Betrayal From the Past

Prologue

Katha was looking at a shimmersilk dress in dark blue when she felt a firmilar presence through the Force. She slipped behind a nearby column and looked around. On the other side of a display of perfumes she saw him. Oh no anyone but Xanin. Xanin had been trying to court her just before she had left Balmorra. She was sure what her parents had told all their friends about what had happened to her and she didn't feel much like striking up a casual conversation with her past. I've got to get out of here before he sees me, she thought.

"Excuse me, miss. Are you going to buy that dress?" Katha spun around. She hadn't even noticed the saleslady standing behind her.

"Uh, yes I think I will," she said. The saleslady led her over to the checkout counter.

If I act natural maybe he won't even notice I'm here.But even as she thought it he came toward the counter. Katha pulled her hood a little further on her head and willed him not to see her. Luckily, he just asked the saleslady a question and turned away without a second glance.

"That will be 2000 credits, miss," said the saleslady. Katha quietly took out her credit card and handed it to her. The lady took it and said, "Could I see some ID please?" Katha handed the woman her ID card without any thought. The saleslady scanned her card and matched it to her ID. Then she handed her the cards and a bag with the dress in it back. Katha turned quickly without a word and headed for the door. Then the saleslady called, "Thank you, Ms. Sagara, and come back again." Katha winced. I knew I should have used my other ID. She sped up and walked out of the store, hoping maybe Xanin hadn't heard. No such luck. She suddenly felt someone grab her shoulder to stop her.

"Sagara? Katha Sagara?" Xanin asked, almost playfully, as if he didn't know for sure. Katha turned around. She tried to keep her face neutral but ended up glancing down at the floor. "I knew it! I'd recognize those eyes anywhere. What are you doing way out here?! Everyone back home thinks you were kidnapped and murdered or something!"

Katha looked at him startled. "They do?! Who told them that?"

"Your parents told everyone you had been kidnapped by some pirates or Imperials or something. We were all afraid you were dead. I can't wait to get back home and tell everyone that you're ok... and rich too" Xanin smiled, "I mean how else could you have bought that dress, unless you were a pirate, but then you wouldn't need to buy it. Of course you might be able to if you were some Imperial Moff or something too." Xanin laughed like it was some sort of joke, but Katha couldn't help frowning. Xanin noticed and said "Katha, what is it? What did I say?"

Katha looked at him for a moment. "They really didn't tell you what actually happened to me, did they?"

Xanin got a confused look on his face, "I'm not sure I understand. What do you mean?"

"I wasn't kidnapped, Xanin." . . .

Chapter One: Secrets

"What?" Xanin said, startled by Katha's answer."Then what happened to you? Did you - " Katha held up her hand to silence him.

"I left Xanin. I packed up, got on the closest outgoing ship, and left." Xanin stared at her trying to understand her. He gestured to a bench and Katha reluctantly sat down.

"But I don't understand why, Katha" he continued. "You had everything you could possibly want on Balmorra. Family, friends, money... and....and you had me, Katha." Katha turned away so he wouldn't see the single tear that rolled down her cheek. He had always hated it when she cried, and she didn't think she could handle him trying to comfort her.

"I know, Xanin, and I'm sorry. I really am, but it had to be this way. I just couldn't stand that lifestyle anymore; I had to be free. I thought if I left no one would notice and maybe I wouldn't hurt anyone."

"Well you did, Katha. I should be glad to see you, but I feel angry instead of happy now." Xanin said with a growing harshness. "I hope you're happy with your new life, because I sure as hell aren't."

"I'm sorry Xanin. I never meant to hurt you. I didn't know you would take it so hard. I mean we were only twelve."

"Do you think that so young!?" Xanin snapped, then he paused and his expression changed. "I'm so sorry Katha. I guess I've wanted to talk to you all these years and it just built up inside of me."

"I understand, and I don't blame you for being angry." She said. Xanin took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. He smiled slightly.

"So.... What have you been up to?" he asked casually. Katha thought for a moment.

I can't tell him about my Imperial status. I guess I can stick to the last 5 years and hope I run out of time. "Well," she started, "I hung around some travelers for a little while, saw the sites, had a few small adventures, nothing really exciting. I dealt with some pirates, and I'm now I working near here, thought I'd do a little shopping" Xanin watched her speak.

There's something she's hiding he thought. "Sounds... interesting, I guess, but it's a little vague for you. What kind of work are you doing?" Katha blinked, she hadn't expected him to ask. Something in her gut said she needed to find a way out of here.

"Uh well..." she smiled as innocently as she could, trying to think of a cover "I've been ---" Suddenly her comlink beeped. Katha inwardly breathed a sigh of relief. "Oh dear I'm sorry. Let me get this." She walked out of hearing distance and clicked it on "What is it?"

"The ship is preparing to leave, you better hurry", the voice said.

"Right. I'll be there." She killed the link and turned back to see Xanin standing right behind her. That's the second time someone's snuck up on me today she thought.

"Gotta go?" he asked. Katha took a mental note to keep her guard up better.

"Uh yeah, I do" she answered quickly.

"Do you have some way I could contact you? Maybe we can get together and talk some more, at a cantina or something." He said, shrugging.

"Uh, not really," she lied, "but here's a place that will forward a message to me." She handed him a number and turned quickly without much of a goodbye. As she got to the lift she thought silently I hope I never have to run into him ever again.

Xanin watched Katha go. Then he reached for his own comlink. "Zevon, did you get all of that recorded?"

"Yeah, but I'm not sure if it's enough." The voice replied.

" Sorry I couldn't get anymore before she left. Where should I meet you?"

"Go towards Invisec. There is a warehouse on the edge of the sector. I'll be waiting." The gruff voice went silent. Xanin started for the exit.

Back on the shuttle, ready for departure, Katha sat reviewing her conversation with Xanin. Something about him seemed different, she thought, but she couldn't place what it was. He was probably just angry, besides it's been 5 years, of course he's changed. A voice came over the shuttle's intercom.

"We are about to lift off, secure yourselves." Katha sat back and tried to push Xanin out of her thoughts.

On the edge of Invisec Xanin easily found the now abandoned warehouse. Inside was dark except for a lone flickering light in the distance. Xanin rested his hand on the butt of his blaster and cautiously proceeded deeper into the warehouse. Suddenly he heard a muffled noise. Xanin silently raised his blaster and looked around the area carefully.

"Zevon, is that you?" he called out. Xanin heard a scuffling sound, and Zevon's familiar voice cried out.

"Xanin! I-- " and his voice became muffled again.

"Hey, let him go!" Xanin yelled at the darkness. He looked franticly about, trying to see. A dark figure stepped out of the shadows but Xanin didn't have a clear shot at him.

"Put down your weapon and no harm will come to your friend."

"Alright" Xanin said, slowly stooping to the floor with the blaster. "Just let him go and we'll get out of your way. Come on we don't want any trouble, we were just supposed to meet someone here."

"Well it seems that we've found you and your friend first." Xanin looked at Zevon and back to the dark figure. Xanin's eyes narrowed.

"What do you mean?"

"Why don't you tell him, Zevon" the dark figure made a gesture and the two guards released Zevon. Xanin watched him.

"Uh...Xanin....this is the person that's going to help us get to Eagle."

"Zevon, you said he was going to be here. You didn't tell me we would have to talk to some middle man." Xanin said forgetting about the man still standing there.

"Silence!" snapped the dark figure. He stepped out from his cover and casually walked toward Xanin. Before Xanin could react he picked up Xanin's blaster. "The man you are looking for is not on Coruscant anymore. I am one of very few that know exactly where he is, and I'm willing to talk for a much more reasonable price than most."

"How do we know you really know where he is?" Xanin asked, hoping it wouldn't anger the man too much.

"Trust me, I know, but really you don't have a way to know. I guess that just a risk you'll have to take to get your information." the man smirked. Xanin glanced at Zevon, who shrugged slightly. Then Xanin stepped forward.

"So how much is this... risk going to cost me?"

"1000 credits, at least half that now, just for your own reassurances." Xanin thought for a moment.

"Fine. It's a deal." He counted out 500 credits and gave them to them man, who signaled to the guards.

"Come on, Xanin, we are going to a more...secure meeting place." Xanin glanced at Zevon again, but Zevon apparently didn't see a problem because he was already following the guards. Xanin caught his arm.

"You didn't tell me that our contact wasn't going to be here, or that he was an Imperial" Xanin whispered severely.

"Well I didn't know. He claimed to be Eagle, and his back ground checked out ok." Zevon replied back quietly.

