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"Tell me again why I'm doing this, Whistler," Corran spoke to his R2 unit, as much to hear a human voice as to get a reply.
He stretched and shifted positions. The X-wing was a fighter and offered little comfort on a long hyperspace trip. But, the peace of mind he received from flying a machine he'd had since his CorSec days was worth it. Whistler's reply flashed on screen.
"What do you mean, because I'm stubborn and can't stay out of trouble?" Corran added under his breath, "Green pile of misfiring microchips."
A mournful toot sang out. Corran rolled his eyes. "No Whistler, I didn't mean it. And yes, you're probably close to the mark. I just don't like anyone else being right."
He checked the chronometer. Almost time. Corran fingered the hyperspace controls.
"Are you sure the hologram message was set to go for Mirax?" An indignant string of beeps followed. "I know I had you check it three times. Gimme a break, pal. I don't want her worrying, okay?"
Whistler started a visual countdown to realspace reversion. When the indicator light blinked, Corran flipped the lock and eased the throttle forward.
Star lines shrank into dots.
"Well, here we are. Scenic Novis Prime in the Corporate Sector. Jedi vacation destination."
Corran checked the heads up display. "No welcoming committee. Oh, well."
Whistler beeped a question. "No, I don't want a fight. I ... never mind."
The ship streaked toward the planet's night side. No use being too obvious.
Whistler beeped a warning milliseconds before the blips registered on the display monitor. Two incoming clutches. They were broadcasting a warning about the illegality of entering Novis Prime space outside regular approach vectors.
"Guess I spoke too soon."
The clutches were modified TIE fighters, with all the speed of the original and some shielding to boot. Corran felt the adrenaline begin to pump through his veins.
He maximized forward shields, goosed the throttle and blasted straight toward the patrol ships. A frantic squeal filled the cockpit. He glanced at the comscreen.
"No Whistler, I am not crazy. I just want them to think I am." Corran grinned.
Blue dots of fire erupted from the clutches. Corran let the Force control his actions. He executed a barrel roll, easily avoiding the lasers. At the same time he strafed the left ship. It fell away toward the surface, port engine smoking. He rocketed past the other clutch, close enough to sense the other pilot's alarm.
Whistler's indignation filled Corran's ears. "80 centimeters? That was plenty of clearance. Calm down."
He swung the X-wing up into a loop, rolling over at the crest. The clutch was circling back. Corran swung to port and fired off a proton torpedo as soon as the targeting scope turned yellow. It jumped ahead with a white-hot hunger. The ship veered to starboard, avoiding the first pass. The torpedo circled, honing in. From above, Corran could see it wouldn't miss a second time.
Just before impact something shot from the cockpit. Must be a new modification. Didn't think eyeballs had eject systems. He swooped in for a closer look.
A question flashed on the comscreen.
"No. I'm not going to finish him off. But I think he should get a good look at this unmarked X-wing so Novis Prime doesn't think the New Republic is invading."
Corran silently thanked General Cracken for arranging the paint job - though he thought the purple and green design was a little much. He flew past, swinging to starboard as he did so. The backwash from the engines made the escape pod twist and bob and flip like a mynock in mating season.
"A reputation of insanity can be a handy thing." Corran chuckled.
The ship sped along the dark surface toward the dawn.
Ten kilometers of jogging cross country had given way to eight walking by roadsides. Corran was foot sore. He was hungry. He stank. Now he had a stitch in his side. He pressed his fist into his ribs and kept going.
He knew he could tap into the Force to get refreshed, but he preferred to push himself. I'm not stubborn. I'm persistent. I know a few Corellian criminals who would agree.
A chrome-plated landspeeder slowed down to hover beside Corran.
He stopped and looked into a very beautiful, very young face framed by white-blond hair. In a glance he took in the elegantly draped violet gown and delicate sandals. Rich daddy's favorite, no doubt. The young woman leaned across the passenger seat and let her eyes roam leisurely over Corran's trim figure, accented by his all black attire. Her gaze paused at the blaster holster on his utility belt before shooting up to stare longingly into his eyes. He was very glad his lightsaber was concealed in a specially designed compartment on the back of the belt. She licked her lips and smiled.
"Care for a ride?"
Corran clamped his mouth shut on the comment that leapt to mind. He smiled and nodded. "Thanks."
He sighed with relief and wiggled his toes as he sank into the soft seat. He closed his eyes to discourage conversation and pretended to doze.
Corran bolted upright. A hand was creeping up his thigh. Sithspawn.
I fell asleep.
He grabbed the hand and laid it gently back on the controls.
"Don't want to crash, miss," he chided.
