Chapter 33: The Proof

Night came to Coruscant.

The last rays of the setting sun vanishing behind the great buildings that dotted the busy landscape. Speeders buzzing by in steady streams of traffic.

Jas found himself in Vessaria's room, he had been sent there by Val and Lady Dorma. The Matriarchs had been summoned. Now, they would see the evidence that he and the protector had brought back from Kahvult.

This is it, he realized, the first shot in Vess' attempt to take back her mother's throne.

He hoped that the matriarchs, once they had seen the recording, would be willing to help.

Vess stood before the window, watching the sun sink below the horizon, watching as the city lit up for another evening, the quick shift from day into night.

Jas said nothing he simply watched, the sun's light played off Vessaria's skin, making it glow. Her blue eyes were almost black in the coming twilight.

Through the Force, the girl radiated a sense of unease, a sensation that he had been sensing since earlier that afternoon. They had watched the recording that CeeCee had downloaded back on Kahvult to make sure that what they had was as important as the Trandoshans had claimed. Though it was far from a smoking blaster, the evidence did speak for itself.

Dorma and Val had both been sure that the Matriarchs needed to see it. It could be the first step in undermining Vess' uncle and aunt.

Finally, they had something more than rumor and accusation.

The holo, it had had an effect on Vess. Jas had felt her growing pain while she watched. Dorma and Val were excited by what they saw, happy to have something to bring to their people. Vessaria…she only radiated pain.

Jas didn't blame her.

He understood.

It was one thing to think that someone who should have loved you had betrayed you. It was quite another to see confirmation of that fear. The loss of doubt, that realization made what had happened all the more damning.

Vess had excused herself, wishing to be alone. Jas had almost followed her, but Val had stopped him.

"Give her some time, hotshot," she advised, "She will need you soon enough."

He had obeyed, despite his worry, but now…the young queen was needed.

He was not entirely sure how to broach what needed to be done, or what to say.

So, he stood there, waiting.

She knew he was there. She would answer when she was ready.

He wasn't sure how long they waited there, time seemed to stop, only the setting sun marking its passing.

Finally, Vess sighed. She didn't turn, but she did speak to him.

"Val seems better," the girl said, "She seems more centered, less…angry.

The girl tilted her head slightly.

"I take it she accepted my offer."

Jas wasn't sure how to answer that.

He understood what she was asking, but at the same time…

…did she really want to have this discussion with him? Surely, she could guess what had happened.

What Am I supposed to say, he wondered.

I don't want to hurt her.

"Are you really sure you want to talk about this," he asked, "With everything that is about to happen?"

Vess did something then that he didn't expect.

She turned with a sad smile on her face.

"You are worried about me, my feelings. I appreciate that, Jas; I really do, but what is coming, what will happen when we reveal what has been found to the matriarchs. What I offered Val is a part of that. It is all part of what must be as we move forward."

Jas didn't completely understand, but he nodded anyway.

Vess was not ignoring what she had said and done. What had happened between him and Val on the way back from Kahvult.

He couldn't lie. He had…enjoyed it, and Val had too. Yet, he still didn't think he was ready to speak so openly about it.

Though, Vess didn't seem to see it as betrayal, merely something that had happened, and had needed to be done.

She continued to look upon him, that small smile on her face.

"We both care about you, Val and I, you know that," he reminded her, "So…you can understand that we are both concerned how you feel about this. What…what you said in the message you left for her."

Vess worried her lower lip with her teeth. Again, he could sense her discomfort, but it was not something that she was turning away from.

"What I offered, was something that I can live with, and accept. My father kept a first companion. My mother never questioned it. I didn't know what that meant at the time, but I now understand why my mother allowed it.

She sighed.

"The throne is not an easy seat, and many will seek to take advantage of me. They will look for any weakness, or opportunity. You and Val will be targeted because you are close to me. Nobles and their agents will seek you out…"

Jas nodded, he could see her point, but…

"We would never betray you. You know that."

"I do, but that doesn't mean that my rivals and enemies will not try. Even the most innocent interaction could be used against us."

"My people are cunning, our nobles even more so. I must make sure that we are secure. Men and women in the court will be drawn to those close to me. They will make offers. Those offers will be slightly less…provocative…if they know you have a first companion already. You will be tempted; Val will be tempted. Letting you share yourself with her will limit any outside attempt to influence you, and knowing that it is Val, I feel no sense of jealousy in her being close to you."

