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In The Shadows
By Sienn
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Rating: PG - 13
Disclaimer: See Chapter 1
Spoilers: See Chapter 1
Chapter 11
Disclaimers, Setting, etc. - See Chapter 1
For all his life, he had been working alone, had not counted on anyone and
refused to be caught in bonds as useless and restraining as friendships.
There had been temporary alliances, of course; mutual agreements that had
helped him gather his wealth and his influence and due to which he had
become what he had once been. But even on those you could not rely;
experience had taught him as much.
After all the time he had spent trying to foresee his partners’ reactions
and to outsmart his enemies, it was only more frustrating to find
incompetence and idiocy even among the ranks high up in the galaxy’s
hierarchy that he had skimmed for help.
“Was there even a hint of ambiguity in the orders that I had transmitted?”
He watched the human opposite him shift weight in the oversized armchair.
His eyes were gleaming and a sense of relief settled into the heart of his
superior. At least there was annoyance – at least there was recognition of
the foolishness of their associates. Maybe he wouldn’t need to do everything
by himself after all.
“There wasn’t - at least not for me. Do not forget that I have cautioned
you. I told you he is not reliable. How he has managed to ascend to such a
position is beyond me.”
“Therefore you were supposed to keep him in line. If I remember correctly,
this was specified in my last transmission to you.”
An unwilling frown crossed the man’s face and the gleam in the dark eyes
intensified, “Do not treat me like one of your subordinates. You need me.”
Laughter cut through the luxurious apartment, “By far not as much as you
need me. Without my money to back you up, you wouldn’t have made it through
last year’s election. Your debts are horrendous and I believe that your
family would be less than approving if you were to strain your clan’s
private wealth. And let’s not forget what you have to gain if I am
successful.”
“If you are. You will understand that my doubts are multiplying. I have not
seen much success as of late.”
“Temporary setbacks. Patience is a virtue and necessary if the hunt is to
come to a pleasant conclusion. And if you hunt in a pack, inefficient
weaklings have to be disposed of.”
There was a touch of panic on the other’s features and he sneered in
disgust, “You’re not one of the weaklings yet. Do as I say and you won’t
ever be.”
*~~
Coruscant’s small sun was blazing in all her midday glory, her rays
strengthened by the mirrors in orbit around the galactic centre of politics.
Temperatures were surprisingly high for the time of the year and the streets
and walkways were filled with beings of all shapes and sizes that wanted to
enjoy the excellent weather.
Gazing out the windows and down onto one of the big places that surrounded
the Imperial Palace, Luke Skywalker wished he had the time to join the crowd
of people for a lazy afternoon spent in a café or in one of the numerous
parks. He imagined the curiosity-filled eyes of his little toddler son and
felt a strange longing to watch Ben’s fascination bound by the numerous
kinds of aliens he would be able to see.
Maybe he and Mara could manage such a stroll at a later time in the week.
Presently, his attention was supposed to be on the things at hand – things
he had initiated himself. The Jedi Master wondered how his enthusiasm could
have left him so quickly. Maybe everything would have been easier if it had
rained during their meeting. A wistful smile stole on the handsome man’s
features. Then again, it might not have been easier at all. Rain held an
attraction of its own for someone who had grown up on Tatooine and he might
have made a point to show Ben how wonderful it could be to let the pouring
moisture wet you through and prickle your face with butterfly touches.
With a sigh he did his best to keep silent, Luke turned and surveyed the
small assembly of people that he had welcomed to his new office. Situated in
the wing the Jedi Order had bought from the New Republic, it was a wide
chamber, bathed in light through broad windows. He had not wanted to take
this room at first, had wanted to settle into one of the smaller ones, but
two factors had eventually made him relent.
One reason was that it would be too crammed in a small room if more than two
Jedi were to gather to report to their Master. The other was that, as Han
had so humbly pointed out, the leader of the Jedi Order should have one hell
of an office to impress whichever bootlicking representative of a company or
a planet would come to see him. When the Corellian had mentioned that this
chamber would actually be bigger than – just for example - Senator Pwoe’s
office, Luke had given in to a very un-Jedi-like feeling of pride and
superiority and gone for it.
The interior was thinly dotted with furniture. There was a desk and several
shelves, all large enough to store the astonishing amount of paperwork and
data disks that seemed to be an unavoidable product of anything concerning
the Jedi Order and its administration. Under normal circumstances, the rest
of the large room was occupied by a broad table with as many as ten seats,
but for this day’s meeting was held among friends – people he knew for over
a decade – Luke had deposited those in a nearby storage room and instead
brought in a number of meditation cushions.
He had taken a private liking to those years ago and thought the way the
dark blue and dark green oversized pillows stood out against the sun-golden
carpet was quite animating for creative thinking. The carpet’s intense,
shiny colour was balanced out by the dark wood that had been used for all
the other furniture and it made the room seem only lighter, even if the day
was cloudy. After something about fifteen years in an office in the innards
of the Great Temple on Yavin IV – bereft of a window – Luke had enjoyed
playing with the light and the colours.
Lounging on the cushions were those of his fellow Jedi he trusted most. They
had gathered to work through the list of nominations for the new Jedi
Council that Luke wanted to create. Several weeks ago, they had called
together all the existing Jedi on Yavin IV and everyone had had the
opportunity to give his opinion on who he or she thought to be a prime
candidate for a seat on the new governing body of the Jedi Order.
Jedi Tionne had been unfavourable towards the idea at first – reminding him,
as it was typical of her, of the immense logistic effort it would take to
make sense of all the propositions. Luke, however, had insisted to give
every Jedi and Apprentice the possibility to voice their opinion, no matter
how much time it would cost them to bring some order into the results.