"I don't know. It might be fun," she tried to put a purr into her voice.
Corran rubbed his temples. He felt a headache coming on.
"Trust me. It's not fun," he stated.
"Oh," she smiled knowingly, "is that why you're walking?"
"No. Just broke down. A long ways back."
They crested a hill and Novis Prime One came into view. Corran mentally shook his head. If names are any indication, Novis Corporation isn't much for originality. He scanned the city roadways and skies for signs of unusual activity. All clear.
The driver was speaking. Corran turned to her. "Sorry. What was that?"
"I said," she said with a sigh, "you'll need a place to stay. We have lots of room." She glanced sideways. "Very private."
Corran rolled his eyes. "Ah, look, miss. You're what, twenty, maybe..."
"Eighteen standard. Seventeen local," she interrupted.
"Worse than I thought," he muttered. Louder he said, "I appreciate the offer. Really. But it's been a lot of years since I saw the down side of twenty. Maybe you better target someone closer to your own age."
"I don't know what you are talking about," she huffed.
"Yes, you do. And you're about as subtle as a herd of stampeding nerf."
He winced at the waves of anger rolling off her. Very quietly he added, "Maybe I'd better walk the rest of the way."
As the landspeeder accelerated away from him, Corran took stock. He was rested and on the edge of the city. Not bad. There wasn't much chance the public transport carrying Alee Nardo had beaten his X-wing. All he had to do was get to the spaceport. After he got something to eat.
Corran burped up another bubble of spiced gas. The local seasonings they used in that marinated nerf were coming back to haunt him. He hiccupped. Irritated, he drew on the Force and envisioned sweeping the remnants of his meal away. There. That's better.
Corran returned his attention to surveillance of the facility across the avenue. The black, slab-like structure screamed Imperial design. The low building - only four stories above ground - was situated on the eastern edge of the city. It sported its own docking bay, which was where Alee had entered twenty minutes ago. He wondered at the ease of her entry, especially considering the way she'd strode through the streets dressed like some ancient Jedi from a really bad holovid. The red-brown cloak had accented the red highlights in her long braid. He'd even caught a glimpse of a lightsaber swinging at her hip. A real vid-director's dream and about as discreet as Darth Vader. So how was she able to just breeze right in - unless she was expected? He frowned thoughtfully.
There wasn't much sign of activity, but then most tasks seemed to be completed by droids and other machines on this planet. Wait a minute.
A storm trooper came around the corner. Corran watched him march the length of the building and disappear. Perimeter patrol, probably every thirty minutes.
Impatience swelled in Corran. Time to check up on my vid-star. He hiccupped.
Getting inside was easier than Corran had expected. Amateur mistake - not locking the door behind you. He hunkered in the corner and scanned the hanger. Stacks of crates lined the grey wall to his left and two docking bay doors dominated the one to his right. An imperial shuttle was parked in front of the far door. Several lone crates were scattered around the hanger floor, obstructing his view. But that works both ways.
A whisper of movement on the far side caught his eye. A swirl
of red-brown cloth.
Corran narrowed his eyes. No sign of anyone else. What is she
up to? Air raid sirens blared through his mind.
He patted his blaster and slid his lightsaber out of its compartment, clipping it to his belt. The two-meter high containers provided cover as he crossed the floor. He slid up to the last one and pressed his back against the cold plasteel. He could sense Alee a meter past the crate, apparently engrossed in whatever she was doing. He eased his blaster from its holster and slipped around the corner.
Corran moved forward by microns, left shoulder pressing against the metal box. He rolled each step out from heel to toe. A silence as brooding as deep space hung over the hanger. The nose of his blaster poked past the end of the crate.
A hiss. A streak of blue light. The end of the blaster clattered to the floor. Heat flashed through the weapon into Corran's hand. He swore and dropped it.
He spun away, igniting his lightsaber as he went. They both sidestepped into the open, weapons before them. Alee stopped and undid her cloak, letting it pool at her feet. She pushed it away with her toe. They poised on the balls of their feet, silently assessing each other. His eyes ran over her tan tunic and leggings down to her knee-high brown boots. 1.7 meters - same as me. Her casual stance irked him.
"What holovid set did you raid?" he sneered.
Alee curled her lip in response. "You are a poor hunter, Jedi. If you are a Jedi," she paused. "Maybe you're something else altogether."
Corran clenched his jaw. I'm the best hunter you've ever had the misfortune to meet, lady. You need to be taught a lesson in manners. He gave her a grim smile.