"Hurry up you two, I don't have time for you to chatter." the man called back at them. They came to a small lift and got in. They stopped a few levels up at what looked like an office complex. The group walked in to one of the rooms and two guards closed the door, standing firmly to each side. The dark clad man motioned for Xanin and Zevon to sit at one end of the long table. He sat on the other end, the remaining guard beside him. Now that they were in better light Xanin could see that the man had a hood covering most of his face, and he looked at Zevon. Zevon was already slouching in his seat. Xanin sat impatiently, waiting for the man to say something.

"Well, are you going to give us our information or not?" Xanin said, suddenly jumping up out of his seat.

"Silence!" the man shouted. He gestured with a clenched fist. Xanin started to say something else, but an invisible hand silenced him. Chapter Two: Departures

Katha's shuttle arrived back at the SSD Dark Veil and headed straight for her quarters. After hanging up the dress, she pulled out her datapad and checked for any messages. A hologram message Varden, her CO waited.

"Katha, I have to go away for a few days and I can't find Cauley anywhere. So you are going to have to cover the meetings this week. I have to go, good luck." Then the figure disappeared abruptly. Katha sighed and looked at the time. She had less than five minutes to get ready. She went into the refresher and quickly washed off. Then she put on her uniform and pulled her dark hair back. She grabbed her datapad as she headed out the door. Katha got to the meeting room and settled right before the first people arrived.

They sat down quickly and one of them asked, "Where is Varden?"

"He had to go away for a few days" Katha said looking around the room, "Do either of you know where everyone else is?"

"Not here" one said laughing, then he stopped smiling, "really, everyone is busy doing something. A few people just don't show up for these things."

"Oh well, I guess we'll have to go on without them." Katha told them the weekly announcements, and discussed some issues. Then she sent them to the training room to practice some tactics. She went back to her quarters to think before she had to join her group in the training room. While she was there her brief encounter with Xanin came back into her thoughts. He was just as she remembered him, yet he seemed so different. He seemed so much colder, almost hateful. Could I have hurt him that much? She pushed the thoughts from her mind when she felt a presence at the door. Katha reached out with the Force to see who was there.

"Come in, Bandit." she called. The door slid open and the young man stepped in. He was clad in a crisp gray uniform. Bandit nodded a small bow to her.

"Katha, ma'am, I apologize for missing the meeting."

"Don't worry about it this time. Just make certain you get here on time next time. Varden will not be so lenient and neither will I from now on; understand?"

Bandit nodded and said, "Yes, ma'am. It won't happen again."

"Good, now let's get to the training room before the others decide no one is coming." Katha went out the door with Bandit close behind.

After training, Katha returned to her quarters for the night. As she looked through her files, she began to think about how her life was going. When she had left Balmorra it had been to get away from the stiff life her family was pushing her towards. Being on her own at such a young one had been exiting, but also lonely. Then when she joined the Empire she had belonged to something and it had felt right. Now she wasn't so sure anymore. She had spoken to several of her superiors, and a few of them had suggested taking recreation off ship for a little while. Katha had thought this a good suggestion, and had scheduled leave for three weeks time. She was to start as she left the SSD Dark Veil for a small Imperial Ball at Governor Ansant's home on Coruscant. This was a small bit of business she was to attend to before officially relaxing, and she didn't mind too much since it was at a party. Still even with this vacation, Katha wasn't sure if she would fell the same way about her job anymore. She thought back to the time, before she had come to Coruscant, when she was traveling with some mercenaries and smugglers. They had been very willing to let her tag along after she warned them against going to a certain planet that turned out to be more than just heavily guarded. That time in her life had been very thrilling and she couldn't recall a time when she had been happier. Katha fished out a datacard from her drawer and began to make a letter of resignation. Then she stored it for safekeeping. I hope I don't feel I need to send this after my vacation, but it never hurts to have it handy, she thought. Then she resumed looking through her mail and other files.

Xanin dropped back into his chair, clutching his throat. Then suddenly the man stopped. Xanin let out air with a whoosh and immediately gasped for more air. "You could've killed me!" Xanin yelped, still gasping for air.

"Be glad I didn't." the man replied, glaring back at him. "Now as for your information. The man you seek is in the Outer Rim."

"The Outer Rim?" Zevon spoke up.

"Yes the Outer Rim." The man acknowledged with a grin. "I will give you the co-ordinates of where to meet his ship. It's up to him whether you get further than that." Xanin and Zevon glanced at each other, each wondering what the man meant. The man laughed, amused at their confusion. Then an assistant entered the room with a datacard. The man took it from her, and then waved her away. She nodded a slight bow and left the room. Then man slid the datacard down the table to Xanin, "Here are the co-ordinates to where Eagle's ship will meet you. You can pay him the rest of my money; he will get it to me. I trust you have a ship to get you there?"

"Well ac -"

"We can get one." Zevon cut in, jabbing Xanin in the ribs.

"Uh - right" agreed Xanin, "Well thanks, we can find our own way out." They both left the room and bolted for the lift while trying to look casual.

Xanin was relieved that Zevon found a decent ship on such short notice, without paying a fortune. They had some men load their equipment for a small fee. Both Xanin and Zevon decided piloting the ship themselves would be more secure and eliminate witnesses. As soon as they were loaded up and had an exit vector, they sped into space. Zevon put in the co-ordinates from the datacard and calculated a hyperspace route.

"How does it look?" Xanin asked.

"All clear... Here we go." Zevon replied. He pulled back the hyperdrive levers and they watched as the stars lengthened into bright lines.

Katha awoke very early to finish preparing for her trip to Coruscant. She made sure to put all of her data files in her bag. After packing her clothes and supplies, she went to check the shuttle departure time.

"You leaving us already, Katha?" Katha turned away from the time charts.

"Oh...just for a few weeks," she replied "Why do you ask?"

"I was just wondering how long we were going to be without our princess." said Stryker sweetly.

"I'm no princess," Katha said, blushing, "besides, since when did you become such a softy?"

"HAH! Look sweetie I ain't no softy." He said, raising his voice slightly, but Katha could tell he was still joking around. "I just know what the ladies want to hear." he announced with a smirk. A few snickers could be heard throughout the room. Katha tried not to laugh.

"Right," she said sarcastically, "you keep telling yourself that, Stryker." She patted him on the shoulder and headed for one of the ship's cantinas.

Katha had planned on slipping into the cantina without anyone noticing her, but several people yelled a hey and tried to talk to her, all at once. After finally figuring out what each person was trying to tell her, Katha sat down at the bar and ordered Corellian Ale.

"Here you go, Katha." the bartender said, sliding the glass in front of her. He watched as she played with the glass. "Something wrong?" Katha sipped at the ale then set it back down and looked up at the bartender.

"No, nothing's wrong . . . why?"

"Well, you only that kind of ale when something is wrong." Katha smiled slightly as she took another gulp.

"Nothing wrong . . . I guess it's just a bon voyage treat."

"If you say so . . .", the bartender replied quietly. Katha fished out a few credits and laid them on the bar.<

"I'm fine, really! Give me a spice water to go." The bartender set a small bottle down and picked up the money, then walked off. Katha finished her ale and left the cantina.

She grabbed her luggage and went to the docking bay. Some of the pilots that Katha knew waved at her. One said, "Hey Katha, I heard you were going planetside. You gonna take a TIE down?" He grinned broadly.

"Yeah right. You know I couldn't fly anything if my life depended on it."

"Yeah, well, you better learn sometime 'cause sooner or later your life may depend on it."

"Well then maybe you can teach me when I come back, eh?" Katha said, winking. As she walked off she saw the pilot's buddies nudge him, and jest. When she got to the shuttle she noticed that it wasn't very full this time, which made her happier. She hated having lots of stormtroopers around her, jesting at each other the whole trip. She put her carry-on bag in the overhead compartment of a seat that was near a window and a corner.

This will be enough privacy, she thought. Katha pulled out her datapad, and checked her agenda just before the attendant announced they were now leaving the docking bay. Katha decided to take a short nap during the trip, so she reclined her seat a little and soon drifted off.

Chapter Three: Premonitions

Sub 3. Sub 4.
"Why down?"
He sees nothing but thick darkness.
Sub 5 and still nothing.
A shuddering bang.
"We're ruined!"
And still blackness . . .

Xanin sat up with a jolt. What a strange dream, he thought. Then he noticed Zevon was staring back at him from the pilot's seat.

"What was all that about?" Zevon said, looking slightly concerned. Xanin blinked and rubbed his eyes.