Vess's smile turned shy.

"I want you, you know that, and I need Val, having both is not easy, but I can accept it. It is a price I will gladly pay, especially with the war we are about to start."

That last part gave him pause, he…he was not sure what to make of it.

"War?" he asked her.

Vess nodded.

"Even if we convince my aunt to abdicate the throne, even if my uncle agrees to step away from the power he has gained, that will not be the end of the matter, not by a long shot. Any transition that comes will not be entirely peaceful, there are too many powerful people and entities mixed up in my family's business. The mining guild, the Republic, the Jedi, not to mention the various crime syndicates that have set up shop on my home world's moons.

"Many will not be happy with me for removing my aunt from power. It puts what they have built on Bantoon at risk. They will seek to secure what they have gained in the last decade, which means we are about to set off who knows how many plots and schemes. People are going to be in danger, Jas. We are going to be in danger."

In this at least, he knew what to say.

"I'll protect you. You know that."

"Yes, but I still need to do what I can to protect us, the people that I care about."

"That is why you made your offer?"

Again, the young queen nodded.

"As I said in the message, I know she cares about you, and your connection to her draws you both together. To keep those I love safe, I'm more than willing to let her be with you from time to time. Some of my nobles will see me taking an outsider as a consort as a betrayal of our values, but, if that consort follows the traditions of our world. They will be more willing to accept. A queen's consort keeping a first companion is not unheard of, and it will make you seem more familiar. Plus, it protects Val from being targeted by would be suitors looking to gain a foothold in my court. It keeps our family secure, and united, at least until we ensure that the danger caused by the transition of power has passed."

Jas nodded, again, he was impressed.

He couldn't doubt that she was taking this matter seriously, but…there was something that she needed to think about, a point that might come up. It was…uncomfortable, but it was better that they discussed it now.

"How far are you willing to go to secure your throne, Vess?"

The girl paused, behind her the last rays of the day had given way to night.

"As far as I need to," she replied.

"What if the nobles ask something of you, something important."

"It would depend on what they wanted."

Jas frowned slightly, that was not really the answer he was looking for.

"What if one of the more powerful matriarchs comes to you. Offers to bring the bulk of the others over to your side. What if the price she asks of you is that you wed some son or cousin. What would you do?"

His question caught her off guard, he could see that in her eyes, and feel it through the Force.

"You would expect me to say, no." she answered.

"Is that what is best for your people, your world?"

In that moment, she understood, he could see it in the widening of her eyes.

"You would advise me to say, yes?"

Jas winced, but nodded.

His response horrified her.

"Are you trying to end this," she demanded, "To end us?"

"No, I'm merely bringing up a possible scenario that might occur when you move to take your mother's throne. As you said, there are matriarchs who will not be happy with you taking an off-worlder for a consort."

He shrugged.

"It would hurt, seeing you with another, I won't deny that, but I would do what was best for you, and your world. That is why I asked the question. How far are you willing to go?"

She sniffed and turned away, yet; he could sense that she was considering what had been said. She didn't like it, but she wasn't dismissing it out of turn.

That is why she would be good for her people, he realized, she has her own desires, yes, but that doesn't mean she will put them before what she believes is for the greater good.

This wasn't like Sy's greater good, at least, he didn't think so. He was willing to let go of what he wanted for others. He would do what he could to minimize the hurt, but could not deny it.

That…that was why it was a sacrifice.

He was prepared to make it himself, not to ask others to suffer in his place.

"What would you do if that occurred," she asked him, "If I needed to wed another?"

"I would do what you asked of me. I would even leave if you were unable to have me at your side."

She winced at that last part.

"I would never ask you to go. If you were mine or not, I still need you, and besides. I would not do that to Val. If we were not together. It would please me to know you were with her. That the two of you were doing your best to be happy."

"Could you do that, Vess? How would that feel?"

She turned and gave him a sad smile.

"It would hurt, seeing you with another, I won't deny that."

Jas returned the smile.

He was not surprised that she used his own words against him, or perhaps, in agreement with him.

He sighed.

"So, what are we going to do?"

"We must not get ahead of ourselves. We must not make decisions based on what could be, or what others might offer, not yet."

