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In The Shadows
By Sienn
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Rating: PG - 13
Disclaimer: See Chapter 1
Spoilers: See Chapter 1
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Chapter 4
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As the capital of Ord Radama, Angasa spread over three-fourth of the largest
of seven continents that harboured the planet’s exploding population.
Skyscrapers small only by Coruscant standards rose into the sky. They had
been built at a time when the planet had still prospered and grown and Jedi
Master Luke Skywalker imagined them shiny and perfect in all their
splendour.
The fascination of the new and modern had long worn down, though, and as his
gaze swept over the city as he sped through it, he could easily pick out the
signs of deterioration visible wherever he looked. There was no building
that was completely inhabited. Shattered windows had been patched up with
wood or left wide open and paint was falling off many a wall.
The people hurrying about their daily business on the streets were a mixed
crowd – the few that were lucky enough to have a regular income stood out
against the many that made do with what they had and queued before the shops
that offered goods of lesser quality to achievable prices. Frustration and
helplessness permeated the Force, barraging against his senses, as the
Radamans tried to tackle what destiny had lain upon their shoulders.
In a melancholic, bittersweet way, it reminded Luke of his homeplanet
Tatooine. The only difference being that the desert planet he had grown up
on had never known the prosperity or the overpopulation that Ord Radama had
been graced with – or cursed with, depending on the angle from which you
looked at it.
“We will soon arrive at the House of Ruling.” Anandan Kele’s silky voice
sounded from the driver’s seat of the inconspicuous landspeeder that was
taking them through the city towards the seat of the planet’s government.
Both Luke and Mara had been surprised at the lack of pompous protocol or
luxury when they had arrived on the planet in the morning. It was seldom
that the poverty of a society reached up into the highest ranks in politics
and whereas the notion that the ruling class on Ord Radama seemed to be much
more in touch with the common people than on most other worlds instilled
admiration in the Jedi, it drove home the dire situation they were facing
even more.
“You will be shown to your quarters so you can unpack and refresh yourself.
I’m sure what we offer won’t live up to what you’re usually entitled to, but
it’s the best we can provide.”
“I don’t doubt you’ll be able to fashion us with everything we need.” Luke
replied gently. “But I was under the impression that we would meet up with
the parliament immediately. The sooner we are able to assemble a global
picture of the situation, the sooner we will be able to help your people,
Senator.”
Kele shook his head, a soft smile on his features. The gesture never reached
his eyes, though, and once again, Luke felt a soft flutter of the Force at
the back of his mind. He had met many desperate people in the course of his
life – most of them had not been politicians. Many planets in the galaxy
struggled with similar problems as Ord Radama, but their representatives in
the Senate usually didn’t get emotionally involved to a degree that robbed
them of their cheerful nature. At least not if the situation on their
homeplanet didn’t endanger their own position.
That made Anandan Kele either an exceptional and rare kind of individual or
a very good actor. The Jedi Master had not yet decided which alternative he
wanted to believe in.
“We Radamans are not fond of hectic, Master Skywalker, and are a proud
people. My compatriots in the parliament did not like that I had to ask the
New Republic for help. They are less touchy about contacting the Jedi, but
they still feel uncomfortable and are worried about their reputation.”
“If that is their position, then why did they vote for you to present your
cause to the Senate?” Mara asked, drawing her eyebrows together in
confusion.
Kele steered their vehicle into a broad alley framed to both sides by huge,
massive trees of silver bark and deep auburn leaves. They seemed as delicate
and elegant as the Radamans themselves and the former Emperor’s Hand
wondered how a world of such humble, but distinct beauty could feel so wrong
to her.
She had seen her husband’s cobalt eyes scrutinize the image of the Senator
that was mirrored in the speeder’s forward viewport and the way his features
had tensed had told her that Luke, too, was feeling everything but
comfortable on this mission.
At Kele’s answer, the frown on the Jedi Master’s face deepened even more and
Mara had to quench the urge to lean over and press a kiss between his eyes
to make it vanish. Such open displays of affection were of course not
appropriate while they were on such an assignment.
“Radaman politics are not comparable to the way things are done on most
other planets. The parliament was outvoted by the populace itself. This has
seldom happened in our history, especially in such a context, but the common
people are long past any notion of exaggerated pride. I have done my best to
persuade them of the prudence of our intentions, too.”
“Then you must be relieved that things are going smoothly on that front.”