These results had been surprisingly unanimous and upon seeing them, the Jedi
Master hadn’t been quite sure whether to be relieved or to be worried. There
had not been a Jedi that hadn’t nominated him for a seat on the Council and
almost all of them had added that they thought he should also preside over
it. The trust they all put in him flattered him and of course his ambitions
were high. He had plans for the Jedi and he was eager to realize them as
quickly as possible. Still, sometimes doubts assaulted him and he felt more
like a dictator than the leader of a democratic order.
He would have almost pursed his lips when he remembered the strange look
Mara had given him as he had told her so. She was right, of course. He had
been elected. And there had been no pressure on anyone from his part. The
results were as democratic as they could possibly be and still, he felt
uncomfortable. Probably his wife had been right. In her customary blunt,
merciless straightforwardness, she had cocked an eyebrow at him and fired
away, “You’re developing nerves, Skywalker. Afraid, that’s what you are. But
you needn’t be and you know that.”
Of course he wouldn’t be doing anything that he hadn’t already been doing
ever since he had created the Jedi Academy on the jungle moon of the gas
giant Yavin. It merely had official character as of now, not only within the
Jedi Order, but also in the eyes of the New Republic’s peoples and
politicians. Maybe it was this fact that made him nervous.
It took an effort to focus back on reality but when he did, he smiled. It
was good to be among friends, among people that he trusted and loved. Mara
had taken a seat on the cushion next to his and was a vision of startling
beauty as her hair sparkled and shone in the sunlight. She was quietly
talking to Corran Horn and Kam Solusar. Solusar’s wife, Tionne, sat next to
her husband, lost in yet another data disk. Knights Cilghal, Kirana Ti and
Streen were knotting together in the back of the room – in the shadow so
that the sensitive skin of the Mon Calamarian Healer was protected from the
sun’s heat. Alone and with a strong sense of discomfort hovering around him
sat Kyp Durron. Ganner Rhysode, who had gained Master Skywalker’s trust
during the Yuuzhan Vong crisis and fortunately found his way out of Kyp’s
harmful influence in time, was purposefully ignoring the other and staring
expectantly at Luke.
Young Jacen Solo, representing the totality of Apprentices and Adepts of the
Order, was pinning his uncle in much the same way, only that his eyes were
filled with expectation and a good deal of admiration.
They had all come to answer to the Master’s question whether they were ready
and willing to assume a seat on the new Jedi Council and to spend the rest
of their meeting trying to determine which kind of protocol would be adopted
and if any kind of protocol was at all necessary. However, there was more
that he wanted to discuss with them and he feared said subject would prompt
heated discussions and quite some conflict.
Being the Jedi they were, they had all sensed the underlying tension in the
room and the presence of Jedi Master Kyp Durron had made them sort of wary.
The young man hadn’t had an easy stand within the Order ever since Ithor and
although Luke would probably never forget the dissent and the near
catastrophe Durron’s high ambitions and arrogance had once prompted, he felt
sorry for his pupil. He wanted to give him a chance, persuaded that the
second time he had gone through hell had cleansed him for good of all the
Dark Side tendencies he had called his own before.
This chance was what he wanted to talk about with his fellow Jedi and he was
afraid they would not agree with him. Mara, in fact, didn’t. And Leia
hadn’t, either. As for Han… he had refused to get involved in depth with the
“Force mumbo jumbo”, but only because it was about Kyp. Luke knew Kyp’s
behaviour ever since the Yuuzhan Vong had appeared in the galaxy had hurt
his best friend and he could understand the Corellian’s point of view, so he
hadn’t pressed.
But enough of solitary thinking and musing. He had to start – the sooner,
the better.
“I suppose you’re all aware why I have asked you to come together here.”
There were multiple nods and just as many smiles. Most of the room’s
occupants had been as flattered by the trust of their fellow Jedi than their
Master had been. Luke grinned, “Good. Is there anyone who doesn’t want to
take the seat on the Council?” Eyebrows went up and Luke shrugged, “I had to
ask, you know. It’s not an obligation, after all.”
It was on the tip of his tongue to ask whether there was anyone that would
like to take the presidency from him, but he kept his mouth shut. He felt
Mara’s disapproving gaze on him and knew she would not care how many
witnesses there were if he dared bow out of this.
‘Think of everything that you want to achieve, Luke – think of everything
that you can do. If this power has not corrupted you in the last fifteen
years, it won’t do so now. I won’t let it, anyway, so get your guts
together, farmboy.’
His wife’s voice was gentle and intense and it helped him to quench the
remaining uncertainty out of his system and embrace the idea. She was right.
She was always right.
Luke summoned his own datapad to his hands and switched it on. Numbers and
columns appeared on the small display. He knew them with eyes closed and
thought – not for the first time – that this was another opportunity at
which the Force had intervened to guide his decisions.
“You will all have noticed that we had only nine nominations. As we have
agreed beforehand, the Jedi Council shall have ten seats, just as the old
Jedi Council had. I have thought about whom we could ask to take the tenth
one and I have a proposition to make.”
He sought Kyp’s gaze and smiled encouragingly at the younger man. Dark eyes
looked at him out of a pale face and Durron’s insecurity was plainly
visible. Judging by the closed faces and ripples of suspicion that were
exploding within the Force, this insecurity was justified.
Kam was slowly rising and Luke knew he would be the one to put everyone’s
doubts into words. The former farmboy of Tatooine gestured for his friend to
go on and the tall human had obvious difficulties to find the right tone to
express his opinion.
“With all due respect, Master, but I don’t think Kyp is ready for such
responsibility.” Kam’s experienced eyes seized the younger Jedi up within
seconds and hardened only more. “In fact, I beg you to consider the danger
he would represent if given so much trust and influence.”
“I would not want him teaching the apprentices,” Tionne added. Her voice was
calm and bereft of emotion, as it always was during discussions of this
importance, and yet she managed to convey the weight behind her thoughts and
the seriousness of her convictions.
