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Missing Scenes
Post Revenge of the Sith: Deciphering a Plea for Help
The message itself made absolutely no sense. It was by far the worst attempts at a riddle she had ever seen and to make matters worse the woman (presumably) wasn’t even familiar with the environment about the animals she wrote about. This in truth hardly bothered Saché for most Alliance messages given did come across as poorly written riddles or poems. It just concerned her that the poor use of avatar animals chosen would draw unwanted attention and cause another to figure out the real meaning behind her words.
Which I should be doing right now but I can’t because I’ve never seen this sort of coding before she thought in frustration knowing the meaning had to be something obvious. Especially given the fact the messenger in question was obviously not trained in the finer arts of espionage or coding for that matter.
But outside of registering the basics that the Ysalamiri was the messenger the eggs being her cargo and the Krayt Dragon being the Empire Saché wasn’t able to piece much else. But the more she stared the screen the more she had the feeling the answer was just out of reach but within range. There was something painfully familiar about this particular use of animals and Saché frowned deeply in thought. Rising to her feet Saché left her kitchen to pace in her sitting room her thoughts turning to the past to previous experiences anything that could shed light on this ‘puzzle’.
However as her eyes fell to the closed Bo staff that rested on her couch where she had tossed it earlier in the day after her morning work out Saché’s eyes widened in shock. Suddenly the answer came to her in a rush with a memory she had long since forgotten.
“Saché did you know that the Jedi Order have seven forms of lightsaber combat? I find it fascinating that they have such a variety of formations to choose from. Apparently each one is specially designed to suit each person’s individual needs. I’ve been told the formation most commonly studied on Naboo is known as the Makashi or as Jedi Kenobi says “Way of the Ysalamiri" or "Contention Form"…“
Sabé’s voice echoed in her head as Saché cursed softly before whirling around and rushing back to her makeshift “desk” in the kitchen. Her thoughts struggled to recall what her friend had said of the other formation and with it came the answers she needed. Grabbing a pen she began to scribble onto the data padd the list of the animal avatars the represented each formation and possible names whom it could be associated towards.
Ysalamiri – Makashi = Sabé? mystery woman friend of Sabé? Contact??
Mynock – Soresu = Mystery contact meant to receive cargo or transfer cargo.
Krayt Dragon – Djem So= Imperial Empire? more specific…
Saché frowned deeply as she tapped her pen thoughtfully replaying Sabé’s words over in her mind pertaining to the lightsaber formations. The answers were here she knew it and furrowing her brow she tried to recall any other clues that would help as she continued to write.
Makashi = sword dance/ Naboo formation. Is this person Jedi? Familiar with Jedi?? probably.
Soresu = Makashi but less graceful more practical?? No known weakness or so Sabé says. Obviously ally in question but who?? Who would I know that studies this formation?Sabé would know this one.
Djem So = Makashi/Soresu. enemies of Soresu? Enemy of course!
She recalled another memory of the past returned to her and with it came a sad smile.
“How many Jedi do you think I know Saché?”
How naïve we were in those days she thought wistfully recalling Sabé snap reply and quick defense of Obi-Wan’s good name upon Saché’s discovery of the secret beneath woven charm that hung from her friend’s blade. Of course she was no better at the time when it came to admitting her growing affections with Soren but that was all in the past now.
Yet with this memory Saché finally found the last answers she needed to solve the mystery code of the message and she turned ashen at the realization.
The Krayt Dragon had to be none other than Anakin himself whom Sabé once remarked was a practitioner of Djem So or so Jedi Kenobi explained to her. With that in mind the ‘Volatile eggs’ had to represent persons who posed a direct threat to him. Why else would he be so adamant about hunting them down?
She could only think of one thing that would be enough to catch the Dark Lord’s attention; remnant Jedi.
“Volatile eggs indeed.”
Saché muttered with a deep sigh. This was just getting worse by the minute. Soren and herself worked fairly closely with the Lord Vader and were constantly under close watch as it was without having this just land in their laps. But she wasn’t about let this pass without at least trying to help in anyway that she could. So quietly she began to think of a way to make contact with this mystery woman to learn of where and when she hoped to transfer her ‘eggs’ to the one she referred to as the Mynock or as she knew him Obi-Wan. All the while thinking of a way to warn Sabé of what was possibly coming their way so she could warn Obi-Wan and learn if he would be able to assist this stranger’s plea for help.
