“Didn’t you hear? That new Empire’s Death Star was destroyed. Can you believe it?”
“Is that what all the fuss has been about then? Was it the Jedi?”
“No, no, I heard it was the Sith who led the assault.”
“Really?”
“That’s what the Holonet’s sayin’.”
“You shouldn’t go believin’ everything the Holonet says, Merv.”
“Well, what are we supposed to believe then, huh? Least I’m payin attention.”
The conversation between the bartender and what appeared to be a familiar regular devolved into goodnatured bickering as a tall young man passed by them on his way to a table in the corner of the cozy little establishment. His rain-wet boots squeaked faintly as he took a seat that would allow him a clear visual of the entrance and settled in to wait, pulling back the hood of his poncho.
Haro Aven looked the part of just another mechanic working in the township of Clila on Atrisia—a role he knew well from his youth spent on a shipyard in the Undercity of Corscant. He was much taller than he’d been back then though, and he filled out the greasy jumpsuit he now wore with broader shoulders, and the lean, well-muscled form of a man shaped by the training of a soldier. Not for the first time, he wondered if that scrawny little boy he once was would even recognize who he’d become. He wondered what he might think of him, what he’d done, and what he had yet to do.
“Welcome in. What can I get ya?” The buoyant feminine voice of a server pulled his attention from his meandering thoughts up to her bright smile. The twi’lek was the color of Horuset’s sunrise and the look in her bright hazel eyes told him she liked what she saw. He offered a charming grin in return and leaned back, propping an elbow casually on the back of his seat.
“A cup o’ hot caf’ll do the trick for now, I think,” Haro said as if it would mean the world if she brought him such a comfort, affecting a bit of fatigue from what she might assume was an exhausting shift at the shipyard. She remained professional, but her thrill was clear in the way his attention warmed her smile.
“Comin right up,” she promised before turning away with a pep in her step.
In the absence of her gaze, the young man’s smile faded. He allowed himself a cautious glance around, keen eyes studying the room and the few others in it with him. Two sat together at a table nearby, three more chatted at a booth in the corner, one sat alone silently at the bar while the bothan bringing the news to the bartender rambled on. Haro noted that the zabrak bartender was keeping him in her periphery, so he did the same to her, though not so obviously. He sighed and made a show of relaxing into his seat. In reality, anxiety churned just beneath the surface. He had taken a huge risk in coming here, but the opportunity had been too good to pass up.
His participation in the Death Star’s destruction had resulted in his possession of a Kainate code cylinder, entrusted to him by the King of Korriban, and the highest level clearance, granted to him by the Empress of the Sith. In his official capacity as a Hand of the King, his performance in the battle had earned him the opportunity to keep said code cylinder, which Haro had used to then carefully copy critical information about both the Galactic Empire
and the Sith Order into a format he could transfer more easily. Now, the fallout of that battle—the creation of the Blackgate and the Sith’s shadow campaign into the Core—gave Haro more opportunity to reach his contacts than he had since joining Kor’ethyr Academy nearly two years ago.
The request to meet had been sent days ago, he had laid the groundwork for his own alibi, now all he could do was wait and hope
Niynx Ioune
had received it. Even after their time apart, the ache of missing his Jedi friend hadn’t faded, but it had become more complicated. Everything was more complicated now. The connections he’d made in the Sith Order with
Naamino Zuukamano
and
Leshanna Dromar
, with
Lysander von Ascania
and
Varin Mortifer
, had changed him in ways he could have never anticipated. They weren’t
evil. They were just victims of their circumstances, brainwashed to believe that the Darkside would give them purpose, misguided by evil masters who only wish to use them as pawns in their games of war. He held onto hope that someday he could help them see a better way.
The twi’lek server was refilling his mug with caf for the third time when a petite cloaked figure came in out of the rain. Haro perked up.
“Welcome in. Take a seat wherever you’d like,” she called to the newcomer.
They cast a look around, gaze lingering on Haro before making their way to his table. The twi’lek tried not to look disappointed as they took a seat across from him and removed their hood to reveal thick red hair and freckled face of a young human woman, seemingly younger than him but not by much. Haro schooled his expression, masking his confusion with a friendly smile, but his hand moved ever so slightly closer to the blaster concealed in one of the compartments on his toolbelt as his eyes traced her form in search of weapons.
“Can I get you a drink?” The twi’lek asked with pointedly less warmth than before.
The newcomer noted the mug of caf in Haro’s hands, then glanced up at the server with a serene smile.
“Caf will do just fine, thank you.” Her voice was soft, formal, and slightly accented.
