par Entropist » Sam 12 Avr 2008 - 21:25 Sujet:
Je sais, je sais... J'ai honte!!!!
J'ai pas posté depuis novembre.
Je me filerais des claques, tiens.
Mais bon, j'ai des excuses, heheh.
Suite à mon déménagement et mon nouveau boulot, j'ai eu quelques mois compliqués. Mais ça y'est, c'est réglé. Maintenant je reviens vers la fanfiction...
J'aurais bien voulu poster le nouveau chapitre au format habituel, mais bon le temps m'a manqué pour les images et donc je préfère poster le texte en attendant de pouvoir compléter le pdf...
en espérant ne pas avoir dégouté trop de lecteurs par mon absence... merci à tous ceux qui commentent et qui lisent...
C'est parti pour le chapitre 5. Je le poste en plusieurs morceaux.
Chapter Five: Shadow Moons
It was a four days journey to Nar Shaddaa, through Hyperspace. The private Yacht of Hom' was spacious and fancy enough to have a pleasant trip. But the constant bickering of Thorn and Frrrah had been enough to get even on Jahn's nerves. She was taking some time off, seeking solitude in her quarters, while the Kothlis Dagger was rallying the Nal Hutta system. She was seated on her bunk, drawing on the Force, to meditate. She was often doing this, if nothing else to clear her mind from the tension it could feel.
And sometimes, she would use her meditation techniques, to try and explore her lost past. It hadn't been very useful, so far, bringing her only glimpse of some childhood memories, that told her she had been raised among her kind, other miraluka surrounding her. But that was all she could get from the Force. Beyond the visions of a child, all was lost in darkness.
But this time, Jahn wasn't trying to see her past. She was only trying to unite with the Force, to try and see some direction. Although the Council's wisdom was clear to her about her current mission, she couldn't help but wonder what was her purpose in the coming days of crisis she had sensed.
She was aware that she belonged on this ship. She knew that this investigation on Nar Shadaa was important and that her part in it would be meaningful. She had no doubt that she was were she was supposed to be in the present. But Master Streen had always told her that if a Jedi needed to keep her mind in the present, she should also be mindful of the future and the feelings the Force would give her about it. Her vision of a danger coming, shared with the Council, hadn't reoccurred, yet, but she was certain that she would have a place in the coming events. She was trying to see this place, through the Force. It would know and tell her what she was supposed to do in the future, once this mission would be over.
She could feel the threads of the Force around her, enhanced and sublimed in the glowing frame of Hyperspace. She had always noticed that her visions were always clearer in Hyperspace, as if she was closer to the Galaxy itself.
So far, all she could sense was the energies around her.
Suddenly, something exploded in front of her perceptions.
And the vision engulfed her in a second.
A distant world. How she could tell was beyond her comprehension. She gazed upon plains that once had been fertile and ripe with life. Now it was barren and cold. The wind was creating waves of flying dust, whirlwinds of grey ash twisting at the horizon. This was a dead world.
Yet, she could sense life somewhere. She could see a few settlements. And more important, she could sense a terrible fight.
Her gaze raced over the surface of this world, to a high cliff, broken down by many chasms. And on the very top of this cliff, two figures were fighting to the death.
One was a blonde woman, wielding a red glowing lightsaber. Her face was a mask of rage and hate. The other was lost in shadow, its unknown face buried in the darkness of a hooded robe. It was fighting with a green lightsaber.
The duellists were spinning around each other, the blades hitting with terrible flashes of light. The fury of the fight seemed all the more impressive in the silence of the desert setting around them.
The duel wasn't only a confrontation. It was a punishment. The blond warrior wanted the hooded figure to be dead, to suffer, to pay for what it had done. The rage felt by the warrior was strong enough to be tasted by Jahn, even in the blur that was the dream.
At some point, the hooded figure missed a step. And the blond woman aimed her foot at her opponent's chest; linking the move with a slash of her red lightsaber. The figure in robes and hood suddenly fell down a chasm, to a certain death.
A furious pain suddenly seared through Jahn's mind, like the light had been passed right through her.
The gasp for air she made when she got out of the trance suddenly, caught the attention of the very sensitive ears of Thorn, for he appeared at the threshold of her cabin, frowning slightly. She was sitting on the edge of her bed, panting.
“Are you alright, Jahn?” he asked urgently.
“I’m fine,” she said, catching her breath, drawing on the Force to calm herself.
“Trouble sleeping?” asked Thorn, still with a slight concern in his voice.
“No, I was meditating,” said Jahn. “Something startled me.”
“Something I can help with?” asked the metis.
“No, I don’t think so. It’s nothing worrying, Thorn, said Jahn. “Thanks for asking.”
“No problem,” said Thorn. “I am just curious of what could have made you react this way. You’ve never let your vision affect you like that before.”
Jahn stayed silent at Thorn’s comment, letting him understand she didn’t wish to speak of what she had seen. Her blind gaze turned toward the infinite variety of light shifts of Hyperspace, as the Kothlis Dagger was speeding its way to Nar Shadaa.
---------------------------
“Here we are,” said Mara, as she pulled down the hypespace lever.
The Jade Sword shifted slightly as it was dropping of Hyperspace into the Bright Jewel System. Mara’s personal transport was taking the Jedi and her apprentice to Ord Mantel. Daykin hadn’t been told the nature of their mission, yet, but Mara seemed to like the mystery.
Daykin had been summoned by Master Jade, to accompany her on a mission, after her chat with Corran. Her idea was, to quote her own words, “offer him a wider view of what a Jedi is meant to do on his jobtime”. Whatever that meant for her was still a mystery to Daykin, but he was certain he was about to find out very soon. In fact, he felt in the mood for a little probing.
“So what are we doing in this corner of the Galaxy, Master?” he asked.
“Why?” asked Mara. “You don’t like the Bright Jewel system?”
“I’m just not naïve enough to believe that you would take me here for a sight seeing trip on the Wheel,” said Daykin.
“Lucidity is a good thing, Daykin,” she approved with a smile, but her student was certain she was teasing him.
“Was I a little pompous?” he asked.
“Just a little,” said Mara. “This kind of world-weariness in your tone would fit some of my brother-in-law’s remarks, but it’s a little out of character for a young Padawan,” she explained.
“I’ve never believed in labels,” said Daykin.
“That’s it, no one can deny it, now,” said Mara, chuckling. “You’re too much of a smart ass, when you loosen up a little, that you cannot be anything else than a Corellian.”
“The call of the blood is impossible to resist,” said Daykin, with a serene smile.
“So, we’re basically here to track down a gang of pirates,” said Mara, “and possibly to bust them out of their hiding hole.”
“And our sudden hatred of pirates comes from…” said Daykin, expecting some development.
“You remember when I was contacted by Master Horn?” she said.
