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Jedi Headquarters, Imperial City, Coruscant
Luke led Kyp Durron and one of his Knights into the living room where the others had already congregated. After everyone was seated, Kyp remained standing, hands clasped behind his flowing black cape. "Master Skywalker," he said, then continued without preamble. "I know we haven’t exactly worked together in awhile...but I believe we have a similar problem with our Jedi disappearing around and in the Mantooine system. I lost one of my most promising Knights, Anton Sollust." He faced Luke. "And you have lost a few as well, correct?"
Luke nodded, sudden dread settling into his stomach. "We’ve had problems, yes. Have you found the source?"
Kyp shook his head. "No one’s survived to tell...except Corran Horn’s apprentice, so I hear."
"You’ve come to talk to her," Luke stated, passing Ben over to Mara.
"Yes," Kyp acknowledged Luke’s statement. "Or at least hear what you’ve learned from her."
Luke spread his hands. "I’m afraid it’s not much. She has amnesia. We’re not even certain she’s a victim of the same killer."
"Amnesia," Kyp mused, pursing his lips. "Can I talk to her?"
Luke hesitated. "Perhaps you should tell us what you’ve learned first."
Kyp raised an eyebrow. "I’m not going to hurt her."
"I know." Luke held his hand up. "I just don’t think you’ll be able to get anything more out of her than we already have. Not yet anyway."
"I’d still like to try," Kyp insisted.
"Why?" Mara demanded. "Are you going to get it out of her the same way you did Qwi Xux?"
Kyp clenched his hands. "I’d never be so cruel, not again."
"Wow," Mara said sarcastically. "You mean the Great Kyp Durron has finally learned the ends don’t always justify the means?"
Kyp’s Knight, Vanis Ekrof, Luke just barely recalled his name, hopped to his feet. "You shouldn’t disrespect the Chosen One like this!" His hazel eyes burned through Mara’s.
Typical of his wife, she didn’t flinch, instead snorting in derision. "Why is we’ve never heard of his prophecy, until Kyp declared himself its fulfillment?"
"We found it," Vanis countered, his pride evident in his tone of voice.
"Whatever you found, you only found half of it," Mara reminded him.
Claria and Richard exchanged furtive glances, as Claria started to open her briefcase. Sensing the mood of the room, Ben started to squirm and whimper in his mother’s arms. A knock sounded on the door twice. Not waiting for it to be answered, Han poked his head through the door as it slid open. "Hey, Kid," he said, stepping into the room. "Mara..." he paused, noticing the other people in the room just as Leia entered behind him. "Looks like we’re late for the party, Sweetheart."
Leia nodded. "Apparently," she said, her eyes tightening at the sight of Kyp Durron. She raised an eyebrow. "We received Mara’s message on the way here," Leia explained. "What’s going on?"
"Well." Luke caught Mara’s eye, who shook her head. "There is something we need to tell you, but it can wait. We’ve had some unexpected visitors." He paused. "You were on your way here already?"
"Yes," Leia said. "I was hoping to speak with Julie."
Luke looked at Claria, who had pulled an old, maybe bantha hide, book from her briefcase, then turned back to Leia. "Why?"
Han answered, "Borsk has her cleaning up after his mistakes again."
Leia frowned at him. "Han-"
Luke shook his head, fighting back a groan. "What happened?"
"Apparently the Naboo have been secretly investigating the New Republic through their Prince. President Fey’lya unknowingly offended him, and has since addressed His Highness’s concerns. He was able to get in contact with the Prince’s aide, but not the Prince himself. The aide promised to contact him, but Fey’lya is afraid he won’t respond without a formal apology," Leia explained. "He didn’t give a name, I was hoping Julya would know where to find the Prince."
"How did he find out about the Prince investigating in the first place?" Luke asked, glancing at Richard.
Leia shrugged her shoulders. "He didn’t say."
Richard finally spoke up. "Does this mean Baron Lairde Batista is under investigation?"
Leia raised her eyebrows, surprised. "Yes...unfortunately, he cannot be located. How do you know of the situation?"
"I make it my business to know." He winked at her. "I am curious, however, as to how President Fey’lya managed to offend Armand?"
"Thinking he was a normal citizen, he brushed his concerns aside, telling him to go through the proper channels..." She paused, giving Richard a questioning look. "You know the Prince...Armand?"