Kyp’s eyes flashed in anger, “I would never endanger any of them.”
“So you say,” Kirana Ti interjected sharply. “But your actions tell a
different story. Miko Reglia died following your ill-given advice. And not
only inexperienced Adepts were killed believing in your delusions. You did
not care much for their safety then, didn’t you?”
“I don’t think there is even one among us that has never made a mistake, me
included,” Luke said, his voice firm. “It is not the Jedi way to be
unforgiving.”
“It is not the Jedi way to seek revenge and violence, either” Mara’s jade
gems were hard as she watched Kyp Durron’s emotions mirrored on his gaunt
face. Was there pain at the mention of what he had done? Or was he merely
acting, exploiting Luke’s very nature to curry favour with the Order’s
leaders?
“And to forsake loyalty,” Kirana Ti added. Her attractive face contorted in
disgust, “Twice.” Born on the wild planet of Dathomir and grown up in the
archaic, honor driven society of the Force sensitive witches, the Jedi had
been one of Luke’s first pupils and one of his most loyal and most stout
supporters ever since. Betrayal was so completely against her nature that it
was nearly impossible for her to grasp it if it happened.
It had been difficult for her to be civil to Kyp after he had associated
with Exar Kun all those years ago and after he had worked openly against
Luke during the Yuuzhan Vong crisis and had even tried to split the Jedi
Order in two, he was, in her eyes, only a small step away from a Sith – whom
she considered to be mere vermin to be crushed under her lizard-hide clad
feet.
“It is the Jedi way, however, to give second chances,” Luke was stubborn. He
wanted Kyp to have the possibility to make up for what he had done, much
more for the young man’s own sake than the one of the Jedi Order. “Kyp has a
lot of potential and experience. It would be valuable for the Order. And if
we demand of him to set straight what he bungled up, we need to enable him
to do so.”
The Jedi Master crossed his arms in front of his chest, “We forbid him to
take on another apprentice after Miko Reglia’s death and the victory over
the Yuuzhan Vong because we feared he would continue to spread dissent among
us. We also feared he would try to circumvent our orders and find younger
adepts to influence. This has not been the case.”
“There have been several adepts that have asked for him,” Jacen Solo put in.
“He has always refused to see any of them. They were curious about what he
had accomplished and intrigued by the way he had opposed Master Skywalker.
He did not use the openings they gave him.”
“Strategy,” Kam said disdainfully.
Once again, fury burned in the obsidian eyes of Kyp Durron, swirled around
him in the Force and Luke watched him with interest. There was a moment when
he feared his candidate for the tenth seat on the Jedi Council would openly
challenge Kam and prove him wrong, but the anger died down and Kyp’s
shoulders stooped as he sent his Jedi Master a forlorn gaze.
“I told you too much happened as that they could accept me in such a
position.”
“Nonsense,” A frown had worked itself onto the face of the young boy that
Jacen Solo still was and he rose from his cushion to meet the gaze of the
more experienced Jedi around him, all of which had been his teachers at one
time or the other. “It would be a shame for Jedi to deny one of theirs the
chance to redeem himself. If Master Skywalker can forgive him, then why
can’t you?”
“Master Skywalker has always been too forgiving for his own good – too
unconcerned for his own safety, as well.” Kirana Ti’s expression remained
dead pan as Luke made a face at her. He could not refute the truth in her
statement, but the Dathomirian woman’s way to speak her mind to him was
unnerving at times. Especially if she managed to weaken his own arguments in
the process.
“This has nothing to do with me, Kirana,” Luke stated.
“Oh, it has,” Mara had finally risen, too, and approached Kyp, determination
on her delicate features. “I don’t think a seat on the Council is what he
deserves quite yet.”
She felt her husband’s disappointment that she was against him in this
matter and she hated to be opposing him, but she would not act against her
own convictions, not even for him – especially not if it was about Kyp
Durron, whom she still didn’t consider one of Luke’s allies.
The former farmboy of Tatooine pressed his lips together. He had not
expected to have his fellow Jedi welcome Kyp with arms wide open, but he had
counted on them to be more understanding. The Jedi Master turned to Durron
and hoped the other would see his genuine regret about the way this had
gone.
Before he could say it out loud, though, Mara surprised everyone.
”However, in order to enable him to actually redeem himself, I think a
compromise is called for. Master Skywalker, if you would allow me, I have
put some thought into this.”
Luke was staring at her with big eyes and needed a moment to gather his
wits. As always, it threw him off-guard to hear his wife address him with
Master Skywalker and aside from that he hadn’t had the slightest idea that
she had put more thought into anything concerning Kyp Durron. He supposed he
should be grateful that these thoughts hadn’t hovered over possible ways to
kill him.
Kyp seemed as startled as he and some of the assembled Jedi were actually
gaping at the redhead.
Luke remembered how years ago, Han had told him that a marriage with Mara
Jade would make sure he would never be bored. He was glad the Corellian
didn’t know how often he had already been proven right.
*~~
Small hands touched the heavy, wooden door before him and the tiny boy leant
against it with all his weight, his angel’s face serious in intense
concentration. He did not pay attention to the steps that hurried up the
corridor behind him or to the bristling annoyance that radiated from the
person in question.
“Ben! I told you to stay with me!”
Anakin Solo closed in on his one and a half year old cousin and put his
hands on his hips. Huge blue eyes focused on him as the boy turned his head
and in them shone all the innocence that was so typical for small children.
The infant had been a wonder to the teenager ever since it had been born,
since he had seen it lying in his Aunt Mara’s arms, so small and helpless
and yet so incredibly strong within the Force.
