Chapter XXVIII – Ord
Mantell – Part III
“Cela!” Talon Karrde nearly shouted with relief at
hearing the young girl’s voice.
“Hello, Talon,” she greeted him warmly through their
audio restricted, but untraceable and secure
transmission.
“How
are you? How’s Mara and the deal coming along?” he
inquired.
Cela
hesitated and looked over at Luke, hoping he would
offer some kind of guidance. When he remained
passive, she returned her attention back to Talon.
“Things haven’t…gone, um, exactly as planned.”
“That
doesn’t give me a warm feeling, Cela. What’s going
on?”
“The
shipment wasn’t what it was supposed to be.” Cela’s
nervousness was setting in as she began to tremble.
“Meaning?”
Cela
didn’t need to see Talon in order to discern the
man’s irritation. “Meaning the shipment was full of
sculptures that also had vials of toxin in them.”
There
was a silent pause before Talon spoke again, making
Cela’s edginess more apparent.
“T-Talon?”
Finally, the smuggler kingpin said in a low voice,
“Where is the toxin?”
Cela
shrugged her shoulders in spite of the transmission
being audio only. “I-I don’t know. Destroyed, I
think.”
Talon’s voice dripped with exasperation as he asked,
“And Mara?”
Still
feeling as if she were being admonished for
something she had no control over, Cela couldn’t
stop trembling. “She’s, uh, in a coma from the
toxin.”
“A
coma? Too bad. She was a good asset.”
Luke
noted how Talon referred to Mara in the past tense,
as if she were already dead. He also didn’t seem to
indicate any surprise about this revelation. The
Jedi found this behavior disturbing, considering
Mara was his associate.
Talon
silently mulled over the information Cela provided.
He was grateful their transmission was not visual or
his reactions could have been disastrous. Of all the
sentient beings in his organization, Mara had been
his favorite. Her temper was like the sand storms on
Tatooine – dangerous and unpredictable. Throughout
her tenure, she had become invaluable to him and
even if she didn’t trust him, he knew he could trust
her – to a certain extent of course. Beautiful and
intelligent, sharp-tongued and a deadly adversary –
that was Mara. Slowly, very slowly, he had been
bridging those walls she hid behind and now…she was
probably lost to him forever. All of the high
aspirations he had for her disappeared with a single
vial. He had known the true nature of the ‘art’ deal
he had sent Mara on, but hoped the transaction would
go smoothly. His investor wanted a private deal, one
that would have netted Talon credits beyond his
dreams. The fiery haired woman would have been
included, except now she had slipped from his grasp
as well.
“She’s not dead,” Cela urged.
“But
I don’t imagine you have an antidote to administer,”
Talon shot back, his ire building from his losses.
“No…not yet,” Cela replied shakily.
The
young girl had peeked Talon’s interest with her
answer. “Not yet? Are you planning to pursue one?”
Unwilling to compromise her new friends, Cela
answered, “Yes.”
“I
would help if I could but I have nothing to offer. I
wish you luck, Talon out.”
Even
as the smuggler severed the transmission, Cela knew
he was lying. Talon had more resources than anyone
she’d ever known, he just didn’t want to get
involved. It made the teenager bristle at the lack
of caring he exhibited.
Her
mind was set; she knew what she had to do.
__________________________________*****__________________________________
Cela
sat at the controls without uttering a single word
for nearly a standard half-hour. Luke watched as he
felt her mind racing, devising a plan or something
else, although which one he couldn’t say. Without
warning, she stood up and started to leave the
cockpit. Her frustration and annoyance were still
obvious from the expression on her face, not to
mention that he had been privy to the entire
conversation with Talon Karrde so Luke understood
her reaction all the more.
He
reached out and gently grabbed her wrist, halting
her movement. “Where are you going?” Luke inquired.
Cela
turned her head toward the cockpit and then back to
the Jedi. “I’m going to help Mara so you better
leave the ship,” she adamantly stated.
Luke
stared into her eyes and the determination within
them. “Others have already gone to do that,
remember?”
“A
secondary mission. They’re more worried about
arresting Reynard,” she snapped arguably.
“And
you think you can do more?” he pressed.
“I’m
going to try. I owe her.”
Luke
considered the girl. Though young, she displayed a
spirit and determination that reminded him of his
sister. Arguing with Leia over the years had taught
him when to stop and listen, rather than continue
the disagreement. “Consider the consequences, Cela.
What will you do if you’re caught?”
“I’ll
take my chances.”
Luke
calmly gazed at her. “Talon knew more than he
divulged…didn’t he?”
“He
sure sounded like it,” she bitterly retorted. “If
she’d known about the toxin, she could’ve prepared
herself… She would’ve been more careful.”
“And
that’s why you’re angry? Because Talon wasn’t
upfront with Mara?”
Cela
glared at the Jedi and said, “Yes. Now
leave…please.”
“No,”
Luke smugly replied as he let go of her wrist.