She turned back to the window, watching the speeders as the city lit up around them.

"It is beautiful here," she murmured.

Jas walked up behind her, resting his hands on her shoulders. She shuddered at his touch, not with dislike but with pleasure.

He leaned in and kissed her neck. She tilted her head slightly, offering more.

He put his arms around her waist, and watched the skyline, the two of them sharing this moment in silence.

"I would like to take you out, sometime, show you the city, share a meal."

He could see her reflection in the glass before them, the smile that lit her face.

"Are you asking me out on a date?"

Jas smiled, he could not entirely kill his own blush, which was strange.

It was such a simple thing, a normal thing.

He found it hard to speak openly about it.

"I would like that," he admitted, "It has been a while since I had a quiet evening with a woman. One where we were not constantly watching over our shoulders, concerned for our lives."

"That sounds nice," she agreed, "Perhaps, tomorrow, after our meeting tonight, once the matriarchs leave, we shall be very busy."

He leaned in and kissed the tip of her ear.

"It sounds like you have a plan."

"I have," she nodded, her eyes focusing on the horizon, "I have hoped for some time that we would find something to bring to the matriarchs, something that would we could cast doubt on my aunt and uncle."

"I think it is safe to say that we found that, you've seen the recording, and both Dorma and Val agree."

Vess shivered slightly in his arms, what she had seen when CeeCee first played the message that the Trandoshans had recorded, she knew what it was, and it had had an effect.

Vess sighed.

"You know, it is one thing to be told that someone has betrayed you, that they seek to do you harm, actually seeing evidence of it. It changes things."

Vess took a deep breath, through the Force, Jas could sense a flicker of pure anger.

"They treated my parents like they were nothing, Jas. Targets, they called them, assets to be removed. Mom was their queen, and they talked of disposing of her like she was so much trash."

"Justice will be served, Vess. You need to focus on that. We can make things right."

"I think so too."

She shifted slightly, making a little room, allowing her to turn and put both arms around his neck.

She smiled warmly.

"When this meeting is done. I would like you to contact Captain Cooper. I need to get ahold of Miri. I have a job for her."

"I can do that, but…what do you need a bounty hunter for?"

"A simple transport job, but there is some risk involved."

"I can ask Coop to reach out to her, but she isn't with the organization anymore, not officially."

Jas pulled back slightly looking into her blue eyes.

"Miri Fallenstar prefers a certain type of job, one that serves her code. Does this task you need her to perform fit into that mold."

"I think so, she wants to serve true justice, and this…matter will help."

Jas frowned slightly.

"Are you going to tell me what this is about?"

"I will, but only when I'm sure that Miri is onboard, and the matriarchs have committed to help us."

Jas nodded; Coop had kept him in the dark sometimes too. He had never liked it, but understood.

As queen, Vess would sometimes have to make snap decisions on her own, things that he might not agree with as someone trained in the Jedi way.

A leader needed to get their hands dirty sometimes, was that what was happening here?

What did she want Miri to do?

Vess knew what Miri Fallenstar was capable of and what she did for her clients. Why did Vess need her skills? He sensed no malice in her request, merely a sense of cold certainty.

Vess trusts you, he reminded himself.

Perhaps you should try and trust her.

She was hoping to make this work, but if either Miri or the matriarchs didn't dance to her tune, she would need to come up with something else, what they were discussing may not even come to pass.

I'll just have to trust her. I know what kind of woman Vess is.

He believed in her.

He would do as she asked.

"I'll make the call."

She smiled brightly.

"Thank you."

She leaned in and kissed him, her lips sweet and inviting.

The kiss deepened his hands began to move down her body.

The sound of someone clearing their throat behind them stopped them going any further.

Vess paused in mid kiss, and sighed, a wave of frustration swept over her.

"Yeah?"

"The Matriarchs are here, Starfish," Dorma Rist said.

If Vess' foster mother didn't approve of seeing them together she didn't show it. Again, reinforcing the idea that noble woman knew about what they had become during their search for Val.

Vess stepped away and smoothed out her gown. She wiped at her mouth and slipped into the role of a queen in exile.

"Thank you, Aunt Dorma," she said politely.

She turned to Jas.

"Shall we, my love?"

Jas nodded and took the arm she had offered.

"As you wish, my queen…"

"…let's go."