Daykin nodded.
“He wanted to tell me about a certain amount of pirate raids, in the Wheel sector, that are unusual,” she went on. “He has used all his contacts to try and find the perpetrators, but now he would like me to use mine so we could stop them.”
“And your contacts are…?”
“Fringers, smugglers, some pirates, too,” said Mara.
“As much as I appreciate the usefulness of the smugglers and their clear will to help sometimes, I doubt pirates would help you bring down pirates,” said Daykin, doubtfully.
“That’s because you still have a few things to learn, Daykin,” said Mara. “Pirates may be the most illegal sort of outlaws of the Galaxy, they still have ethics, however specific they can be. And as such, they have established a code of rules to follow. There are a few limits to where Piracy can go.”
“I would never have imagined that,” said Daykin, adjusting the controls of the vessel to the homing beacon of the Wheel. “You’re telling me that basically, pirates have simply created their own rules.”
“That’s right,” said Mara. “And by the look of things, this gang raiding the sector has virtually broken each and every one of them. The Wheel is under the control of the Scarlet Claw, a gang led by a Togorian pirate called Zora. The other gangs know they shouldn’t hunt on their turf. Yet, not only have this gang attacked convoys that are usually the preys of Zora, but they have also attacked a few of her ships. It seems they want to put their hand on the Sector. I’m not convinced that the local pirates will be so reluctant to help us bring those ones down.”
“That is if they trust us enough to give any information,” said Daykin.
“True,” said Mara. “But we won’t ask them. I have contacts that can get information from them and bring it to me. I just need to speak with the right people and we’ll be on a trail.”
“It sounds a little too easy,” said Daykin.
“Trust me on that, Daykin,” said Mara. “Trying to find Pirates isn’t difficult. When you try to find smugglers, you get into trouble. When you look for pirates, it’s when you find them that the trouble begins.”
“So we must expect some action?” asked Daykin, as the Jade Sword was sliding smoothly inside the hangar the space control had assigned them.
“Probably,” said Mara. “I have to contact the local security forces. Page has some commandos in place on the Wheel, for matters of Republican security. I’ll get in touch with them as soon as we get the Intel I need.”
“That’s why you insisted on the fact I should bring civilian clothes?” said Daykin. “We’re about to snoop around the Wheel and no one will ever talk to Jedi?”
“You catch on pretty quick,” noticed Mara as her ship came to a soft halt.
“How long will this take?” asked Daykin.
“Why? You have an appointment elsewhere?” retorted Mara.
“No, I was just being curious of how long it takes for the famous Mara Jade to gather information in a place like the Wheel,” replied Daykin with a smile.
Mara chuckled and got out of her seat, locking the control with her personal code, so that no one would try to play around with the Sword. She gestured for Daykin to follow her.
“Well, usually it takes time to establish a reliable network of informants on a site,” she said. “Locals that can get everywhere without being endlessly spotted by curious eyes. And then it’s a long process to find a way to get the information out of the network. It can take months. Kyle –you know Master Katarn, don’t you?- has spent the last three months establishing such a network on Coronet, to find the trail of a group of mercenaries that try to cause trouble to the powers in place. But in our case, it will be shorter.”
“Because you’re so much better than him?” joked Daykin.
“You’re way too insolent, my Padawan,” laughed Mara, with an ironic look to him. “No, it’s simpler. I have established a network on the Wheel years ago, when I was a smuggler. So I just had to maintain it along the years. I know who I need to find to get information on Piracy around here. So, we’ll just have to go right to the source of information,” said Mara. “Follow me and stay close.”
Daykin nodded and followed his master through the crowd of the docks. The Wheel was a huge spaceport. It was way too easy to be separated in a place like this. Without even thinking about it, Daykin found himself looking around, finding all the angles and the ways out, along with the potential spots for snipers to hide. Mara saw this and nodded approvingly.
“The Wheel is far from a safe haven,” she said. “So many people are just too much for the station to remain free of violence and crime. You should stay very careful, whenever you come to this Spaceport.”
“Understood, Master;” said Daykin.
---------------------------
“You call that a Spaceport?” asked Thorn, with a cocked eyebrow.
“Never been on Nar Shadaa?” asked Frrrah, over the holo display of the city on which they were supposed to land.
“No,” said Thorn. “I try to avoid cities as much as I can. Coruscant is more than enough for me.”
“Well, be ready for a shock,” said Hom’. “Where Coruscant is said to be the jewel of the Galaxy, Nar Shadaa is clearly known to be its cesspool.”
“And that’s exactly why I hate Cities,” said Thorn, between his teeth.
“We’ll try not to stay any longer than necessary,” said Frrrah, on a sympathetic tone. “I don’t like that place very much either.”
“For a city dweller like you, I find it surprising,” said Thorn.
“This place is under Hutt control,” said Frrrah. “I don’t like Hutts.”
“Who can claim he does?” said Unis, on an amused tone.
“A few people don’t mind having business with them,” noted Hom’.
“Well, I’m not one of them,” said Frrrah, with a dark look at the display. “I don’t like slavers.”
“Now that is something we agree on,” said Hom’. “I’ve found myself at odds with a few of them, in the past. Not a very good set of memories for me.”
“So what’s the plan, exactly?” asked Thorn.
“It’s rather straightforward,” said Frrrah. “Even you can appreciate the simplicity of it. We land on the personal dock of the Councilor.”
“You have one?” noted Jahn, intrigued.
“As I said, I have a few interests, here and there in the Galaxy,” said Hom’, with a shrug of his shoulders. “I don’t like coming to Nar Shaada, but it doesn’t stop me from doing business around here. This dock is for my freighters and the ships of my envoys when they come here to do business. One can cut himself pretty good deals in Hutt space.”
“Free of taxes, of course,” said Thorn, with a cunning grin.
“That’s the whole point,” said Hom’, with a plain smile. “Hutt space isn’t a place friendly enough for someone to come here for the fun of it.”
“Anyway,” said Frrrah, resuming her exposé, “we simply go and try to find the trail of the Dalhia. A few things haven’t changed on this planet for centuries. Nar Shaada has still only a few sectors where humans can run business. If someone other than a Hutt is dealing drugs on the smuggler’s moon, it has to be in one of those sectors.”
“What’s the cover?” asked Jahn.
“Cover?” asked Unis, surprised.
“My dear, we can’t just plan to get down this moon, and start waving your lightsabers asking questions and honestly hope that you will get answers,” said Hom’. “We must have a plan. The Jedi Trii and I have devised it during the trip.”
“I guess you’ll be our cover, then,” said Thorn.
“Exactly,” said Frrrah. “We must act as if we’re simply the escort of the Councilor, as he is doing a prospective trip on Nar Shaada. I think Thorn and I can pass up as decent bodyguards, once properly dressed.”
