she said.

"It makes the interrogation go faster," Agenord replied and helped her up.

"Right," Kixi said. "What if more Guild guys show up?"

"I didn't leave any," Agenord said.

Kixi stared at him and said, "Oh. Shit."

"What do you do here?" Agenord asked.

"I was a prisoner," Kixi said. "Xal and Corso got me out."

"Why would the Merchant's Guild want you as a prisoner?" Agenord asked.

"Well," Kixi said. "I... uh... did some..."

"She's a data slicer," Xal said.

Kixi glared at him.

"Tell him what he wants to know, Kixi," Xal said. "Agenord doesn't get easy jobs. He's probably saving the planet."

"Not all of it," Agenord said.

"Right," Kixi said. "What do you want to know?"

"Did you try to slice a high security memory card about three hours ago?" Agenord asked.

"Shit," Kixi said. "Yeah, Czost Mej, one of my regular handlers, brought that to me."

"Did he know it had an alarm?"

"No," Kixi said. "He freaked out and took off."

"Did you know?"

Kixi nodded. "Of course. I was hoping Coruscant Security would show up not a big, scary Jedi. I wanted them to get me out of here."

Agenord thought for a moment. "I'm guessing the Guild doesn't advertise their slicer is a prisoner." Kixi shook her head. "Whoever gave the Guild that card wanted me to kill you." He turned to Xaldiba. "We need to do something about that."

"Kixi," Xal said. "You need to play dead for a while."

"How long?" she asked.

"Until Agenord says it's okay."

"Kixi, do you know if anyone else tried to slice that card?" Agenord asked.

"Any attempt would have set off the alarm," she told him.

"What if they used an isolated computer?"

She shook her head. "It had a built-in transmitter."

"How strong was the security?"

She shrugged. "Military grade. It would have taken a while."

Agenord nodded. "Where can I find Czost Mej?"

"Sorry. I never had to look that up." She looked at Xal. "Where do I hide?"

"I've got an idea," Xal said. "And no one will look for you there." He looked at Agenord. "If you make the call."

"Oh, yes," Agenord said. "I'll do that."

Xal said, "Kixi, does this place have a back door?"

"They didn't really give me a tour," she said.

Agenord said, "I can do something about it, Xal, if you show me where."

Xal took out his scanner, located his target, and motioned them to follow. He led them past the array of bodies down to the lower levels of the base. They stopped near one of the docks, grabbed a speeder bike, and continued down. They reached a warehouse section, and Xal scanned along an outer wall. He stopped and pointed at a section. Agenord waved the others back, and cut a large section from the wall with his lightsaber. He stepped back and pulled the cutout section into the room with the Force. It flew ten meters and screeched across the floor to a stop.

"Show off," Xal said. He maneuvered the speeder into the opening. "Tell her sector cresh sixty-two, level one-fifty-three, near the yirt shaped pipe bridge."

"Got it," Agenord said. "And, Xal, stay out of the sky until I tell you it's safe."

Xaldiba stared at him then nodded.

Corso said, "I was hoping to go with you, Captain."

Xal shook his head and climbed onto the speeder. "This is a difficult tunnel to negotiate. I don't have time to it teach you. Sorry. Kixi." He nodded at the speeder, and she climbed on behind him. "I'll meet you back at the hotel. If anyone asks, I'm out with a girl."

"No one's asked for a week, Captain."

"Fair enough. Kixi, hold tight, keep your head down, and try not to throw up."

"What?" she asked.

Xal flew through the hole, turned sharply, and dove straight down, missing three pipes he shouldn't have been able to see. After diving a hundred or so levels, he made another impossible turn that had Kixi clinging hard enough to bruise him. He flew into a jet-black opening and finally turned on his light.

"Did you throw up?" he asked.

"Not..." She took a breath. "Yet."

"That wasn't the last of it, but that was the worst of it."

She took another breath. "Good to know." She let the rushing air cool her a bit. "I believe you, by the way."

"About what?"

"Your cousin. No one sends a guy like that on a milk run."

"Yeah. He's been known to leave a mess."

"Where are we headed?" Kixi asked. "And, who is 'her'? And, cresh sixty-two? That's near-"

"The Republic base," Xal finished. "My sister is a lieutenant in the Republic military. I don't know anyone who would look for you there."

"Including me," Kixi said. "Sorry. You're doing a lot to help me. Forget what Corso said. I owe you anything and everything."

