The Other Side of Grace 7

After the Grand Ball things around the Palace had settled down and were at a deceptive lull. Shiv was busy preparing for the Court’s move to Naboo and I was busy trying to keep up with the work that Lord Vader created. I had been disappointed when he had told me that neither he nor I would be staying on Naboo this year. I had been looking forward to it but his order had not come as a big surprise. He hated the planet for a number of reasons and he hated reminders of his dead wife even more. Shiv had told me when we had gone out for coffee and desert that this year it was only a smallish portion of the Court going and the whole affair would be quiet and toned down. The Emperor was moving away from the huge glamorous courts and trying to streamline things a little more so I would not be missing much. Still, I was a bit sad about it. I liked Naboo but not having to shift the office to another planet did make things a lot easier. With most of the court and many of the offices getting ready for the move things were fairly quiet on my side. This meant I could explore the Imperial palace without running into too many people, asking me if I was lost. I never got lost but try explaining that.

The Imperial Palace was a huge labyrinth of rooms and corridors, riddled with secret passages and tunnels that have gone untouched for years and years. When I had time, which wasn’t so often any more with the heavy Bunduki training schedule on top of the weird hours that Lord Vader kept, I wandered about. I had come across a few interesting places, a couple of hidden passages and a room full of what looked like antique vases of all shapes an sizes. There were a couple of rooms filled with books and old datalogues and I found what appeared to be a small banquet hall with a rather nice but old fashioned kitchen attached. On the whole I found the Imperial palace to be a very odd place.

I often visited the little library I had been given by the Emperor. I had not seen him there since my return but I was almost certain I felt his presence lingering and from time to time things were moved, or books added. Every time I visited there were new things to be discovered. The last time I had looked about I had found a file full of blueprints tucked away in a small shelf at the far end of the room. The bookshelf had been covered in dust that looked as though no one had touched it for years but I was certain I had explored it thoroughly. The data card had been tucked away behind a large book that I thought was supposed to be a cook book but I wasn’t sure. When I clipped the cards I to the card reader I was amazed to find the most complete set of blue prints I had ever seen. On one card were detailed plans of the Imperial Palace and on the other were plans the building I could see in the distance from my office window and my flat, the old Jedi temple. I had often wondered about the Jedi Temple but I had never asked about it, fearing Lord Vader’s wrath. After his display of temper the last time the subject of Jedi and family had come up I did not want to even think the topic let alone ask about the one place he would probably hate more than any other in the galaxy. But the Temple called to me, it tugged at my curiosity and that was always a bad thing.

I scoured the small library and the archives as best I could, looking for any information on my birth mother, on the Great Jedi Purge and the cloned soldiers who had fought the war. There were snippets of stories but nothing concrete and I began to wonder if I would not find more of what I was looking for hidden in the Jedi temple instead. The Jedi had been the ones to use the Clone armies, it made sense to me that their building might have better archives, more information which might answer my questions but I was not quite brave enough to try and enter the building. While, to the best of my knowledge, going there had not been verbally or expressly forbidden, I had a feeling that to be caught inside might not be the best thing to have happen. There were whispers that the Emperor had taken the entire building over as his personal sanctuary but I wasn’t so sure that was true. Still, as I stood staring out the window of my office, I wondered what was over there and why it had begun to pull at me. I was so lost in thought that I did not hear Jarack knock or come in.

I jumped when he said my name and then laughed. “Sorry, I was light years away.”

“So I see.” He grinned.

“You’re here very late.” I looked at the chrono on the wall. My lesson with master Kjestyll had been cancelled; he had had an emergency of some sort to deal with so I had taken the opportunity to work through some of the mess Lord Vader’s latest to-do list rampage had created.

“Yeah, well actually I would have stopped by in the morning but I saw the lights were still on. You know how things go; you start out a little behind schedule and just keep accumulating lateness.” He grinned handing me the bulky courier package he held in his hands.