“A Trianiii and a Cathar,” said Thorn. “Aren’t we overdoing this a little? A female Trianiii is enough protection for a decent crimelord. Do we want to gather that much attention? The local authorities could take offence of this.”
“It’s a risk we must take,” said Frrrah. “I don’t think we can afford to leave you on the ship. Your blade will be useful.”
“Did I just dream that one, or did she just gave him a compliment?” asked Unis on a whisper to Jahn, who smiled.
“I guess you’re right,” said Thorn. “But as for the other ladies, no offence, Unis, but you can hardly pass as a thug, can you?”
“That wasn’t my intent,” said Hom’. “The Jedi Xihi will be my personal expert. Everyone knows of the science of the Omwati. To see one on my side as an expert won’t be suspect. For the last part, I must in advance offer my apologies to our Miraluka friend.”
Jahn showed the faintest trace of perplexity.
“You can’t really blend in a crowd,” said Frrrah, with a smile. “So you’ll be our “employer’s” personal… pet?”
“I see,” said Jahn, with a slight edge in her voice. “So am I supposed to be your dancer? Or your mistress?”
“I guess my Mistress would be more fitting,” said Hom’. “Miraluka are rare enough. They are much sought company for wealthy men. And it allows you to dress in a way that will hide your lightsaber.”
“It’s only prudent,” said Jahn.
“Why? Do you foresee trouble?” asked the Bothan.
“Not directly,” said Jahn. “Danger is all over that moon. No, I meant that it’s only prudent to make me pass as a mistress. My dancing prowess would have doomed us from the start.”
Thorn laughed at that, and went to the back of the ship to find some clothes that would fit his role as a rugged bodyguard.
A few minutes later, everyone was ready and Hom’s pilot engaged the descent to the moon’s surface. Soon, the vertical city appeared to them in all its glory, or decadence, depending on the way you chose to see it. Thousands of meters of building separated the top of the city roofs from the moon’s ground. Each of these building looked like it had been just built on top of the previous one, without any sense of aesthetics or practicality for that matter. To navigate between the towers of Nar Shaada was risky enough to discourage most people to try to pull that one. Most ships were passing over and docks had been disposed in the Rifts, areas where most buildings had either collapsed or been torn down to make room for the docks.
Hom’s yacht was heading for his private docks when it had to make way quickly for a Hutt transport, owned by a local crime boss called Mottra, as the vehement ranting in their comm system told them. But apart from that, they had no trouble finding the landing pad and the pilot landed the ship with skill.
Soon, the group was descending the ramp of the Kothlis Dagger and making their way toward the city outside the docks and warehouses owned by Hom’. At their exit, a local official came to demand that they paid the local fee to land in Mottra’s sector. Frrrah was about to push the intruder away, when Hom’ graciously stopped her and paid with a kind word, telling him to give Lord Mottra his bests.
Frrrah turned to the Bothan as the official was walking away.
“No need to rouse attention by being the one resisting Mottra’s control over the Sector,” said Hom’. “He’s the rising star in the current Hutt hierarchy. He has absolute control over the foreign sectors of Nar Shaada. We don’t want to alienate him.”
“Since he’s so important in the foreign sectors,” said Unis. “Wouldn’t it be helpful to see if he has anything to do with the Dalhia traffic?”
“I doubt he has,” said Frrrah. “If the operation had been controlled by a Hutt, then it would have been on a larger scale. The covert aspect of all this Dalhia business makes me think it is hidden from Mottra’s gang.”
“Anyway, I’m not sure we should step on the Hutt’s tail,” said Thorn. “These slugs are ticklish.”
“Probably,” said Frrrah. “But I don’t think we can simply go and nicely knock on his door, either.”
---------------------------
Leia’s com unit beeped softly. She accepted the call with a wave of hand.
“What is it?” she asked.
“Your Highness,” said Naera, her assistant, “Lady Jalai from the Teshlam Duchy is on time for her appointment.”
“Yes, I remember,” said Leia. “Send her in, please.”
She smiled slightly. Naera had her way with people. She could sense the way they expected their meetings with Leia to go on. And a single sentence was enough to put them back in their place. To underline that Lady Jalai was on time for her appointment was a way to make sure this Jalai of the Teshlam Duchy knew that she wasn’t as important as she acted.
It was a gift Leia appreciated. Only Naera had been able to fill the place left by Winter, when she had been promoted to diplomatic intelligence, on Leia’s recommendation. Her childhood friend had too much talent to be wasted in the position of assistant of a High Councillor. For Winter, it had been difficult, because her duty had always told her that she was supposed to serve Leia. But Leia had been firm. It was long overdue that Winter had a life of her own.
Leia prepared herself for her meeting with Jalai. She knew of the Tesh. They were aristocrats. The tradition on this world was that the rulers were superior beings. So it was logical that a representative of this cast would have looked down on Naera, unaware that the assistant of the High Councillor Organa Solo was coming from a very noble family of Chandrilla.
The doors of her office opened and a young woman in green robes came in, escorted by a rather muscular man that was almost twice as large as she was. Lady Jalai was younger than what Leia had expected. It was curious. She seemed also a little shaken in her assurance. She walked to the Office and bowed gracefully to Leia.
“High Councillor, thank you for receiving me,” she said. “I’m Jalai, second daughter of Count Joliet of Teshlam.”
“Welcome, your grace,” said Leia, with a bow of head. “Please have a seat.”
The young girl sat in the chair right in front of her. Leia threw a discrete look to the tall creature who had stayed standing behind Jalai. The young lady turned to her escort.
“Please, Nihl, take a seat,” she said.
“But…” began the tall man.
“Please do as I say,” insisted Jalai on a patient tone, as if speaking to a child.
The tall man’s face expressed his embarrassment as openly as a child’s face, but he finally sat in the chair next to Jalai, clearly uneasy with the situation.
“What can I do for you?” asked Leia.
“I come to you unofficially,” said Jalai. “I’m not mandated by my government, as my age will have told you, already. I have always been protected, raised in the principles that base the Tesh culture. But I have come to Coruscant, in order to study. During these years, I have learned many things in this place. And the main lesson I learned here has led me to your office, in the hope you could help me.”
“Go on,” said Leia.
“This is Nihl,” said Jalai, turning to the massive man. “He’s my bodyguard and escort. He’s also my personal servant. And he’s part of the problem I wanted to mention to you.”
“If I have failed you…” began Nihl, his open face showing fear at the thought.
“No,” Jalai cut him. “You haven’t failed me at all, Nihl, it’s alright. Trust me.”
Nihl regained his calm and lowered his eyes.
“Nihl is a Tehl,” said Jalai.
“I heard they were the people living below the surface of your world,” said Leia.