"What do you mean?" Xanin asked, not quite understanding Zevon.

"You were saying some numbers and words I couldn't understand, then you suddenly screamed, and sat up in your sleep. Then you woke up." Xanin just looked at him and then started pacing Around the small area. "Well?" Zevon said anxiously, "What was all that about?" he repeated. Xanin stopped pacing and sat down again.

"I'm not sure, but it had something to do with the dream I was having." He looked up and out of the window "Are we close?"

"Yeah, I was going to wake you up as soon as we came out of hyperspace but you were having the dream right as I exited. The co-ordinates say that we should be right about here. Now, lets see if this was worth our money." The watched out the view port for approaching ships. An alarm suddenly went off and Zevon looked at the control panel. "Looks like we have company coming up from behind."

"Let's hope it's welcome company." Xanin replied. "We're being hailed." He flipped the comm channels. A voice came on one of the channels.

Royal Savage, this is the Vengeance, please halt your course and state your business in this sector."

Zevon took the comm unit "Vengeance, this is the Royal Savage, we are here on business with Eagle." There was a pause on the other end. Zevon cast a worried glance at Xanin. Xanin sat attentively as if hearing something Zevon could not hear. The comm crackled back on.

"Royal Savage, submit the information encoded on your datacard." Zevon flipped some switches and in a few minutes the voice returned. "Proceed into the docking bay and wait in your ship."

"Acknowledged." Zevon replied, then switched the comm off. He turned the ship towards the Vengeance's docking bay and started the landing process.

She's in a small room with plants. The light flickers.
A noise . . . nothing there.
Or is there?
A hand covers her face . . . no screams
THUD and darkness . . .

Katha started. What was that? She thought. She had often heard of Force-sensitive people having visions, but had never experienced one herself. No, it was just a strange dream, she told herself. She looked out the window and saw what had really woken her up. The shuttle was lowering into Coruscant's atmosphere. Luckily, it seemed there was no storms to delay their landing. The ship drifted down through the shield openings to a landing pad far below. The lights of the city sparkled but were not bright enough to dispel the fast coming night. The attendant told the passengers to remain seated until the shuttle landed. As it landed with a soft bump, Katha stood quickly and grabbed her bag. The passengers filed out to be checked by security guards lined at all of the entrances. Katha took out the identification she was supposed to use on this trip. She handed it to the guard who scanned it and then scanned her for unauthorized weapons.

"Move through," he directed, handing back her ID. Katha quickly moved through the gate, and onto the skyhook she was scheduled for. A few minutes later she arrived at the Hotel Reesbon. She checked in at the desk and was escorted to a small, but luxurious room in the East Wing. Apparently, a package had been placed there for her arrival. Katha carefully opened the package and emptied it out on the bed. Her lightsaber was among the contents. Also a small blaster and vibroblade were there, along with some other items. She took out her dress and other clothes and hung them in the wardrobe. Then there was a knock at the door. Katha checked the area with the force then carefully went to the door and opened it.

"What is it?" she asked the woman who stood at the door. She wore a uniform that led Katha to believe she was part of the hotel staff.

"Pardon me for disturbing you, miss," she replied in a meek voice, "but I've come to see if you need new sheets."

"I don't think I need new sheets. I've only been here five minutes." Katha replied, starting to shut the door. The woman fidgeted before responding.

"Would you mind if I checked the sheets? A new maid forgot to change them in some of these rooms." Katha paused, thinking.

"Why not, just stay here and let me clear my luggage." The woman nodded as Katha returned to the bedroom. She pulled her bags off of the bed and was removing the contents of the package when she heard the floor creak near the bedroom door. She quickly stashed the contents into the wardrobe drawer and slammed it shut. The woman busted through the door, carrying crisp, neatly folded sheets. Katha resisted the urge to scold the little woman for not staying at the door till she called her. The woman changed the sheets even though the old ones seemed clean and unused.

"There you are, miss. I'll be on my way now," she said, as she bowed quickly and back out the door.

"Thank you." Katha muttered, watching the woman and bolted the inside lock. What a strange woman, she thought.

Tyker Spince waited at his station in the Offworld Headquarters for Xanin and Zevon to contact him. The comm unit suddenly beeped. That was quick, he thought, surely they couldn't have reached Eagle already. He picked up the unit. "Spince here." he answered.

"Hello Tyker, this is Chu'dak." A female voice replied.

"Akarnah! Where are you calling from? Are you sure this is a secure frequency!?"

"Yes, yes I'm sure! Listen! You haven't talked to Kintara yet, have you?"

"Not yet" Tyker replied tiredly "He hasn't called."

"Good." Akarnah said with a relieved sigh, "Tell him something for me. The girl he's tracking. That Jedi girl. She just checked into the Hotel Reesbon. She must have some insiders around here too, cause she got weapons delivered to her doorstep."

"Ok, I'll tell him." Tyker replied.

"And tell him to be careful, she was watching me like a hawk the whole time I was changing her sheets." Then Akarnah suddenly cut the comm. Tyker turned the comm back, shaking his head in amusement at Akarnah.

Poor girl, he thought, Always doing the dirty work around here.

Chapter Four: Plans

"Xanin they instructed us to stay in the ship till they come get us. I really don't think it would be wise to test their patience." Zevon pleaded, trying to black Xanin from opening the hatch.

"Fine, but I need to contact Tyker!" Xanin said impatiently.

" Just wait Xanin, you don't want to blow our cover by revealing our plan."

"Ok, I'll just check in so they won't send a search party after us." Xanin agredd reluctantly. He was about to contact Tyker when a voice crackled over the ship's comm unit.

"Royal Savage, your crew is cleared to proceed out of your ship. Officers will escort you to Eagle."

"Acknowledged." Zevon said into the comm. They opened the hatchway and walked down the ramp. A group of officers were lined up ready to escort them. Xanin and Zevon followed without speaking. They left the docking bay area and walked through the corridors of the ship to a meeting room. Zevon looked about the room. It's décor wasn't like anything he had seen in an Imperial made ship. It was slightly brighter. He looked over toward Xanin as their escorts stopped at the door and ordered them to go in. The door automatically shut behind them and the noise made both Zevon and Xanin jump.

There seemed to be no one in the room but a voice said, "Please, be seated." Xanin did not start like Zevon did, he sat down calmly, so Zevon did the same. A man seemed to appear at the other end of the room at the other end of the room, but Zevon saw that his chair had just blended into the wall. "I understand from my old friend, Cauley, that you are in need of my services. He didn't make clear what exactly you had in mind." Eagle said, flexing his fingers. He stared solemnly waiting for an answer.

"Well . . ." Xanin swallowed nervously." There's this man from my home planet who wants me to fetch his daughter and return her to him." Eagle raised an eyebrow at them.

"You want me to help you take some man's daughter home? I've never heard such a crazy idea. This is a free galaxy know, well for the most part anyway. Besides why would you need my help? She's just some little rich girl right?" Eagle asked. Zevon glanced at Xanin then answered quickly, afraid Xanin would say too much.

"She's not just some rich girl exactly, she's an Imperial."

"Whoa wait." Eagle said quickly, "Before I involve myself in kidnapping an Imperial outside of the battle field, tell me exactly who this girl is."

"Katha Sagara." Xanin replied, despite Zevon's covert objections. Eagle sat forward quickly as if he had just received a frightening surprise. Yet he was almost laughing when he spoke.

"Katha?! Hah! No wonder you didn't give Cauley any details. But . . . uh I still don't see why she needs to go back or why I need to help you."

"We have reason to believe that she is a threat to the New Republic." Xanin replied.

" Katha? . . . I mean she does her job well and everything but she's never openly threatened anyone unless she had to. The whole Empire is a threat to the Republic, why would she make a difference?" Xanin gestured to Zevon, who pulled out a datapad. He plugged it into the table's projection system and an image appeared before them. Xanin took the data pad and typed in a code.

"As you can see from this profile, Katha is moving up fast is the chain of command of her order. She is bound to have tons of support because the roster is full." Xanin said highlighting parts of the image.

"How can that mean she's gaining support. Look at the activity charts to order is almost dead." Eagle pointed out.

"True, but it's regained some activity since she became XO. Also there's information the Imperial Databanks didn't show. Stuff that Katha apparently hasn't told her superiors. Before joining the Empire Katha briefly ran around with some Ghost Legion pirates. She gained most of her training from them, which adds to her ruthless nature." Xanin continued.

