‹ Prequel: The Hidden Truth
Sequel: A Last Good Bye ›
Reaching Through Darkness
A Kiss
Ch 18
Mirmo
I watched my apprentice edge into a group of high class, eloquently dressed group of humans and other species out of the corner of my eye. She would do fine, I told myself. Over the course of six months at the temple, training, she had learned to be social and how keep up a conversation, despite her handicap of not being from this galactic system. I focused my attention to my personal mission which was find information about the scandal. I tried various tactics to get into different groups which I spotted senators in such as telling a joke, or loudly commenting on a female’s dress. I earned their trust and approval, pretending to be a high class social worker, one who worked for society by sitting back in a high tech chair, listening to my employees about their problems and doing nothing. I kept my tone low and boring. My words were few, but describing and my body language was relaxed, yet bored of going to dinner parties like this one. I wore my barrowed tunic like my daily wear, turning down comments as anyone in my position would have done so. In short, I was fitting in with the rest of the crowd.
Once I had won the attention and favor of the senator in a group, I hinted more serious matters needed to be discussed with them privately. If the senator was smart, and most was, they excused themselves from the group and walked some paces from the mass of people. I offered them a drink and a seat and then questioned them about the incident. From the eight senators I had managed to pry away from the ball, none of them were willing to furnish any more information than I had been told. It seemed the senator was immensely embarrassed by the topic and bluntly refused to go further without angrily demanding why I interviewing them. Why they were so embarrassed was a question I had yet to figure out. I fervently hoped Chancellor Leia could provide me something more substantial to take back to Ven and the gang leaders.
Half way through the party I met up with Nea and reported my failure. He was unhappy, but commented it could not be helped. He went on saying he would try a few of his tricks to pick up any more clues. Half an hour before the end of the party I gave up on the social aspect of the party after checking up on Karen. She was happily dancing with some young man, dark brown hair swept back with glowing dark eyes that made me think of Roan again. I gathered the Force and spread my awareness of the living Force to the corners of the room and then doubled back again to the center, searching for formally Princess Leia. To my surprised, I got an answer through the Force from her and sensed she was coming towards me. I checked my location to ensure we would have privacy. We were alone on the third floor. Most of the guests were centered in the first floor, dancing the last of the night away or drinking the last drops of rare wines.
“We meet again Master Mirmo.”
I bowed to her as a Jedi does to another Jedi. She slightly bowed back, conscious of the holo cams that were zooming past us. This was not something either one of us wanted the press to get their hands onto.
“So what brings you to the center of the galaxy and away from my brother’s temple?”
I briefly told her of the gang leader’s meeting, the conversation at the senator’s office, and what I had not learned at the party.
“I had a report of this on my desk today. The report mentioned the lowest classes were getting unhappy about the new law that was passed for the locals. I had no idea it was this bad. Thank you for bring this to my attention.”
I asked her why the senators had remained so silent about the matter.
“I imagine they are facing pressure from their home worlds to cover this up. No one wants to be from a planet who’s senator was publicly corrupt. Therefore I doubt any of them would provide you information unless you told them you were Jedi on a mission, backed by my word.”
That was the whole problem. I feared that even with the word of the Chancellor, the senators would be slow to give out anything. I asked Chancellor Leia what was her feelings on what was going on. She hesitated before saying anything.
“I have no proof of this, but I feel the darkside is at play. This feels a bit too much like something Emperor Palatine did while he ruled. It is sneaky and quiet. It would just be like him to go for a group no one cares about to raise trouble. If you want, I can ask my brother for more help.”
I told her that would not be necessary. I had handled just as troubling problems before, just nothing quite like this. Nea joined our private conversation. I introduced him as a friend of mine who was helping us with the investigation. The former Princess eyed him with caution, much like Karen did when first introduced. It seemed women did not feel much towards my spicer friend. I could not really understand why. Sure, Nea looked a bit slimy, but beyond the surface he was one of the best friends a man could have. It helped that Nea had saved me from starvation and help me in straight as I tried desperately to keep a planet straight. He was a man I would die for and I knew the same of him.
It was time to leave the Chancellor to bid the guests goodbye and find Karen. She was found in a dark corner, arched back, trusting the young man to not drop her, deep in a kiss that he had started. I stood there for a moment, unsure what to think. Who was I to barge into their passionate moment? There was no law or part of the Jedi code about kissing, yet we all knew love was a two edged sword when mixed with the Force. The couple seemed to sense my presence and broke off the kiss. Two pairs of startled eyes met mine. Their bodies separated in a hurry. Karen was scared and the man was angry. I could hardly blame either one of them. The silence stretched for a moment before the man collected his wits and emotional control.
“Are you her Master?”
My eyes narrowed and Karen looked guiltily down at the wooden floor. She knew we were supposed to be under cover. I told the man yes and if he would let me have my apprentice back. My voice may have been a tad harder than I wished it, but there was a stir of anger and fear with in me.
With a gentle bow and a soft word, the young man wished his dance partner good bye and a good evening. Karen mutely came to my side, blushing heavily. With a stiff voice, I wished him goodnight in a clear manner to stay away from my apprentice. He smiled at me and bowed again.
“Same you to, my good sir. It is always an honor to meet a Jedi and a lovely apprentice such as yourself, M’lady.”
Something close to a giggle could be heard from Karen’s covered mouth. My frown deepened. Something about this man set me off in all the wrong ways. He was no innocent Roan back in the temple, but a man that set a feeling of uneasy with his wide smile and easy words. I watched him carefully walk away.
“Master…”
Karen seemed to search for something to say, but found nothing to ease the situation. I raised a hand to silence her and said it was alright. With that, she fell again quiet. We found Nea, who had the car ready at the landing strip. We rode back home in silence and I sent Karen straight to bed. I received no argument which was strange for her. Perhaps I had been overly harsh with her.