I took the large envelope and signed for it. “So when do you head back out?” I poured him a cup of spice coffee from the carafe I had on my desk. He smiled as he accepted it.

“It’s a direct turn around as soon as I leave here, I leave the planet. I should be back in about three weeks if you can wait that long or I’ll send one of my guys over. The Admiral is on a tight schedule at the moment so we are all quite busy.”

I shook my head. “No that’s fine, I am also busy these days, so much so I can hardly can’t think straight let alone put serious pen to paper and answer these letters in a way that does them justice. This way I will have lots to write about when I get back.”

“Oh, will you be headed to Naboo?”

I shook my head. “Not this year but I am going home to Tatooine for a few days. I wrangled some time off to attend the Boonta Eve festival.”

Jarack grinned. “You actually get time off? How do you manage that?”

“Would you believe I make baby jax eyes at lord Vader until he can’t stand it anymore?”

“No. Try again.”

I laughed. “I just asked. I can work from Tatooine easily enough and a few days doesn’t matter much so he didn’t really have a reason to say no and I caught him on a good day.”

He grinned. “I don’t know how you do it, everyone else is scared to death of that man and you make jokes about his temper.”

“Maybe that’s how I do it, Jarack.” I said airily.

“That, Miss Gabriel I would believe.” He said finishing his coffee. “Now I am afraid I must go, deadlines are unforgiving. See you when I see you then, if you want a pick up done earlier, you know the drill.” He waved.

I loved the quiet of working this late at night but with a letter and other secrets tucked inside the courier envelope burning a hole on my table I decided to go home. I had been waiting for this letter and was a little worried about it. I made tea and curled up on the couch, tore open the package and opened the envelope of beautiful creamy paper.


A’mia Tekari,

When I first met you on the balcony in the palace, like so many others, I was curious about the young woman Darth Vader had accepted as his personal assistant. Everyone was whispering about this timid little outer rim red head and naturally I had to see for myself. After our brief conversation, your complete nonplussed attitude towards my appearance and your brazen response to my inappropriate hands on behaviour I knew then that you were unique and far from timid. It did not occur to me though, that you would become a part of my life in a way I could not even imagine. I am quite sure I could write several pages of terrible, florid prose about what makes you so intriguing and still never quite get it right, but perhaps from amongst all of your interesting character traits the two I appreciate the most are your unwavering loyalty and your open heart.

Your talented seamstress friend, Cati, had a valid point when she stated that men don’t like it when women keep secrets from them. She is quite right you know we do not like that at all, but I know you and that is not the sort of secret you would keep from me, that is simply not your way. Your letter sounded so apologetic, as though you had actually done something wrong by obeying an order given to you by Lord Vader yet I feel it is I who must apologise for not being there for you. I was also saddened to hear you did not have such a good time at what has to be the most lavish Imperial event of the year. It surprises me that Lord Vader would put you in such a position and that leads me to believe, as you surmised, that he has suspicions concerning the Grand Admiral although exactly what those suspicions are I have no idea as of yet. In the Empire nothing is ever as it appears to be. I can only reiterate my previous words and tell you to watch your back and keep your wits about you.

So mia sj’iu Tekari, how can I put your mind at ease? Should I tell you that I am not a jealous man by nature? That I am certain that were the nature of our relationship to have changed you would let me know, your blunt honesty has always been something I have admired even when it has been annoying. I would have liked to have been a fly on the wall when you turned Demetrius Zaarin down but tread lightly my dear, Zaarin, as I have said before does not like to hear the word no, especially from a pretty girl he has assumed will be an easy target for his advances. You mentioned discussing Zaarin’s work with him, I am quite curious. What is he working on exactly, that he destroyed table linen to impress you with? I know that there has been talk of upgrading and changing the TIE design but I have not seen any of the plans yet. Do not worry about losing my trust; you would have to work very hard to make that happen.