The aura that had been bristling around Ben Skywalker ever since was a
wondrous mix of the feelings that washed over him when he contacted his
uncle’s reassuring, loving presence or the alert, affectionate one of his
aunt. And yet the son of Luke Skywalker and Mara Jade Skywalker was unique,
even though he could not deny to any Jedi who his parents were.
“You needn’t be a Jedi to see whose son he is,” the voice of Jaina Solo, his
sister, cut in as she rounded the corner he had come running around seconds
ago. The young woman crouched down next to Ben and poked him gently into his
belly. The boy giggled and plopped into her arms. His chubby legs were
exhausted after his mad dash to flee the supervision of his cousins, but his
gaze was clear and very much determined as he extended his arms toward the
door.
Jaina smiled, “You know exactly that your Mommy and Daddy are in there,
hmm?”
The infant’s face turned and he looked straight at her. He wasn’t yet able
to actually pronounce these words, but he understood them when he heard
them.
“Well, if we let him barge in there, Mara will have our heads.” Anakin bent
down to lay his forehead against Ben’s, “You make me feel as if I can
finally understand 3PO’s constant complaints about how we cost him nerves he
doesn’t even have.” The seventeen-year-old gently took his cousin from Jaina
and made a face at him, “You are a scary little guy, Ben Skywalker, to
manage that.”
“Maybe we should let him, after all. I don’t know about you, but I’d love to
find out how it’s going in there. Uncle Luke’s idea about Kyp won’t be to
everyone’s liking.”
Anakin cocked his head to the side to study his older sister’s expression.
“It wasn’t very much to your liking either, was it?”
Jaina pursed her lips, “I don’t like Kyp. And I don’t trust him. As far as
I’m concerned, he will have to do more than simply lay low for two years to
persuade me he has his loyalties down pat. I would enjoy seeing everyone
else refuse to admit him onto the Council.”
“And you’d enjoy seeing everyone oppose Uncle Luke. It happens seldom
enough.” Anakin grinned broadly and Jaina smirked.
“You’re right. And it figures that Jacen can sit in on all the fun while
we’re stuck with babysitting duty.”
The youngest Solo shrugged, “He was the only one who wanted to go in there.
Most of the Jedi Apprentices our age aren’t really eager to be caught in the
middle of a bunch of arguing Jedi Masters. I included.”
”I’d have gone.” Jaina insisted.
Anakin snorted, “No one wanted you to go. That’s a gathering of Jedi, not
Sith.”
The brown haired girl rolled her chocolate eyes, “But no one likes him – you
don’t either. I cannot understand how you can all be so incredibly tolerant
of this guy despite the way you feel about him.”
“Corran would say that these are the times when every Jedi should regret
that you’ve got Solo blood within you. Diplomacy is just not yours.”
“I can be very diplomatic!” Jaina hissed. “Besides, Corran doesn’t want Kyp
on the Council either. I bet my X-Wing on that.”
“As you said, I don’t like him either, Jaina, but Uncle Luke is right. He
deserves a second chance and he DIDN’T cause any further trouble. I just
think we should…”
The developing argument between the siblings was interrupted as a throat was
cleared behind them and they turned in unison to identify the intruder. An
unassuming, black-haired man in his early thirties was standing at
respectful attention and smiled as they focused their gazes on him.
“I’m sorry to disturb you, but would you tell me where I can find Master
Skywalker?”
Anakin handed his cousin back to Jaina and stepped forward. His ice-blue
eyes, very much like those of his uncle and little Ben, seized the unknown
human up and down and where there was no suspicion or hostility, there was
certainly reservation in his gaze.
“Who are you? This wing isn’t open to the public. You’re not supposed to be
here.”
“I don’t think I belong to the public, Apprentice Solo. You are Anakin Solo,
are you not? Your parentage is quite obvious, if I may say so.” The man
smiled and gave a short bow, “Officer Ginde Nodan, at your service. I
investigate the assassination attempt on your father and uncle.”
Anakin relaxed and immediately reciprocated the bow, “I’m sorry, I didn’t
mean to be rude. You just have to look out, you know.”
The officer nodded, “Absolutely. There was no offence taken. Now, is there a
way for me to talk to Master Skywalker? The matter is important.”
“Well, he is in a meeting with some other Masters of the Order…” Anakin
began and traded a quick glance with his sister. She grinned at him and the
youngest Solo smirked broadly, “But I suppose if the matter is important…”
*~~
“This is a ridiculous proposition!” Kyp’s voice was laden with disgust as he
met Mara Jade Skywalker’s cool green gaze. Her resolve was harder than
durasteel and he could feel it underneath that perfect exterior of hers. It
drove his annoyance to formerly unknown levels. “I don’t need to be kept on
a leash. You didn’t think it was necessary during the past two years.”
“During the past two years, you weren’t trying to get a seat on the new
governing body of the Jedi.” Corran Horn pointed out.
“Why don’t you kick me out of the Order for good if that’s what you think?”
Passionate eyes travelled over the faces of the assembled and Kyp had to
bite the inside of his cheek to keep from flinching. Most of them bore
determined expressions and gave no hint that they comprehended what Jade
Skywalker’s proposition felt like to him.
“Give me a reason and I will. Quite bodily so, too.” Kirana Ti smirked at
him. Kam Solusar barely battled down a grin and had already opened his mouth
to give a comment of his own when an exasperated voice cut through the
acidic banter.
“Enough!” Luke Skywalker’s expression had darkened and his eyes were cobalt
and stormy as he gestured for Kyp to sit back down. “It seems I misjudged
the amount of enmity you all feel toward Master Durron. I thought we could
find a solution that would sit well with everyone. How sad that the very
first meeting of the new Council goes into the records as a failure because
of the stubbornness of all of you.”
“I told you they would react like that, Master.” Kyp said coldly from his
cushion to Luke’s left.
