A few Days Off 5

My uncle, despite his fierce and scary reputation, was good company. As a child I had adored him and despite our recent ups and downs that hadn’t changed much. While I had made a good recovery from the snake venom I was still fairly wrung out. I read, or watched the Holonet or played Zabraki chess with him. There were questions I desperately wanted to ask him but I held back. Last time I had pestered him with personal questions it had gotten a little unpleasant and I wasn’t up to fighting with him now. We talked about safe topics, mostly and steered clear of the subjects that caused friction, like what he really did for a living and Jyrki, as well as what his connection with Navaari was and where he had learned to understand if not speak Cheunh. He stayed away from giving me a hard time about what I did for a living and the older man I had become seriously involved with. I didn’t think he really disapproved of Thrawn, in fact I had the distinct impression that my uncle thought quite highly of the Admiral, but I didn’t much want to discuss that part of my life with him. So we kept our conversations light and the day passed easily enough.

Thrawn came home very late. I was already in bed and asleep but the sound of his voice from the living room was enough to bring me to the surface and become aware of his presence. Sometime afterwards my uncle slipped into the bedroom and kissed me on the cheek.

“I’m heading back to Tatooine now, lei’lei. I just wanted to say goodbye.”

I know I mumbled something but I was still too asleep to make sense. I was a little more aware when Thrawn came to bed some time later and spooned himself around me. I snuggled into his warmth and went back to sleep in the security of his presence. When I woke up next morning it was already light and Thrawn was up making breakfast.

“When did you get back?” I asked stifling a yawn, stumbling into the brightly lit kitchen.

“Around four this morning local time. How are you feeling?” he asked.

“Good, going a bit space crazy. When can I go back to work?”

“In a hurry to get away from me?” He teased handing me a plate of sweet rolls and pouring me a cup of stimcaf.

“I want off this wretched planet.” I told him. “It was safer in space.”

That earned me a raised eyebrow. “As I recall the last time we were in space someone was shooting at us.”

“They were shooting at you, I just happened to be there at the same time.” I corrected him.

He smiled. “There is a shuttle due out tomorrow morning at ten to meet with the Executor. Vader requested that if you were fit enough he’d like you to be on it.”

“Where is he at the moment anyway, do you know?”

“He returned to the Executor and is currently Mid Rim, I believe.” He said, looking at me as though there was more on his mind.

“What?” I asked as he continued to stare at me.

“How well did you know Antygra Zyllendel?” he asked.

I shook my head. “Well enough to hang around with at functions and the occasional night out with the gang but we weren’t really close friends or anything. I mostly know him because of Shiv, why?”

“He was arrested this morning for treason.”

I nearly choked on the sip of stimcaf. “What?”

“You had no idea did you?” Thrawn asked.

“No idea about what?”

“Antygra was part of a rebel cell that was based on Coruscant in the Imperial Palace. They are very small in number but they have been slipping information to the Rebellion for some time now.”

“Tygs is a rebel?” I could not quite take all this in.

Thrawn nodded. “Intel has been watching several people for sometime now but he wasn’t on that list until this latest incident with Jyrki Andando.”

“What does Jyrki have to do with Tygs?” I asked.

“They’re related.”

I narrowed my eyes. “If you tell me they’re long lost twins separated at birth I’ll have to hurt you.”

He smiled. “Nothing quite so dramatic, they are cousins. It would seem that while Jyrki was an only child, he has a very large extended family. His mother’s sister has several children, Antygra being one of them.”

“How did you figure all this out?” I asked. “I thought all trace of Jyrki’s family had been deleted from any records when he was admitted into the Jedi Temple.”

“I didn’t figure it out, Vahlek did with your help.” He said.

“With my help? I am clueless.” I told him.

“You told him Antygra’s full name which he recognised. Zyllendel was Jyrki’s mother’s maiden name but no one knew that, except your uncle who had known her before she was married. He thought that you being attacked by Jyrki so soon after running into Antygra was just too much of a coincidence. Turns out he was right to follow the hunch. He told me about the connection and I Informed Intel immediately. It turns out that Antygra Zyllendel was not even being looked at as a possible rebel but he was the missing link. Once they started to investigate him a great many things fell into place.” Thrawn said. “He has been feeding Jyrki Andando information about you for a long time now. No wonder Jyrki’s timing was always so perfect. He knew exactly where you were because his information was up to date.”

“I knew Tygs was unhappy about some of the things the Emperor and the Empire have been doing, but that he turned rebel?” I should not have been surprised but I was. I could not even express what I felt that Tygs would help Jyrki do what he did to me. “Please tell me Shiv isn’t involved in this somehow as well.”

“He isn’t. He had no idea. Intel cleared him.”

“I guess I don’t want to know how Intel determined that.” I buried my head in my hands and let the breath I had been holding out. I didn’t think I would have dealt very well with the knowledge that Shiv had done something to betray me or the Empire.

“I’m sorry, tekari.” Thrawn said gently.

I glanced up at him. “How did Tygs and Jyrki figure out that they were related? How did they meet? I mean Jyrki didn’t really know much about his parents.”

