Chapter 2: First Blood

The VIP room was nothing like the darkness of the hallway that led to it. But it wasn’t anything like the rest of the club either. It was almost like a room you’d have a fireside chat in, except it was far more well furnished. No fireplace to speak of, but it had that homey feel to it.

They were decked out too. There were several decanters and wine bottles of the highest quality. Not to mention there were also several fine bottles of sparkling water, decorated with blown glass pictures and designs of mythical sea creatures, the best stuff imported straight from Manaan. Whoever fit the bill for that one probably felt it was chump change. They had the backing to take the empire on alright.

She found them, an officer, two well known nobles from across the galaxy, and even a moff too. This bunch wasn’t any ragtag crew of upstarts, they were coordinating a clearly planned operation. And given they were all clearly humans, then they were keeping it all under lock and key.

For the first time since getting here, she felt worried. She knew their faces and knew who they were. But she did not make her presence a secret at the Emperor’s side either. She was clandestine enough that nobody in the empire really knew who she was save Palpatine and Vader. Yet she was seen around often enough that enough people had seen her, knew she was a person of great importance to be granted a direct audience with him. She only hoped in her current attire and with all her makeup on that they wouldn’t recognize her.

They did not. “Who the hell are you?” said one of the nobles. He was finely dressed, long curly red hair with a clean shaven face, but for all that he possessed the mannerisms of any drunken lout. Looked like one too, even now. He was renowned across the galaxy for being a known hustler who would often get arrested for being disorderly in public, he was seen often in casinos and places of ill repute. Either he was being used for his influence by the others to get their way or he was more shrewd than he let on. And if things went south, he could always be used a fall guy for their operation while they got off scot-free.

She didn’t care. “You know who I am!” she said in that same vapid and loud voice. “I’m tonight’s entertainment!”

“What?”

“Yeah, I don’t remember ordering any girls,” said the officer.

“Well one of you did!” she said, her voice just as perky. “And I’m not leaving without my credits!”

As expected, they huddled amongst themselves and whispered to one another. They were trying to keep quiet but she had learned how to pick apart the pieces of a secret conversation. She used her training in the force to listen in to all of it acutely.

“I didn’t order any fucking stupid bitch!” said the loud noble.

“I didn’t either,” said the officer.

“One of you morons better fess up quick or I’ll beat it out of you,” said another guy. He approached from the shadows, she hadn’t recognized him at first. Long white hair with a jagged scar running down his face, but for his rough appearance, he wasn’t old either. He wasn’t in any fine clothing or imperial uniform but he was clearly of some importance when the rest of them looked back at him. There was a bigger guy behind him, a tall Talortai who came to join their group, one of his thugs no doubt.

Mara Jade fast remembered who the one with an attitude was. Tyber Zann. A young up and coming gangster, he wasn’t as big as Black Sun or any of the Hutt clans, but he was going places. Especially if he was hanging out with this crowd. He must have figured he’d make a name for himself if this coup went off with a hitch. She knew of Xizor’s amicable business relationship with the Emperor and of how Jabba’s underworld success hinged on the current status quo. Knew also that if all that went tumbling down, everything would be scattered to pieces and he would be in a good position to be the new head honcho. Accompanied by Urai Fen, clearly he was serious about coming here.

She figured she’d have to say something to get them to calm down. She needed information and for all she knew, the web of their treachery might go further than this meeting in a Coruscanti nightclub. As she reflected on her situation, there were two other presences that she could sense in the force, one of them seemed acutely familiar but she couldn’t place it, and then there was one that was darker, something like the Emperor but could never match him in cruelty.

She looked in their direction. She arched her head and could see them more clearly now. Two other Imperials very much like her. Above the rank and file and given special privileges.

She didn’t know the first one, but she realized he had been staring at her as soon as she had stepped foot in here. She never saw him in person, but she had seen him in some of the Emperor’s data logs, and even without that, she knew from the dark red zeyd cloth he wore that he was an Inquisitor. She felt him trying to probe into her mind with the force. She couldn’t use that same power to defend herself.