The Jedi whirled on his heels and pinned the younger man with his gaze,
“They’re not the only ones too thick-headed to be reasonable, Jedi Durron.”
Kyp’s eyes widened in indignation, “Master, I…”
Luke waved his reply away, “Don’t Master me, Kyp.” The former farmboy turned
to the rest of the gathered Jedi Masters and crossed his arms in front of
his chest. “You all seem so determined to keep Kyp out of this Council. Tell
me, then, whom you’d like to have ON this Council to fill up the ten seats
we need.”
Silence descended upon the room and Luke nodded to himself, “Just as I
thought.”
He waited a few seconds, mentally went through all the details of his wife’s
proposition and let his hands fall back to his sides before he took the word
again, “I’ll tell you now what I think we should do. Kyp will get the tenth
seat and he will have a vote on everything we decide about. One of us – we
will determine later who – will have an eye on him, he won’t go on solitary
missions and he won’t get an apprentice.”
Kyp rose as if something had bitten him and glowered at Luke, “Master, I
protest…”
A flash from azure eyes silenced him immediately, “These restrictions will
be upon him for a year. After that, we’ll convene again to talk about
whether he deserves to be made a full-fledged member of the Council or not.”
“Master…!”
“Kyp, it’s either this way or not at all. Understood?”
The younger Jedi cut his eyes at the leader of the Jedi Order, “I thought
you were on my side.”
Luke’s eyes cooled down to arctic, “I am. If you still cannot see it, I
might reconsider my opinion. This is a democratic body and it is obvious the
majority doesn’t want you in as a member with all the privileges. I won’t
impose my thoughts on them. We will vote on my proposition and we will
accept the majority’s view on things. You can either live with that or not.
It’s your choice.”
Kyp pressed his lips together, speechless for the moment. He watched as Luke
called for the vote and as one after the other agreed to their leader’s
proposition. All the time, he felt the jade eyes of Mara on him and he knew
that she was keeping track of his emotions, that she was watching him for
the smallest sign of resent or anger directed towards any being in this room
– and particularly against her husband.
“Well, Kyp. Your decision, if you don’t mind.”
The rebellious man gritted his teeth, but it was his pride more than
anything else that fuelled his last resistance. His head had long since
acknowledged that this was more than he could have ever hoped for.
Kyp Durron took a deep breath and opened his mouth to answer as his
declaration was cut short and a brown-haired head peeked into the room.
“I’m sorry, Master Skywalker,” Jaina Solo’s eyes glinted as they took in
everyone’s expression, as she sent tendrils into the Force to find out
whether there had already been a decision, but she did a good job covering
up her nosiness as she turned her niece’s gaze on her uncle.
“There’s a certain Ginde Nodan out here who’d like to talk to you. He says
it’s important.”
The Jedi Master frowned and traded surprised looks with his wife as they
both started towards the door. With a last look around Luke inclined his
head, “I think we’re done then. Kam, you’ll be the one to supervise Kyp. If
you don’t want to or someone thinks he or she is better suited, let me know
and we’ll talk about it as soon as possible.”
It took only seconds for the assembly to break apart and Kyp Durron was left
alone in the office, angry that the Jedi Master’s niece had interrupted the
moment in which he would have heroically accepted all the insulting
restrictions imposed upon him to prove his devotion to the Order.
He sighed. There would have been no one that would have believed him anyway,
so the lost opportunity probably wasn’t as critical as he had made it up to
be in his head. The mistrust and open dislike that he was confronted with
hurt him, but he understood it. And he was serious about his desire to make
right all the wrongs he had done in his life. If he had to swallow his pride
in order to do so, then he supposed this to be a relatively uncomplicated
feat in comparison to what minds as the one of Kirana Ti could have come up
with.
*~~
The chamber stank. The high grade of humidity that was maintained to
accommodate its owner was working against nature and body fluids did not
dry. They had all the time they needed to bathe the room in their smell and
Luke Skywalker had to do a conscious effort not to gag in front of the crime
scene investigators and police force employees that were swarming all over
the office.
The lump of meat lying in the middle of the floor, in front of the huge
desk, was blotchy as it cooled and decay progressed. A mass of knotted
tentacles obscured the small mouth of the Quarren whose tiny eyes stared in
sightless terror at the ceiling and the hole in his forehead didn’t leave
much doubt as to the way he had met his demise.
Senator Pwoe of the Quarren population of Mon Calamari was dead.
“When did this happen?” Mara seemed less affected by the horrendous picture
before them and crouched down next to the body, where a small blaster had
been dumped on the floor. The mere fact that the weapon had been left for
everyone to see was a challenge. Someone was sure he would not be found and
he wanted to make it known that he was the one who dictated the game.
“The first examination indicates a time early this morning. There was no
sign that the entry was forced. We assume he knew his murderer.”
“Oh, he did,” Luke said softly as a wave of regret washed over him. He had
never liked Pwoe, had despised him even, but seeing the expression of panic
and fear frozen on the dead Senator’s face, as alien as it might seem, made
him sick. No one had deserved a death like this, no matter how arrogant and
selfish he had been.
Ginde Nodan’s eyes studied the Jedi Master’s face and nodded slowly, “We’re
sure all this is connected in some way or the other. Senator Pwoe’s
secretary droid told me you and Master Jade Skywalker have talked to him
yesterday afternoon. You understand that I have to know the subject you have
discussed.”
“Of course,” Luke tore his gaze away from the corpse and looked at Nodan.
“In fact, I think it’s time you learnt about the suspicions the Jedi have
harboured against the Senator. It seems it’s all interconnected in a way
much more complicated than I have thought.”
“He was too arrogant,” Mara rose to her full height and sought her husband’s
gaze. “He bragged to us about his connections, he admitted to the schemes
and to his role in it. Our mysterious enemy must have learnt about it and
has drawn the necessary consequences. You can’t tolerate show-offs if you’re
weaving schemes of this sort.”