There was a short hesitation, barely discernible, and most would have missed
it entirely. Luke, though, had been watching out for it, prompted by the
unexplainable feeling that Anandan Kele was contradicting himself with every
word. Not on a level of plain facts, but on a level of emotions.
The Senator’s obsidian eyes didn’t give the smallest hint of what was going
on beneath the carefully maintained façade of grateful politeness as he
nodded and there was no sign that he had noted Luke’s dubious expression.
Mara extended her Force senses and tried to pinpoint what was bugging her
husband. Kele was a riddle to her, but that did not come unexpected. Most
politicians had developed ways to keep their innermost thoughts and
motivations secret. Any strong-willed person could learn to shield – it took
patience, a good deal of stubbornness and a rigid self-discipline. A
determined Force probe would need less than a minute to break through these
safety measures, but there was nothing that warranted such a rude intrusion
into another being’s mind right now.
The Force was still and peaceful, allowing her glimpses of the animal life
in the forests that she could see on the far horizon. There was an
underlying current of desperation and hopelessness that radiated from the
city they had meanwhile left – not an uncommon occurrence on a planet as
profoundly unstable as Ord Radama.
Luke, for his part, still seemed troubled to her and his eyes were focused
on the back of Anandan Kele’s head. He was more attuned to the way others
were reflected in the Force. In the past, there had been many occasions on
which he had picked up feelings before they had come to her attention – if
they had at all. Mara wondered what it was that he was picking up from the
non-human Senator.
‘Luke?’ She queried gently over their Force bond, careful to not even look
into his direction. Instead, she gazed out the window and at the group of
stately buildings that was coming into view in the distance. Massive and
hewn from some sort of bronze marble, they were of a splendour that must
have once graced all of Angasa and had now retreated to a few guarded places
where it was maintained with all the fervent dedication of a people
determined to keep what little of its treasures it still had.
‘Wait. Feel,’ was all he answered in return, his voice in her head laced
with suspicions that she had not expected to be there. Doing as he had told
her, she extended her focus and concentrated on the street ahead. A large
arc made of the same bronze marble as the buildings had been manufactured to
frame a fragile-looking iron gate that opened at their approach. As they
passed through Mara could see that the stone was worked into a complex
structure of flowers and leaves from whose midst the crest of the planet
sprung like a very special blossom indeed.
Despite the fact that his attention lay largely on the street ahead, Anandan
Kele had noticed her admiring looks and smiled for the first time in genuine
joy. “This is the Yncha. Our national flower. Her scent is famous and she is
an important ingredient for the local chocolate. I’d love to have you taste
our sweets later on, Master Jedi. They are extraordinaire.”
“We’d love to.” Mara answered honestly. Sweets were something both she and
Luke had a weakness for and a universe with millions of individual cultures
offered an indescribable amount of different tastes and splendid creations.
Luke nodded his assent and shortly thereafter, Kele brought the speeder to a
halt and they disembarked.
A broad, gleaming white stairway led up to a wooden portal carved in a
pattern similar to the arc they had cleared some moments ago. Kele gestured
for them to follow him and started to make his way up the steps. It was then
that a whiff of malevolence passed by her in the Force, burning and intense
despite of the tight cage it was locked in.
The former Emperor’s Hand scanned the area with quick glances. Kele had
reached the middle of the flight of stairs as she caught a glittering
reflection on the rooftop of the adjoining building. “Luke,” she hissed, but
he had already reacted.
A lance of brilliant red shot out from the reflection’s centre and bounced
harmlessly off Luke’s green blade as the Jedi Master stepped right into its
path with astonishing speed. Kele gasped and stumbled against the railing,
his eyes wide and his shock obvious. The blaster had been aimed directly at
his head.
“What…” He began, but was interrupted as another deadly stream of light
pierced the still afternoon and prompted a barrage of others to rain down on
them from what seemed to be every point on the rooftops that offered even a
meagre chance to actually hit something.
In a fluid motion, Mara activated her azure blade and intercepted three
shots aimed at the Senator’s back. Shouts from the opposite end of the
compound reached her ears and she felt several presences snap to full
attention. A quick glimpse showed at least a dozen Radaman guards dashing
over a carefully maintained lawn toward them.
The redheaded beauty snorted at the obvious lack of proper security and
coordination and at how atypical it was. Off-hand, she didn’t know a
politician except for her sister-in-law who didn’t make a point of having
himself be guarded as if he was the most important man in the galaxy.