Corran lunged forward. Alee deflected the thrust and sliced toward his open side. He jumped back, startled by her speed. They circled each other warily. Alee feinted left, struck right. He parried and gave way a step. Blue and green energy blades hissed and spat and sparked as they met again and again. Corran worked to keep his breathing even. Obviously she hasn't just been behind a desk these last years.
Alee stepped back a pace, chest heaving. Corran pressed forward, struck again. Their blades joined. The humming grew shrill as neither gave way. Corran heaved. Alee jumped back almost two meters. She ran at him and flipped through the air, landing behind him. He somersaulted left. The smell of burnt flesh filled his nostrils. He touched his shoulder and winced as his fingers discovered where her blade had grazed him. He squinted. Indignation clouded his vision.
Corran attacked. He pushed her back and back. The Force flowed through his arms as he pressed his advantage. Blades clashed fiercely. He felt her weakening and drove at her mercilessly. He ducked as blue arced toward his head. He slashed at her legs. Alee leapt up and back. She landed on a crate and powered down her lightsaber. She stood, sucking air in greedy gulps.
Corran paced back and forth. I hate it when people do that. It's like they know I can't levitate a pebble, never mind myself. He jerked to a halt and glared at her.
When she caught her breath she said, "Who are you?"
"The better question is: who are you, Alee Nardo? Or should I say: what are you?"
Surprised ripped across her features. "You have me at a disadvantage, knowing my name as you do."
"If it's your name."
"Why wouldn't it be?" she challenged.
"Why didn't you tell General Cracken of your Force abilities?" he countered.
Alee hesitated. "There was no need."
"No need?" Corran thrust his hands up in the air then waved his darkened lightsaber at her. "You rant and rave to Cracken about this supposed threat. Going on about the vulnerability of the academy. How he shouldn't risk sending any Jedi to investigate. Yet you are a Jedi! And you say there's no need!"
She crouched, rested her elbow on her knee and began tapping her teeth with her thumb. Her eyes narrowed. "You were there."
He folded his arms and stood, legs spread. "So"
"I was so focused on convincing the general. I thought the unease I was feeling centered around this mission. But it was you. I felt your presence. Your animosity."
Their gazes locked.
She whispered, "Why are you here?"
"Cracken sent me."
Her eyes grew wide. She dropped to the floor three meters away from Corran. He reflexively powered up his blade. She ignored it clipped her weapon to her belt.
"Sent you!" Her resentment slammed against him. He stepped back. "He doesn't trust me? After all these years? How dare he!"
Alee pivoted and marched across the floor to her cloak. Corran looked at his lightsaber and back at her, then flicked it off. A needle of guilt pricked his mind. He steeled himself and followed.
Corran grabbed her by the shoulder and swung her around. Watery rage threatened to spill down her cheeks. She blinked and glared at him. He could feel her drawing on the Force to calm herself.
"He dares because not trusting is his job." He took a deep breath. "Besides. You lied to him."
"I never lie."
"Omitting certain facts isn't exactly truthful." He pinned her with a look. "Maybe Cracken sensed that. Maybe that's why he sent me."
She lifted her chin up. "And you?"
"I don't trust you either. An honorable person would have stepped forward years ago, offered her service to the rebellion."
"I did," Alee interrupted.
"No. You hid. Concealed yourself behind this persona you so carefully constructed. You're obviously a fully trained Jedi Knight. But where did you get that training? What are you using your skills for? Not helping the New Republic, that's for sure. There were so many times we could have used your help. Luke could have..."
Alee went rigid. "Leave him out of this," she spat.
He stopped. "You hate him that much? Sithspawn."
"Is that what I am to you?" Her lightsaber flashed and Corran looked down his nose at the tip shimmering centimeters away. The blue blade swept to the side and she held her arms open wide. "Then strike me down. If I am evil personified, you'll be rendering a great service to the entire galaxy. You'll be a hero."
He stared at her, mouth slack. A smile tugged at her lips.
"You can't do it," she stated. "You won't let me turn you into a murderer. You're sense of justice is too strong. And that's why you're puzzling so hard over my motives, my identity. You seek knowledge where there is ignorance." Corran froze at the reference to the Jedi Code. "If you kill me you will never know, and justice will not be served. What were you before General Cracken enlisted you? A detective?"
His eyebrows lifted a micron. CorSec could use her talents, that's for sure. But I still don't trust her. Where did she learn the Code?
"So what now?" Alee jeered, "have you detected what you are going to do with me? I still have a mission to complete."
Mission. Emperor's black bones. What was I thinking?
"I'm sticking to you like a mynock to a power cable," he spoke as his gaze swept the room. "You just got a partner, lady. So, tell me why we weren't interrupted. We made enough racket to wake a comatose Gamorrean." He turned back to her. "Unless your friends are waiting for us just outside..."