Once the server was out of earshot, the stranger settled her gaze on Haro once again with an expression that was difficult to read.
“How does it feel to be a Little Minnow in a big sea?” She asked. Haro’s eyes narrowed ever so slightly at the familiar phrase, but otherwise he remained similarly guarded.
“Free…” he responded finally, searching her face.
“And you are?”
“A friend,” she insisted warmly, then slid something across the table.
“He told me to give you this.”
Haro’s eyes softened despite himself and he picked up the chain and pendant reverently. The little piece of metal may have seemed exceptionally mundane to the average person but to Haro, it meant so much more.
“And to tell you that he’s sorry he couldn’t be here to meet you this time,” he added.
He studied her face again, still cautious though his guard was slipping.
“I trained with him… in the temple. We’ve known each other a long time,” she revealed. Haro cocked his head to the side, realization dawning.
“Reine.”
She smiled.
“So he told you about me then.”
“Just a bit,” he said, but the look he gave her made it clear it had been more than
just a bit. She gave him a knowing look in return.
“Well… he’s told me just a bit about you as well.” She winked.
His eyes widened with surprise, then he swelled with pride. Fortunately, the server chose that moment to come back with another mug of caf for Reine before he could embarrass himself by asking for clarification. Suddenly abashed by his own transparency, he glanced down to where he fiddled with the trinket. There was something disarming about this girl—the poise and confidence of a woman beyond her years, such warmth and compassion. It occurred to him it had been a long time since he’d been in the presence of a Jedi, and he was struck by how different it felt. Still, this wasn’t who he had expected. His eyes found hers, guarded once again.
“Look, Reine, don’t take this the wrong way but… why are you here?”
It was her turn to look confused before realization dawned and she nodded slowly.
“As you may have heard, things have not been… easy for us. We’ve lost so much.” Sorrow weighed heavily on her words and, for a moment, Haro saw behind the mask of serenity to the deep sadness in her eyes.
“For many of us, Coruscant was our home. Now, we are fractured, spread thin. We do not have the same access to information or protection that we used to.” The grief in her voice was genuine, yet she also seemed to be building toward a point.
“We are endlessly grateful for the sacrifices you have made, and the risks you have taken, and the intelligence you have gained will most certainly be helpful in the days to come, but…” she paused, searching Haro’s eyes.
“It would be wise to make preparations for extraction in the near future. Our ability to protect you or offer you support in your current position wanes, and it is very likely you will be more help with us at this point.”
Haro was silent for a long moment, barely able to keep from showing signs of the complex knot of emotions her words caused. He couldn’t
leave. Not yet. He had gained access to enough information to turn the tides, and he was on the precipice of so much more. He still had so much more to do. He couldn’t leave
them. He needed more time.
He tucked the trinket into his pocket and tapped Bodie. The little bug droid scuttled out of his pocket and crawled under the table toward the Jedi.
“I… I appreciate where you’re coming from, I really do, but…” Haro began, growing more confident as he spoke, dawning self-assuredness in as much an effort to convince himself as to convince her.
“With all due respect, I don’t really need your protection anymore, and I honestly don’t think I’ll be more helpful to you if I leave now. I’m about to graduate. Once I do, I’ll have way more access to resources and information, not to mention much more freedom to communicate with you and the others.” He leaned closer, motioning for her to take his hand. She hesitated, curious, cautious, but when she acquiesced, he brought her hand to his lips as if they were lovers in an effort to dissuade potential eavesdroppers.
“The datachip in your pocket contains information I obtained with the highest level of clearance a Sith can get,” he whispered against her hand, just loud enough for her to hear.
“It’s true the Sith led the assault on the Death Star. I was there. I was inside, and everything I was able to pull from it is on that chip.”
He pulled away and released her hand, a roguish grin playing at the edge of his lips.
“Still think I’d be more useful elsewhere?” He asked.
Reine clearly listened intently, but she seemed unreadable otherwise, and Haro silently noted that she would make an excellent sabac player. Not waiting for her answer, he took a last parting sip of his caf then tossed a couple credits onto the table.
“Tell our mutual friend that he can count on more where that came from,” he said as he stood to leave, but he hesitated.
“Also, tell him…” There was
so much he wanted to tell him.
“Tell him to stay safe... and that I'd like to see him,” he finished, the bitterness in his tone subtle but clear.
"I will... pass your message along," she said.
"May the Force be with you, Haro."
"Yeah, you too." With a nod, he pulled his hood back on and strode back out into the rain.