“Yes,” said Jalai. “The Tesh live above, and the Tehl live below. The problem is that Nihl has been assigned to my service at his birth. I was no more that three months old, at the time. He has been my protection ever since. But he never had…”
“Any other choice,” said Leia, understanding where Jalai was heading. “Are you implying that…”
“The Tehl are slaves,” said Jalai. “A whole race of slaves. This is a fact that our leaders have carefully hidden from your Republic, upon joining it.”
“Lady Jalai, from what I’ve heard, there has never been any sign of rebellion on Teshlam, and I include some surveillance made by the Watchers and the Jedi in the Old Republic,” said Leia.
“It’s true,” said Jalai. “There are no rebellions of the Tehl on Teshlam. I’ll show you why.”
She turned to Nihl.
“Nihl, why do you serve me?” she asked, kindly.
Nihl raised his candid eyes to Jalai.
“Don’t look at me,” she said. “Tell Lady Organa Solo why you serve me.”
“Because I was meant to,” said Nihl. “I am born to be the protector of Lady Jalai.”
“And what is your father born to be?” asked Jalai.
“My father is Nahl, son of Thaerl, born to serve his master Count Joliet,” said Nihl, with some pride in his voice.
“Is everyone on Teshlam bound to serve?” asked Leia.
“No, Milady,” said Nihl. “The Tehl are bound to serve. It’s been said by the gods. We’re strong. We’re kind and we serve the Tesh.”
Jalai threw Leia a significant look. Leia understood what was at stake, here. Jalai turned again to Nihl.
“Please, Nihl, I need to discuss private matters with the High Councillor,” she said. “Can you wait for me outside? I’m safe, as you could see.”
Nihl nodded and walked out of the Office. Jalai stood up and walked to the window, where the view of Coruscant was absolutely breathtaking.
“I can’t mention too much in front of Nihl,” she said, sadly looking through the window. “He’s listening to my every word as if it’s a command from his gods. To tell you in front of him that it’s all a lie, would cause too much of a shock.”
“A lie?” asked Leia, shocked at the idea.
“Yes,” said Jalai. “This tradition has been forged by my ancestors. They have planted signs in the Tehl Culture that slowly brought them into our service. My people have lied to the Tehl to turn them into willing and obedient slaves. But the fact they’re not complaining doesn’t change the fact they’re not free.”
“I appreciate the nuance,” said Leia. “So do you think I can help you? If you believe that I have enough influence in the Senate to decide that the Republic must interfere…”
“I’m not naïve,” said Jalai. “I know that change is a long difficult process. But the Teshlam regime is now dependant on the Republic. They have specialized their industry to export Thil Gas. If the Republic boycotts them, they will have to accept your conditions. But to reach that decision, I need your help. To get proof.”
“My help?” said Leia.
“You’re the official liaison of the Republic with the Jedi Order,” said Jalai. “You can obtain that a Jedi knight is sent to Teshlam and see for himself that the situation is the way I describe it. The testimony of a Jedi will have weight on the Senate. It can get the things to move.”
Leia was surprised and impressed by the maturity and the realistic vision of Jalai. She had to be the same age as Jacen and Jaina, her oldest children, and still she was considering chancing the face of her entire culture. This was either bravery or craziness. Either way, she couldn’t refuse her help to this young woman.
“This is possible,” said Leia. “I will relay your suspicions to Master Skywalker and he will decide of the course of action of the Jedi.”
“I ask nothing more, your highness,” said Jalai.
“I cannot promise you an answer immediately, though,” said Leia. “I need to contact the Order and see what we can do.”
“I have all the time in the galaxy,” said Jalai, getting up. “I have given my coordinates to your assistant. “She will know where to find me. I will be waiting. Your Highness,” she said, concluding on a bow.
Leia nodded and the young lady exited the office, leaving Leia both impressed and a little embarrassed with such an issue. To put a whole race under the judgement of the Jedi wouldn’t be taken well either by the Tesh or by the Senate.
Leia was convinced that subtlety would be needed on that issue. Maybe she could ask Mara… Leia then remembered that she was on a mission on Ord Mantel. But as soon as she would return, Leia would ask her help to investigate the Tesh situation without raising too much suspicion.
---------------------------
“Now, the idea is to avoid raising suspicion,” said Mara.
They were walking the alleys of the Wheel Space station, after safely leaving their ship. Mara seemed to know exactly where she was going. So Daykin wasn’t really worried. He stayed on guard, though. A place like the Wheel may be a huge place of commerce and diplomacy, it didn’t stop it from begin risky. One could be thought foolish to attack Jedi, but they were undercover. The way she had dealt with the authorities of the spaceport, bamboozling them into beliveving they were regular merchants, while her face had to be known around a whole quadrant of the galaxy was impressive. Her skills were really something that impressed Daykin, which led him to the next question he asked her.
“Tell me something, Master,” said Daykin.
“Go ahead,” said Mara. “But could you forget the “Master” thing? I mean permanently?” she added. “I’ve never been at ease with either titles or deference. Besides, we’re supposed to be undercover.”
“Sorry,” said Daykin, on a discrete tone. “Well, since you’re so skilled at blending into a population like the Wheel’s, and since you’ve already trained a Knight, I would say your talents as a Jedi are impressive.”
“Flattery would get you everywhere,” said Mara, with a smile.
“Yet, I still don’t understand why you’re not part of the Jedi Council,” said Daykin, making sure only she would understand his question clearly.
“Oh, that one again,” said Mara, with a snort.
“Again?” said Daykin.
“Yes,” said Mara. “I had this argument with nearly every member of the Council, with my daughter, with my sister in law, even with her husband or Talon Kaarde. They are all convinced I should have a seat there. And Luke will just never give up the subject. We get it out again, when we’re bored in some evenings, back on Yavin.”
“Great, so I’ll just be one more to ask the question,” said Daykin, with a teasing smile. “You don’t answer, though.”
“Persistent, I see,” noted Mara. “Well, the truth is, I’ve never felt at ease with a position in the Council. I’m realistic enough to be convinced of its usefulness. The Order needs a ruling body and Luke cannot lead us on his own. Besides, no matter how much I love him, Luke isn’t eternal. So we need a structure to keep the Order in line. But I’m not convinced I belong there.”
“Why would you think that?” asked Daykin.
“I’ve seen many things, Daykin,” she replied. “Both wonderful and terribly evil. I’ve seen the dark side up close and personal. I’m not sure I’m the most qualified to lead the Order as part of the Council.”
“Your experience is exactly what the council needs,” said Daykin. “With the Sith threat coming, we need to be prepared to whatever may fall upon us.”
“Maybe,” said Mara. “But you can’t train a generation of Jedi with the model figure of a woman who has gone through redemption because back in the Imperial years, she was the top assassin of the worst enemy of the Jedi Order you can possibly imagine.”