Now, let me thank you for the catalogue you sent me from the art show, it is a very good one and I am most pleased to have a copy. The image reproductions are very high quality which is nice for a change. I was very intrigued by your take on Chassu’s self portraits. That theory is not well published although it has been brought up in some of the more elite art circles by the scholars who delve more deeply into his psyche. If you manage to get a hold of his very rare self published autobiography you will see that you are actually not very far off the mark. He writes about his love hate relationship with his own self image but goes on to explain that he felt that it was impossible for an artist to capture all that he or she is in a single image, that is, a normal self portrait so he tried very hard to capture all sides of the personality. It might also interest you to know he loathed all his self portraits but it did not stop him from continuing to paint them. I believe in total he actually painted something like fifty-seven, many of which he also destroyed at some point before he died. I do not know if he actually used a fractured mirror for what he did but your analogy is very close to how he apparently felt. It does not surprise me too much to learn that you are both attracted and repelled by these paintings at the same time. They are remarkably powerful.

Isone Medeglia’s portraits are really quite elegant, don’t you think? I have only ever seen one in person before and judging from the images in the catalogue you were fortunate enough to see some of her very best. I like her style. She has a delightful understated elegance to her work. It is easy to see why, at first, one would be disappointed but thankfully you have the good sense not to judge on first glance and are able to see the beauty underneath the veil, so to speak. Your description of her use of light and colour is quite apt. You do surprise me, you know, with your ability to look past the obvious. I do agree it will be easier to discuss in person and I look forward to this conversation more than you know.

It should not surprise you to learn that it was the Dantassi who first led me to look at art as a more functional way of understanding people and cultures. Chiss art is something that is almost sacred in many ways. Our artists are considered national treasures and we value the best of them by displaying their works in galleries and museums, to be looked at and admired. The Chiss produce stunning works of art but to a small boy, also uninteresting. It was not until my encounter with the Dantassi that I began to see that art itself could be and often was so much more than just a painting on a wall. You must remember I was a young child at the time of this initial encounter. Before that art bored me to death, I was far more interested in playing with my model spaceships than being dragged around a gallery on an educational school trip. After my time spent with the Dantassi I started to think about art in a different way and as a young teen I began to study it on my own quite seriously, much to the chagrin and confusion of my parents. I read a lot on the subject and began to understand that one needs to, more often than not, look a little deeper at the art, architecture and artistic culture of a species to get a better grasp on how the species and culture work. These insights did not come over night and I work quite hard to remain educated in the field of art analysis. It helps that I genuinely do enjoy these studies and that they are not just a means to an end. Yes, I have on occasion had the opportunity to discuss these analytical aspects of art with His Excellency and we have often had some quite interesting debates. He does not always agree with me nor do I, him but in the end it is not really about who is right or wrong. You are correct on one thing though, he is very knowledgeable about art and he does have some unusual ideas on the subject as well. I did have to smile at his comment about furthering your artistic education, I don’t think you need a lot of pushing in that direction but do take advantage of any chances you get to go and see all the exhibitions you can. If I am able, I would be more than delighted to accompany you to these affairs should you wish it, the excuse to start yet another round of gossip notwithstanding.

I am sending you two books I hope you might enjoy. I did promise that I would try to find you Cheunh literature and thanks to some of my contacts I was able to procure some for you. The two I have included are among my personal favourites and are quite lovely. One is a collection of Chiss fairy tales and myths. The other is a delightful story based on an old legend that supposedly took place long before the great cold came. I will be quite curious as to what you think.

Your idea of matching slippers to go along with the black velvet robes for induction into the Canted Circle Order is an image that made me shudder and laugh simultaneously. I can only imagine what the rest of the members of this elite and somewhat snobbish group of men would think should one of their inductees show up in that fashion statement. As for your foray into the dangerous art of teasing me with such suggestions…well, it just leads me to wonder if I should not be more careful about the words I choose with which to converse, I am not certain I wish to provide you with more ammunition. I am quite certain I could think of some appropriate retribution for teasing… something long, lingering with interesting results.