Soren decided he would never get used to this uniform. It was itchy and stiff. It didn’t move or breathe as well as the Naboo guard uniforms. But the worst of it was the stupid hats they had to wear. If he ever found out who created them, he would hurt them.
He was on his way back to Coruscant from Naboo where he had been fulfilling duties for his uncle, Moff Panaka. It bothered him how little his uncle distrusted Palpatine. Was he really that thick? Apparently so. It seemed so many people were easily swayed by the now deformed-looking slimy Emperor.
The last time he had visited Naboo was a few months ago, instructed to cover up the ‘mysterious’ assassinated of Queen Apailana. The new government was soon set in place with the figure-head queen, Kylantha, who was also under Panaka’s rule.
How the public could be so blind, Soren would never know.
Soren adjusted the Imperial insignia on his jacket as he stepped off the transport. Lieutenants Veers and Piett flanked his sides, commending him for a job well done. It was almost offending how counterfeit their praise was, hoping to get the better edge off the other, their artificial smiles melting off their faces like wax.
He felt like a traitor wearing this uniform.
Only a scant few years ago, he had been serving Senator Amidala as her bodyguard and head of security. Now here he was serving the very same dictatorship she gave her life to prevent. He had loved Amidala as much as her handmaidens, like a sister, and it was all he could do to throw himself into the Rebellion, albeit secretly for it was the only thing keeping him sane.
There were only a few of them left, those who had served Amidala so faithfully. Saché was now a first lieutenant under him along with Moteé who was basically in training still. The other handmaidens and those who had been in training had either been conscripted into other factions of the military or protested against the assassination of their queen and were consequently killed. He knew all about it though as Intelligence Captain of the Chommel Sector—the highest ranking of the sectors as it was originally Palpatine’s home system—and he was often in charge of making sure such events were hushed up.
It was dirty business. It was dirty and he hated it with every fibre of his being.
The lietenants moved off to their own apartments and Soren’s boots thudded in the hallway as he quickened his pace towards his home.
No, being a spy for the Rebel Alliance was not the only thing keeping him sane. As he palmed the door open and stepped inside, he spotted Saché working at her ‘desk’ in the kitchen. It was good to see her.
As soon as the door slid shut, he ripped off the stupid hat and started on the top few buttons of his Imperial jacket. ‘I hope you weren’t waiting up,’ he said, having commed her just before leaving the Chommel system to let her know when he would arrive.
Saché didn't bother hiding her relief upon recieving the message from Soren and was more than a little pleased to know he would be arriving shortly. She had much to discuss with him and while she knew it wasn't something he'd want to hear she knew he was the best and safest person to speak openly about such things.
Frowning to herself she tried once more to work out some sort of plan to both make contact with this mystery woman and warn Sabé that she might have company crossing her path and soon. Having long since shed the annoying jacket that marked her as a traitor to so many (and loyalist to those who knew better) Saché was now pacing the kitchen with a mug of tea in hand. She used to blame Sabé for her 'addiction' to the caffinated beverage teasing she'd never know a full nights sleep because of it. Now the memory just made her smile sadly. What she would give for those simple days when the enemy was always in plain view and not lurking beneath the currents of society.
Although technically we've become the enemy Saché inwardly mused as her thoughts turned to Soren as she glanced to the chronometer. If judging by distance and the timing of the message he sent her he should be arriving shortly. This brought a smile to her features and she moved quietly to get a mug of tea ready for him as she presumed he would want something warm after the long journey back before returning back to her 'desk'.
As if on cue she heard the door slide shut and soon she caught sight of Soren. Offering a lopsided grin at the sight of him ripping off the hat he wanted to burn before getting up to greet him as she shook her head to his remarks.
"Oh no I was actually working on something big to be honest. And when I say big I mean complicated and downright dangerous. Just the way you like it!"
She said with a grin as she couldn't help but tease to lighten their mood a bit before adding.