The onslaught of blaster fire continued and intensified even, but between
her and Luke, Kele was as safe as he could get. She saw her husband nudge
him up the steps and ere long they had reached the safety of the portal and
slipped through it into the hall of the building.
Outside, the guards had opened return fire – unacceptably late, in Mara’s
opinion – and started to shout orders to their colleagues rushing in from
other parts of the complex. Shaking her head, the female Jedi turned to the
Senator, barely breathing faster after the incident. “You did not tell us
that the situation was that volatile on Ord Radama – for you.”
Anandan Kele had paled visibly and shook his head in puzzlement, “That is
because I didn’t know, Master Jedi. I’ve never had… I mean, I didn’t know I
had… Someone wanted to kill me!”
Luke had lowered his blade, its tip pointing toward a highly polished black
floor, and scanned their surroundings. The hall was wide and rimmed with
doors that led to other parts of the building. In the middle, two staircases
spiralled up towards the second floor that sported a similar design and a
delicate iron railing.
“Do you have any idea who they are?” He asked while he gestured with his
chin to a more protected alcove on the opposite side of the chamber, far
away from any window and with a good vantage point to keep an eye on the
stairs. Whoever had stolen up onto the rooftop to kill Anandan Kele would
have to come down sooner or later. Judging by the inferno of deadly light
that was coming their way, Luke supposed it would be rather sooner than
later.
Flustered, Kele shook his head, “I really don’t have the slightest inkling.”
He calmed enough to give Luke and Mara a serious look out of his obsidian
eyes. “You saved my life. I’m forever indebted.”
“Don’t speak of it,” Luke returned quickly, then he focused on his wife,
“Mara?”
The redhead had stayed slightly behind to peer through a window out into the
afternoon sun. Her jade eyes were narrowed slightly as she took in the angle
of the laserbeams and she extended an arm to trace an imaginary line over
the ceiling. “They’re retreating. That way.”
“They’re going for the garden stairway.” Kele supplied helpfully. “It leads
from the rooftop into the gardens behind the House. The second door from the
left gives onto a terrace.” He pointed. “How they managed to neutralize the
guards I cannot tell. Master Skywalker, if we… Master Skywalker?”
The Jedi Master had already taken off towards the designated door, killing
his lightsaber in mid-run and slipping as silently as a shadow out of the
hall. Mara looked after him for a moment, contemplating whether she should
follow him. She had counted at least seven assassins. Leaving Kele without
appropriate protection was out of question, though, and as the local guards
didn’t seem to be able to do their job right, she was the logical choice.
“Come on,” she murmured. “Show me to your office.”
The Radaman’s feet started moving automatically, but he kept glancing back
to the door through which Luke had vanished. “But Master Skywalker…,” he
objected.
Mara gave him a mystifying stare, “He’ll be fine. There are six of them,
seven at the most.”
“Seven!” The non-human breathed.
The former Emperor’s Hand smiled ferally, “Yes. Not all too many. Do not
worry about my husband. Let’s worry about you.”
Kele nodded frantically and gestured to one of the stairways leading up onto
the second floor. “This way. And thank you again.”
Mara shrugged this off, “It’s our job, Senator. Get going. If they don’t
choose to go through the gardens, they’ll come down here, and we don’t want
to be there if they do. Well,” she rectified, staying close to Kele as he
made his way up the stairs in a more than cautious manner, “at least you
don’t want to be.”
*~~
A group of five figures was making quick progress down the stairs under the
protective fire of two of their comrades that had stayed behind on the
rooftop to keep Radaman Security at bay. Their presences were alert, their
steps determined, but careful, and their blasters levelled before them,
ready to kill whoever might interpose themselves between them and freedom.
So intently focused were they on danger awaiting them from the garden that
they never noticed the slender man that was crouching in the shadows behind
a bush sporting an abundance of golden blooms and small silver fruit.
Luke Skywalker peered out between the green leaves of his cover and frowned
not for the first time today. Unlike the Radamans that had been charged with
Kele’s safety and had so blatantly bungled up the job like cadets fresh from
the academy, the assassins seemed to be professionals. Absolutely
overqualified ones, too. The Jedi Master supposed that even a drunk
Gamorrean with a vibro axe could have slipped through the perimeter and
split the Senator in two if he had really wanted to.
He waited until the last of the five had cleared the plant behind which he
cowered, then rose and cleared his throat. He could have disabled them in a
matter of seconds, but he was not fond of falling all over an enemy from
behind. It had always struck him as cowardly and very un-Jedi.
