Luke stands at the front of the room, leaning against the large desk set off to the side of the stage. He watches as the three pairs of people enter the room: Han and Leia; Tahiri and Noelani; and finally Zekk and Jaina.
As they settle into seats on the front row, he gives them a small smile. “I have some missions for you.”
Han speaks up. “Does it involve us bringing Jacen back in line?”
Luke sighs. “We’ve had that discussion. Han, Leia, I need you to go back to Corellia and judge the fallout from Thrackan’s assassination. Find out if they’re more willing to fall in line now that he’s dead.”
He glances towards Jaina and Zekk. “Jaina, Zekk, I want you two to sneak into Corellia and support Han and Leia.”
As he receives nods from the two of them, he turns towards Tahiri and Noelani. “And finally, I need you two to go visit Lorrd. There was a Jedi assigned there, named Nelani Dinn. I want you two to find out what happened to her.”
He smiles as he gets affirmatives from both of the blondes, even as he wonders at the wisdom of allowing this apprenticeship to continue.
“Are there any questions? Good. You’ll find the usual data packets on your terminals, as well as an allowed supply list. May the Force be with you.”
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Tahiri and Noelani walk out of the meeting room, the younger girl nearly bouncing with her every step. She grins up at Tahiri.
“Aren’t you excited? We’re going on a mission!”
Tahiri chuckles slightly. “You’ll get used to it soon enough.”
They continue the rest of the way to their quarters in silence. Upon arriving, Tahiri quickly throws together a travel bag, and then pulls up the data packet for the mission. Reading over the parameters, where they should start.
Her eyes widen slightly as she reads just who it was that the Jedi was last seen with, and wonders how this applies to Han’s outburst about Jacen during the briefing.
A thud attracts her attention, and she turns to see Noelani standing over two large bags, stuffed to overflowing. Tahiri lifts her eyebrow slightly. “That’s a lot of stuff.”
Noelani bobs her head. “But I need it all. I’ve got dinner wear, clothes for the forest, and clothes for the beach, and then hair supplies.”
Tahiri suppresses a chuckle, and shakes her head. “Nope. You get one bag,” Tahiri points to her bag. “That sized. Just take Jedi outfits.”
Noelani sighs, and drags the bags back to her room, grumbling slightly under her breath.
As soon as the girl returns to her room, Tahiri laughs, and looks back at the datapad, picking up her reading from where she left off. Her eyes widen again, as she comes across the final instruction.
That she is not to question, or inform, Jacen Solo about this mission.
Frowning, Tahiri turns on her terminal, and flips through to her files of holostills. She finds the appropriate one, and opens it. The image flickers into life, showing her and her friends all together on Yavin. Herself, Anakin, Jaina, Jacen, Zekk, Tenel Ka, Rayner, Lusa, Numa and Alema. A group pile of shining happy faces.
What’s happened to us? We were so happy. So innocent.
Noelani’s voice interrupts her thoughts. “I’m ready, Master.”
Tahiri waves the image away, and pockets the datapad, standing up to find the girl standing with her travel bag slung over her shoulder, a slight pout on her lips.
Tahiri bends down and picks up her own travel bag, and starts walking towards the door. Before long, they’re boarding the registered transport which will take them to Lorrd.
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Jacen sits in his office on Coruscant, his eyes flickering between the seven flatscreen displays, each displaying a different newsfeed. His mind is flying, trying to work out what act of terrorism the Corellians will attempt next.
His terminal pings. And lifting an eyebrow he turns to it, seeing the message from an anonymous source on Ossus. He opens the file, and spits out a curse. He quickly deletes the file, and all traces to it. Then he pulls out his comlink, and enters in a number.
Lumiya’s voice comes out over it. “Yes, Jacen?”
“My uncle has sent a Jedi to Lorrd trying to find out what happened to Nelani. I need you to deal with that. I can’t leave Coruscant right now.”
“I will do what I can. Do you know which Jedi it was?”
“Tahiri Veila and her apprentice, Noelani Darklighter.”
“It will be done.”
The comlink goes dead, and he stares at it for a moment longer. “Force forgive me. I’m sorry it came to this Tahiri.”
He puts the comlink to the side, and once more starts looking at the flatscreens. All thoughts and concerns for Tahiri pushed out of his mind.
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Ulya sits in her meditation chambers, the lambents dimmed to a bare orange glow, the smells of the living ship swirling around her, mixed with the acrid smoke of the four tallow candles situated around her. She pulls out a new one from a small bag next to her, and kisses it gently.
“Ahh Tyre, you should have been a better second in command.”
She sets the new one in front of her, and pulls a lighter biot from her pouch, igniting the candle, savoring its distinct smell.
Grinning, she begins her meditations, letting the Jeedai Force flow over, through, around and within her.
Savoring the feelings of agony coming from the slaves in the hold beneath her, their fears, grief and pain feeding her connection and her power.
Then a villip strums, interrupting her meditations and she growls at the thing.
Quickly standing, she walks over to it, and strokes it to life. The leathery ball rolls back onto itself, resolving into the likeness of Ulya’s Master. The infidel who taught her the ways of the Force.
Lumiya.
She bows her head. “What are your orders Mistress?”
“There are two Jedi heading towards the planet Lorrd. Their names are Tahiri Veila and Noelani Darklighter. I have sent images of their likenesses to the Festering Wound’s qahsa. You are to destroy them.”
Ulya bows her head again. “It will be done, my Master.”
The villip rolls back up onto itself and Ulya strides from her chambers, returning to the bridge. As she enters the warriors slam their fists against their cuirasses, a gesture of respect which she ignores. She walks forward to the pilot.
“I am ordering us to head to the infidel planet Lorrd.”
The pilot bobs his head. “I obey.”
She turns towards the commander in charge of the troops. A massive Yuuzhan Vong, his black armor as pitted and scared as his exposed flesh. She grins at him, a sneer which pulls her tattered lips away from her teeth. “Commander Pilk Shai, prepare a hunting party of warriors. Outfit them with masquers. We are to hunt Jeedai soon.”
She watches as the warriors face splits into a fearsome smile. “It will be done, Milady.”
With a bounce to his step, the commander turns from her and as he leaves the bridge, he barks an order to the guards stationed there to follow him.
Ulya turns back to the view of darkspace, a light shining in her eyes as she contemplates her upcoming task.
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