Since you asked, Chiss military policy in general is that we do not make the first move; however should an aggressor attack us then we are free to take the appropriate measures in return to assure our safety is secure. Should I take your delightful foray into the world of teasing as an act of aggression thereby allowing me to counter attack? Of course, I would prefer to continue this in person. I think it is far more fun to tease you where I can see the results of my work, namely that sparkle in your eyes and the rosy blush on your cheeks. Or that moment when your pupils dilate and your breath quickens as I, perhaps, barely brush the nape of your neck with my fingertips, for example. I could describe my defensive strategy in great detail but I think that perhaps I will save that for when I am able to show you just what sort of counter strike I am capable of, should you wish to pursue this line of aggression. Rest assured, my dear, retribution will come when you least expect it. Make no mistake, I do not issue idle threats and I always carry through on a course of action, especially when I know I will win. It is unadvisable to start acts of aggression towards a Chiss warrior, particularly one with my unusual nature. Does this answer your question? Do you still want to play?

I know that this is a short letter but I am going to say goodnight to you now. I am quite fatigued and in the interest of not having my own advice tossed back at me about getting some sleep, I am going to bed. I will add a little good news that we will be returning to the core worlds soon. By the time the Imperial Court has returned from its retreat to Naboo I hope to be back in Imperial Space. I am certain that after your not so pleasant evening at the Grand Ball it is I who owe you many dances, a debt I shall be more than happy to repay.

Ilath’mera’talashti’Ia
Mitth’raw’nuruodo


I folded the letter back up and slipped it back into its envelope with a grin. How could he make me shiver and smile from so far away? How was it that his words could caress like his fingertips and create such an ache, such a longing that I almost wanted to cry? I sighed and then looked at the two books he had sent. They were old and beautiful and they had both been transcribed by hand. I did not even want to think what such books as these would cost on the antiquities market. I was willing to bet that there was many a collector out there who would give his eye teeth for hand written Chiss books. My fingertips stroked the covers of each book as though they were alive. I would take them with me on the trip home for Boonta Eve and read them in the quiet of my ship. I sighed as I got up. I was glad to be getting off Coruscant for a few days. All the petty bickering and political wrangling of court and office had begun to get on my nerves. Lord Vader’s already vile temper had gotten even worse and the last couple of days had been nothing short of violent shouting matches, hurled objects and air that crackled with power and tension. He had not actually given me permission to go on leave for a few days as I had told Jarack, but rather I had annoyed him so much that he had ordered me to get out of his sight and out of his way.

“So you would be happy if I went off planet?” I had asked.

“I would be happy if you would stop bothering me, do your job in silence and I could care less from where you do it!” he had snarled.

“So you don’t mind if I go to Tatooine then?” I said, pressing the point.

He had paused for a split second, detecting my underlying deception then continued to shout at me. “I don’t care if you go off and rot on Malastare, stop pestering me with stupid questions! I do not have time for your idiotic games. If you want to visit your family just go, but make sure your work is attended to!”

That had been as good as permission in my eyes and I had not bothered to complicate the matter further by having him clarify exactly what he meant. He was just in a pissy mood and I had learned how to take advantage of it. He was well aware that Boonta Eve was coming up because I had mentioned it several times in passing. I had half hoped to draw out his memory of the pod race he had won as a child. I longed to hear him describe how it had felt to not just participate but also win but the topic made him cranky and antisocial. I should have known better than to push but sometimes I just could not help myself. My father had been thrilled when I had sent a holonet message saying I’d be visiting and Bedi had promptly decided that they would hold a huge Boonta eve family dinner.

The next days passed quietly enough. Lord Vader was away and most of the major court had gone to Naboo, despite Shiv’s claims that this year the move had been toned down. There was a skeleton crew left behind along with the non essential departments and staff. I was glad to know that Master Kjestyll was also not going to Naboo this year. Our training could continue uninterrupted which was good because if I was going to pass the trials that were approaching far too soon for my liking, I was going to need all the help I could get.