The unknowns – all male and all masked as he now noted – veered around in
unison and didn’t bother to inquire about his identity. They opened up with
everything they had at once and Luke grimaced. Being an honourable fighter
usually complicated matters a lot.
His lightsaber sung through the air and he immersed himself deeply in the
Force, making the blade in his hands an impenetrable wall of energy that let
stray bolts shriek into all directions and away from him.
“I don’t want to hurt any of you,” He shouted through the noise. As he had
expected, this show of benevolence impressed no one and the assassins kept
retreating and emptying their weapons’ power packs on him.
Luke gathered the Force around him and took hold of a couple of stones that
had been used to decorate a particularly lush assortment of flowers and
succulents a couple of meters to his right. The natural projectiles jammed
into the fleeing men’s legs with something close to a landspeeder’s velocity
and downed all but one. Three fell into ricocheting shots before they could
get a hold of their bodies.
A curse echoed through the air as the unlucky shooter turned on his heels
and dashed for the dense foliage that had been their destination all along.
No doubt they had their own vehicle waiting for them.
Luke made a split-second decision and let him go. The three that had been
hit by their own accompany were dead or dying, but the fourth was merely
dazed and trying to get to his feet. As he saw Luke, he struggled to get his
blaster out from under the leg of one of his pals and aim it straight at the
blond man’s face.
The tip of an emerald blade stopped him dead in his tracks as it hovered in
front of his nose. Brown eyes stared in something akin to horror into the
determined face of the Jedi Master. “Don’t even think of it.” Luke said as
he flicked on his comlink. “Mara?”
“I’m here.” She didn’t ask him whether he was okay – he had felt her
supportive presence all the time in the back of his mind. They were past the
stage where they needed words to assure the other of their health and
well-being.
The Jedi allowed himself a quick smile at hearing his wife’s voice. Knowing
for sure the other was unharmed was one thing. Hearing her for real was
quite another. “The situation is under control. Three were killed in
friendly fire, one got away, one I have here. Security is taking care of
the other two. How’s Kele?”
“He’s fine. We’re in his office and haven’t been bothered again.”
“I’m going to be with you in a minute.” With that, he cut the connection and
gestured with his blade. “Get up.”
The man complied slowly, his eyes barely leaving the blade. He reached up
and took off his mask, revealing the weathered, tanned face of a human in
his mid-fifties and an ugly sneer that he aimed at Luke.
“How low the Jedi have fallen if they protect such scum.”
The insult added only to Luke’s puzzlement. Anandan Kele had prompted a lot
of pondering and different impressions in him, but there had been nothing in
his bearing or his political affiliation and inclination that deserved this
kind of open disgust that had obviously led this man and his friends to try
and kill the Radaman. Another riddle was, of course, the fact that this
particular assassin was no native.
Keeping his face neutral, Luke made eye contact and had the satisfaction to
see the other flinch away, his courage folding together like a house made of
sabacc cards. “After you.”
The man hurried to comply.
*~~
“Here we go. Welcome to Ord Mantell, the one planet in the galaxy you least
want to visit.” Han Solo’s hazel eyes rested for a while on the familiar
brown sphere that was growing bigger in the viewport of the “Millenium
Falcon” and memories rushed into his mind. This planet had never been one to
bring him luck and still destiny seemed to enjoy sending him there time and
again. He swivelled the pilot’s chair around and looked at the slender,
green-skinned Twi’lek woman lounging in the seat next to him. “Ever been
there?”
Swilja Fenn shook her head, her lekku flapping softly against the head of
the chair. “Never. Looks as if I haven’t missed much.”
The Corellian shrugged, “Depends on what you’re looking for. And on who’s
looking for you.”
The alien woman cocked an eyebrow at him, “Any bounties on your head I
should know of?”
Han grinned, “Not to my knowledge.”
At the beginning, he had been dubious to go on this mission for Leia with
someone he had never talked to. Swilja Fenn had enrolled in Yavin IV’s Jedi
Academy about five years ago. As for most of the galaxy’s female Twi’leks,
her life had never been easy, but unlike many of her compatriots, she had
worked her way out of the dingy milieu of slavery and exploitation a long
time before her Force sensitivity had become obvious.
This alone was testimony to her bravery. Standing up to your family and
culture was one of the most difficult things in life Han Solo could imagine.
She had attended one of Mrlsst’s law schools by way of a scholarship when
she had first noticed a certain affinity to the Force. Shortly thereafter,
she had asked for a talk with Luke and joined the ranks of the Jedi.