“Senator Pwoe admitted to having partaken in the attempt to kidnap you,
Master Skywalker?” Ginde Nodan was actually gaping at them, the first time
ever they had seen him lose his professional countenance.
“Of course he didn’t say it outright,” Luke hurried to amend. The last thing
he needed was to have Rodan claim the Jedi would spread false rumours to
denounce the opposition of their Master’s sister. “But there were several
allusions he made that don’t leave much doubt in my eyes.”
The officer mustered Luke for a long time before he turned his head and
submitted Mara to an equally studious scrutiny. Finally he gestured for them
to follow him out of the late Quarren’s chamber. When they had left the busy
action at the crime scene behind them, he took out his datapad and sat down
on one of the many armchairs that dotted the ante-room of the Senator’s
office.
“I don’t want to intrude on Jedi business, but if you don’t mind, I’d like
to have all the information you gathered at my disposal. And if it isn’t too
much to ask, please try and give me as exact a reproduction of your dialogue
with Senator Pwoe yesterday evening as you can manage.”
Both Jedi looked at him in surprise and Mara leant forward with one of her
delicate eyebrows cocked, “Are you aware, Officer Nodan, of the risk you
take if you believe us like this? We don’t have proof and Senator Pwoe won’t
be answering to questions anymore.”
The young human smiled, “Master Jade Skywalker, I have no doubt whatsoever
as far as your and your husband’s integrity goes. And I share the suspicion
that whoever is scheming against the Madam President and her family occupies
a position within the New Republic’s political hierarchy – thus the obvious
easiness to obtain insider data. As you see,” He tipped something into his
pad before he continued, “it seems not far fetched to me to believe that
Senator Pwoe has played a role in all this. Besides, I do not intend to add
your suspicions to my report just yet.”
“I see,” Luke nodded at the other in appreciation, rose and extended his
hand. “I thank you for your openness and your support. I will arrange a
meeting between you and the Jedi charged with the investigation as soon as
possible. You might know Knight Horn, in fact.”
Ginde Nodan couldn’t fight the expression of awe as he shook the legendary
Jedi Master’s hand and there was obvious recognition shining in his eyes at
Corran’s name. “I have heard of him, Master Skywalker. I think everyone who
applied for Rogue Squadron at one time or the other did.”
Luke Skywalker’s eyebrows shot up, “You applied for Rogue Squadron?”
Nodan smiled bashfully, “I tried, anyway. My talents lie elsewhere, though,
and I think it was the right decision for me to take the place I have now. I
will let you know of any significant discovery we make.” With that he
excused himself and returned to the crime scene.
As Luke and Mara stepped out onto one of the many walkways that connected
the oversized skyscrapers on Coruscant, the afternoon sun was lighting
everything and the happy chatter of thousands of beings hulled them in. The
contrast between this gaiety and the dark and damp place of tragedy they had
just left behind couldn’t have been greater.
It soothed Luke’s troubled mind and as they passed one of the public
terraces, his eyes zeroed in on a fountain that filled its centre. It was
huge and intricate and dozens of children of all races were enjoying
themselves in the cool moisture. He was about to direct his steps towards
the small walkway that led to said terrace as he remembered the Jedi attire
he wore. Everyone would recognize him, a fact that would negate any calming
effect of the spell-binding display of water.
“We should put one of those in the garden,” Mara’s full lips had moved into
a smirk and she gently took Luke’s left into her right, “It’s like they are
magnets and you’re a piece of metal.”
Luke’s thumb caressed softly over the back of her hand, “I thought you don’t
like that kind of stuff. The word you used escapes me now.” He paused and
shook his head, “I think I had never heard it before.”
Mara wrinkled her nose and mock-glared at him out of the corner of her eyes,
“I could change my mind. It all depends. Are you going to be frolicking
around naked in it like those kids over there?”
The Jedi Master chuckled, came to a halt and drew her close as his lips made
contact with hers. “Do you want me to?”
The redhead’s hands wandered under her husband’s tunic and trailed his
buttocks, his back, just up to his shoulders, feeling the hot flesh
underneath the thin material of his shirt and pants – a gesture of absolute
intimacy that went by everyone else, hidden as it was beneath his cloak.
“What if? Would you do it for me?”
Another chuckle rumbled through Luke’s strong chest and his teeth tenderly
bit the lobe of her left ear, “I might.”
Mara grinned as she laid her cheek on his shoulder and let him nibble some
more. The tension that had gripped them both after having seen what was left
of the Quarren Senator evaporated into the warm air around them and as she
knew that the two of them couldn’t do much more to help for the time being,
she decided that there was some quality time with her husband to be lived.
She gently separated from him and nodded over to one of their favourite
cafes. Close to the senatorial complex, it was perfect for a quick snack
in-between sessions or any other kind of Jedi business and was led by a very
distinguished Elomin female whose trademark was discretion. Never had either
Luke or Mara - or Han and Leia, for that matter – been harassed by anyone,
be it admirer or enemy of the Jedi, inside.
“Are you hungry?”
Luke blinked at her and was nudged into the cafe’s direction before he had
even begun to answer. “I want some Nendian nougat crème. Now.” Mara informed
him, surprised at the sudden need she felt for the overly sweet concoction.
The Jedi Master made a face at her and disbelief shone in his sparkling
orbs, “Nendian nougat crème…. Geez, I think that’s the pregnancy kicking in.
What was it with Ben? Kramberry jelly? Yuck.”
Mara ignored his comment. Her husband gave in with a shrug. If his memory
served him right, this particular tap café served extraordinary tasteful
mini-versions of Narmellian fruit fondue, too, and the Elomin proprietor had
taken such pride in the fact that the Jedi Master adored this part of her
menu offer that he was getting one serve for free whenever he visited. He
mostly ate two of those anyway – as the name implied, those mini-versions
were truly mini.