"Relax," Xal said. "I just need you to check my ship's computer. I want you to make sure Skavak didn't leave anything nasty behind."

"That's for saving me the first time," she said. "What do you want for this one?"

"Let me think about it," he said. "I might have a couple of ideas."

"I haven't dated for two years," she told him.

"I might have five or six ideas."

"When you get to ten, I'm ready to listen." She looked around. "Where are we?"

"Abandoned maintenance tunnel. No one has used it for a century."

"Why haven't they reclaimed it?" Kixi asked.

"Bureaucracy and arguments over jurisdiction. Hold tight." He made another sharp dive and a quick turn.

She clung to his back and whimpered, but she didn't throw up.

"What was Corso upset about?" she asked.

"He's got a thing for my sister," Xal said. "He wanted to see her again."

"Will she be okay with this?"

"She will if Agenord asks," Xal said. "Not so much if I ask."

"The trooper doesn't get along with her smuggler brother?"

"I know. It's a shock."

He made a quick left and a right and entered a very tight tunnel. Kixi lowered her head and pressed against Xal's back. She'd run out of questions. Now she was stuck with her situation. Prisoner had been bad; loose end was worse, especially with that memory card. High-end, military grade, SIS level security. She would have needed a week to get into it, if that was even possible. Any job that needed a card like that or a guy like Agenord was a job she wanted to escape.

"We have three more rough turns, and then it's smooth," Xal said.

"Sounds good," she said. Kixi didn't deserve a tenth of what he was doing. Xal needed a little payback. "Tell your cousin I've sliced military data before."

"I will."

They hit the first of the three turns. Kixi groaned a little, but she was fine.

"I don't think that card was made to be used," she continued. "A card like that is designed to catch a slicer. It had too much security. I don't know if anyone could get data off of it, not even the original owner."

"Why didn't you tell Agenord?"

"He'd ask about the other data I sliced, and he scares me."

"He's like that."

They hit the second turn.

"I appreciate what you're doing. I really mean that."

He nodded.

After the last turn, she said, "Hold up a minute."

He stopped the speeder and turned to look at her.

"If the computer is on your ship, that means you'll be getting me off of Coruscant."

"I figured you'd want that."

"I do," she said. "I meant it before. If you get me off Coruscant safe..." Her voice dropped to a whisper. "Everything I have is yours."

He gave her a quick kiss. "I'll have more than ten ideas." He turned back to the tunnel, and she settled in, nuzzling his back.

After twenty minutes, they exited the smaller tunnels into a main line with slow moving, brackish water beneath them. The smell from it did more to Kixi's stomach than the turns, but she kept everything down. The followed the main line for another hour and finally reached a bridge over a large split pipe. A tall, Twi'lek soldier waited on the bridge next to a speeder bike. Xal pulled up next to her and stopped the speeder. Kixi tried to say something, realized she wouldn't make it, and ran to the railing.

"Thank you for waiting," Xal said.

Kixi nodded and raised a thumb and waited for more.

"Is she the package?" the soldier asked.

Xal said, "Kixi, my sister Cyr'rnin."

Kixi waved and gasped for breath.

"Kixi was helping me find the guy who stole my ship," Xal said. "Then Agenord showed up, and things got Agenord level complicated. Kixi needs to hide until he's done doing what he does."

"I understand," Cyr'rnin said. "I need to tell Sergeant Jorgan."

"Is he that Cathar?"

Cyr'rnin nodded. "I trust him with my life, so I trust him with hers. Any idea how bad this is?"

Xal shrugged and said, "Agenord told me to stay out of the sky for a while."

"Right. Kixi," Cyr'rnin said. "Are you about done?"

She nodded and turned around.

Cyr'rnin looked Kixi up and down. "I'm sure it's for the good of the Republic."

"That's the spirit," Xal said and mounted his speeder. "Kixi, play nice with my sister." He took off before she could respond.

Kixi said to Cyr'rnin, "Thanks. A lot. Really. A lot."

"Agenord wouldn't ask if it wasn't important."

"He's kind of scary," Kixi said.

"He's... focused." Cyr'rnin climbed on her speeder and waited for Kixi.

"That's a good way of saying it." Kixi mounted behind Cyr'rnin. "I like your brother better. He's... you know..., but he's a decent guy."

"He is sometimes, but he hides it behind all that other stuff."

Kixi wrapped her arms around Cyr'rnin. "I got the decent guy today. That's all that matters."

"You're right," Cyr'rnin said, turning the speeder toward the Republic base. "It is." She took off.