“I don’t think anyone can hold that against you,” said Daykin. “From what Leger told me, many of his fellow students in the Academy had shady past at best. Kyp…”
“Kyp has been a huge controversy when Luke wanted to put him on the Council,” said Mara. “Some voices in the Senate were clearly against it. Imagine what they would say about a former imperial.”
“You’re Master Luke’ wife,” said Daykin. “That means he trusts you… Oh,” he said, his previous sentence dying on his lips. “You’re the Master’s wife.”
“Clever of you to notice that,” she mocked.
“What I mean is that you fear that everyone will think you oe your position to this,” said Daykin.
“No one in the Order will,” said Mara. “They’re smarter than that. But from outside the Order, that will be exactly what everyone will think. I’ve given all I could to the Jedi. Since I’ve finally embraced my destiny as a Jedi Knight, I’ve been as giving as everyone to the Order. But still, some people see me as someone that shouldn’t be entrusted with the fate of the Jedi Order. People are lacking logic sometimes. I’m good enough to help them fight off pirates, but not to train other Jedi and lead the destinies of the Order. Labels are hard to fade. You’re right not to like them.”
“But from what Anakin said,” insisted Daykin. “And from what you just told me, you have many people wishing you would take a seat there. Their opinion doesn’t count to you?”
“They do,” said Mara. “I’m glad they judge me worthy of this. But all these reflections led me to decide to postpone the issue to later, when the Council will have established its place clearly. When people will stop considering the people in the Council and see it as an entity, maybe I’ll join it. I mean, we have very capable people in there. Corran and Kyle, I would trust them with my life even cut from the Force. Again, my skills and theirs isn’t the issue. Besides, it’s not like I want to get there that much.”
“You don’t?” said Daykin.
“I’ve got other things to do,” said Mara.
“I don’t think it will cut you from your Jedi missions to be on the Council,” said Daykin. “It has never stopped Master Kyle to be off Yavin all the time.”
“Nice thought, Daykin, but I wasn’t thinking of this,” said Mara. “The answer is quite simpler. I’ve got a nine year old boy to go home to after my mission. And a teenager daughter that is ready to break the hearts of half the Academy’s Padawans. Where in the stars do you want me to find the time to deal with the Council?”
“Oh,” said Daykin, with a bemused look that turned into an amused one.
“You’re already so much like Leger,” she sighed. “He was so obsessed with his Jedi duties he let them cloud his vision of what was going on around him.”
“What do you mean?” asked Daykin.
“Had he been slightly less absorbed by his theories about the Force and his conception of the wandering Jedi, he would have seen that there was someone he could have returned home too from time to time.”
“Are you always so cryptic?” joked Daykin.
“Only in the morning,” said Mara. “The afternoon, I get cynical.”
“Can’t wait to see that,” said Daykin. “I guess you’re referring to Kirana Ti?”
“You saw that?” she said, surprised. “And to think your master missed the signs.”
“I felt that he was speaking of her… in a different way than the others,” said Daykin. “I felt her sadness at the funeral.”
“A missed opportunity,” said Mara. “Not that it would have led very far. Kirana is married and has a daughter. But she felt strongly for Leger. But anyway, don’t commit the same mistake. A Jedi lives with the Force, but he also lives in the galaxy he is supposed to defend. It’s my belief that the Jedi before the Empire had become too much cut from the daily life and some emotions like love. That was this inability that led to their fall.”
“How do you figure this?” asked Daykin.
“Well, from what I heard, Palpatine manipulated Luke’s father’s feelings until Skywalker turned into Vader,” said Mara. “If the Jedi Order hadn’t been so lost in their belief that love leads to the dark side, they could have avoided this tragedy.”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean that if the Order had accepted his love for Luke’s mother, Anakin Skywalker wouldn’t have had to hide it, to feel guilty or jealous about it, and he wouldn’t have fallen, because if this side of his life had been at peace and in agreement with his commitment to the Jedi, then he would have been completely out of reach of Palpatine’s influence,” said Mara. “Luke and I are the proof that love won’t prevent us to be Jedi and serve the Force. I think they hadn’t seen this.”
“How come you know so much about Vader’s story?” asked Daykin. “I thought Master Luke didn’t know much about it.”
“He didn’t, but I did,” said Mara. “I was raised by the Emperor to be his spy. You can’t be raised like this without learning a secret or two. When I was a child, I once spied on Vader. He caught me. There was no sneaking behind him. I thought Vader had no emotion… I was wrong. He should have killed me. That was the way things went. If I got caught, it meant failure. The Emperor didn’t accept failure. Vader caught my neck with the Force and started to choke me. One of his most efficient tricks... I looked into his mask, terrified, and something snapped in him. I heard his voice shake as he whispered some name I couldn’t hear. And then he let go of me. He never brought up the subject to the Emperor. That was our secret, so to speak. I understood that there was more behind Vader than just darkness. Palpatine didn’t say much about it, but he kept records, that I ended up slicing… I found his recount of his manipulation of Vader’s love to make him his slave. He kept that to gloat over his control of Vader, I guess. So I knew that Vader had fallen because of love. Palpatine never mentioned the name of his apprentice before he became a sith or the name of the woman he loved. I only associated Vader’s tale to the name of Anakin Skywalker when I met Luke, and learned that he was Vader’s son.”
“I see your point,” said Daykin. “So I’m supposed to find myself a girlfriend, instead of only thinking of Jedi stuff?”
Mara chuckled at that.
“And to think I had let Luke convince me that it wouldn’t be a problem to handle your training,” she said. “You’re way too much trouble, Daykin.”
“Sorry about that,” said Daykin, smiling.
“No you’re not,” said Mara. “There a specific genetic specificity in you Corellian guys. You just can’t stop to tease people. Even when it can land you into a triple session of meditation under the waterfall,” she added with a feint threatening look.
“Touché,” said Daykin, grinning. “So what now?”
“We’re going to see someone who could help us,” said Mara, as she took a turn right in the next crossroad.
“Should I expect trouble of any kind?” he asked.
“Why? Are you frightened?” joked Mara.
“Cautious,” said Daykin. “Leger told me that when you deal with sources of information, it can include honest people and criminals. So…”
“We’re going to see Kreeyl,” said Mara. “She’s… in a central position in this quarter of the Wheel. I don’t see her as dangerous, but she’s protected, and there are a few things that won’t be permitted in her home. You just play along with anything I say and we should be fine.”
“Right,” said Daykin.
“Not convinced, are you?”
“I heard we should be fine a few times too many to enjoy the expression,” he explained.
“Aren’t you a little young to be so bitter?” asked Mara, earnestly.
“My parents had to move out of many homes in a hurry,” said Daykin. “Even on Tatooine. I heard the promise that we would be fine a little too much to ignore the risk in it. I’ll be on my guard, then.”