"I made some tea if you want some."
Soren continued working on the jacket until he got it off, tossing it on a chair. 'You always know just what to say,' he replied, matching her little grin as he moved towards.
Without the jacket, wearing a plain black shirt, he felt much more like the person he wasn't ashamed to look in the mirror and see.
At the suggestion of tea he made a face. 'Actually I'm parched. Do we have any vita water?' Instead of going over to Saché, he went straight for the refrigeration unit.
'Aha!' he cried upon finding a lone bottle...which he drank straight from and finished off in a few gulps. 'Gods, that's so much better. It was dry as dust on the flight back.' He chucked the empty bottle into the bin and turned back to her.
'So what's so complicated and dangerous?' he asked, going straight back into business mode. He hoped it wasn't serious.
Saché gave a cocky grin to his words unable to resist.
"What can I say? It's all part of my irrestible charm."
She teased before shrugging as he made a face to her suggestion for tea.
"I think so..."
She remarked before folding her arms with a raised brow as headed straight for the refridgeration unit.
"Good to see you too there Soren."
She teased more amused by his lack of greeting than bothered by it before she rolled her eyes at his exclamation upon finding a lone bottle of water. Shaking her head in disbelief as she wandered back into the kitching noting as he chugged the water straight from the bottle before tossing it into the bin.
"Ever heard of a glass dear?"
Saché teased having long since given up trying to break him of this habit. But soon he was back to business and Saché promptly slipped into this mindset at well as she motioned him to her side. Her expression belied her concern and her fears as she softly spoke.
"You'll see soon enough."
She motioned to the computer screen and furrowed her brow deeply as she moved it so he could view the message shown. Quietly she continued.
"This arrived a few hours ago through our private channel. It was encrypted but not well enough to be considered Alliance, and certainly not in the fashion familiar to Imperial intelligence.
It originated from Rattatak and it would seem we are being asked to assist in the transport of some very dangerous cargo."
At her remark about the use of a glass when he tossed it in the bin, he said, 'No point.'
Encrypted messages.
Of course as soon as he comes home, there's more intrigue, more plots, more encrypted messages. 'Wouldn't have it any way,' he remarked, running a hand over his hair.
As he peered at the screen, his hand went to her waist, stroking it with his thumb absentmindedly. 'Rattatak. That's harsh territory. Why would we be receiving a message from there?' he wondered aloud.
'What d'you think they're asking us to transport?'
Saché raised a brow and just shook her head to his words as her eyes drifted to the garbage.
"I suppose you have a point there; although good shot."
She remarked in wry tones before turning serious once more. Saché quietly typed in the codes that would reveal the location of the message as she explained how she managed to locate it. A small smile crept into her features as she felt his hand slip to her waist. Strange how such a simple gesture can sooth even the more rattled of nerves she inwardly mused to herself.
At his question she nodded slightly in agreement. This was a question that had been replaying in her mind ever since she figured out the meaning behind the codes. It wasn't as though the Alliance had branched out far enough to catch the attention of the outer rim worlds and yet at the same time the messenger in question appeared to be a civilian. Which meant they had to have learnt of their existance through word of mouth. But then word does travel fast.
"I don't know to be perfectly honest. But I don't think its a trap either. If it were its poorly done to say the least and I doubt the Imperial contact in question would survive long enough on Rattatak to even be able to send such a message."
She remarked with a dark look but at Soren's question she couldn't help but sigh deeply. I'm sorry to have to drop this on you Soren but I can't think of a gentler way to break it to you. She thought to herself as she showed him the message and began to explain.
"It would seem our cargo is none other than survivors of the Jedi purge. To make matters worse Anak- Lord Vader is on the hunt for them and our mystery messenger as well. To top it off she's (at least i'm guessing its a she) trying to reach Obi-Wan."
She paused before casting Soren a concerned glance before continuing as she further explained.
"All the animals mentioned in her message are avatars that represent Jedi sword formations if I recall correctly. Although I'm not sure if this person is a Jedi themselves. Their hacking skills and coding is too limited for one who has been trained with the Order. I'm guessing they learnt these terms via the 'cargo' they are trying to send us. But I could be wrong."