“Vahlek told him about his family and helped him to get in touch with them, but this was quite some time ago, long before you were part of the picture as I understand it. There’s a connection between Jyrki and your uncle I haven’t quite figured that out yet and Vahlek wasn’t particularly forthcoming.” Thrawn said. “It seems that after Jyrki found out you were working for Vader, he got in touch with his cousin. Antygra has been passing Jyrki information about you ever since. We are not sure if that is when Antygra joined or maybe even helped to form the small rebel cell in the palace but certainly it is all connected together.”

I shook my head. “This doesn’t make any sense at all. Why would Tygs hate the Empire so much?”

Thrawn shrugged slightly. “I don’t really know yet, Intel wasn’t giving that information out and even I am not privy to everything. I suspect it has been an accumulation of things over many years. People feel they are treated unfairly by the Empire, they do not like the rules and restrictions imposed upon them.” He shook his head. “What we do know now is that Antygra’s younger brother was one of the rebel pilots killed at Derra IV.”

I shuddered. Intel had some very unpleasant ways to extract information. I knew that first hand. Part of me felt sorry for Tygs but part of me was furious. He was the reason Jyrki had been able to find me. He was also the reason that Jyrki had been able to slip in and out of the Palace so easily. Tygs’s position had allowed him a lot of freedom in the Palace and access to many areas that were usually off limits. I was shocked. It would never have occurred to me that he would do anything to hurt me or anyone else. Now he had been arrested as a traitor. The implications were enormous and left me wondering just who I could really trust.

I sighed. “Do you know what the rebels were planning?” I asked. “Jyrki said the reason he wanted me off world was because they were planning something big here. What about the man Jyrki was with?”

Thrawn nodded. “Intel is investigating that and questioning Teldahn.” His answer was cagey and something in his voice made me look at him carefully.

“You’re not going tell me anything else, are you?”

“I am under orders not to.” He said. “Please don’t push.”

I nodded, “But whatever it was, they found it?”

He gave me an almost imperceptible nod but said “I am not at liberty to reveal anything in conjunction with the on going investigation.”

I sighed and my body language told him I would accept that for now. “What about Antygra’s uncle?” I asked. How does he feel about this?”

Thrawn gave me a blank look.

“Don’t tell me you don’t know that Admiral Harkov is Antygra’s uncle.” I was really surprised.

“I did not but most assuredly Intel does and is keeping the relationship quiet.” Thrawn said thoughtfully. “That information is not on any official records.”

“How is that possible?” I asked, wondering why such information would be kept hidden.

“How did you know?” He countered.

“Shiv told me, he said that it wasn’t something Tygs wanted everyone to know because he was worried people would think he got his job at the Palace through nepotism.” I said. “But I didn’t think it was that big of a secret.” I frowned trying to recall the conversations that had been about this topic.

Thrawn sighed. “Well, I am quite sure that Intel is aware of this and you should never mention it out loud to anyone else, even as idle palace gossip.”

I nodded. “How deep does this all go?”

Thrawn was quiet for a moment. “Deep enough to be of concern, but now, thanks to you and Vahlek there was a major break in the investigation. I expect sorting the rest out will not be so difficult. Your friend Antygra was very clever. He covered his tracks extremely well but Intel has a way of getting information. Ysanne Isard has been instrumental in finding and exposing small rebel cells, but this one eluded her and her team. She was impressed by your fortitude, her words not mine, when I explained the situation that led to this discovery.”

I was quiet for a moment sipping my drink. “Well,” I said, “I guess I am glad some good came out of this mess. Maybe now Jyrki will leave me alone.”

“I wouldn’t count on that, tekari.” Thrawn said softly.

I looked up at him glumly. “Me either.” I agreed unhappily.

He reached across the breakfast counter and caressed my face. “Well, he can’t get to you here.”

I nodded and sighed. “I hope not. I am so tired of this. I am so tired of bacta tanks and med-lab clinic beds, doctors fussing and the stink of disinfectants.” I said. “I don’t remember much after talking with my uncle via the ‘Net, just bits and pieces. I do remember you sitting by the med-lab bed for a while. It was funny because all I could think of was ‘hadn’t we done this before?’ It was a very odd sensation.” I absently touched the pendant at my throat.

“Indeed, watching you recover in a hospital bed is getting to be a bad habit, one I am hoping we will grow out of.” He said dryly.

I gave him a slight smile. “I just wanted to go shopping.” I said. “I needed to see Cati.”

He grinned. “Speaking of Cati, she sent a small datalogue of designs over. I took the liberty of browsing through it.” He said as he went to fetch it. “I am rather partial to design number seventeen.” He said as he handed me the datalogue. There was a hint of teasing in his voice.

I glanced at him as I skimmed through the designs to the one he had pointed out. “Oh!” was all I could think to say when the image popped up. “I don’t think I could safely wear that in public.” I told him. “That dress is more likely to cause bad accidents than fetch me compliments.” I told him.

His eyebrow shot up. “Who said anything about you wearing it in public?”

I glanced at the dress which was more a collection of delicate fabric scraps strategically and prettily placed than an actual dress and then changed the subject because I could feel the blush creep up my neck to my face. “So what is your plan for the day?”

He studied me for a moment, grinned then shrugged. “I have work to do but I can deal with it from here so I’ll be tied up for most of the morning in my study but once that’s done, I am all yours.”

“All mine?”

He didn’t answer but his smile did.