I made my own preparations for my trip back to Tatooine. My droid, P2B4 had become accustom to my not being around and quite liked the trust I gave him. He seemed to think that being allowed to deal with the minor affairs of Lord Vader’s office was a big deal and got very irritated when people insulted him about it. It would have been hilarious if he had not been so earnest about it

I packed happily and was on my way out the palace to my ship when someone came running down the hall after me yelling my name. One of the young palace message runners, Taduk, he was called. He was all out of breath as he handed me the small data card.

“Miss…Gabriel…. I am so glad I… caught you!” he puffed. “The man said it was… very important that you get this….”

I smiled at the young boy, he could not have been much older than eleven or twelve and took the data card from his hands. I turned it over in my fingers and a shiver rippled down my spine.

“This isn’t standard Imperial issue, who sent this?” I asked.

Taduk shrugged. “He didn’t say his name, stopped off at the main office, said it was urgent.”

“Did you see who it was?” I asked. The main message center was on the ground floor and open to the public with proper ID. It was the only way the general populace could get messages to palace workers during work hours aside from holonet transmissions.

“Nope, he was all covered up, had a strange accent though. He did have a valid ident card, there will be a swipe of it in the system if you want.”

“Yeah, can you get me that info?”

“Now?”

“Yes, now.” I said a little more sharply than I had meant to. He ran off right away and I waited.

I turned the little data card over and over in my fingers not liking what I was sensing from it. There had been a brief flash of residual memory when I had taken it from Taduk’s fingers. I hoped I was wrong but was certain I wasn’t.

I drew a deep breath and took out my data reader, the small portable one I used when I was travelling and slipped the card into the reader slot. As I read the message my worst fears were confirmed and I could not stop the sudden rush of cold terror that swept up my spine.

I have not forgotten about you, Mouse. Was all the message said. I did not know what it meant but the underlying threat scared me more than I thought possible. I removed the data card from the reader and shoved them both deep into my satchel. I had the worst of the shakes and my fear under control by the time Taduk came back with a second card.

“Here you go, Miss. It’s all there. Bracktson says if you need anything else you can call him, he’s on duty now.” There was worry in the boy’s eyes.

“Thanks Taduk.” I said as reassuringly as I could. “Always like to be sure who sends me stuff, you know how it goes working for Lord Vader…check and double check.” I said with a smile hoping to take some of the boy’s fear away. They were all so scared to death of Lord Vader and they transferred that fear to me. I even so much as raised an eyebrow in question and they all jittered like nervous durnies.

The boy heaved a little sigh of relief and vanished before I could say anything else.

I didn’t have to look at the information on the second data card to know who had sent this message.

“Jyrki.” I hissed between clenched teeth. As I walked out of the palace towards the landing pad with my ship I wondered if he would ever leave me alone. I ran three very thorough checks on every system on board before I took off. Jyrki knew my tricks; he had taught me almost every one of them. If he wanted to get to me, through my ship would be the best way to do it. I was almost certain that he had delivered the data card himself but I didn’t understand why. After his stunt last year he was a wanted man and there was a pretty decent description of him on the core bulletin and holonet service. But he had covered his face, Taduk had said. ‘Bastard’. I thought and as scared as I was of him I discovered that I was even angrier.

The trip to Tatooine was uneventful and along the way I studied the blue prints I had brought with me. I hadn’t been sure what the exact policy on removing things from the library the Emperor allowed me access too but since no one had forbidden me to take stuff out; I had made careful copies from the data cards. These blueprints were incredibly detailed and showed many of the hidden passages that ran not only through the imperial palace but that also those that let to and from the outside to various building and places in the underbelly of the city. I was certain that if I looked hard enough I could find a way to get from the palace to the old Jedi Temple via some sort of passage, there had to be one somewhere but I just could not find it. The distraction kept me occupied until I had to land. It was late at night as I touched down and when I opened the ship up the air that rushed in was warm and sweet. Home, it felt good to be back.

