[Short Stories] - [Insider] - Elusion Illusion (Michael Stackpole), Star Wars - Books And Short Stories
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Star WarsStar Wars InsiderN 66Elusion Illusionby Michael A. Stackpole###############################################################################SEVEN DAYS AFTER THE BATTLE OF GEONOS1S.Aayla Secura suppressed a rising Sense of anxiety as she entered the council chamber high in the Jedi Temple. Jedi Master Mace Windu stood with his back to one of the arched windows that revealed an expanse of Coruscant cityscape. To the right of the doorway stood another Jedi sniffing at the petals of a flower placed in a wall niche. He was a Caamasi with long and supple limbs. Golden down covered his body, with purple fur masking his eyes and sleeping up in stripes to his crown.Aayla bowed toward Mace Windu. "Forgive my lateness, Master."At first, Mace nodded slowly, as if only distantly hearing her. Then he looked up at the Twi'lek and gave her a more certain nod, clasping his hands at the small of his back. Aayla felt a wave of serenity flow through the Force, from the Jedi Master to her. He said, "Though the war leaves us thinking that there's not a second to lose, you are not late. Right now, the portal of opportunity we're afforded is not yet closed."He nodded to the other Jedi. This is Ylenic It'kla, a Jedi Knight of Caamas. He'll work with you on this particular assignment."The Caamasi offered Aayla a slender hand, and she shook it. Ylenic held her hand firmly, but she knew he was exerting only a fraction of his strength. The fluid motion with which he had turned to greet her suggested speed and power that would make him 3 formidable warrior. With his long reach, Ylenic could be a deadly duelist if he were at all practiced with a lightsaber.Aayla smiled at the Caamasi and looked back to Mace. "How am I to serve. Master Windu?""This is a delicate mission, Aayla, one that requires guile and intelligence, not just martial prowess. You have proven yourself with the latter at Geonosis.""But the former, Master?""I have meditated on this matter, and you are the right choice.""Yes, Master," said Aayla. She wondered what Windu was leaving unsaid, but she quelled the questions in her mind.Mace nodded in acknowledgement of her discipline. "Corellia, due to the influence of Garm Bel Iblis, has declared itself neutral in the current conflict. Despite this stance, both the Republic and Confederacy of Independent Systems exert some influence on the world. Along with a few other neutral worlds, Corellia has become a haven for refugees from both sides."Aayla raised one eyebrow as she grasped the implication. "And havens for those who would profit from trade with both sides?""Your knowledge of trading practices on fiyloth serves you well, Aayla." Mace smiled briefly before composing his face in a more serious expression. "In preparing for the war, the Techno Union started many development projects. Most of the researchers had little concept of how their work would be used, but one of them figured things out. His name is Ratri Tane. He stole his project's critical files and the only working prototype of some very valuable circuitry. He's sent his wife and child into hiding and he has made his way to Corellia. From there he seeks to hire transport to a place where he and his family can live in peace.""Tane is from Corellia?" asked Aayla."No, Coruscant, though his wife was from Corellia - the city of Coronet." Mace ran a hand over his jaw. "We believe Tane stole the prototype and files as insurance in case the Tech no Union found his family before his return."Aayla nodded. "And you wart us to find him and retrieve the files?""Yes," he said. "But it must be done quietly.""Will we have any help from the Jedi on Corellia?"Mace shook his head. "No, and that is why you must be careful. They have become somewhat: territorial, and with the politics of the system being as complex as they are, this is understandable. When Corellia declared itself neutral in this conflict, loyalties within the Jedi there were split. Siding with the Republic might bring the war to the Coreihan system, the system they've sworn to protect."Aayla frowned. "But they are Jedi."Ylenic opened a hand. "They are Jedi, and will defend the peace in their system.""And if we need them to defend peace in the galaxy?" said Aayla.Mace shook his head. That is a matter for later, Aayla. Your mission is to fnd Tane and extract him, Ylenic has been to Corellia before. The two of you will fly a smuggling ship, and you will be in command. You will be looking to move any number of cargoes, but will prefer passengers. To Tane, you will appear to be the perfect escape from Corellia. Briefing files have already been loaded into your ship's computer."Aayla smiled, much preferring the undercover role of a smuggler to being a slave dressed in too little to conceal a