Mirmo
I watched my apprentice edge into a group of high class, eloquently dressed group of humans and other species out of the corner of my eye. She would do fine, I told myself. Over the course of six months at the temple, training, she had learned to be social and how keep up a conversation, despite her handicap of not being from this galactic system. I focused my attention to my personal mission which was find information about the scandal. I tried various tactics to get into different groups which I spotted senators in such as telling a joke, or loudly commenting on a female’s dress. I earned their trust and approval, pretending to be a high class social worker, one who worked for society by sitting back in a high tech chair, listening to my employees about their problems and doing nothing. I kept my tone low and boring. My words were few, but describing and my body language was relaxed, yet bored of going to dinner parties like this one. I wore my barrowed tunic like my daily wear, turning down comments as anyone in my position would have done so. In short, I was fitting in with the rest of the crowd.
Once I had won the attention and favor of the senator in a group, I hinted more serious matters needed to be discussed with them privately. If the senator was smart, and most was, they excused themselves from the group and walked some paces from the mass of people. I offered them a drink and a seat and then questioned them about the incident. From the eight senators I had managed to pry away from the ball, none of them were willing to furnish any more information than I had been told. It seemed the senator was immensely embarrassed by the topic and bluntly refused to go further without angrily demanding why I interviewing them. Why they were so embarrassed was a question I had yet to figure out. I fervently hoped Chancellor Leia could provide me something more substantial to take back to Ven and the gang leaders.
Half way through the party I met up with Nea and reported my failure. He was unhappy, but commented it could not be helped. He went on saying he would try a few of his tricks to pick up any more clues. Half an hour before the end of the party I gave up on the social aspect of the party after checking up on Karen. She was happily dancing with some young man, dark brown hair swept back with glowing dark eyes that made me think of Roan again. I gathered the Force and spread my awareness of the living Force to the corners of the room and then doubled back again to the center, searching for formally Princess Leia. To my surprised, I got an answer through the Force from her and sensed she was coming towards me. I checked my location to ensure we would have privacy. We were alone on the third floor. Most of the guests were centered in the first floor, dancing the last of the night away or drinking the last drops of rare wines.
“We meet again Master Mirmo.”
I bowed to her as a Jedi does to another Jedi. She slightly bowed back, conscious of the holo cams that were zooming past us. This was not something either one of us wanted the press to get their hands onto.
“So what brings you to the center of the galaxy and away from my brother’s temple?”
I briefly told her of the gang leader’s meeting, the conversation at the senator’s office, and what I had not learned at the party.
“I had a report of this on my desk today. The report mentioned the lowest classes were getting unhappy about the new law that was passed for the locals. I had no idea it was this bad. Thank you for bring this to my attention.”
I asked her why the senators had remained so silent about the matter.
“I imagine they are facing pressure from their home worlds to cover this up. No one wants to be from a planet who’s senator was publicly corrupt. Therefore I doubt any of them would provide you information unless you told them you were Jedi on a mission, backed by my word.”
That was the whole problem. I feared that even with the word of the Chancellor, the senators would be slow to give out anything. I asked Chancellor Leia what was her feelings on what was going on. She hesitated before saying anything.
“I have no proof of this, but I feel the darkside is at play. This feels a bit too much like something Emperor Palatine did while he ruled. It is sneaky and quiet. It would just be like him to go for a group no one cares about to raise trouble. If you want, I can ask my brother for more help.”
I told her that would not be necessary. I had handled just as troubling problems before, just nothing quite like this. Nea joined our private conversation. I introduced him as a friend of mine who was helping us with the investigation. The former Princess eyed him with caution, much like Karen did when first introduced. It seemed women did not feel much towards my spicer friend. I could not really understand why. Sure, Nea looked a bit slimy, but beyond the surface he was one of the best friends a man could have. It helped that Nea had saved me from starvation and help me in straight as I tried desperately to keep a planet straight. He was a man I would die for and I knew the same of him.
It was time to leave the Chancellor to bid the guests goodbye and find Karen. She was found in a dark corner, arched back, trusting the young man to not drop her, deep in a kiss that he had started. I stood there for a moment, unsure what to think. Who was I to barge into their passionate moment? There was no law or part of the Jedi code about kissing, yet we all knew love was a two edged sword when mixed with the Force. The couple seemed to sense my presence and broke off the kiss. Two pairs of startled eyes met mine. Their bodies separated in a hurry. Karen was scared and the man was angry. I could hardly blame either one of them. The silence stretched for a moment before the man collected his wits and emotional control.
“Are you her Master?”
My eyes narrowed and Karen looked guiltily down at the wooden floor. She knew we were supposed to be under cover. I told the man yes and if he would let me have my apprentice back. My voice may have been a tad harder than I wished it, but there was a stir of anger and fear with in me.
With a gentle bow and a soft word, the young man wished his dance partner good bye and a good evening. Karen mutely came to my side, blushing heavily. With a stiff voice, I wished him goodnight in a clear manner to stay away from my apprentice. He smiled at me and bowed again.
“Same you to, my good sir. It is always an honor to meet a Jedi and a lovely apprentice such as yourself, M’lady.”
Something close to a giggle could be heard from Karen’s covered mouth. My frown deepened. Something about this man set me off in all the wrong ways. He was no innocent Roan back in the temple, but a man that set a feeling of uneasy with his wide smile and easy words. I watched him carefully walk away.
“Master…”
Karen seemed to search for something to say, but found nothing to ease the situation. I raised a hand to silence her and said it was alright. With that, she fell again quiet. We found Nea, who had the car ready at the landing strip. We rode back home in silence and I sent Karen straight to bed. I received no argument which was strange for her. Perhaps I had been overly harsh with her.