Boonta Eve was a big celebration on Tatooine. It had started out in Mos Espa, a sort of day off in celebration of thanks. Some scholars believed that the word Boonta was bastardization on the word bountiful. It was the one day of the year where slaves, masters and pretty much everyone else got a free day. It had grown from a small localized event to a planet wide excuse for a huge party.

It used to be, before the Empire was in place that on Boonta Eve the great pod race was held. People came from all over the planet and even the galaxy to watch, but that had been before my time and I had never been lucky enough to see a real pod race, an official pod race. Now the holiday was celebrated with city wide street festivals, open markets and fireworks in the evening. Traditional meals would be prepared and small prayers of thanks offered up to what ever deity you believed in. Slavery still existed on Tatooine but less than before, even so, as was tradition it was the one day were slaves were allowed a certain amount of freedom, given time off to enjoy a day and night of celebration.

I spent the day with my family. In the morning I had gone shopping in the markets with Bel and Bedi while my father along with Uncle Vahlek, who had arrived at the house shortly after I had, hung the traditional lights and decorations.

The markets were a wonder and I loved them. Small, collapsible stalls set up on either side of the main square streets, with every imaginable sort of being selling anything they could, fresh produce, meats, pallies, trinkets, souvenirs, fabrics and clothing and so on. The whole place was filled with delicious scents of cooked food, spicy sweets and the traditional Boonta Eve drink, zuffi, a spicy blend of bantha milk and some sort of strong fermented fruit juice. It was potent, usually served cold and was a very acquired taste. For two hours we wandered in the early morning warmth, buying what was needed for supper. I picked up some new clothes and a couple of trinkets and souvenirs for my friends back on Coruscant. By the time we got home we had sampled too much zuffi, giggled so much our faces ached and spent a lot of money. For a brief time I forgot about everything else and just enjoyed myself. The rest of the day was spent helping prepare the dinner and just spending time with my crazy family.

Usually everyone who was around from the docking bay ate with us, a tradition my mother had started many years ago, but Boonta Eve was a time for families so most of the people had gone off to their own, the only additions for dinner were Tigann the book keeper and Nate, the mechanic who had just been hired the last time I was home. Dinner was a small but loud affair and consisted of fairly competitive storytelling between everyone. I had forgotten what it was like to laugh so hard.

After dinner, when the dishes were cleared away and everyone had retired to the living room I snuck away to sit outside. I would have gone up to the Bluff but too much zuffi and wine made that impossible so I just sat on the rooftop of the house and stared up at the night sky. Stars twinkled and danced and I was so glad to see them, they reminded me of how small I really was and that in the entire universe nothing lasts forever. These thoughts were not sad just sobering. It was so easy to get caught up in Court politics, feel more important than one really was and forget one’s place in the galaxy as a single being, tiny and fragile. I didn’t say anything when uncle Vahlek sat down beside me and handed me a cup of spiced coffee.

“What’s on your mind, lei’lei?” he asked after a lengthy silence.

I smiled. There wasn’t much I could hide from him. “I got a message from Jyrki.” I said. I felt him stiffen and the air rippled with his sudden anger.I repeated the message for him. “I don’t know what it means or what he is doing, what he wants but he really scares me. This message scares me.”

Uncle Vahlek nodded. “That is probably his intent.”

“Maybe I should have asked you to deal with him.” I sighed.

Uncle Vahlek glanced at me. “Do not say such things lightly, lei’lei.” He chided gently.

I looked at him. “It’s going to come to a head at some point and when it does….” I shrugged.

“You will be as ready as you will be.” He said.

“You specialized in being cryptic didn’t you?”

He just laughed. “Well, it’s true enough when you think about it though.”