“Good,” said Mara. “I like a student that has some lucidity.”
“I didn’t think you would train a gullible student,” said Daykin, with a chuckle. “How was your previous apprentice?”
“Sleeyah? She was a rough kid,” said Mara. “I had her only a few years. She grew up to be a knight very quickly. She’s a twi’lek, you know. She was born a slave, so the galaxy had taken away her innocence very early. She ended up alright, though. I’m not sure I had much to do with it. She would have succeeded with any teacher. She’s talented.”
“She’s powerful?” asked Daykin. “That’s the main criteria among students, when they discuss who’s better than who?” he added when she looked at him, puzzled.
“I see,” said Mara, wryly. “Jedi or not, kids will always remain kids. If you want an answer in those terms, then Sleeyah may be less powerful than others, like Luke, Kyle or Kyp, but she is sharp and smart. She knows how to blend in any kind of environment, she speaks a dozen languages, and she’s a very skilled pilot.”
“Now, that’s impressive,” said Daykin, without any kind of irony.
“I know,” said Mara. “I’m rather proud to say that Sleeyah is one of the best Jedi we have when it comes to infiltrate a gang or to lead some search in any part of the Galaxy.”
“I see,” said Daykin. “So, that Kreeyl. You mentioned a central position in the quarter?”
“Yes,” said Mara. “She’s the owner of the biggest house of pleasure this station holds. Whatever form of vice you want, she has it in store for you.”
“And that makes her a good source of information?” asked Daykin, puzzled.
“Oho,” laughed Mara. “The smart Corellian seems to have his innocence intact, after all. You will know, my young apprentice, that when a man, human or not, is enslaved by his senses, he will just tell you anything. Seduction is one of the first techniques of getting information. And a prostitute is a very good source of information. Especially on pirates. It’s not like they’re likely to have regular dates, are they?”
“So this Kreeyl gets confidences on the pillow?” he said.
“Yes,” said Mara. “But she has established a rule of her own. She gathers information on each and every client she has ever gotten, so that she is safe from any threat.”
“Because she’s able to blackmail them,” said Daykin. “That kind of reasoning, I can understand.”
“So professional,” said Mara, with a smirk. “Some people in my family-in-law would tell you to loosen up a little, Daykin. And yes, she has a way to blackmail any person in that sector who has influence.”
“But you assume she will consent to share this information with you,” said Daykin.
“I have a few means at my disposal myself, when it comes to blackmail and pressure,” said Mara, with a twisted grin. “One cannot work with Talon Kaarde for so long without catching a few tricks or two along the way.”
She led him to what looked like a club, full of bright lights and music. When they went through the doors, Daykin was greeted by a stunning sight. Many females of any race he knew were there. All scantily dressed. And most of them in the process of seducing customers...
Mara elbowed him in the ribs and led him to face a gammorean guard.
“We're here to see Kreeyl,” said Mara, casually.
[Like it is so easy,] grumbled the guard. [Kreeyl is a very busy person.]
“I don't doubt that for a second,” said Mara. “But we have business to lead with her.”
[Again, you seem to think it will be simple,] grunted the guard. [Who should I announce?]
“Yessela Ayes,” said Mara, with a perfect natural, prompting Daykin not to blow everything by opening his mouth. “This is my aide, Nico Selvin.”
He hid all the traces of surprise form his face. Since they were here undercover, it wasn't surprising that she wouldn't tell everyone around that she was Mara Jade Skywalker.
[Am I supposed to be impressed?] asked the guard.
“Probably not,” said Mara. “Suffice to say I'm working for Talon Karrde. I think she'll be interested.”
----------------------------
The office they were taken to was both elegant and equipped with cutting edge technology. Apparently, owning a brothel was a good way of making money on the Wheel. Daykin somehow doubted that the Republic installations of the Wheel were so well furnished.
Kreeyl was a sharp dressed woman, with a rather dull face. She wore a stern expression in all circumstances, it seemed. She had acknowledged their names, but it didn't seem to pick her enthusiasm. Daykin sensed that Mara was losing patience.
“So, to what do I owe the doubtful pleasure of meeting you?” asked the woman at some point.
“In honesty? The fact your boss doesn't take me seriously,” said Mara.
“Lady Kreeyl has no boss,” said the woman with haughtiness.
“I agree with that, since you're not Kreeyl,” said Mara.
The woman was taken aback by this, and if Daykin was shocked as well, he hid it as well as he could. Mara narrowed her eyes.
“Now, I need to speak with Kreeyl, and you will go to her and tell her that her decoy won't fool people like me,” she insisted.
The other seemed to hesitate.
“That would mean now!” barked Mara, startling the woman into leaving the room. “Thank you,” she called after her.
She turned to Daykin.
“So, did you see that she wasn't who she claimed to be?” she asked.
“No,” said Daykin. “She looked a little odd for someone who owns a place like this, but... I mean, she was acting oddly, but I had no idea she could not be Kreeyl.”
“Well, she isn't,” said Mara.
“You've had dealings with her, before?” asked Mara.
“Not in person,” said Mara.
Suddenly, one of the walls of the office began to slide on a rail, to reveal a far larger room. A wide bed was there covered in expensive and delicate sheets. Several pieces of furniture completed the atmosphere of the place, with also heavy curtains. If Daykin had any expectation of what a brothel house had to look like, this room certainly met them. But still, he was shocked to see the creature that was lying on the bed, adopting a suggestive pose. She looked lascivious and pretty harmless, but her eyes told everyone that she was to be taken seriously. Daykin was pretty sure that was the real Kreeyl, this time. She had a green skin and raven hair, and was otherwise completely human. The curves of her body were enough to cause bursts of heat into his own. He called on the force to fight the blushing of his cheeks and failed miserably.
There was something disturbing about this woman. She was... somehow too beautiful. He could feel danger in that beauty. She used it as means of survival, and control. There were promises of enslavement for whoever tasted that beauty. He carefully stepped behind Mara and called on his training to focus beyond the attraction the woman exerted on him.
“You are pretty sure of yourself to make demands in my house,” said the green skinned woman.
“No demand except maybe to be treated with some respect,” said Mara. “I don't like being insulted by being greeted by a decoy. My name is...”
“We both know your name isn't the one yo gave my guard,” said Kreeyl, leaning back in her cushions with a dreamy expression. “And we both know it's irrelevant. What is relevant is that you claim to work for Talon Karrde. How is my dear Talon?”
“He's fine,” said Mara.
“I heard he's pretty busy with that former Mystril guard of his,” said Kreeyl with an elaborate pouting expression. “What a pity. I rather liked our... dealings.”
This time, Daykin had trouble hiding his discomfort and Kreeyl chuckled.
“Your assistant seems to be unaware of a few things,” she told Mara.
“He's in training,” said Mara with a casual smile.