“No?”
Cela’s look relayed her puzzlement at his reply.
“I
could haul you out of here, stop you from going.”
The
teenager eyed him thoughtfully. “But you’re not
going to, are you?”
Luke
lightly shook his head and smiled at her. “No. You’d
just find a way back here and take off anyway. I’ll
just have to go along on this foolish quest of
yours.”
Cela
began to smile but then doused it, trying to appear
menacing instead.
She
failed miserably judging by Luke’s smirk.
“Fine, but stay out of my way,” she stated,
attempting to sound gruff.
“I’ll
send a message to Han and Chewie,” Luke replied, his
smirk still lingering.
__________________________________*****__________________________________
“Don’t move, not even a twitch!” growled one of the
sentry’s, his blaster aimed directly at Sakoya’s
face. “You’re trespassing, punishable by death!”
“Oh,
is that so?” Sakoya put forth her best effort to
sound affronted. “Do you know who I am?”
Another sentry positioned his blaster on the woman
as well.
“No!
And I don’t care either!” the first sentry shot
back.
“I-we, have been invited here by Mr. Reynard Sindre
for a very special event,” Sakoya snarled.
The
Clawdites hesitated – she had their attention now
and she continued before she lost it. “I know
Reynard would be most displeased if you were to
threaten each of his guests so opprobrious.”
There
were few exceptions to Reynard’s standing rule that
his Clawdites must maintain a shape other than their
natural state, repulsed at he was by it. Only the
duties of those hovering over their intruders
afforded them this distinction. Still, such an honor
did not grant them the further exception of not
wearing the thin strip of plastex around their
necks, a most deadly collar, denoting their
servitude to the scientist.
All
of the guards, save one, stared hard at the duo.
“Captain,” the lone guard sternly said into a
comlink, “we have detained intruders near the
western perimeter. They claim to be guests for the
special event. What are your orders?”
“Bring them in. Our employer will know if they are
invited.”
“Aye,
sir.” Regor nodded to his counterparts who lowered
their weapons somewhat. He then turned toward the
humans. “Where is your ship?” he demanded.
“Out
there,” Xar’ek indicated with a tilt of his head.
“Why
wouldn’t you have landed in the compound?”
Sakoya quickly answered, “Consider it a matter of
trust.”
__________________________________*****__________________________________
Luke
sat staring at the viewscreen watching his mother as
her emotions played across her face.
“Luke, I-I can’t stop you…but promise me you’ll be
careful.” The devastating loss of her husband was
still fresh in the Supreme Chancellor’s mind and
heart. She knew that if anything happened to Luke it
would make her current emotional state that much
more precarious. I’m so relieved Leia is here,
Padmé thought to herself, which brought her some
comfort.
“I’ll
be fine, Mom. Trust me. I can’t let Cela go alone.”
Padmé
nodded in agreement. “No, you can’t. You’re gallant,
just like your father and I would expect nothing
less from you.”
His
mother’s face tried to mask the ache she felt but
Luke sensed it through the Force and it twisted his
heart into knots. “I wish I could take away your
pain, Mom,” he said sorrowfully.
Padmé’s lips stretched into a smile. “I know you do,
dear. I just miss your father so much…” Closing her
eyes, Padmé took a deep breath and then opened them
again. “I love you, Luke. May the Force be with
you.”
Luke
brought his hand up to the viewscreen and touched
his mother’s cheek, even though she couldn’t feel
it. “I’ll be home soon, Mom. Tell Leia that Han is
fine. I love you both. May the Force be with you.”
Mother and son terminated the holo transmission
simultaneously and the screens on each side of the
galaxy went black.
__________________________________*****__________________________________
“Ready to take off?” Luke asked, masking his sorrow
as he sat down in the co-pilot seat of Mara’s ship.
There
was a steely resolve not only on Cela’s face but
also in her eyes as she turned her head toward the
Jedi. Not only had her mistress been deceived, but
she had as well, and the result didn’t sit well with
her. She decided that it was her personal mission to
set it right – somehow.
“I’m
ready. You’re in for a treat, ya know.” Cela managed
a small smile. “Mara’s ship isn’t your typical
smuggler’s vessel. She’s had all kinds of goodies
installed.”
Luke
grinned. “I’m looking forward to the ride.”
Cela
initiated the take-off sequence as the repulsorlifts
engaged and the Conquest lifted off the
ground. Before long, Kuryn and the world of Nevus
were nothing more than a memory.
__________________________________*****__________________________________
“A
message from Luke?” Han said in surprise. “What’s it
say?”
Chewie relayed the Jedi’s message in his native
tongue, which Han understood with relative ease.
Han
rolled his eyes. “Ord Mantell? Is this another one
of his delusions of grandeur schemes?” he critically
asked.
Chewbacca agreed with his partner on this one as he
shook his furry head.
“Looks like we’d better go to the rescue. They’ll
need it,” Han commented with an exaggerated sigh.
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