In the course of his life, the Corellian had come to the conclusion that
some of the most complicated and difficult women in this universe where
those who had suffered from slavery and had managed to free themselves.
Fiercely independent, unbelievably suspicious and for the most part too
feministic as that a male would dare come close to them, they were hard to
work with. Twi’lek females in particular seemed to adopt a kind of
bitterness and hardness after having managed to establish themselves as
independent beings rather than dancing girls and among the Jedi there were
some who fit that category to a tee.
He had met the sisters Numa and Alema Rar but a single time and was grateful
Luke had not had the idea to pair him up with those two. They were not
hostile, but provocative, and plotting a course that brought them skimming
along close at the edge of the Dark Side. His brother-in-law had told him
that they were currently on a planet called New Plympto and as far as Han
was concerned, they could stay there for a while to come.
Swilja Fenn, on the other hand, had surprised him by being so totally not
how he had expected it. She was calm, focused, had a witty tongue and was
more comfortable showing respect to others than most former dancing girls.
Her first words had been, “It is an honor to fly with you, General Solo,”
and it had thrown him slightly off-guard. It had also flattered him, of
course, and from then on, he had been sure that they would get along just
fine.
During their transit time to Ord Mantell, they had debriefed each other on
what they knew about their upcoming mission and Han had come to the
conclusion that whereas Swilja obviously was not Luke, she would do for the
time being.
Swilja smiled, “Good. Master Skywalker said as much, but he advised me to
ask you to make sure. He said one could never know who wants your head.”
Han laughed, “He knows me too well.”
They sat in silence for a while until Han altered their trajectory slightly
to port and the Twi’lek Jedi leant forward with a frown, “I thought we were
going to put down in Worlport. It’s there that Byskaly Enterprises allegedly
has its headquarters.”
“Sure. But you can’t go around and weave your lightsaber to get answers to
our questions, Knight Fenn. Before you touch down on a planet like Ord
Mantell, you better get yourself a good picture of the current situation.
Especially if you don’t have a Super Star Destroyer backing you up.” He
gestured down at the brownish mass of star beneath them, “Three-fourth of
its population are made up of smugglers, mercenaries, thieves, conmen… you
name it, they’ve got it.”
“So what are we going to do? Ask the local authorities for information?”
Han shot her a strange look, “How many missions have you been on? Exactly, I
mean?”
Dark eyes blinked at him in puzzlement, “This is my first mission. I suppose
this is the reason Master Skywalker didn’t want me to accompany him to Ord
Radama. The whole affair is extraordinarily delicate.”
The Corellian snorted, “This one’s, too, darling.” Inwardly, Han sighed. The
fact that she was relatively inexperienced had probably been exactly why
Luke had wanted her to come along. His brother-in-law was perpetually
worried about his graduate students.
The Twi’lek frowned, “I told you not to call me darling.”
Han smirked, “As if Luke never does.”
“Of course not! Master Skywalker would never…” Swilja sat back in shock and
the former New Republic general chuckled, “Relax, I’m just kidding. Anyway,
the first rule for undercover agents is to never, ever ask authorities for
help.”
She blinked again, “We’re not exactly undercover. This is sanctioned by the
New Republic and the government of Ord Mantell is aware of our presence.”
Han shook his head, “Well, MY first rule happens to be the same.”
Something large appeared on the scopes and a smile of satisfaction blossomed
on the Corellian’s features. “We’re going to meet up with an old
acquaintance of mine who’s currently in system. He’s always up to date with
what’s going on in the business. He’ll be able to tell us where to go next.”
“You don’t expect to find anything here?”
“The only thing we will find down there is an abandoned office with a shield
over it that says ‘Byskaly Enterprises’ and will be about ready to fall of.”
“Then how are we supposed to find them again?”
Han corrected the Falcon’s course a tiny bit and shrugged, “It might not
have been more than a shadow business, but it WAS there for a while. Even if
that while was as short as a week, there’ll have been enough people who have
noted it. In places like this, you can find any information you want, so
long as you know where to look for it.”
Swilja looked dubious, “And your old friend does know where to look for it.”
“He sure does. He was big in the business before he became respectable.
Never severed all of his ties.”
The Twi’lek gestured outside, “And we’re going to meet him in space?”
“’Course we won’t. Too complicated. We’ll dock at the Jubilee Wheel, have a
talk with him, hop down to Worlport and be on our way again. Nice and
uncomplicated.”