"Ruthless nature? I don't know where you're getting all of this garbage from. Katha doesn't have a ruthless nature." Eagle scoffed.

"On the contrary, Eagle. She is known for her betrayal," Xanin insisted, emphasizing betrayal, "I know she will betray again."

"Unless you can prove all of this I have no reason to believe you." Eagle replied.

"Of course I can prove it." Xanin said with a smirk. Then he opened a file on the datapad and play an audio recording.

"It had to be this way. If I left no one would notice anyway. And maybe . . . I'll get some money out of it too . . . I dealt with some pirates, and now I'm working near here -" Xanin cut the recording off. Then he looked at Eagle for his reaction. Eagle flexed his fingers and concentrated on some unseen spot on the table.

"So she's going to betray the Imperials," Eagle pause "but . . . why would I care if she does that? It would just hurt the Empire, not the Republic."

"On, but it will, my friend." Xanin said, forcing himself not to smile, "Katha made a deal to betray the Imps with a Rebel. This Rebel is going to provide a payment for her. At the same time, she is working a double cross against the Republic."

"I see . . . " Eagle said. He drummed his fingers on the table. "I can spare a small force of men, but you will have to set up everything yourself. I will only provide minimal assistance."

"Very well. That will not be a problem." Xanin replied. He signaled to Zevon, who began packing up the datacards and datapad. "Now, we know that Katha is going to Coruscant, so Zevon and I are going to return there. As soon as we find out exactly where she is then I will contact you with how we are going to proceed. Can you have a team ready and on Coruscant by tomorrow?"

"Yes, I already have some people in mind." Eagle answered.

"Good, and I already have access to a few ysalamiri, so we will be able to use them if we need to." Xanin commented.

"Here is a contact number." Eagle said, handing Xanin a datacard, "Now, how is Cauley going to get the rest of his payment?"

"I can wire it to an account for him." Xanin replied. Eagle directed him to a datapad and Xanin made the transaction. He and Zevon were immediately escorted back to their ship. They left the docking bay as soon as they could and headed back towards Coruscant.

Tyker jumped when the comm beeped suddenly. He once again picked up the unit and said "Spince here."

"Spince, this is Kintara. How is the weather?" Xanin's voice asked, carefully emphasizing the code words. Tyker pause a brief moment to make certain the line was clear.

"Bright and sunny, Xanin." he signaled back.

"Good, what can you tell me?" Xanin asked vaguely.

"The Kat is in the golden city." Tyker replied in their careful, but quite ridiculous code.

"Where?" Xanin asked.

"nobseeR east." Tyker returned, carefully pronouncing the word nobeeR, "Be careful, the Kat was watching Chu'dak closely."

"Thank you" Xanin said and cut off the comm. Tyker immediately turned to contact Akarnah for an update.

"So what did Tyker have for you?" Zevon asked as Xanin replaced the comm unit.

"She's on Coruscant as we speak, at the Hotel Reesbon." Xanin replied, entering something into his datapad. "The Imps must have her there for some undercover op., because these records Tyker sent have no one under her name listed." He handed Zevon the datapad. Zevon tried a few searches.

"Maybe she's listed under a code name. We could search the rooms for a list of people fitting her profile." He said as he typed in some keywords. What wing did Tyker say she was in?"

"East" Xanin answered absently. Zevon fiddled with the search fields some more, a look of concentration etched on his face.

"Ah, there! I knew that would be easier. Not that it really matters, but her alias is Lady Brigit Nashira Darkfyre." Zevon showed Xanin the datapad screen.

"Great. When we land and get to our headquarters I want you to hack into the Reesbon's database." Xanin instructed, "I'm pretty sure they require guests to plug their datapads in to receive messages by since it saves the hotel money on communications and security equipment."

Eagle had called together a mission team. Oridin noticed that this one was very small. He looked over at Perin as the last few members arrived. Only he and Perin were still wondering what they were doing. The other members had separated into their respective groups to receive the final briefing. Oridin turned his attention toward Eagle as the last person took his seat.

"All right does everyone whose received their assignments know exactly what's required of them?" Eagle said, calling the group to order. A few people mumbled yes's while others just nodded. Oridin glanced at Perin again. Perin just sat patiently awaiting his orders. "Good," Eagle replied, "Now, Oridin and Perin, you have the most demanding tasks to fulfill. You two, along with the planetside group," He indicated a small group of three, "will actually be on Coruscant. Oridin, only you and Perin are working directly with the contacts. The rest of you group will serve as transportation and emergency backup should you need it. - Is that sufficient?"

"Sure, Perin and I can handle everything else." Oridin replied.

"Good, let's go." Eagle said, closing his file. Oridin signaled to Perin and they both went over to Eagle.

"So... Eags, what exactly are we doing with these contacts on Coruscant?" Oridin asked.

"I haven't been informed yet, but something is so strange about their plan I really need you two to investigate. However, Oridin, you'll do most the deep searching." Eagle replied, "One of the contacts in Zevon." He looked over at Perin. Oridin exchanged a glance with Perin. Then finally Perin broke the silence.

"I haven't seen my brother in years, sir, but I will make sure he does not become a problem to our mission."

"I'm glad to hear that, Perin." Eagle sighed," Both of you tread carefully. I really sense something strange about this Xanin guy."

Chapter Five: Infiltration

Security seemed higher than usual when Xanin and Zevon arrived on Coruscant again. After a long wait at the security check they both managed to get to the apartments across the street from the Hotel Reesbon. Zevon set up the equipment while Xanin passed their location to a messenger who was to take the information to Akarnah at the Reesbon. Shortly after, Akarnah contacted their temporary base with a report.

"So Tyker said she was watching you carefully when you were observing her room." Xanin said, questioningly.

"Yeah, she seemed to know that I was more than I appeared to be. She had a question for every action I took." Akarnah replied. Xanin could hear the frustration in her voice.

"Where is she now?" Xanin asked to move on.

"When I checked a few moments ago she was still in her room. I say she'll come out soon for supper though. It's been a while since she ate last." Akarnah answered.

"Alright. When she does leave see if you can investigate a little bit. She if her datapad is connected to the central system. Zevon is working on hacking into that database now," Xanin instructed. He didn't wait for Akarnah to reply, knowing she understood what to do, and turned off his comlink. Xanin turned to see how Zevon was progressing.

"Xanin, I got into the database." Zevon slid the datapad over to Xanin. "She must have her datapad hooked up because I was able to access her message archives. There's a list of messages sent and received through this datapad in the past month."

Xanin began looking through the messages for some clue to what Katha's mission was and where she might be going. Most of the messages were about Imperial meetings and various memos. One message stuck out; an invitation to a governor's private party. "Zevon, come look at this."

Zevon swung his chair around to see. "It's a party invitation . . . What about it?"

"I think this is why she's here. Can you track the source and get a list of everyone these were sent to?"

"Sure. I can try at least" Zevon shrugged and pulled the datapad in front of him.

"Good, when you find it try to get us into that party."

Zevon looked at him. "Why?"

"Because I have a plan." Xanin picked up a drink and left to another room to contact Eagle.

Eagle was enjoying his dinner when one of his officers entered the room.

"Sorry to disturb you, Sir, but you have an urgent message." Eagle turned toward his holocron. He noticed the officer was still standing at the door.

"Thank you, Aaron, dismissed." Aaron saluted and left. Eagle keyed the message. Xanin's hologram appeared. "What is it, Xanin?" He saw Xanin smirk at his agitation.

"So sorry to disturb you." Xanin said with an edge of sarcasm, "but it was necessary to tell you my plan." Eagle waited for him to continue, "Here's what we're going to do . . ."

As soon as Xanin finished talking to Eagle he went back to see if Zevon had found anything. When he walked into the room, Zevon was relaxing in a chair and grinning widely to himself. Xanin intentionally coughed and silently laughed when Zevon sat up straight immediately.

"I'm finished," he said handing the datapad to Xanin and still beaming. Xanin looked down the list to make sure Katha was still on there. "Oh, I searched the backgrounds of some of the less prominent people on the list. These two looked sufficient," Zevon said. He reached past Xanin to press a key on the datapad. Two pictures with information under them popped up. Zevon pointed to the one on the left. "This is Jandar Pelkalin. He is a small businessman from Corellia."

Xanin stared at the holograph. "Good . . . very good. Where is he staying?"

"Uh . . ." Zevon scrolled through the man's information "he is staying at the Talon's Claw and so is this other guy, Erbin Senacke. That makes our task a lot easier to achieve."

"Yes, now let's get started."