The seductive display of three different chocolates and sweet berries from
Ithor did help with the suffocating smell of nougat that came off Mara’s
order, but Luke couldn’t help but shoot repulsed looks at his wife’s choice
every now and then. This was a finer aspect of pregnancies that he supposed
he would never understand, just because he was a man.
Under normal circumstances, Mara wouldn’t even have so much as glanced at
Nendian nougat. Back while she had been pregnant with Ben, he had tried to
find out why these sudden urges came up, urges to eat stuff that would make
her shoot anyone that offered it to her when she wasn’t pregnant. Even the
Force hadn’t been able to give him insight and all the book chips he had
studied had satisfied themselves with acknowledging it to be a rule of
nature no one could circumvent - least of all men.
“If you don’t stop looking at me like that, I’ll make you eat it, too.” Mara
eventually stated in-between two spoons full of the richly brown crème.
“After all,” she continued as she contemplated her choice of food, “You’re
the one responsible for the condition I’m in. Seen from that point of view,”
she accusingly pointed her spoon at him, “it’s your fault altogether that
I’m stuffing myself with this despicable so-called sweet. The least for you
to do is sharing my sufferance.”
Luke held up his hands in defence and his azure orbs twinkled in amusement.
Banter belonged to time spent with each other as breathing belonged to life
and he wouldn’t want to miss it for anything in the universe. “I can take
everything, my love, everything but that. The smell alone is...”
He fell silent in the middle of the sentence and Mara looked up to find the
handsome face of her husband wiped clear of the sparkle and the smile that
had graced it before. His eyes were focused on a point behind her and to
call the expression in them suspicious was an understatement. Knowing better
than to turn around and possibly alert whoever Luke had spotted to their
presence, she granted herself another spoon full of nougat crème and nudged
Luke’s left shin with her right foot.
His eyes didn’t stray an inch as he answered, “Senator Niuv. He’s alone and
he seems to be pretty nervous.”
Mara’s eyebrows had shot up at the mention of the Sullustan’s name. “What an
interesting coincidence.” That was all she said and yet the meaning was as
clear as transparisteel.
Luke narrowed his eyes as he continued to eat mechanically, “I don’t think
he was Pwoe’s early visitor. Don’t you feel how afraid he is?”
The former Emperor’s Hand snorted, “Niuk Niuv is a coward, Luke. He’s
putting up an act of being courageous whenever there’s an opportunity to
brag, but if a serious situation comes up, he’d love nothing more than to
run and hide. If he WAS Pwoe’s early morning visitor, he’d be quivering with
terror.” Mara licked the remains of another bite of crème off her spoon and
grimaced in disgust. Finality within her gestures, she pushed the tray away
from herself and shivered, “I can’t believe I ate that.”
There was a short break in the Jedi Master routine opposite her as her
husband gave her one of his smirks – irresistible was the adjective to
describe them – but it vanished quickly as his cobalt orbs moved along what
she knew to be the entrance façade of the café. Niuv must be leaving. They
lingered and went unfocused for what had to be a mere second and Luke rose
abruptly.
“We have to stop him,”
“Stop him? Luke, you can’t just go up and… the guy hates you with a passion!
Luke!”
The former farmboy from Tatooine had already crossed half the room and was
hastening his steps. Unless she wanted to shout and alert everyone to what
might be an impending crisis situation, all she could do was follow him out.
Mara cursed inwardly. So much for spending quality time with her husband.
‘For Sith’s sake… Wait for me, Skywalker.’ She hissed through the Force and
started to move.
*~~
“Senator Niuv! Senator Niuv, please wait!”
Luke Skywalker’s voice did reach the diminutive Sullustan, but the alien
Senator didn’t draw the same comfort out of it as so many other beings
caught in fear and irritation. Large black eyes, shining wet as it was with
all of Niuv’s species, peered over his shoulder and as he recognized the
Jedi Master, he only hurried onward quicker.
It was an admission of guilt as obvious as if he had said it aloud, but this
was not what made Luke break into a run. He should have been relieved –
satisfied, even – to see yet another piece of the puzzle fall into place.
Yet all he felt was dread and a sense of panic within his very core that
grew stronger the farther Niuk Niuv got away from him.
The mouse-like being was quickly crawling into his speeder when Luke was
just clearing a throng of visitors that were intent on getting into the café
he had left and jittered something at the Jedi Master that Luke couldn’t
understand – not only because it wasn’t Basic but Niuv’s native tongue,
Sullustan, but because he had already closed the door to his vehicle and by
the time Luke came to a slithering halt, the vessel was shooting into the
sky and around a near corner.
He could no longer see the speeder but the feeling of dread and panic
steadily increased until it mounted into an explosion of horror. Jedi Master
Luke Skywalker was not surprised about the characteristic sounds of a
far-away explosion he heard seconds later and turned to find refuge from his
emotions of guilt and failure in the arms of his wife.
*~~
“Intelligence says it looks like a normal accident. His family claims he’s
never been a good pilot to begin with.” Leia Organa Solo said with a sigh as
she thumbed off the terminal in her living room. “Niuv didn’t use to
frequent this particular café and he didn’t use to be around the senatorial
complex at this time of the week either. He’s just become their prime
suspect as far as Pwoe’s murder goes.”
“Of course that’s exactly what the real killer wants them to do.” Han Solo
supplied. He had reclined in one of the plush couches that adorned the
Organa Solo household and studied the golden liquid in his glass.