'Civilian, hmm...I don't buy it,' he said, gesturing to one of the lines on the screen.
'Obi-Wan Kenobi?' Soren was baffled. Had someone else spotted him when he came to Sabé's aid on Naboo? He hoped not. But Saché and he didn't know where Master Kenobi took Sabé nor if they might have been seen elsewhere. He didn't even know if they were still alive, but knowing the two of them, they were.
He matched her glance.
At her revelation that it was Jedi, he nodded. 'I think it's a Jedi who sent this message. This frequency,' he pointed to the indicator, '...hmmm... Can you normalize it for me?'
Saché raised a brow to his remarks about their contact not being a civilian. In the past she would have argued the point vehemently but she had long since grown to respect Soren's instincts in such matters. But her curiousity was piqued all the same. But for the moment she didn't press the issue further figuring he would explain himself in due time.
But at his exclamation Saché could only nod her expression growing even more concerned as she sighed once more.
"I know that's about the reaction I gave when I finally figured who it was they wanted to reach. What I don't understand is why would they contact us? Its not like we'd know where he hiding."
She said feeling a chill run down her spine. No they couldn't have figured out we were the ones who helped Obi-Wan escape with Sabé she surmised darkly. We would be already dead if the wrong people did know.
But the person in question obviously knew who they really served and the fact they were aware of their knowledge to Obi-Wan's existance didn't help matters any.
Saché glanced to Soren and studied him for a moment as he matched her gaze before continuing. But at his final remarks Saché frowned deeply as her attentions returned to the screen.
"I was afraid you'd say that."
She remarked softly in reply as his suggestion confirmed her own personal doubts on the matter. This just gets messier by the minute she inwardly thought her mind already working on over time to figure out a way to help without Darth Vader discovering whom it is they both really served. But at his question she fell silent for a moment and quickly began to decipher the frequency so that it was normalized for Soren to study.
"You found something?"
She murmured softly as she gave him a curious glance upon completing the codes that would normalize the frequency he sought to examine.
Soren studied the frequency, not the message, as she normalized it for him. 'Hmm,' he said, thinking aloud. He took over, pulling up another frequency file to compare.
'As I suspected,' he said, without bothering to tell her what he had in fact been thinking. 'If we're to reply, we need to do so quickly. There isn't much time.'
He took in her curious glance, saying, 'It's an older Jedi frequency heavily encrypted in Rebel format...do you trust it?' Soren wouldn't make a move on this unless she felt it was all right to go ahead. He would leave this call up to her since she was the one who found it. Unlike their 'day jobs' in which it was him leading and ordering, he felt much better when he consulted things with her.
Saché cast him a curious glance before moving over as he moved to take over pulling up another frequency file for comparison. She wanted to ask him what it was he had in mind but remained silent not wanting to intrupt his train of thought. This was his arena after all for while she was good at tampering with technology he was the master of it.
At his remarks Saché frowned in concern. This in reality didn't surprise her given the subtle desperation found in the message. But as he continued his explaination she returned his gaze and turned pensive. It certainly seemed real enough, and given the location it hardly seemed like a trap. Furrowing her brow slightly she nodded.
"Personally, I think its real. Either that or Imperial intelligence has really gone out of their way this time to make this trap believable. But I can't see them doing that, theres just too much risk involved and too much evidence that suggests otherwise. What are your thoughts on the matter?"
She admitted before asking his opinion. Had it been only her own life at risk SAché would have replied without question. But she wasn't about to get involved unless Soren was prepared to do so as well. She wasn't about to risk his life and position if he had suspicions on the matter.
Soren met Saché's eyes, reading the truth there, just as he always had. It gave him confidence that this message was legit.
'I agree. I doubt it would be a ruse. The Imperial army is not exactly made up of the brightest minds and we're certainly not very well organised as of yet,' he added forlornly, having a gut feeling it would be eventually. The thought was scary.
'I think a trip to Rattatak is in order,' he surmised. 'Although we'll have to say it's a holiday to one of the nearby systems instead.' A small smile peeked out, though he was only joking. As covert as this operation would be, few people would know of their absence and few questions would be asked by his authorities. They were high enough in the Imperial foodchain that they were granted a few luxeries.