Eagle contacted Oridin and Perin as soon as he finished talking to Xanin again. "Tikeris here." Perin's voice answered.

"Perin, this is Eagle, can you both hear me?" Eagle asked.

Perin paused a moment, apparently switching the comlink "Yeah, go ahead."

"Alright, I've talked to Xanin again. I told you what the plan is already. He wants your help in getting into the Governor's party. Both of you will pair off with one of them. I think it would be best if you team with Xanin, Perin. You will both capture a man they have chosen to replace at the party. Make sure your weapons are on stun and if anything feels odd to you get out of there immediately. Now let me talk to Oridin, Perin." There was another pause as Oridin took the comlink and switched it back.

"Yeah?"

"Oridin, I want you to stick close to Zevon and find out everything you possibly can about what they want with Katha. I've sent you some information about her to help you separate fact from fiction. If you find out anything important contact me immediately." Eagle waited for an acknowledgement.

"Ok. Don't worry Eags. I'll make sure little miss Imp doesn't get into any trouble." Oridin assured him.

"I was afraid you would say that" Eagle sighed.

Akarnah slipped into Katha's room when she finally left for supper late in the evening. She quickly surveyed the area. No recording devices, she thought. She walked around, careful to avoid disturbing anything. In the bedroom she noticed the drawer where Katha had stuffed everything before was cracked open. Akarnah slowly opened the drawer and examined the contents. Several disks and a vibroblade were among the supplies in the drawer. Katha's lightsaber was no where to be seen. The girl must have taken her weapon with her, Akarnah concluded. Akarnah carefully shut the drawer again, not noticing that it hit something which caused it to remain more open than Katha had left it.

Katha returned to her room with a meager dinner. This was her only chance to eat really good food for awhile and all she felt like getting was mush. She noticed something was different as soon as she stepped into the bedroom. The drawer! It seemed to be more cracked than it had been when she left. Quickly she dropped to the floor and removed the drawer from its casement. Luckily her secret box was still there. Even so she pulled it out to check, opening the box carefully. Her lightsaber laid safely inside. Katha sighed with relief and returned the box and the drawer to their places.

After finishing her dinner, Katha reviewed her mission files for the party. Her alias was Lady Brigit Nashira Darkfyre, a lady from Epona. This will be an easy part to portray, she thought. Her mother was Eponian and had taught her and her older sister all of the customs and traditions of Epona. She looked over her files on Epona to refresh her early education. The hardest part would be perfecting the proper diplomatic hairstyle on her own. While Katha's hair was quite long compared to the other women she knew in the Empire, it only fell to mid back, where most noble Eponians her age had much longer hair. The proper hairstyle for such an appearance as the Governor's party would be hard to make without enough hair. I'll just have to select an appropriate hairstyle that is doable, she decided.

When she finished her research, it was very late and Katha decided to get some rest. She changed her clothes and unwound her hair. Before she even combed her hair out she was falling asleep.

The next morning Oridin and Perin arrived early at a building near the Talon's Claw where they were to meet Xanin and Zevon. Oridin surveyed the area and turned to Perin "Remember what Eagle said. Keep your blaster on stun and get out if anything seems odd."

"Don't worry, Oridin. This will be the easiest mission we've had in a while.

"I'm not worried, just - " Oridin cut himself off as he felt a presence approach. "They're here." He whispered to Perin. Perin nodded back as Xanin and Zevon walked into the room. Oridin assessed the two men. Xanin was a good bit shorter than him but his dark hair and features gave him an intimidating aire. Zevon, on the other hand had the same shaggy blond hair and hazel eyes as Perin. They looked so much alike, even Oridin was having a hard time telling them apart. Luckily, Zevon was wearing darker clothes than Perin. Finally Xanin spoke.

"We can't all enter Talon's Claw the same way, so I will take one of you through the back entrance."

All present nodded and Oridin moved toward Zevon showing he had made his choice. Xanin looked at Zevon before he and Perin headed for the back entrance. Oridin followed Zevon as they made their way to the roof of their meeting building. He saw a small, but seemingly sturdy plank connected the two towering buildings. He allowed Zevon to cross the plank before him, then they both walked to the middle of the roof. Skylights were scattered over ever corridor. Zevon signaled Oridin toward one of them. They worked together to pry the transparisteel open and jumped through to the hallway below. Zevon pulled out his blaster and Oridin did the same. They paused at the corner to see if anyone was in the hallway. Then they slipped to the door of Jandar Pelkalin's room. Not wanting to draw attention to themselves by using blasters to get in, Zevon used a dagger to break the locking mechanism on the door open. When they burst into the room, a man Oridin recognized as Jandar Pelkalin jumped out of his seat in surprise. Oridin darted to the other side of the entranceway as he sensed Jandar drawing his blaster and firing a quick shot. The shot whizzed past Zevon and he reflexively fired back, stunning the man with a single blue bolt. Oridin picked the limp man up under his arms and hauled him to the lift at the opposite end of the hallway. Zevon watched as they went for unsuspecting passerbyers to make certain there were no unnecessary witnesses to take care of later. By time the lift reached the roof, Zevon had already contacted a pilot to pick them up. Oridin signaled for Zevon to help him and they both lifted Pelkalin into the craft. Then they both boarded and the pilot sped away.

Meanwhile Xanin and Perin had entered the Talon's Claw through a back entrance. They took the service lift to the floor where Erbin Senacke was staying. Xanin used a special cutting device to silently unlock and open the room's door. Perin and he both lifted their blasters as they entered the businessman's room. When they burst inside, Erbin, caught by surprise, lunged for his nearby blaster. Xanin reacted quickly and slammed Erbin's hand against the wall with the butt of his blaster. The man grabbed his hand in pain and Perin took the opportunity to hit him with a stun blast. He walked over to help Xanin lift the man up. They hid him in a laundry cart they found sitting in the hall and headed for the lift. As they were pushing the cart into the lift Xanin heard a faint blaster shot. I hope they aren't running into any problems up there, he thought as he glanced to see Perin's reaction to the shot. He seemed not to hear it. Oh well, no time to find out. They took the lift down to the back entrance. A speeder was waiting for them. Xanin helped Perin put Erbin into the speeder and discarded the laundry cart. They both climbed into the speeder and sped off.

Chapter Six: Preparations

Katha awoke early on the day of the party. She knew she would not be able to take her lightsaber along on this trip for undercover reasons, so she opted to strap a small, concealable, vibrodagger to her leg. She secured all of her important items in a safe place, so no nosey cleaning maids would get into them in her absence. Katha quickly put on the gown she had picked out for the party. It fit snuggly, but not uncomfortably on her body. The dress was dyed in a dark blue color and the soft, silky material shimmered in several different silvery-blue tones when she turned slowly in front of the mirror. "Now the hard part," she whispered to her reflection as she sat down at the vanity table. She combed out her raven black hair and proceeded to twist sections of it into an elaborate Eponian hairstyle. This took several tries, but after a remarkably short time, in her opinion, she had achieved a tasteful and suitable diplomatic appearance. She added a final touch with a bit of powder and lip color. Then she gathered her cape and decorative bag and left the hotel.

Once Xanin and Zevon took their hostages back to a secure place, they each returned to their rendezvous point to prepare for the governor's party. A member of the Coruscant Offworld unit had managed to create identification for their covers at the party. Xanin reviewed his files once again to grasp the character of his identity.

"I hope neither of these supposed small businessmen are connected with the governor's family. It would be kind of hard to pass as an old friend of the family." Zevon commented blankly.

"You worry too much, my friend." Xanin said, adjusting his collar in the mirror, "You found nothing to connect them directly to the governor or his family and neither did Colin. Just relax and enjoy an evening of partying."

Zevon nodded stiffly in obedience as they both left the meeting place for final preparations.

Oridin sat at his datapad, already dressed in a suit for the upcoming party. He inserted a datacard his team had managed to copy while Perin and he were in the Talon's Claw. The card was full of information about Xanin and Zevon's mission on Coruscant. Most of the files had to do with travel arrangements and meeting places. One file, however, caught Oridin's attention. It was titled Mining Planets. Oridin looked through the list of planets.

Alzoc III  Garos IV
Aridus     Kessel
Arkania    M'Haeli
Balmorra   Mimban
Bandomeer  Naboo
Bonadan    Nkllon
Dellalt

Oridin clicked on Kessel to see what kind of information the links contained. He only saw statistical information of the type of mining done on Kessel, but he still looked through some of the other planets. He decided to look at the stats for Balmorra, since it was the home planet listed in Xanin's files on Katha. When he clicked on the link for Balmorra, he saw an unusual symbol about halfway through the text. It was very small and blended in with the text so well he almost looked right over it. The symbol was composed of two broken circles that seemed to spell the initials OC. Oridin clicked on the tiny link. He took one look at the information that came up and immediately contacted Eagle.