“Aha,” said the madam. “I could ask one of my girls to add a few chapters to his education. Perhaps I could even do that myself.”
“Thanks,” said Daykin. “I appreciate the offer, but I'm afraid I will have to decline.”
“That could be found insulting,” said Kreeyl.
“Well, unlike you, Lady, I do not have the luxury to mix business with... Pleasure.”
Mara had a smirk and Kreeyl openly laughed.
“Well, well, isn't the trainee a witty one!” she said. “Nice to see that a woman of enterprise can find help that have smarts, these days. So what can I do for you? I was under the impression that my dear Talon had always been more of a customer than a business partner.”
“Well, what we want is more aimed Karrde's current area of business,” said Mara.
“Ah, information,” commented Kreeyl. “Interesting. And what would you need to know so badly that you come here to scare my personnel?”
“The whereabouts of a certain gang of pirates that is assaulting this sector,” said Mara, honestly.
“Hmmm,” she let out pensively. “Even if it wasn't an expensive bit of information, I doubt I could really benefit, here.”
“It all depends,” said Daykin.
He had studied the files about the pirates. And noticed something about them that made perfect sense. The authorities hadn't been able to catch them, and so many of their crimes remained unpunished. Maybe Daykin had something that could interest Kreeyl, if he understood correctly the report of one of the latest offences of the pirates against the Wheel. He would just have to see how much leverage that gave him.
“Go on,” said Kreeyl. “Let's see what the trainee has to say.
Mara nodded.
“Recently, one of your... offices has been raided,” said Daykin. “During this assault, two of your protégés were killed and one was raped.”
“Get to the point,” said Kreeyl, boiling with rage,and confirming that indeed, her girls had been the victims.
“We have serious reasons to believe that raid was the work of that pirate gang we're taking about,” said Daykin. “The information we ask is meant for us to take them down. We can guarantee this. This serves justice for your people.”
“A fair point,” said Kreeyl after a long silence. “But I don't like the idea of everyone knowing that I sold out these pirates.”
“It has never been considered to make that information public,” said Mara. “Karrde's partner do know how to keep secrets, when they want to.”
“Since that can ensure future deals?” said Kreeyl.
“You never know what the future holds,” said Mara.
“Again, a good point,” said Kreeyl. “Alright,” she said.
She leaned on the left side of the bed and reached for a terminal, that was hidden below the bedside table. She worked on it for a little while, making sure that her posture was provocative enough for Daykin not miss it. A few minutes later, a smal data chip was ejected from the terminal and she tok it delicately.
She held it up for Mara to take it.
“This will tell you where they are and who leads them,” said Kreeyl. “I'm sure that beyond my legitimate thirst for Justice, you will have thought of some kind of reward. Whether it would be money... or something else,” she added huskily with a look to Daykin, who couldn't fight the blush, this time.
“Let's not ruin all of his principles, shall we?” said Mara, getting a credit stick out of her sleeve. “Three thousands.”
“Nice,” said Kreeyl, as they exchanged money for goods.
“Now that this is done, we will not abuse anymore of your time,” said Mara.
“I didn't really mind,” said Kreeyl with a wink to Daykin.
“Until next time, Kreeyl,” said Mara, heading for the door, Daykin following her after a quick bow.
“It's always a pleasure to deal with you, Mara,” said Kreeyl after them, making Daykin frown.
“Likewise,” called Mara back, confirming to Daykin that he had been played.
As they made their way back to the Wheel's corridors, he caught up with his Master.
“So, was this some kind of test?” he asked bluntly.
“Why would you say that?” she said with a twinkling in her eyes.
“It seems clear that this whole conversation was a huge cover,” said Daykin. “You two already know each other. So we have two options. Either, you were trying to see how long it would take for me to realise it, or it was to avoid any kind of suspicion toward Kreeyl, once we’re gone. So which was it?”
“You’d believe me if I told you both?” asked Mara.
“Probably,” said Daykin.
“Good,” said Mara, with a smile. “Now, on to the next step.”
“Which is?” asked Daykin.
“To use the Intel Kreeyl passed on to me on this data chip,” said Mara, holding out a short piece of circuitry. “To find the pirates hideout and bust them out, before the Fleet comes in the system like some wild Bantha in a porcelain shop.”
“Would they?” asked Daykin.
“You don’t know the Fleet like I do, Daykin,” said Mara, on a wise tone. “Trust me on that. They’re just as childish as the younglings back on Yavin, sometimes.”
-----------------------
“Jacen, you're just being childish,” said Jaina, with a heavy sigh of annoyance, as she was fighting the pull from her twin brother.
“You'll love that one,” insisted Jacen, with a huge grin across his face. “Come on! Five minutes! Five minutes is all I ask.”
“Alright,” said Jaina, giving up. “It'd better be good.”
She knew far too well that when her brother was excited like that about something it would take the full power of the Force to make him change his mind. This was a trait that he shared with Anakin, as well. But she had been spared by that, thankfully. Or maybe she just didn't see it in herself.
“Trust me,” said Jacen.
“Over my dead body,” she joked in response.
This had never ceased between them. He or she would always kindly teas the other and they were the only ones allowed to do so. The only exception to that rule was of course their little brother Anakin, who just could never let an occasion pass. But despite all these jokes and teasing, no one could get between them. Jaina was maybe reluctant to go in this elevator, but still she knew Jacen well enough to know that he really wanted to surprise her and that he was sure the surprise would please her. She was just playing him rough out of habit, and nothing else.
Jacen and Jaina, unlike Anakin, were through their training. They were Jedi knights in all but title, and so they were on Coruscant to get the experience the Council felt they needed to become officially knights. Until now, they had been the escort of their mother, but since she had returned from Leger's funeral on Yavin, Leia hadn't gone out very often, basically staying in her home or in her office. So Jaina and her twin were far from overworked. When Leia was home, her noghri escort was more than enough to protect her. The twins had been given a day off, that Jaina had intended to spend relaxing and meditating, but it seemed her brother had other plans. These days happened more often, lately, which led Jaina to her next comment.
“You know, I've been thinking,” she said.
“About what?” asked Jacen.
“Don't you ever think about transfering?” she asked.
“Are you tired of me, already?” joked Jacen.
“Be serious a second,” she chastised him. “I'm speaking of the two of us. I mean, we could go elsewhere...”
“You would leave mom un...”began Jacen, before to think a second. “Hmm, you think we're not really needed here, don't you?”
“Right,” said Jaina. “I mean, Mom's got Dad, and the Noghri. I like it here, but we're supposed to get experience, not vacation.”
“Well, sometimes, it's true I would like to go on recon on the Outer Rim,” said Jacen. “Which makes my surprise even more useful.”