IOI

"Everything you need to know about the assets are in the data packet enclosed. We expect immediate results upon acquisition of the targets."

Jas watched the matriarchs closely, curious about what their reaction would be to the recording that CeeCee was playing for them.

He had not been sure what to expect when they had returned to Coruscant. Though he had been informed that neither the matriarchs nor Brother Oswell had left for Bantoon. Baron Hudlo had sent them a message warning them off. His agents had gotten wind of High General Lyron's desire to seem them all…detained for their choice to go to Coruscant and meet with his rival.

The nobles and the holy man understood that such a detention would not be in their best interest, so they had remained on the capital.

As of the recording, Jas was most curious to gage their reaction.

It was not the most damning of evidence, but given his experience on the fringe, he had quickly understood what he was seeing, those experiences had taught him how to read between the lines.

He was hoping that the women around him possessed the same skills.

The file from Kahvult had been a hologram of a heavy-set man with a pencil thin mustache. He was dressed similarly to the matriarchs so Jas could conclude that he came from Bantoon as well.

Two sets of numbers flashed below the man's image, and behind him, a rotating symbol that Jas didn't know.

Both the numbers and the man were familiar. Jas could guess what the former meant, as for the latter, the man's face was…well…he had seen it before, he was sure, but couldn't remember where, not at first.

He has asked Val about the man and she had chuckled.

"You should know him, hotshot. You saved Vess from him the night we met, you killed him in that alley, remember?"

Jas' eyes narrowed.

Yes.

Now he remembered.

Rudo.

Yes.

That had been the man's name.

When Vess had seen the holo the first time, he had sensed her tension, and felt her nails digging into his arm. He now understood why she had reacted. The man had hunted her in the days before they had met.

Of course she would still have strong feelings about him.

As he watched the holo for the second time, it was clear that the matriarchs recognized him as well, the older ones anyway. Matriarch Tobbi would have still been a girl when the man had died.

The holo ended after only a few minutes, the image faded and was replaced with the same golden rotating seal that had been behind the late and unlamented lord from Bantoon.

As it ended the room fell silent, again, Jas watched the matriarchs.

What would they think now?

Did they understand what they had just seen.

Honoria spoke first the dark-skinned matriarch's eyes narrowing as she regarded him.

"Where did you get this recording?"

"From one of my sources," Jas replied.

"That is not good enough," she growled back.

Vess frowned at her.

"Are you doubting Ser Jas, Matriarch? Do you doubt the messages authenticity?"

Matriarch Bedoria chuckled. The old finance minister seemed more amused than anything else.

"You don't know Honoria, Your Grace. She is not doubting the man or what we have just seen, she is angry about the fact that such a message found its way off of Bantoon."

Honoria shook her head.

"That seal, the one behind Rudo, it marks this hologram as a state recording, a classified state recording, it should not have been available off world…ever. Any transmission broadcast using that cypher should have degraded mere minutes after it was complete."

"That technology is not unknown to the larger galaxy, matriarch," Jas informed her, "There are slicers that specialize in ensuring such security measures fail."

The woman fell silent, but from the cold look on her face it was clear that she didn't like what she had just seen.

Matriarch Charys blinked.

"What exactly did we just witness. I remember Rudo, the man was practically joined at the hip to Lyron during Anara's reign. What is this talk of assets and targets, and what were those numbers flashing below. I don't recognize them."

Jas believed that he knew what those numbers meant, he could not prove it without verification, but…

…he chose to remain silent, he didn't want to volunteer too much, the matriarchs needed to draw their own conclusions here.

"The recording mentioned a data packet," Honoria said turning to Cee-Cee, "Droid, was any further information included with this message."

"A portion of that packet only, mistress," Cee-Cee responded, "I can access that data now, and display it, if you wish?"

The woman nodded.

"Please do."

Jas fought the urge to smile.

It was interesting how CeeCee could slip into the role of the prim and proper droid. If Jas didn't know better, he would though that their mechanical friend was nothing more special than any other droid walking the streets of Coruscant.

He had explained to CeeCee what to expect when they meant the matriarchs, their history with droids and how they might react.

It had assured Jas that it was no problem, it had been around enough wealthy humans to know how to act. CeeCee had even gone so far as to apply a restraining bolt to itself. The bolt came from a hidden compartment in its chest. It was non-active, of course, but just seeing it on would be enough for most people.