“That’s not very helpful.” I said crossly and we sat once more in silence, sipping the hot spiced coffee until I asked, “What do you know about Coruscant, Zte’sa?”

“Be more specific.”

“Okay, what do you know about the Jedi Temple?”

“Why are you asking?”

I hesitated a moment then tugged at his sleeve. “Come with me want to show you something.” And I scrambled down from the roof, through the house out into the docking bay to my ship with my uncle in tow.

We sat at the little table and I turned on the data reader with the blue prints in it. The bluish light filled the common area as the three dimensional projection lit up.

My uncle looked at the image in surprise and whistled lowly. “Where did you get your hands on this, lei’lei?” he asked.

I told him about the library the Emperor had given me access to, watching as my uncle manipulated the image with a deftness that was a little unnerving. He had used these kind of readouts before.

“This is a very high end blueprint. Are you sure it was just lying around?” he asked as he browsed through the technical readouts, one by one.

“Well, it wasn’t exactly lying around and as far as I know aside from the Emperor I am the only one who has access to this room.” I told him.

“What are you looking for?” he asked.

“A way to get from the palace to the temple via an underground passage. I am sure there is one I just can’t find it.” And I showed him what I was talking about.

“You have the plans for the Temple as well?”

I nodded and keyed in the second file. The one replaced the other and uncle Vahlek sat back in his chair, folded his arms over his chest and studied the floating image carefully.

“Why?” he asked after a long silence.

I sighed. “In truth, I don’t really know. Ever since I returned to Coruscant the temple has been on my mind. Lately, I have dreams about it. It is as if I know my way around and I am looking for something, someone. I wonder if I can find out more about my birth mother, but I don’t know what the real reason behind it is, just that it calls.”

We were both silent and deep in thought when my father came on board. “Ah, there you both are, Bedi has been… is that the Jedi Temple?” he asked as he saw the technical read out.

I looked at him in surprise, wondering how my father would know that because as far as I knew he had never even been on Coruscant.

Uncle Vahlek nodded. “Merlyn is trying to find an underground passage from the Palace to the Temple.” He said.

My father pulled over a chair and sat down and began to manipulate the image. “I remember this bit, the great hall and this was the library, a huge room filled from top to bottom with all sorts of data imaginable. I had never seen anything like it before in my life.”

I stared at my father in shock. “You were in this place?”

He sighed as he looked at me. “When I was very young my parents took me to be tested. It turned out that while I was not gifted in the ways of the force I was blessed with a photographic memory. I remember it very well.”

“Why did you never tell me?” I asked.

“What was there to tell, pet? I was only there for one day. It was my first and last visit to the great core world.” There was a sadness behind his words. “My parents were disappointed and after that day things were never quite right between us. Looking back though, it was just as well, considering what happened to the Jedi in the end.”

I glanced at uncle Vahlek who shook his head almost imperceptibly, the message being don’t ask, don’t push. Then the two men began to study the blue prints as though I were no longer there. They spoke their own language of short cuts and half finished sentences and not for the first time did I wonder about what had brought them together. It was more than just a simple friendship; it was something darker and more secretive.

“Look, here lei’lei,” my uncle said after almost half an hour. “This is your library, yes?” I nodded. “Well, this wall is false and if you can figure out how to open it, there is a door right here.”

I watched where he pointed and closed my eyes to conjure up the room as I knew it. The wall was paneled like much of that part of the palace and there was a single half bookshelf there, at the back of the room. I had found the data with the blue prints on that shelf.

Uncle Vahlek waited until I nodded then continued. “From that doorway there is a set of stairs here,” his finger traced through the image making the projected light ripple slightly. “Then follow the passage to here and then where it splits go left and you have your way to the Temple.” He showed me the way and it looked so simple I wondered why I had not seen it myself.