"So why are they really kidnapping Katha?" Eagle asked Oridin.

"According to this information, Xanin is planning to restart a long-dead mining corporation called Offworld. The thing is, he plans to do this by bribing Quinn Sagara, Katha's father, out of pieces of his factory lands, and mining those lands, eventually buying out the rest of the land. He'll use the Sagara factories as a cover for Offworld and most likely kill Katha and her family once their purpose is served." Oridin explained.

"Don't add your own speculations, Oridin.We only checked this situation out to see how it would affect the Alliance. While I am not allowed to help Katha in any personal way, Balmorra's governor has been happy to provide the Alliance with weapons. Therefore, I will see if you are permitted to intervene in some way. Until then, go to Governor Ansant's party and give Katha a warning. She may not listen, but that is all we can do, for now" Eagle decided.

Oridin's hologram bowed in silent acknowledgement and disappeared as Eagle ended the transmission.

Slipping immediately into her role for the night, Katha allowed a man entering the party to escort her into the governor's house. The large house seemed cold and stony on the outside, which Katha thought unusual for a residence. Inside, however, was bright and rather exquisite even for an Imperial governor. As the gentleman left her company, Katha took in every aspect of the room. To the common onlooker she seemed to be admiring the splendid interior, but in fact, she was analyzing her surroundings. Upon entering the main reception room, the flickering presence of another Force-sensitive being, faded away. Katha wondered if the presence had been there at all. Across from her, no more that ten meters, the governor was being presented with a gift. The animal was like nothing she had ever seen before. Must be some rare exotic animal, Katha thought. She turned toward the refreshment tables to mingle with some guests there and bumped right into a man.

"Oh pardon me, miss." the man said politely, with a smile. But when she looked straight into his face his eyes seemed to register some recognition at her face.

"It's alright," she muttered, slightly out of character and moved to pass by him. He let her do so, but turned so that when he spoke again, his lowered voice was right in her ear.

"I know who you are, Lady Katha." Katha stopped in her tracks. She forced a pleasant smile and a look of confusion.

"Excuse me, but you have mistaken me for someone else. I am Lady Brigit Darkfyre, not whomever you said," she replied with a dismissive wave of her hand.

"Excuse me, miss, but I don't make mistakes. You are Katha Sagara. Your father is Quinn, your mother, Brisia. You have one sister, Corinna, and I need to talk to you alone. Let's go someplace more . . . private."

Katha blinked at his boldness. She wanted to ask how he knew these things, but she knew she couldn't. Instead she pretended to take offense. "I will not go off somewhere with you, no matter who you think I am!" she whispered harshly.

"You don't understand," he pleaded, "Your family is in danger!"

Katha could not help the shocked glance she gave the man, "I - I don't believe you!" she said proudly and stalked off.

Zevon entered the reception room a safe distance behind Xanin. When he entered, he noticed Katha observing the interior of the long room. He also noted that she seemed not to notice the presence of Xanin. Zevon moved, barely noticed past her and over to where Governor Ansant stood among some friends, receiving gifts. He knew that Katha's perceptions through the Force were now cut off because of the gift he was about to present to the governor. Governor Ansant noticed the strange creature he was toting immediately, and excused himself from his circle to investigate it.

"What is this . . ." the governor paused, not certain what to call it. Zevon set the creature, within its unique frame at Governor Ansant's feet.

"This is a rare and special gift, just for you, sir" Zevon explained sappily, "This and a small but generous payment of support are part of a proposal I'd like to offer."

"Oh really?" Governor Ansant said carefully, "Just what exactly is this proposal?"

"Look around yourself, Governor, and tell me what you see. I see a house packed full of people, most of them loyal to the Empire." Zevon stepped closer to the governor, so as to be discreet. "Now, tell me, Governor, what exactly would happen if even one of these fine people found out about your connections with the Rebellion?"

"I don't - know what you're talking about." the governor said, grinning like Zevon had told him a funny joke. Yet Zevon could see behind the smile he was willing to do anything to keep his secret safe. "What do you want?" Ansant whispered.

"I propose a trade; silence for silence. There is a girl here, who is not who she says she is. In fact, she's here investigating you. If you don't allow my partner and I to remove her from this estate and return her to where she is supposed to be, then we will make sure she is the first to know about your treason." Zevon replied severely.

"Alright, but if you break your end of the bargain I'll drag you down with me." Governor Ansant swallowed.

Zevon smirked, "Then we have a deal." Then he turned to go find Xanin, as well as Katha who had suddenly disappeared.

Oridin stood there in silence as he watch Katha leave in a huff. I know I'm not supposed to interfere, he thought, with a sigh, But it would be a worse crime to stand by and let her be kidnapped, even if she is an Imperial. He casually walked in the direction she had gone off in. He tried to search for her presence with the Force, but suddenly remembered that Xanin had had Zevon bring several ysalamiri as gifts for the governor. He knew there had to be more than one in the area because he was well outside the single ysalamir's range and still could not feel the Force. At least it prevents Xanin from knowing I'm here, Oridin thought. He paused in a long corridor. To his left was a large courtyard garden. Unfortunately he could not see very far into it, because its high grown flowers seemed to be making a wall. From what Oridin could tell, the "wall" was part of an intricate maze. Anyone could be hiding there. Perfect for kidnapping someone, he thought solemnly. But where was the entrance? Oridin could see no way down the hallway in either direction which looked like it opened to the courtyard. It must be in the residential wing, he concluded, and set off further down the corridor.

Chapter 7: Kidnapped

Katha retreated from the man's surprising words into the governor's courtyard garden. How could he know who I really am and who my family was? Why would he say my family and I are in danger? Her thoughts ran wild and the empty void she had felt since she arrived was of no comfort. She found her way to the reflection garden the governor had made for his wife. Strangely the rare Force-sensitive flowers from Epona were a dull shade of gray. None of the plants shimmered through their normally vibrant rainbow of shades. How strange, Katha thought with a gasp. She suddenly wheeled around at the crunch of a dead branch on the path behind her.

"Hello Katha" the man said.

Katha stared, wide-eyed, "Xanin, what are you doing here!? How did you --?" she gasped, almost whispering.

"I've come to take you home." Xanin replied with a grin. He seized her arm before she could say a word. Katha jerked back and tried to call on the Force to help her, but she felt nothing "It's pointless to try that, Katha; there's nothing to call on." Xanin grinned. He almost laughed at the confusion that flashed over her face. "Don't you remember those creatures the governor received? I know you saw them. Ever hear of ysalamiri? They emit a bubble that nulls the Force within it. They are all over this place."

He turned Katha to face him. "Now, we can do this the east way or the hard way. The easy way, you can walk out of here casually and take my ship back to Balmorra like a nice girl. The hard way, I'll have to drag you there kicking and screaming but I will get you there. I've paid the governor well. So, what will it be?"

Katha stared at him for a moment. She seemed to have resigned herself to go along with him, but instead, as he loosened his grip, she retrieved the vibroblade at her leg and snatched her arm away from Xanin with lightning-fast reflexes.

"Katha don't do this. You'll only end up hurting yourself." Xanin coaxed, inching toward her with a hand up defensively.

Katha lunged at him and slashed at his hand with the vibroblade, cutting it. "I doubt that," she spat. She backed up and suddenly felt an arm grab her from behind. Katha gasped for breath as a strong hand holding some kind of cloth covered her mouth and nose. That only allowed the chemical on the cloth to do its work.

As Katha faded into unconsciousness, she saw the vague image of Xanin smiling over her and heard him say in the dim distance, "See? Now that wasn't so hard, was it?"

Zevon carefully shifted Katha's unconscious form so that he could more easily pick her up. Xanin led him out of the garden and through a servant's passage to where their transport waited. Though the chemical Katha had breathed was supposed to keep her out for a fairly long period of time, Xanin had not wanted to chance her waking up before they reached the base on Balmorra.

Once they were inside the ship he fitted a breathing mask to Katha's face and turned the chemical output on a very low setting.

The ship would arrive on Balmorra within a few hours, and Zevon decided he would use the free time to catch up on some much needed rest. He reclined his seat, using a rolled blanket for a makeshift pillow. Yet he kept his hand on his blaster, ever wary of Katha's presence as he drifted off to sleep.