“And we’re left with another dead end.” The former Alderaanian princess
surmised, “Within twenty-four hours of Pwoe giving away things he was
supposed to keep for himself he’s dead. And his strongest ally in the Senate
is having a most unfortunate accident.” She paused and her chocolate gaze
lost itself in eternity. “Efor Byskaly. He knows so much about all of us, he
can react this swiftly. It’s infuriating.”
“We’ll get to the bottom of this, Princess.” Han rose and began a lazy
stroll towards the kitchen. “Want me to fetch you another glass of juice?”
She nodded and watched him leave the room. Her gaze wandered over to the
fire place and to the figure of her brother. He had settled on a blanket
close to the warm flames and held Ben close to him. The toddler had snuggled
against his father’s chest and was slumbering with eyes closed while the
Jedi Master’s fingers softly caressed through his hair.
It could have been a picture of utter serenity if not for her twin’s forlorn
expression. With a smile on her face she rose and went over to Luke. He
turned his head when she kneeled down next to him and smiled back at her as
she extended a hand and flicked some stray hairs out of his forehead. “Will
you ever ditch this tendency to feel responsible for anything and
everything?”
Luke closed his eyes and for a moment he looked more like a vulnerable
little boy than the venerated Jedi Master that he was. “It is so
frustrating, you know. I want to help and they don’t believe me. They just
don’t believe me.”
“Luke, you can’t force anyone to believe in you and your motives. Those
people have lived within nets of deceit all their life.” She snuggled closer
and laid her cheek on his left shoulder as she stared into the flames of the
fireplace. “Sometimes I think they are incapable to trust.”
There was a long silence between the siblings, but eventually Luke’s left
arm came around the petite woman’s shoulders. “I’ll never understand why
people are this way.”
Leia contemplated her twin’s face for a while and breathed a kiss onto his
chin, “No, you’ll never understand it. And that’s a very good thing.”
“You’ll never guess what I just learnt.” Mara Jade Skywalker waved a datapad
as she practically sailed into the room, her graceful steps so fluid that it
seemed she was barely touching the floor.
Leia rose and reclaimed her seat on the couch and Luke came into an upright
position, too. He carefully shifted Ben within his arms. The boy did not
wake, only one of his small hands came up and unconsciously clasped the Jedi
Master’s fingers.
The redhead chose her own spot on the blanket next to her husband and
pressed her lips tenderly against her son’s forehead before she continued in
a more hushed tone, acknowledging Han with a nod as he returned from the
kitchen.
“Nodan has sent me the latest report of his division. Guess what they found
in the offices of our two late Senators?”
Three pairs of intense eyes watched her attentively and Mara thumbed on her
datapad. She first gave it to Luke. “Within the personal data of both
Senators, Intelligence found proof of illegal transactions both of them
partook in with Outer Rim smugglers, notably one certain Glisne Cros. They
seem to think, too, that Niuv and Pwoe are behind the holo cubes we found,
behind the assassination attempt and the near abduction.”
“Now isn’t that just too convenient? Those two are eliminated, there seems
to be an explanation for everything so the investigations will come to a
quick end and we still don’t have the proof we need to clear Omas.” Han
shook his head, “I do start to profoundly dislike this Byskaly guy, you
know.”
“I think we all do.” Mara commented as she took her datapad back from Luke
and handed it over to Leia.
“He’s our only remaining lead, too.” The Jedi Master said. “We need to find
out whatever we can about him. The information Ackbar provided isn’t enough.
It’s just a start.” He paused and his voice was somewhat softer but still
firm, “We should go to Mon Calamari, after all. There must be something
left, another trace to follow or whatever.”
“The problem is,” Mara’s jade gems glared at him, “that if you say WE should
go to Mon Calamari, you mean YOU will go to Mon Calamari. And that’s out of
question. For all we know, you are still the target of a potential
abduction.”
Luke’s face closed off, “You won’t be the one to accompany me. Not in your
present condition.”
He had already uttered the words as he became aware of what he had just
said. Han was grinning broadly and Leia was staring at them with
incomprehension obvious in her eyes. Luke grimaced, “It was supposed to be a
surprise.”
“And you’re pretty good at bungling up surprises, my love.” Mara snickered
and punched him playfully onto the shoulder.
The former farmboy chuckled in embarrassment and finally met the loving gaze
of his sister. “You’re going to be an aunt again, sis.”
She was in his arms in the next second and listened with glee on her face as
he told her it would be a girl. Leia knew better than to explain that it was
actually impossible to know just yet which gender the child would have. Her
brother’s enthusiasm was too wonderful to dampen and she was sure that if he
felt it would be a girl, it would be a girl indeed.
“In that case,” she finally said, “I don’t want Mara to go either.”
The redhead’s eyes erupted in fury and Leia was quick to hold up a hand,
“And I won’t allow for Luke to go just yet. You both don’t have the time
anyway. You’re invited to the Commemoration of the Rebel Alliance’s
Foundation along with Han and I and there’s no way I’ll let you ditch that.”
Luke frowned in puzzlement, “What makes you think we’d want to?”
Leia sighed, “It’s Commenor’s turn to host it this year.”
Mara groaned and her twin looked as if she had dropped a gundark into his
lap as he shook his head, “I was so sure there was nothing worse than that
matinee for the Whipid ambassador you made me go to. Figures you’ll find
something to top that.”
His sister smiled apologetically, “I’m sorry, Luke. You know that there’s a
put-down plan for the hosts of that occasion. And you know that the Jedi
Master Luke Skywalker can’t keep from attending. It’d prompt a political
crisis that I prefer not to imagine.”
“Don’t despair, kid. All the Rogues’ll be there. We’ll find some way to ease
the boredom.” Han winked at him and Luke had to grin despite himself.
Although he knew that he could deal with boredom, he couldn’t help but feel
a flutter in his stomach when he thought of this occasion and the fact that
Fyor Rodan would be hosting it.
----------------- To be Continued...(next chapter NC-17)