Jas had accepted that reasoning, and as long as the droid played along, agreed to keep its secret.

Trust went both ways after all.

The data packet that the droid showed were pages of technical schematics. Jas recognized some of them. Power systems, reactor capacity numbers, shield strength, all flashed by as the droid projected the images on the holo monitor.

It added to what he had seen in the earlier recording, more and more he was sure of what they had found.

"Techno-babble," Bedoria sniffed.

"No matriarch," Val said coldly, "Proof of high treason. Those documents are ship-specifications, detailing the strengths and weaknesses of certain types of vessels."

"What types of vessels?" Charys asked.

"We're guessing here," Val continued, "but, we believe, if you match the numbers that were shown by Rudo, transponder numbers for starships, if I'm not mistaken, with the ship specifications, then you will see that they correspond to the ships used by both High General Trenn, and Queen Annara V."

The matriarchs glanced at each other, and at Vess. The young queen said nothing, she stared at the space where the holo had been shown, looking off into something that only she could see.

Only Brother Oswell spoke then, the old man shook his head.

"The people that had this message," he began, "A pirate gang, you called them."

"Piracy, slavery, spice trading, gun-running," Jas answered, "Contract murder would not be such a far jump for the Red Eclipse. The fact that they attacked us twice trying to kill Vessaria is yet another point of evidence towards what we have just showed you."

The old man shook his head.

"Gods preserve us," he said.

"The recording said nothing of Vess' parents," Matriarch Tobbi reminded them, "All we have here is speculation."

"Yet, this information is not without teeth," Honoria replied, a hint of a cruel smile on her lips.

She looked at Vess.

"I had no love for Rudo, or any of Lyron's other sycophants, but I understood what kind of men they were. They would never have dared act without their master's permission. They were too loyal for that."

She turned to her fellows.

"I think we could download the transponder codes for Annara and Lyron's ships. Such information will be in the central archives back home."

"What if Lyron had them altered," Matriarch Charys inquired.

"It is not so easy to have such official documents changed," Honoria reminded her, "The archivists take their job seriously. As High General, Lyron could order to have the records sealed, but they would still exist, and could be released with the right…motivation."

Matriarch Tobbi nodded.

"So we make copies of this transmission; release it to the matriarchy as a whole."

"Many might not put one and one together, child, and even if they do…they STILL might not see the link between this and Anara's death."

"It would get them talking though," Tobbi added quickly.

"The girl is right," Charys said, "Even circumstantial evidence is still evidence. Matriarchs that have suspected wrong doing in Anara's death would finally have proof that something happened to the queen, and those that have remained undecided, could be swayed by seeing this."

Brother Oswell sighed.

"It could lead to war."

That stopped the conversation. They all looked at the priest who seemed weighed down by what he had seen.

The old man sighed, and he turned to Vessaria.

"I do not question your birthright, my queen. I am merely playing Reevan's advocate. This information could do much harm to our people."

Vess nodded, and only then…chose to speak.

"I do not desire war, brother, and…in fact…I think I have a plan in how to prevent one, and limit any bloodshed."

"What type of plan, dear," Charys asked her niece.

Vess smiled.

"I cannot go into details, just yet. There are still a few matters that I need to handle personally, but if they work. It will save lives, and hopefully, end this coup without asking our people to overthrow my aunt and uncle."

She turned to Tobbi.

"I do want you to release this recording, but only to matriarchs supportive of my aunt, and make sure that a copy falls into Adira's hands as well. I want my uncle to see it, and to know that these recordings could be released to all, with inference that we have evidence linking him to the death of my mother."

Jas turned to her. He couldn't really see what she had in mind yet, but he sensed Vess' cold certainty in the Force, and knew that Mirax Fallenstar would have a part in this plan, though he couldn't guess what that part might be.

Vessaria rose, in that moment she stood proud and tall, her manner that of the queen that Jas knew her to be.

"This is the first step my friends, and, with the gods help, our first step to a better tomorrow for our world.

Jas nodded, whatever Vess wanted, he would do his best to help.

He couldn't speak for the gods of Bantoon, but he hoped that the Force was with her.

He nodded grimly.

Yes.

May the Force be with us all.

A/N: Merry Christmas 2022 everyone!