The Jubilee Wheel was a space station in orbit around Ord Mantell. Formed
like the famous game of chance it had been named after, it was packed full
with casinos, shady hotels and black market booths. Somehow, Mantellian
Security had never managed to establish a foothold here. Not that they had
been more successful down on the planet. That was the reason why smugglers
and criminals had such an affinity for this world and why Han had been
straying away from it ever since he had hooked up with the Rebel Alliance
all that time ago.
The Wheel and the casinos on planet were the biggest attraction the Bright
Jewel Cluster had to offer aside from the hunts that were frequently held
for the aristocracy of many worlds that wanted to pride themselves on having
killed a Mantellian savrip, a native, semi-sentient species of predators.
For years certain factions of environmentalists had been working to finally
illegalize this hunt and they were making steady progress. Still, as long as
there was no official decree of the galactic Senate, the game hunters would
continue with glee.
Despite of all its flaws and dangers, Ord Mantell still counted to one of
the more prosperous Mid Rim worlds, though, and had managed to maintain a
semblance of civilisation for those determined to earn their living in an
honest way. It would always be hazardous for people like him, though.
Bounties did not vanish with the years – especially Hutt bounties and he
didn’t even want to know how many of those had piled up on his head
meanwhile.
“Fine,” Swilja’s slight accent broke into his thoughts. “Doesn’t sound all
too hard to me.”
Han watched the Wheel grow bigger in front of his eyes and would have almost
sighed. “Another rule, Knight Fenn,” he said softly. “These things never
sound all too hard.”
*~~
“The Andyrrian Crusaders? I’ve never heard of them.” Mara Jade Skywalker was
scrutinizing the captured assassin as he slumped on his chair, shackled at
feet and hands, and alternated between glowering at the opaque glass wall
that made up one side of his cell and allowed them to see in while he
couldn’t see out and insulting the guard stationed at the entrance.
Anandan Kele folded his hands on his stomach and narrowed his pitch-black
eyes. “They are a small pirate band that occasionally harasses
intercontinental transports of grain or fruit.” He explained. “The black
market for these goods booms on our world, as you can imagine.”
“But if the New Republic steps in to help you, it would trickle to a halt as
the situation of the people improves.” Luke mused aloud while he listened
with one ear to the interrogation the head of the House Security performed
on the prisoner.
The Radaman Senator nodded, but didn’t look all too persuaded, “It still
doesn’t make sense for them to kill me. They never even threatened me.”
“You said you were putting up a stand in favour of contacting the New
Republic. You’re working to take their chasing grounds from them.” Mara
pointed out, rounding the table that occupied a good deal of the small
chamber they were in to come to stand next to her husband.
Kele shook his head, “It would be wasted energy. My station as Senator does
not give me the influence to sway such a decision. As I said, the populace
itself voted for this course of action. My voice would have changed nothing.
And will change nothing, for that matter.” He watched the middle-aged men in
the cell for another few moments and added as an afterthought, “Besides,
seven people are already half their group, if Radaman Security’s estimations
are correct. Why would they risk half their organisation to kill me if my
death would not help them?”
“Why, indeed.” Luke murmured. Mara saw the suspicions flare to life again in
the depth of his azure orbs and knew he would speak at least some of them
out loud now. Focusing her Force senses on the Radaman in the room, she
waited.
“Senator Kele, you risked a lot when you decided to advertise seeking
outside help. Your political position must have been precarious.”
The non-human smiled sadly, “That is true. Had the people not decided to
back me up, I would have lost my station.”
Luke nodded, “I thought as much.”
“Surely there was a lot of opposition.” Mara interjected. “Maybe this
attempt came from their direction. He,” she pointed through the opaque wall,
“is not Radaman. To me, that suggests someone hired off-world mercenaries.”
Kele frowned, “There is a small number of humans on Ord Radama. Decades ago,
their community was quite large, but when the economy deteriorated, those
who could left. At the time, it was a positive change, as there were less
people to feed.”
“Is he one of those?”
The Senator’s frown deepened, “His identichip didn’t check out so far.
Security’s working on it.”
Mara’s face was unreadable as she regarded him, “I see.”
“Your campaign has been a success,” Luke continued as if the small
intermezzo had not taken place and Mara found her gaze zero in on her
husband’s concentrated face. His eyes were nailed on the Radaman and he had
a look about him as if he was sitting in front of a floating crystal puzzle
with his nephew Anakin and were trying to put it together. “This must have
boosted your reputation. Your career is saved and Ord Radama can look
forward to better times.”