She shook her head. "You're nothing if not persistent."
Alee walked over to an exposed circuit board. She picked up the cover and started reattaching it.
"While you were trying to sneak up on me, I was finishing some simple rewiring. I set up a loop. Any control room monitors should be showing a nice, empty hanger. As we haven't had to entertain guests..." she glanced sideways at him.
"You're a splicer?" amazement crept into Corran's voice. "I'd lay odds that's another skill Cracken knows nothing about."
She chuckled. "No. A ... friend is. He's tried to teach me some basics, with varying degrees of success."
When she finished, Alee turned to him. "So, partner, do I at least get to know your name before we move out? Or should I just call you ' Bantha Tick'?"
He let the snide comment drag into silence until he felt her mentally squirm.
With a crooked smile he said, "Corran Horn."
Her eyebrows shot up. "No wonder you looked vaguely familiar. I'll have to thank General Cracken. A genuine Rogue." She whistled as Corran puffed up. "You don't need to become a hero. You already are one."
The Jedi stopped crawling and sat cross legged in the intersection of two service ducts. Alee arranged her cloak around her, brushing off dust.
"Why do you wear that old thing?" Corran asked as he slumped against a wall.
He watched as she caressed her cheek against the hood. Her eyes glazed and he sensed her drift away.
Her voice was soft, "It was a gift. From an old friend."
I stumbled into something very private. He became fascinated with wiring overhead. After a moment she refocused and watched Corran massage his knees. He shrugged.
"Maybe we should just use the hallways, like normal bipeds," he suggested.
"That would be a little obvious, don't you think?"
"Ha. Talk about obvious. You strolled from the spaceport to here like you were leading a victory parade." He snorted. "What'd you do? Use a Jedi mind trick on the whole city?"
"Sometimes the best place to hide is in plain sight. Few took notice. I dealt with those that did."
"How?" Corran pantomimed being choked. "Like Vader?"
She frowned and kicked his foot. He grunted.
"I closed their eyes."
"What? I'm not tracking."
Alee looked around, picked up a loose bolt and held it up for him to see. She rolled it down the tube. When it was out of reach, she stretched out her arm and closed her eyes. The bolt flew back to her hand. She tossed it to him.
"I closed their eyes. If they looked too long, when they could look again, I was gone. To them, I was an hallucination." She looked at him oddly. "Didn't they teach you levitation and its various uses at the academy, hero?"
"Did I say I went to the academy?" He fiddled with his lightsaber clasp. "Okay. I did. I just ... ah ... don't have any talent in that regard. Holding someone's eyelids down is one use I wouldn't have thought of anyway."
Silence settled on their shoulders like Alee's cloak. Corran smiled and closed his eyes. Feels comfortable. Like an old friend. His eyes shot open and he stared at her peaceful features. Is she messing with my mind? I didn't feel anything. Her eyelids fluttered open he looked into eyes that were ... guileless.
He frowned and spoke gruffly, "Time to go."
"Wait. Whatever we're honing in on seems to be a Force object."
"So."
"It might be wise to use our own Force abilities as little as possible until we know what we are dealing with."
"Point taken."
Corran and Alee knelt on either side of the access hatch.
"This is the one," Corran said. "That power source is very close."
"Are you sure?" asked Alee. "I think we should go one more." She pointed her thumb over her shoulder.
"Who's running this operation?" Corran glared.
"I thought I was. Obviously I'm wrong."
"Right. You are." He shook his head. "Wrong, that is."
She made a face. "You think it's still night?"
He pointed to his head. "Built in chronometer. It's the middle of the night watch."
"Okay, hero. Let's do it."
Corran slid the hatch to the side and motioned, "After you."
Alee stood and dropped through the hole. Corran listened but
didn't hear her land.
He dangled his legs through the hole. Glad it's not too far.
Maybe Alee will catch me. He smiled and pushed himself off
the ledge.
Corran dropped the three meters and fell to his knees. Cold steel touched his forehead. A voice barked, "Up."
He straightened slowly and raised his hands. A second stormtrooper pressed his blaster to the base of Alee's throat. Corran sighed. They stood in a hallway, outside a set of white doors.
He whispered out of the side of his mouth, "Now would be a good time for one of those Jedi mind things."
"I ... don't have any talent in that regard," she returned. The blaster dug deeper into her neck and she clamped her mouth shut.
We need a distraction here or Mirax will be raising our kid alone.
Alee's trooper said, "Alert control. Some scum just dropped from the ceiling."
Desperation crowded into Corran's mind. He closed his eyes and grabbed hold of the Force.