Xanin stared at Katha, who looked like she was in a deep, peaceful sleep. His mind was swirling with thoughts of how he could force or convince Katha to return to her family willingly. He knew that soon after she returned her father would allow them to be married. Then and only then could he begin to help reestablish Offworld through the factory lands they would be presented with as Katha's dowry. What can I say to get through to you, Katha? he asked silently. He reached down and brushed a loose lock of her dark hair back from her face. Her closed eyes fluttered but she did not awaken from her drugged sleep. Rest Lady Sagara, he thought, perhaps you'll be more willing to listen to me when you wake up.

Xanin got up from his spot and tapped on the shoulder of a resting Zevon as he passed him heading for the cockpit. The pilot was receiving acceptance to land at a hangar above Offworld's new base.

"The time has come," he announced to no one in particular, as the ship descended into Balmorra's atmosphere.

Oridin almost ran past the party guests to get out of the governor's house more quickly. He ignored the stares and protests of the partygoers as he pushed past them toward the entrance I shouldn't have let her go off alone like that, he scolded to himself. Perin waited with their ship at the nearby hangar. He was startled by Oridin's quick return.

"Oridin! What's going on?" Perin asked as Oridin climbed into the cockpit.

"I'll explain on the way. Go to the Hotel Reesbon quickly!" Oridin replied, picking up his comlink to contact Eagle. When eagle finally answered he asked, "Have you had any luck requesting assistance for Katha?"

"For Balmorra, yes" Eagle corrected, "but it is still going through the works, nothing is confirmed yet."

"Well I could use the assistance now. They got Katha because I played by the rules. I'm not inclined to wait for procedure."

Eagle sighed audibly, "I don't think this is a good idea, but I also know there's not stopping you now. If you don't contact me saying you're on your way back within a standard week, I'll consider you AWOL."

"Yes sir." Oridin replied, cutting the communication.

"Eags is right, you know." Perin spoke up, "This isn't a good idea."

"Well no one said you had to go." Oridin remarked.

"Too bad. I'm not going to let you have all the fun and excitement on your own." Perin said, trying to suppress a grin. As they reached the Hotel Reesbon, a storm had started rumbling.

Oridin ran from the transport pad into the hotel through the pouring rain. Drenched from head to toe, he calmly asked the receptionist for Katha's room number. She gave it, as well as a key, to him without any protest, making Oridin wonder if the hotel was really as secure as it bragged. Once he got to Katha's room, he began searching through Katha's drawers, looking for supplies to help him when he found her. Now where is her lightsaber? He doubted she had taken it with her, since it would have been nearly impossible to conceal. Sure enough, after searching behind several drawers he found a smooth, rectangular box, which seemed to have no seams. He called upon the Force, searching for an internal opening switch. Soon the box slid open and he removed the lightsaber from it. He placed it and the other things he had collected in a small backpack and left the hotel. Perin and he waited till the storm passed enough for them to be granted an exit path through the planetary shields. Once they reached space, Perin immediately calculated a hyperspace route and they headed for Balmorra.

The lift descended from the main ground floor to the first of the seven sublevels. After leaving the lift, Xanin carried Katha's still unconscious body into the interrogation room, while Zevon and another Offworld person carried ysalamiri in nutrient frames to place around the small room. Xanin carefully set Katha in a chair, in the center of the room, leaning her head over on her shoulder. Then he bound her hands and feet together tightly, making sure the knots were secure. When he left the room her turned out the light.

In the observation room, Zevon and he could watch and wait for Katha to awaken through camera monitors with infrared sensors.

"Any guess about how long she'll be out, Zevon?" Xanin said staring at the monitors.

"Well, normally it wears off in a few hours, but since she breathed it all the way here, it will take longer, maybe even a few whole days." Zevon replied.

"And you're certain the drug won't have harmed her?" Xanin inquired with a worried frown.

"It shouldn't effect her at all outside of a slight groggyness and possibly symptoms seeming like she drank too much Corellian Ale." Zevon said.

"Good. I'd hate to have our plans ruined because we rendered her incapable of making decisions."

"Don't worry. I researched the drug extensively." Zevon assured him.

Xanin turned his full attention back to the monitors to observe the status of their captive.

Perin and Oridin landed their ship in the outskirts of a small town on Balmorra. With the files Oridin had obtained from Xanin's datapad, they had found the new Offworld Corporation Headquarters to be located at the edge of this small town called Etna 5.

Oridin brought up the maps from Xanin's datafiles and looked over them for possible entrances to the compound. Perin glanced of his shoulder at the maps as well.

"How about there?" Perin asked, pointing to a back entrance.

"No they'd see me on their security moniters before I even got close to the entrance." Oridin observed, but he kept looking at that area. "But look here, at these subfloor pipes. The exit is way out here into Etna 5's main pipes. This one to the far left seems to be out of use for repairs. If you enter the main entrance like you are going to rendezvous with Xanin and Zevon while I enter through this pope, then they are less likely to notice me. Then you can slip away and pose as Zevon to slip in and free Katha. I will meanwhile be making my way through the subfloors. You will send Katha on her way though the subfloors, so that we will meet up. Then we will all three meet at our rendezvous."

Perin nodded in acknowledgement, "Since we know the work shifts from Xanin's flies, slipping into the compound shouldn't be difficult."

"Then let's get going, who knows how much time we have left." Oridin said, closing the datapad. Perin opened the hatchway and Oridin walked down the ramp. He watched Perin lift off and head for the base's landing pad, then Oridin proceeded towards the pipe entrance.

Chapter 8: Imprisioned

Katha tried to analyze her surroundings by reaching out with the Force, but she only felt a void. The ysalamiri must be around still, she thought. Her head ached, and when she tried to move, the sudden pain made her swoon. She attempted to balance herself, but the bindings on her hands prevented her. Katha was forced to crumple to the floor with a painful thud. For a moment she couldn't move and her vision blurred. After recovering she could see that the room was so dark, that no contrast could be seen between furniture and walls. Katha slowly sat up in the darkness and felt around for the knot of the bindings on her feet. She subconsciously reverted to her old habit of biting her lip as she concentrated on untying the complex knot. Suddenly she heard the dorrr creaking open. She tried to sit back in the chair she had been placed in, but the dizzying pain returned and she crumpled to the floor again. The light suddenly blared on, and Katha couldn't help squinting. A figure was standing over her when her eyes began to adjust.

"Ah, look who finally decided to wake up," the familiar voice said, sardonically. All Katha could see about the figure, was that he was wearing dark clothes, but she knew exactly who he was.

"Why are you doing this, Xanin?" she demanded. He chuckled and bent toward her.

"I've already told you, Katha." He reached out and flicked a piece of hair out of her face.

"Answer me!" she yelled, glaring at Xanin. Suddenly he jerked Katha to her feet by the back of her hair, which was still pinned up from the party. Katha winced as the sharp pain returned, with full force, to her head.

"Anger does not become you, my dear," he scolded, twisting his hand through her hair, "You should really learn to control it."

Katha could feel her legs beginning to buckle. She seized the moment in Xanin's silence to slam her head into his face, despite it's increasing pain. He stumbled backwards, pulling her with him. Luckily, he let go of her hair to catch himself, but she couldn't move from her bindings to regain her balance and fell to the ground. She tucked up her legs as best she could to lessen the force of the fall, but when she came out of the roll her legs pounded onto the floor knocking the breath out of her. She laid there regaining her breath.

Xanin was meanwhile leaning against a nearby cabinet, his lip bleeding. He chuckled, as he wiped away the blood from his lip. "Katha, Katha, Katha," he said, walking towards where she was sprawled in the floor, "still as feisty as ever." He stood over her, but not close enough where she could kick him. Xanin called in some guards, who hoisted Katha to her feet and slammed her back into the chair. This time they secured her to the chair so she couldn't move. Xanin paced around her as the guards finished and left. Katha watched him, glowering. Finally she broke the angry silence.

"What do you want with me, Xanin?" she snapped. Xanin stopped pacing and walked toward her.

"Katha, do you have any idea how you leaving has effected your family? Do oyu know how selfish it was for you to leave?" he replied with a snarl, "and what about us? Didn't you even care enough to think about if you left our betrothal would be broken?"

"What . . .?" Katha said, "but I didn't - "

"Oh don't play sweet and innocent with me, I won't fall for it now. Don't tell me you had no idea. Why else would our parents even let us talk to each other?"

Katha didn't know what to say or how to calm Xanin down so she could get some clear answers. I have to get out of here, she thought.