The door of the lift slid open, revealing their destination. Jaina was a little taken aback. She had expected many things but not the maintenance hangar of the Senatorial Complex. The place was buzzing with activity, droids rolling, walking or crawling in every direction, and people shouting in a dozen languages. Jaina looked quizzically at her brother, who smiled ruefully.
“I knew that place, Jace,” she said.
“Of course you did,” said Jacen. “But I bet you haven't seen a few new things inside of it.”
“Ships?” she exclaimed. “All this trouble for ships?”
“Aw, come on, sis,” said Jacen. “First off, you like ships just as much as I do. And second, I wouldn't bother you for just any ship.”
“Alright,” she sighed. “Let's see, then.”
Her twin had a point, she had to admit it. There were few differences between her brother and her, but they could be seen as major ones. One of these differences was their vocation as Jedi. Jacen believed he should be a fighter for the Galaxy and the Force, while Jaina was following the lessons of Cilghal as much as she could to become a healer. She couldn't discard her legacy as a Jedi and deny that this legacy implied a warrior mission, but she was clearly less at ease with it than her twin. She didn't like the idea, and it had led to many arguments between her and her brothers, Anakin being closer to Jacen's point of view than to Jaina's.
Yet there was something they would always be able to agree on. Ships. Maybe they owed it to the blood of Han Solo in them, but neither Jacen nor Jaina could resist the lines of a ship. Anakin saw a ship and wanted to fix it, to work on it to make it better. Jaina and Jacen only wanted to pilot it and see how far it could go.
The twins were pilots since the age of thirteen, thanks to their father and uncle. Jacen was good, many people agreed on that, but they said that Jaina had the potential to reach the level of Jedi pilots like Ganner Rhysode or Kyp Durron, even matching Luke Skywalker's skills. Only one thing slowed her in that. Jaina remained a pacifist at heart, and no matter how much she liked to fly a starfighter, such a ship was still a weapon, and she resented that idea.
Jacen was leading her in the Hangar, looking more smug as he was walking. Jaina started to feel suspicious.
“Alright, Bro,” she said. “Let's see what you have up your sleeve.”
“Look right ahead,” said Jacen, pointing at a corner of the hangar, where a small crowd of workers and techs had gathered around a ship, apparently setting up the secondary systems.
When Jaina got a close look at the ship, she came to a sudden halt, and looked at it, her mouth almost hanging open. The lines were beautiful, alright. It was a fighter, with a basic shape that reminded Jaina slightly of the A-Wing, which Jaina had always preferred to the X-Wing. But it was larger, with a smoother design, a spot for an astromech droid and clearly heavier gunnery.
“Wow,” she whispered.
“I know,” said Jacen. “Pretty impressive, huh?”
“You can say that again,” said Jaina.
She bent down to have a better view of the nuder section of the ship. Three torpedo banks, two heavy blaster cannons, and a set of ion guns. Twin Ion engines that granted the ship quite a potential for speed... She looked closely at the engines' design and was shocked to find it familiar.
“Those are Imperial engines,” she gasped.
“Yup,” said Jacen, joined her crouched position. “That's part of Ganner's project.”
“That's Master Ganner, Jacen,” said Jaina, patiently. “What project?”
“The new A-50 fighter,” said a proud voice, behind them.
Jaina looked up to find herself staring at an athletic woman, with strange copper eyes and purple hair. She was wearing a flight suit stained in oil and all kind of fluids and dirt you catch when you work on a starship. The only person Jaina knew who could work on a ship and never get dirty was her aunt Mara. The top of the flight suit was opened and tied around her waist. She smiled at the twins.
“A-50?” repeated Jaina.
“The new project of Starfighter,” said the woman. “It's a joint project between Bastion and Coruscant. And it's my baby.”
“Test pilot?” tried Jacen, with a smile.
“Exactly,” she said. “My name's Gallo. Ewelena Gallo. “Ewe” will do.”
“Jacen Solo,” said the yong man, offering his hand.
The pilot laughed.
“I've been working on that beauty for hours,” she said. “If you want to keep that hand clean, you keep them off mine for a little while. Solo, huh? As in Admiral Solo?”
“Yes,” said Jacen. “He's our father.”
“I see,” said Ewe. “Then you're in good position to appreciate the beauty of it. These fighters are designed for the patrols of the Outer Rim, so it will equip both Republican and Imperial Fleet. It's part of the Treat. But this one isn't an A-50. It an A-51.”
“And what are these for?” asked Jaina.
“A project overseen by the Senate and the Jedi Council,” explained Ewe. “It's a new type of Jedi starfighter. Tere was a whole series in production in the Old Republic. The finest stuff was always given to the Jedi. High Command thought it could be a good idea to do so again. So they opened this project.”
“What's the difference?” asked Jacen.
“Higher performances,” said Ewe. “It's been calibrated to be flown with the Force as a back-up. Master Rhysode tested that model. I'm just refining it.”
“Wow,” said Jaina, for the second time.
“I have to take a break, right now,” said Ewe. “I could brief the two of you over a cup of jawa juice. Or over dinnner,” she added with a meaningful look at Jacen, who was lost in the contemplation of the ship.
“That'd be nice,” said Jacen, absent-mindedly.
Jaina shook her head in amazement. Her brother had to be blind as a wompbat, if he didn't cathc the intent of the test pilot.
But that was Jacen. For all the Solo charm he had inherited from his father, he just never noticed that the women where after him. It wasn't lack of interest, far from it. It was more a lack of attention. He didn't get the signs... at all. If Anakin had been herein Jacen's shoes, he would have started to drool all over the place, and he would have jumped at the offer, offering the jawa juice, the dinner, the dessert and even breakfast. But not Jacen.
Ewe didn't look offended. In fact, she looked intrigued, and somehow... challenged by his oblivious demeanour.
“That would be very nice,” said Jaina.
“Ok, give me a few minutes to clean up and change,” said Ewe.
“Sure,” said Jacen, finally tearing his eyes off the ship.
“That'd be shorter if I had some help,” she said on a dreamy tone, before to walk away, under Jacen's confused look.
Jaina elbowed him in the ribs.
“Hey, what was that for?” he protested.
“The help was you, Jace,” she said, with a cunning look.
“What? No! I mean... no way she'd be serious about...” her brother stammered, making Jaina chuckle.
“You're awfully cute when you're blushing,” she said, as her twin was following the pilot with the eyes.
Dinner was still an option, apparently. The evening promised to be interesting for Jacen.
“Alright, Jacen, get me out of here,” said Jaina. “Your date will wait.”
Jacen chuckled, having regained his composure. Once he got the signs, he was highly adaptable. He offered his arm to his sister, and he led her out of the Hangar, without a last look to the fighters’ exhausts as they were warming up.
-----------------------
to be continued very soon...
Que la Force soit avec vous ...et avec votre esprit, amen. Euh... ça dérape, là, non?