"Blood oath! What is that?" Alee's guard dropped to his knee and started firing past her. The other followed suit. "What'll we do? It's still coming!"
Alee flung herself against the wall and looked. Nothing but red laser bolts filled the hallway. She looked at Corran. He stood, eyes closed, unmoving.
"Showoff," she muttered.
She drew her lightsaber and jumped between the two panicked stormtroopers. Two diagonal slashes and they collapsed on the floor.
Corran opened his eyes and shook his head. "And you call me a showoff."
She spun. Her eyes sparked. "What did they see?"
He shrugged. "Just a baby rancor. Well, a hungry baby. Running. An adult wouldn't fit." He grinned.
"If you can do such a powerful Alter Mind, why didn't you just plant a suggestion? You know. Like ... lower your weapons ... these are friends..." She crossed her arms and tapped her foot.
"Well now, that's the trick. I only seem to be able to do it in ... you know .... about-to-be-sucked-into-a-black-hole pressure situations."
"A blaster to your head wasn't black hole enough for you?" her voice rose.
"No. Not until they decided to call for reinforcements."
"Your ego has gone nova."
Corran smiled, "So I've been told. Come on, let's get inside. Can you splice in?" He motioned to the door panel.
"I'm not too good at that. It'll take time." She looked up. "I've got a better idea."
Alee stepped under the access hatch and jumped up. She disappeared into the ceiling.
"How does she do that?" He felt irritation rising and squelched it.
A minute later the doors slid open. She seized one fallen trooper and hauled him into the room. Corran moved the other. The doors slid closed. He locked them.
"How'd you get in so fast?" he asked.
She grinned and pointed up. "The next hatch."
He curled his lip and nodded. I really dislike other people being right.
He turned away and examined the white room. It was circular. Ten meters across. They stood at one of four entrances. The center of building. I'd bet my X-wing on it. A circle of databanks and computer terminals surrounded a pedestal that stood dead center. Suspended on a repulsor pad on the pedestal was a crystaline cube encased in an energy field.
Corran vaulted the closest databank and peered at the crystal. "I know what this is. It's a..."
Alee interrupted, "a Jedi Holocron."
He looked sharply at her. How did she know that? Apprehension prickled up his arms as she continued.
"If I had known it was just a Holocron, I wouldn't have been so worried ..." she trailed off.
"What could be worse than the Empire having access to so much Jedi knowledge?"
"Not much chance of them accessing anything here, unless they can control the Force. The technology hasn't been created that will break through Jedi encryption codes. Not that I know of, at least."
Corran stared at the cube thoughtfully. "So what scared you enough to bring you chasing across the galaxy?"
She smiled sadly. "I thought, perhaps, they had uncovered ... something worse."
"Don't make me pull Twilek teeth here, Alee."
She sighed. "Jedi lore speaks of certain artifacts created eons ago, by Jedi who had been ... teased into the shadows by the dark side."
"Teased?"
"Seeking after knowledge can sometimes lead to lusting."
"And these artifacts? Bad news, I assume."
Alee nodded. "My fear that one had been discovered clouded my ability to discern."
She twirled slowly. "This doesn't feel right. Either they don't know how harmless the Holocron is, or..."
Corran picked up the thought, "or we've walked into a trap." He paused. "Time to go."
He looked at the Holocron. "We can't leave this here."
"No, Corran."
The warning came too late. Corran reached for the cube. Alee's eyes grew wide. Instead of frying his arm, the energy field was soaked into his being and dissipated harmlessly. He snatched the Holocron and pulled his arm away, leaving the field weakened but intact.
"Energy absorption. Can't levitate. You must be a Corellian Jedi. I thought you guys always stuck pretty close to home."
How does she know these things? This is frying my circuits. He opened his mouth to reply.
Blast shields crashed down over the doors. A hissing filled the room.
"Sithspawn. Gas," Corran blurted. "Come on. Back into the shaft."
They jumped onto the monitors below the hatch. He hoisted her into the service duct. She reached down with the Force and pulled him up.
She pointed the way they had come. "I left the other one open. They have it covered."
Corran looked to see billows of gas rolling towards them. He pushed her. "Crawl. And hold your breath."
The cloud surged closer.
"Faster, Alee."
"I'm going. I'm going."
She stopped suddenly. Corran bumped into her. Is she crazy?
"Another hatch." She gasped, searching for fresh air.
"Down. Now." He held his sleeve to his face.
"It doesn't feel right. I don't think..."
He pitched the cover to the side. "Don't think. Just do."
She cast him a mournful look then dived down. He watched her
somersault and land in a defensive crouch. He followed feet first.