“Indeed.”
Luke lowered his head for a moment before he met the Radaman’s stare head
on, “Why then, I wonder, are you so worried and afraid?”
An interesting question, indeed, Mara acknowledged. She had not caught these
feelings from Kele, but ever since she had set foot on this planet, she had
had a sinking feeling in her stomach. Maybe Luke had had more than that.
To both Luke’s and Mara’s utter surprise, Anandan Kele did not try to refute
the Jedi Master’s statement. Instead, he sighed softly, “The reasons are
manifold, Master Skywalker. And of a nature that prevents me from sharing
them with you. You could call them delicate, if you want.” He smiled
ruefully, then straightened.
“I suggest I let you be brought to your quarters now. You surely want to
rest and I will have food and drink wait for you. We will meet by tomorrow
afternoon – I have arranged for a formal banquet with Ord Radama’s twelve
governors and after the feast, we will lay out the details of our plans for
the future and be willing to answer your questions.”
Luke and Mara both gave a short bow and accompanied the humanoid out of the
room.
“Which planet are you going to trade with, Senator Kele?” Mara had asked out
of sheer curiosity, but had not expected the other’s reaction. The Radaman
actually came to a halt and a mix of annoyance and frustration shot through
him. He mustered a smile, “Tomorrow, Master Jedi. If you will excuse me
now,” he bowed low himself, “I will go and greet my family. Have a good rest
and if you’re in need of anything, contact me.” With this, he veered around
and vanished in an adjoining corridor, leaving the two Jedi alone with a
service droid that politely asked them to follow it.
They did so and kept quiet while passing through corridors and portals and
only when the door of their quarters had slid shut and they had confirmed
that they were alone did they break their silence.
“So, what was that all about?” Mara inquired while she took off her Jedi
robe and sank into a plush armchair.
Luke shook his head and turned to the window, overlooking the wide lawn, the
forest, the mounts of flowers. “This is all wrong. Don’t you feel it?”
“I feel that something’s wrong, yes. However, you obviously have had more
specific hunches.”
The Jedi Master looked at her over his shoulder and grimaced, “He’s holding
back. Holding back something important. It’s eating him.”
“Personal problems?” the former Emperor’s Hand suggested.
Luke shook his head, “No. It’s tied to all of this.” He paused and a
wistful, blank look came over his features as his eyes glazed over slightly.
Mara felt him merge into the Force – or the Force merge into him. With Luke,
you could hardly tell the difference, so instinctive were his contacts with
the all-encompassing power. “He knows who the assassins have worked for.”
Mara’s head came up and she rose, “What?”
Luke pivoted around and the seriousness and conviction in his eyes erased
any doubt she could have possibly had. Her husband crossed his arms before
his chest and sought her gaze, “He knows who they’ve worked for and he knows
it’s not these Crusaders.”
“Then why doesn’t he tell us?”
The Jedi Master smiled without humour, “That’s an interesting question,
isn’t it? I wonder….. pirates and smugglers have a role in another of our
current missions, too.”
Mara cocked an eyebrow, “You don’t want to tell me either Pwoe or Niuk hired
those mercenaries to do away with Kele, do you?”
“Why not?” Luke discarded his robe and sat down on the armrest of a small,
elegant couch.
“Why should they?” His wife countered as she came over to sit in his lap and
lay her arms around his shoulders, “It’s not that I don’t think them capable
of this. I just don’t know why they would bother with him.”
“I’m not saying it IS them,” Luke explained. “I just think we can’t neglect
that possibility. And why didn’t he want to tell us which planet they’re
going to do trade with? Why is that information so top secret he won’t give
it before tomorrow evening.”
“That’s something that puzzled me, too,” Mara admitted.
“I tell you,” the former farmboy insisted, “this stinks. I just don’t know
of what.”
“Your usual political intrigue, love.”
“No. There’s more. We’ll have to look out, Mara.”
*~~
“Senator Kele, it is good to see you. I trust you’re well?”
The Radaman glared laserbolts at his human contact, “I’m angry. You must
have forgotten to tell me that you want me disposed of after I have played
my part.”
A derisive snort came over the communication unit, “Don’t be ridiculous. You
had two Jedi with you. Even if my men had had orders to kill you, they
couldn’t have.”
“Even if they had wanted to kill me? They didn’t… then why…?”
“Don’t bother thinking about it, Senator. Go on with your campaign, save
your planet. Don’t concern yourself with anything else.”