He smiled as I squinted and moved about to try and figure out why I had not been able to find that on my own. “You were looking at the image from the wrong side, you can only see this passageway if you look at it from here. It’s very cleverly hidden.” He said.

My father nodded. “That tunnel goes right underneath everything, a direct way from palace to temple. Amazing, it takes you into what looks like a storage room. Very strange.” He shook his head but didn’t elaborate on what he meant.

I shivered as though someone walked over my grave.

My father clapped me on the back. “Come on, you both are going to be on the wrong side of Bedi and Bel if you don’t come back and join us for a nightcap before bed. You can talk all you want afterwards but the girls will be cross if you monopolise Merly all night Vahl.” My father said getting up.

My uncle grinned. “Best not to incur the wrath of Bedi.” He nodded and turned off the holo image. I sat for a moment staring at the empty air where the image had been.

“How long are you staying with us, Zte’sa?” I asked after my father had left.

“How long do you need me to stay, lei’lei?”

“I was planning on leaving day after tomorrow, I have a lot of work to do and I only managed to wrangle this time off by being obnoxious. There is only so much of that behaviour Lord Vader will tolerate.”

He smiled. “Then I’ll stay as long as you are here, if that’s what you want.” He got up.

I glanced at him. “I do.” I said.

My uncle studied my face for moment. “He really frightens you, doesn’t he?”

I nodded. We were not talking about Lord Vader. Uncle Vahlek patted my shoulder and as I got out of the chair he gathered me into his arms tightly, something he rarely did. I had to fight from crying. I had not realised how terrified I had been since Jyrki’s little message had been delivered into my hands until that moment.

“Lei’lei, don’t let your fear of him get the better of you, he is just a man and he can be defeated. Don’t give him so much power over you.” He said, stroking my hair, the way he would a frightened bantha. “Now, take a deep breath and get your self together, no need to scare everyone else and spoil the day? We can talk about this after everyone has gone to bed.”

By the time we walked back into the house the panic attack had subsided and I was laughing at uncle Vahlek’s description of the three jaxes and the new kittens. Bedi had made a pot of hot chaya liqueur and it was a nice way to wind down the last remnants of Boonta Eve.

Long after everyone had wandered off to bed, my uncle suggested we go for a walk up out onto the Bluff, away from the house, the city and the memories. Once we had found a quiet place to sit, we talked until dawn. It was only when I began to fall asleep, my head slumping against his shoulder did he nudge me into getting up and we wandered back to the house.

“If you want I can come with you to Coruscant when you fly back.” My uncle said as we walked inside.

“You must think I am being really silly.” I said. I felt silly. “I didn’t used to be this way.”

Uncle Vahlek stripped off his long coat and looked at me carefully. “This man, who was once your friend, your teacher and your first crush, kidnapped you, tortured you and tried to break you. I do not think you are being silly. I understand your fear but you need to get past it because, mark my words, he’ll come for you again. Sarlacc knows why and personally I think he’s gone insane. That you are scared is no wonder and he’s counting on that, lei’lei. Why do you think he sent that little note? That wasn’t a social call or even an apology, that was a barb deliberately created to frighten you. He is threatening you, playing mind games of terror, stalking you. He wants to put you on edge.”

“Why?” I asked.

“Because he can.” Uncle Vahlek replied.

“As if I didn’t have enough to worry about already.” I grumbled.

“You did mention that Lord Vader had discussed bringing you on board his ship with him, maybe you should push for that, you’d be safer there than on Coruscant.”

I yawned. “Maybe and then again maybe it has nothing to do with being safe at all.” I shrugged. “I have to go to bed I am not making sense any more.” I stood up on tip toe and kissed him on the cheek, his stubble prickled.

“Dream of good things.” he said heading into the kitchen as I went to my bedroom. I lay in bed watching the first rays of dawn trickle through the blinds. I was exhausted but my mind raced. Sleep took a long time to find me and when it did come, contrary to uncle Vahlek’s wish, it was full of unpleasant dreams.