"Armand Naberr?" Han questioned. "Should’ve known that kid was royalty." He elbowed Leia. "Few space mechanics have that much pride."
"Armand works as a space mechanic?" Claria asked, torn between looking scandalized, and amused.
Richard laughed. "Armand is a Prince in every sense of the word. I’m surprised he chose that line of work, he’s not a very good mechanic."
Han smirked. "He supervises."
"That’s my son," Richard grinned, then turned to Leia. "I wouldn’t worry about that formal apology, Leia, while it concerns me that your President would brush him aside mistaking him for an average citizen...I understand. I am certain Armand does, too. If he has not contacted President Fey’lya yet, it is more than likely because he hasn’t spoken with Dor yet."
Leia was shocked once again, but she hid it well. "That would make you the King."
"To the people of Naboo," Richard said, before she could curtsy. "To my family, especially in informal affairs... Richard." He smiled. "Armand is here for politics, Claria and I came to reunite our family." He noticed Kyp conspicuously clear his throat. "And to give the Jedi something Obi-Wan Kenobi left with his wife for safekeeping." He nodded to Claria, who handed the book to Luke. "Perhaps it can resolve the debate surrounding the Chosen One."
Luke’s eyes widened, he traced the cover with his fingers, noting the strange symbols etched on the front. "What is it?"
"The Book of Prophecies," Claria replied.
***
Angry, Armand Naberrie rushed at the Jedi the instant he took the form of Lainey’s old master. Releasing the safety on the old blaster he found, he aimed and shot at the Jedi. Nothing happened. While the man laughed, Armand rushed at him, only to be caught from two other beings stepping out from the shadows. One, a Twi'lek female, gave him an appraising look before turning to the Jedi. "Anton, our orders were to maim, not to kill."
Anton, reverting back to human male, smiled. "She is still alive. I had to prove who the more talented duelist was..."
"Or rather the trickiest," Armand corrected him, inflicting a slight trace of contempt leak into his smooth tone as he struggled against his captors.
The female pressed her blaster to his neck. "I wouldn’t suggest trying to escape, we wouldn’t want to ruin your handsome face."
Armand turned his head away from her just as an explosion went off to the left of the hallway. Shocked, his captors accidentally released him, running to see what had happened. Caught off guard, Anton turned too, walking towards the explosion. Armand rushed to Lainey’s side, removing his shirt to bandage her wound. The instant he pressed it to her stomach, her head lifted slightly. "Armand?" she whispered, her voice filled with pain.
He used his free hand to gently push her back down. "Relax, it’s alright," he said, barely able to keep his voice from shaking.
She grasped his hand, pulling him down to look at her, her blue eyes searched his. "I..."
"What is this?" Anton demanded, having turned to notice Armand and Lainey. "Get him." He turned to his assistants, who were suddenly out of sight, possibly covered by the smoke that was just barely beginning to fade away. It was then that his assistants could be seen, lying on the floor. Confusion sculpted both Anton and Armand's features. But while Armand's turned relieved, Anton's grew angry.
From the shadows, a middle aged man with graying brown hair and a goatee stepped forward. Anton’s eyes widened, then he attempted to appear calm. "Corran Horn." He frowned. "I should have known that that wasn’t a real explosion. It must have been one of your tricks." He took a step back. "You’re hopelessly outnumbered. My Master sent his best team."
"I’ll bet he did," Corran replied coldly, holding his deactivated lightsaber in his hand. He turned his attention briefly to Armand. "Move her against the wall."
Armand nodded, delicately lifting Lainey into his arms and moving her against the wall. He laid her back down, noting she’d closed her eyes and that no blood had soaked through his shirt. "She’s not bleeding," he announced, amazed.
Corran nodded, keeping his eyes on Anton. "Lightsabers immediately cauterize the wounds they inflict...but keep it covered," he said to Lainey's friend. He then spoke to Anton. "Tell me, what does your Master want with my Padawan?"
"Padawan?" Anton raised an eyebrow, lifting his own lightsaber. "He simply wishes for the chance to kill her again," he said smoothly. "And perhaps you now, since he especially likes to kill in pairs."
"He won’t go anywhere near Lainey, and your Master will find that I am very hard to kill." Corran advanced a step towards Anton. "Who do you work for?"
Anton shrugged his shoulders, igniting his lightsaber. "You’ll soon find out."
"Not likely," Corran said, switching his own lightsaber on. "Unless you intend on telling me soon."