Zevon watched Xanin pacing the small room. Their prisoner, Katha, was sitting silently in the chair she was tied to. She wasn't answering Xanin's questions and Zevon could see he was enraged.

"What about your father's factory? Your sister can't inherit it since she renounced your mother's culture. So who knows which of you incompetent cousins will take over." Xanin said, throwing his arms up in frustration.

"Well I'm sorry that you and everyone else seem to suffer so much from my leaving, but I couldn't stand to be there one more day. Don't my feelings matter at all?" Katha shot back.

Zevon winced from behind the window. He watched for Xanin's reaction. Don't give in, Xanin, you'll ruin everything. Xanin's face went blank and pale for a moment. Then he turned from her and looked up at the hidden window. His features turned into a scowl as he wheeled on her.

"Your feelings stopped mattering to me the day you betrayed us, Katha!" He whirled to face the door and left in a huff. She still sat there with hardly an expression on her face. Zevon turned around to find Xanin slouched in a seat mumbling curses to himself.

"Why is she being so difficult?!" Xanin yelled.

"Maybe because she truly believes she didn't do anything wrong," Zevon offered casually. "She clearly has no desire to go back."

"Yes that is a problem. Her father wanted her to come back willingly or the deal was off. If we don't resolve this soon, Quinn Sagara might get impatient and send a search party."

"What if she had a reason to go back?" Zevon suggested.

"Yes that's it!" Xanin said, jumping to his feet. "I'm approaching the situation the wrong way. Instead of trying to make her feel guilty about leaving, I'll make her feel she needs to return to save her family. She surely doesn't care so little that she would abandon them if they need her help." Xanin's eyes gleamed with vision and excitement. "I'll tell her that a powerful rival company is plotting against her father and family. That will certainly make her think about returning, at least long enough to close the deal with Quinn Sagara. Then Balmorra's largest factory group will be within my grasp and quite under Offworld's thumb." He turned to Zevon for his reaction.

"Will that work though?" Zevon asked. "What if she starts to suspect something?"

"She won't, and if she does she won't be able to connect anything to Offworld or me until it's far too late." Xanin replied proudly.

"I hope you're right." Zevon said quietly as he saw Xanin return to the interrogation room.

Xanin returned to the interrogation room with a solemn look on his face. "Katha, I should not be speaking so harshly to you. My behavior has not helped my purpose at all. Truly, I was sent by your father," he explained, kneeling beside her chair, "but during my attempt to find you I have discovered a plot against your family."

Katha felt her breath stop in her throat. So that man was telling the truth, she thought. Against her better judgement she spoke, "What have you learned?"

Xanin's heart leaped at the sound of her voice. Finally she is beginning to listen. "One of the more powerful rivals of Sagara Industries is plotting an internal take-over."

"How is that possible?" Katha asked.

"Well, with you out of the picture, so to speak, and your sister all but disowned, the company falls to one of your cousins. He is, as I just found out, in league with the rival company."

"So then there's nothing to be done about it," Katha said.

"Well," Xanin paused for effect, "if you return, all of our problems are solved."

Katha narrowed her eyes at Xanin, "What do you mean?"

"It's quite simple really. You return and the factory is passed back to you instead of your cousin. Therefore, no more threat of internal take-over," Xanin explained.

"Why don't you just tell my father about this threat? Then he can make sure the company is in the hands of a different family member," Katha replied.

"Your father fears that the factory is only truly safe in your hands," Xanin pleaded, "Please, Katha, you must return to Balmorra. Your family needs you."

"Well I - " Katha started, but a voice came over the comm system interrupting her reply.

"Xanin, you're needed at headquarters. We may have an intruder," the voice said.

Xanin's brow wrinkled in frustration. He tuned back toward Katha. "Think on it dear, I'll be right back to untie you and get your decision." Before she could say a word he had already gone out of the room.

Colin sat in the main headquarters of Offworld's base. His job was to monitor the outer parameter of the base for unusual activity and possible intruders. He leaned on his hand, staring at the center screen with boredom. Suddenly a flicker of movement on the far-left screen caught Colin's attention. He watched that screen intently, determined not to miss anything by blinking. Without looking away from the screen he contacted Zevon in the interrogation center. "This is Colin, tell Xanin to come to headquarters. We may have an intruder on the premises." A few moments later Xanin entered the room.

"What have you found?" Xanin asked, looking at the monitors in front of him. The figure walked by the monitored area again. "Hmm . . . follow and zoom in on that," Xanin directed, pointing at the blurry figure.

Colin zoomed the lens in on the figure. It was a man not much taller than Xanin or himself. He appeared to be much older as well.

Xanin chuckled when he saw the poorly dressed old man. "That's just one of the town bums wandering around in search of junk, nothing for us to worry about."

Colin stared at the man on the screen for a moment, not at all sure he was the same figure he had seen moments ago. But there's no one else in sight, he thought. He shook the doubt from his mind. "Alright then, sir. False alarm, my mistake."

Xanin was about to say something when one of the other surveillance guys interrupted. "Sir, there's a craft requesting landing privileges. He has a valid code."

"Let it land," Xanin said, "I'll go to meet the new arrival myself."

Oridin ran from behind the wall to a stack of boxes which would conceal him well. He had spent several minutes watching the surveillance pattern of the monitors in the back entrance area. As he waited for the next safe block he saw an old, raggedly dressed man several meters closer to the building than he. Watching carefully he noticed the lenses zoom in on the man and back out. No one came out to investigate. He must be a regular sighting around here, Oridin thought. Then he prepared for the next run as the cameras resumed their surveillance course. Another quick dash brought him to a concealed spot, only a meter at most from the pipes. Once behind the pipes he would have to determine if the abandoned pipe was the best route inside the complex. The moment the cameras left his spot he darted behind the pipes. He quickly determined that the abandoned section would do and ran silently down it into the subterranean depths of the hill.

"That's impossible!" Xanin yelped, his eyes blazing at the gatekeeper's ignorance. "You know as well as I do that Zevon left and returned to this building the same time I did. How could he have possibly left here in a ship that size without you knowing?"

The gatekeeper shifted from one foot to the other, trying his best not to be intimidated by Xanin, who was much taller than he. "I don't know, sir. It doesn't make much sense now that I think about it, but I'd swear anywhere it was Zevon."

Xanin flipped on his comlink. "Zevon, report to the landing tower immediately." He didn't wait for a reply. "I don't care who you thought you let into the building," Xanin said to the gatekeeper through clenched teeth, "there is absolutely no way it could've been Zevon. I was in the same room as him no more than ten minutes ago."

Moments later Zevon entered the tower room. "What's the problem?" he asked casting a confused gaze to everyone in the room.

The gatekeeper took one look at Zevon and loudly muttered a curse to himself.

"He let someone into the building he swears was you," Xanin explained with disgust in hie voice.

"He look just like you," the gatekeeper said, looking at Zevon, "but he was wearing a blue shirt and brown pants, not all black like you are."

Zevon looked down at the floor as if he was thinking very hard. When he looked up again his now harsh eyes caught Xanin's. His one word confirmed that he suspected the same as Xanin. "Perin," he said with a grim frown.

Perin was surprised at how easy it was to enter the interrogation room. Whoever was just here left in a hurry, he thought, I bet they'll hurry back too. He was certain it wouldn't take Xanin and Zevon, his twin brother, very long to figure out he was the one wandering around their secret complex. He was not sure how much time, if any, he had. When he opened the door to the room, a girl tied in the chair swung her face around to see. "Are you Katha?" he asked walking closer. She looked cautiously at him before replying yes. He knelt beside her and began untying her bonds ah he spoke. "I don't have much time to explain, they'll be coming back. You have to go through the sublevels to get out. My partner is there, he'll help you out. Go to the lifts, now hurry."

Katha jumped up out of the chair and ran out of the room. Perin did not watch to see that she got to the lifts instead he ran off in the direction of his ship.

Oridin had worked his way through the pipe into the sublevels of Offworld's complex. He soon found an opening in the top of the pipe and climbed out. Inky darkness surrounded him even in this open area. Perin has probably freed Katha by now, he thought as he looked for a direction to go. Oridin silently ran along the pipe , waiting at one point for a patrol to pass by. He hid his pack in a corner, then leaped off of the pipe to the ground below. After a good distance he decided to hide and wait for Katha to show up.

DISCLAIMER: I have not published this in any form other than what you see here on this site and also on the rpg boards or my league's site. I've made no money with either of these places.