His words confirmed her thoughts and Saché nodded slightly in reply. So once more we're in this together she mused finding comfort in this fact all the while appriciating the irony. There was a time she would have balked at the thought, but now everything had changed and the one she had once viewed as the bane of her existance had in reality proved to be her closest confident, bestfriend and true love.
She offered a wry smile at his remarks about the Imperial Army though she turned more serious as he admitted a trip to Rattatak would be necessary.
"Agreed. The sooner the better I imagine."
Saché remarked simply before catching his plans to cover their tracks by suggesting they were going on holidays. Raising a brow slightly she noted his slight smile and returned it with one of her own as her eyes filled with wry amusement.
"Only you could find a way to crack jokes in a time like this."
Saché replied though there was more than a little hint of pride in her voice. While he had a way of agitating her nerves like no one else he also had a way of calming them too. While this was a dangerous mission to say the least, his sense of humour which mirrored her own had a way of taking the edge of it like nothing else.
But returning her attentions back to the screen Saché took a deep breathe as she began to work on a reply to the stranger in question. As she scrolled up a new screen she began to speak softly.
"I think our best bet pertaining to Master Kenobi's whereabouts is to try and reach Sabé's contacts to warn her of the have possible cargo coming. If anyone knows Master Kenobi's exact whereabouts it would be her."
Saché explained before adding as she gave Soren another glance.
"I'm also going to send a message to our "Ysalamiri" to inform her that help is on the way."
'We've got to keep our heads about this,' he warned.
Soren rubbed his forehead as she went on about which messages she was going to send to whom.
'How about this,' he suggested, 'You send the mystery person a date, time and location. Don't tell them it's help. I'll get in touch with Sabé's contacts. The less messages being sent around the better.
'I know, I know...it's just that this needs to happen quickly.'
At his warning Saché furrowed her brow instantly returning to business as she nodded.
"It's either that or we lose them."
She muttered softly as she sighed deeply before explaining her ideas for messages. But Soren's suggestion made far more sense to Saché as she gave him another glance. Her mind now instantly at work to figure out how soon they could depart and where would be a secure location for a rendezvous point.
"That would definately work. Get twice as much done in half amount of time..."
Saché remarked before falling silent for moment that is until she came up with a possible date and location. Offering it in suggestion to Soren also added a possible idea of how they could make this trip look natural.Or at least appear non suspicious to those watching them. She wanted to make sure everything was covered and could stand up to the heat of watching Imperial eyes before preparing the message that was to be sent.
'Gives us an extra hour,' he said. 'We will be going an indirect route.'
'As for our superiors,' he began, but then his datapad beeped alerting him to an incoming message. Soren smiled sarcastically when he pulled up the transmission screen. 'We've just received information that a shadowfeed was traced from the Weytta System. That's near Rattatak. So, we're going to 'follow up' on this or so we'll tell our superiors.'
Dangerous as this all was, it still sent a thrill through him. Hopefully what little they were able to do to help the alliance would make a difference. He had to believe it would.
Soren filed an official report so that if anyone was going to check the logs, they would prove their mission to Weytta was sanctioned. He then sent a message to one of Sabé's lesser used contacts to let her know about the cargo.
Saché quickly changed the time to give extra time for the journey needed to be taken.
She was about to ask how they were going to get around the matter of superiors but once more Soren had it covered. Saché smirked at his sarcastic smile. Though she knew it was high risk she couldn't help but feel a growing sense of excitement. It wasn't something akin to an adventure as going on such risky missions once were rather it was knowing that they were finally able to do something that had to be done, needed to be done in the name of humanity.
The explanation that Weytta System was near Rattatak was only too perfect and Saché couldn't help but grin. Everything was falling into place as it should. It would seem even the gods were on their side this time and for that she was grateful.
As he filed the official report Saché began to encode the simple message to be sent to their mysterious contact. Time was moving quickly and though she felt as like she was racing against it, Saché couldn't help but enjoy the thrill it brought as well. It almost made playing the role of traitor worth it.She just wished they could do more.