"No." Anton stepped forward, lunging at Corran the second his right foot hit the floor. Corran’s silver blade came up to block it, easily sweeping Anton’s blade away.
"Then perhaps your backup crew?" Corran asked, moving into the middle ring of defense. "They’re a little late, aren’t they?"
"They’ll be here," Anton replied confidently. He attacked Corran again, this time aiming low. Corran blocked his blow late, causing Anton to stagger back, off balance. Corran took advantage of his momentary blunder, swiping his blade across Anton’s arm. Already injured before from his fight with Lainey, Anton’s defense faltered. He switched his saber to his left hand.
Corran pressed his advantage, battering his blade against Anton’s until he was close enough to deliver a swift kick to his stomach, knocking him down by the force of it. Anton’s lightsaber rolled out of his hand, and Corran pointed his lightsaber at Anton’s neck, achieving Kill Point. For a second their eyes met, and a flash of recognition washed over Corran’s face. "You’re Anton Sollust, one of Kyp Durron’s apprentices." His words were calm, but underlined with an edge sharper than a lightsaber’s blade.
Anton just nodded, the silvery light of Corran’s lightsaber reflecting in his eyes. "If you’re going to kill me, you might as well get it over with."
"If I had intended to, you’d be dead by now," Corran replied, ramming the hilt of his lightsaber against Anton’s temple, effectively knocking him out. He reached out with the Force, scanning the area for any more dangers. There were others in the building, but they didn't feel like threats...more like aide, and they were definitely busy. Switching off his lightsaber, but keeping it in his hand, he rushed to Lainey’s side. Fighting back the urge to lift her into his arms, because of the fact that only two of Anton’s men had been caught, and more could come. He touched her cheek and looked up into her friend’s eyes. "How is she?"
"She tried talking to me earlier, but she’s been drifting in and out of consciousness since," he replied in his smooth, cultured accent. He frowned. "It was certainly a dirty trick he played on her."
Corran’s hand had moved to her neck, where he was using his index and middle finger to check her pulse. "What did he do?"
"She had him backed up against the wall, then she turned her attention elsewhere. When she looked back at him, he had taken the form of her former Master. Understandably, she hesitated in confusion, and he used that moment to strike." Her friend’s hand clenched, the only sign of anger he showed. His voice was soft, betraying nothing with his tone or by his words.
Corran nodded, pursing his lips at the nasty trick . Corran had wondered how Anton had managed to harm Lainey; his movements were slow and awkward compared to her smooth finesse. He almost wished he hadn’t found out. It made keeping his anger in check more difficult. Hadn’t she been through enough? He took a deep breath. "Anton mentioned others..."
The young man nodded. "I heard them. Lainey mentioned not being able to sense them through the Force."
Having assumed Anton was shielding the Twi'lek woman and human male, Corran frowned. He had been able to reach them with his Force talent, though their presences were severely diminished. Perhaps his other men used separate methods, such as the chemical that had blocked Lainey from the Force. Which meant they could be anywhere in the building, and if they were changelings like Anton...anyone.
His head came up as he heard footsteps rushing down the hall, the owner bearing a Force signature. Another young man came into view, looking extremely relieved at the sight of Lainey’s friend. "My pri..." He began, then immediately slammed his mouth shut. "I mean... Armand! We’ve been looking all over for you. We’ve picked up six would be assassins so far. All changelings. And to think I never thought that training would come in handy..."
Corran raised an eyebrow at Armand while lifting Lainey into his arms. "So much for Anton’s backup... who is this?"
"Jet Degah," Armand replied, raising to his feet. "Second in command of my guard. Was anyone hurt?"
Jet shook his head. "No, your Highness." He sketched a slight bow.
"Good." Armand walked over to Julie. "I’ll need one of you to help carry Anakin and Julie, the rest of you may stay here with the prisoners until Coruscant Security arrives. Have you contacted them?" Jet nodded. "Then I will expect to be notified the instant they arrive." He turned his attention back to Corran. "Does that work for you, Master Jedi?"
Corran nodded, grateful the young man had been able to keep his head and save Lainey. He briefly wondered what they were doing there in the first place, had they gone with Anakin and Julie? Perhaps trying to retrieve Jedi artifacts, or even following the assasins inside? That would definitely be an Anakin and Julie trick.
Copyright 2002 by Luney.
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