comlink, much less a lightsaber. "I've seen plenty of smugglers and seedy pilots. I can do this."Mace nodded and held up a hand. "You can expect to find the Techno Union hiring a variety of criminals to find Tane. You must be especially wary of Gotals. Their horns make them sensitive to emotions and possibly even the Force. They are common among the criminals of Coronet, so watch for them.""I understand," she said, growing excited at the prospect of this mission. Through the Force, she sensed both Mace and Ylenic react to her unchecked delight. She reined in that emotion and glanced down. "I shall be very careful, Master."Mace nodded solemnly. "I know in you we've made the right choice."Aayla settled into the co-pilot's seat in the cockpit of the Kuat Leisure I21-B modified yacht Flare. "Gear's all stowed. What do we have for a cargo?"Ylenic punched a button on the command console. "Foodstuffs, mostly. Delicacies that ex-patriots can't live without. We'll get a good price for them."She laughed. "Do you think the Jedi Council is much concerned about that? "The Caamasi shook his head and punched the ignition control sequence into the ship's computer. The ship's twin turbines came online with a whine. Ylenic shunted power to the repulsorlift coils, and the ship floated delicately before rising into Coruscant airspace. They were departing from a commercial spaceport so they would attract little or no attention. Although Aayla did not like to dwell on the prospect, she was certain there were both mechanical and living spies watching the Jedi Temple and all other sensitive areas on Coruscant to transmit data to the Separatist leader Count Dooku - wherever he was.Ylenic received clearance to leave the atmosphere, set the navigational computer for the prescribed outbound vector, and switched on the autopilot The Flare left the angular streams of daily traffic behind, and soared past the highest towers to join a thin line of ships departing the Republic's capital. Aayla watched the oilier ships, big and small, private and commercial, and even a few vessels with the distinctive red hulls denoting official Republic duty."How many of those ships do you figure are leaving on secret missions?" she asked.The Caamasi smiled, "I would think, Aayla, that all of them carry secrets of one sort or another. Illicit operations, I would assume for most. A mission like ours? One or two, perhaps.""You're probably right.""Am I?" The Caamasi's amber eyes softened slightly. "How do you draw that conclusion? I am guessing without a shred of evidence - no sense of the Force, just idle speculation.""It seemed correct to me." Aayla felt color rise to her cheeks and streak her lekku."This question should not be a cause of embarrassment, Aayla. The Force might well speak to you in ways it does not me."She thought about that possibility as the ship made the transition from atmosphere to the daik cold of space. The Flare inverted, giving her a view of Coruscant's surface, especially the glowing lines and flickering lights of the night side. The skylanes appeared like giant circuits with luminescent electrons moving along them. She picked one out and focused the Force on it, trying to receive some sense of its purpose. She felt nothing she could consider even the merest of impressions."Probably not the Force," she admitted, "but a guess on my part, too."Ylenic smiled and scanned the computer readout, "At least we are guessing along the same lines. This bodes well for our effort. We are clear for the jump to hyperspace."Aayla nodded and gave the order, "Go."The Caamasi flicked two levers forward, engaging the hyperdrive. The ship lurched forward and the stars went from pinpricks to bars all pointed down into a well that exploded up at them and filled the viewport with bright light. Aayla raised her hand to shield her eyes before the viewport dampers kicked in.Ylenic nodded. "We will make the journey in four jumps. This course will add several hours over a direct trip, but it will mask our point of origin. It will also bring us into the Corellian system on a vector that is not much watched by pirates.""Good thinking," she said dryly, "I would have suggested or approved that planning,"Ylenic reached out with his right hand and patted her on the left shoulder. "Yes, Aayla, you are in charge of this operation, but as your pilot I sought not to bother you with this sort of tedious detail."She gave him a quick smile and a nod. "I do wonder why Master Windu placed me in command.""Do you?" The Caamasi canted his head to the side. "This means you doubt the wisdom of our Masters, or else you doubt yourself.""Our Masters, no." She shook her head firmly. "But myself, yes, a bit. 1 am hardly the most experienced Jedi Knight in the galaxy, or even on this ship. You have been a Knight longer than I, so I wonder why I am not subordinate to ...
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