“But…”
“No buts. Have you followed my instructions?”
Kele gritted his teeth. He hoped that one day, this would be over, and he
prayed it would leave him in a position to bring this moron before a court.
Somewhere, somehow. “Yes, I have. The Jedi were not pleased.”
Blue eyes sparkled, “Naturally. But they will no doubt hone their famous
patience and not trouble you any further.” The connection was cut and once
again, Anandan Kele was left alone with his frustration.
*~~
A soft tug on her hair made Leia Organa Solo laugh. She stopped brushing her
long tresses and turned. Her nephew sat on the bed and looked engrossed at
the silky, brown mass that was reaching almost down to her feet.
Small hands felt and touched in curiosity and he giggled as his aunt sat
down next to him and tickled his nose with the tips of some of her hairs.
“You have never seen me with my hair hanging open, haven’t you?” Leia smiled
and took the boy onto her lap, letting him clutch more of her hair and
investigate it with the intensity only children could manage. Big, blue eyes
were filled with wonderment as it refused to keep the form of a ball he had
pressed it into and joy radiated off the little human at the sweet scent of
shampoo that swirled around him.
The former Princess of Alderaan breathed a kiss on the chubby cheek of the
toddler and softly shook her head, “Do you know how much you resemble your
father?” Ben stared at her, as he always did when she talked to him, and not
for the first time she wondered how much he understood.
“Back when we first met, your father and I, he looked just as dumbfounded as
you when he first saw me with my hair hanging open.” Leia grinned at the
memory. “He had stumbled into the wrong door on Yavin IV and stared as if he
had never seen a human being in his life.” The petite beauty chuckled, “You
should have seen the look on his face as I told him I’d let it grow even
longer.”
Ben grinned back at her, his timing so canny that it was hard to believe he
could not yet make sense of her words. Of course, realistically seen, all he
was doing was copy her, but Leia preferred to think of it as a way of
instinctive understanding. The short flicker of happiness that had permeated
the precious baby’s presence had made it clear that he had at least
understood the word ‘father’.
“Princess Leia? May I come in?”
The Chief of State sighed softly and put the toddler back onto the mattress
to rise and straighten her gown, “Go ahead, 3-PO.”
The golden protocol droid walked into the room and inclined his metallic
head in apology, “I’m sorry to disturb you, Mistress Leia, but this has been
brought for you. The Palace Guard said the courier insisted that the sender
wanted it delivered immediately.”
Leia took the small cube from 3PO and studied it carefully. It looked
harmless enough, but she had learnt to be cautious. Especially if she didn’t
know who had sent it. Neither her husband nor her brother had the habit of
sending holo-cubes.
“3PO, take Ben to bed. I’ll come in a minute.” She put another kiss on the
baby’s face and seated the boy carefully in 3PO’s embrace. Azure eyes rested
focused on her until the door of her sleeping room slid closed and she was
astounded at how much of her brother was shining through.
Once she was alone, she deposited the cube on her bed and tried to analyse
it with the Force. Of course she knew that Palace Security would have
scanned it at least a dozen times and it had probably gone through a small
myriad of tests before it had even reached 3PO’s mechanical hands, but there
were things that only the Force could unveil.
As her probe turned out fruitless, she shrugged and sat down, pressing her
thumb onto a small dent and waiting for what was to come.
A holo materialised above the cube and Leia had to smile. This had been made
not all too long ago, after the peace treaty had been signed and officially
confirmed. It was a shot of her and Han, Luke and Mara, surrounded by
high-ranking dignitaries of the Senate. Supreme Overlord Shimrra had
stubbornly refused to be submitted to the eternity of the galactic archives
this way and she remembered the chuckle she had had to keep back as he had
barked at the poor photographer and scared him so profoundly that he would
have almost fainted.
Why someone would send this to her was beyond Leia, even if it brought forth
memories of a happy day full of relief and hope. However, nothing happened
without a reason, as she had learned with time, and the reason behind this
holo-cube became all too apparent.
A read hue gathered over the holo-picture, growing denser with every moment.
It converged on Luke, Han and Mara until they were barely visible. One after
the other, first her brother, then her husband, then her sister-in-law
vanished from the holo. Its background changed and the New Republic
dignitaries dissolved. Colour drained from the picture and in the end, all
that was left was her own image, sitting in the darkness as if it had been
swallowed by a black hole.
-----------------------------
To Be Continued
-----------------------------