Fortunately she knew how to defend herself. It was a matter of personal pride that she knew how to defend herself despite her prodigious talents in the force and protecting her mind was one such talent. Like the role she was assigned to play and the act she had performed to get in here, she let her mind overflow with racy thoughts, some of them fairly vanilla and innocent, and others involving lurid fantasies involving men and women of each species. He turned away fast, a faint blush tinging his cheeks.

Not someone high up, probably only very recently recognized into the fold. Maybe he’s only an apprentice. Probably lower than that stormtrooper too.

She kept herself from bursting into laughter. But for all her amusement at how easily she was able to deflect his mental assault, that didn’t ease away that he was here at all. Someone as low as him could be acting on his own, but despite his failure to look into her mind, he was still a step above most of the people here. He could easily man most of this rabble as if he owned them if he wanted too and yet he was hiding in the shadows like he was afraid to be caught.

She wondered if he was working for someone else. She could see Jerec willingly plotting insurrection, maybe even someone as weaselly as Tremayne. Maybe things were even higher. Malorum was in a high position and he might want more. That cold bitch Hydra could be in on it too. If an Inquisitor was here, then the trail of treachery really was thick. Still, despite defending her mind against his power, she could not return the favor and see where his loyalties really lie.

Not that she had much time to contemplate that line of thought. Another joined in to the men huddling together, one looked like a big time businessman, legit, but like his black market counterpart in Tyber Zann all too willing to move up in the galaxy. But unlike the criminal, he was only as important as his credits, the power he could buy, where Zann had earned loyalty and power. She knew this hard nosed businessman was likely A man who followed the letter of the law but not it’s spirit. Yet for all his credits and prestige, he was unimportant compared to these other two.

Finally the Inquisitor’s companion stepped forward. He was the last one, there were no others he could sense in the force. But her wonder went away in an instant, she recognized the last one on the spot. It was rare for him to be going out in plain clothes and not the bloodred armor of the Royal Guard but she knew the face of Carnor Jax. Here in a long coat and pants, he looked more like the many hustlers and thugs that lined Coruscant’s city streets, and yet the one thing that separated him from them was an aura of toughness, a steely resolve that came from his training. Even if he was a traitorous bastard.

If he recognized her, he didn’t show it. That ignorance extended both ways, as she didn’t know if he had a blaster or a vibroblade in secret. She figured it must have been because of all her makeup. Like another one, she couldn’t just peer into his mind. She was not trained in the force to the extent of the Inquisitors, let alone Vader, but she could still sense the force in another. Carnor Jax was one of them.

She also knew of the Sovereign Protectors. The cream of the Royal Guard crop, they had enough training with the force to detect if someone was trying to toy with them. She already felt like she was walking on a tightrope with this undercover mission. If she tried peering into his mind, her cover would be blown. It was taking all her patience, knowing how someone in his position could be disloyal.

The men huddling together were apparently arguing about something. The commotion was getting louder. But then the moff put a stop to all that.

“Come now,” he said, putting his arms around all of them, “there is no need for all of that. Clearly she was invited by one of you or else our distinguished guard outside wouldn’t have let her in. And now that she is here, we can have our fun with her I think. All this business talk, it does get boring and dreary, don’t you think?”

Zann snickered to himself and looked at her. “Yeah whoever ordered has good taste. I’ve seen all kinds of babes from across the galaxy, and I’ll tell you, she’s easily a contender for the best of them.”

The businessman looked at him. He gave Zann a side eye as if he couldn’t believe he had to cooperate with this common criminal as if they were equals. “How about it then?” he said. “Let’s try and play for her.”

Zann either didn’t hear the distaste in his voice then or ignore it. “A game of sabacc then?” He looked at Fen behind him. “How about it old friend? You want in on this one?”

“Not for me,” he said.

“She’s not to your tastes huh.”

“Oh no, I’d rather like to see you have her all to yourself. You’ve earned it.”

Zann grinned, and it looked strange on a rugged man like him. “Why thank you. Your loyalty is always appreciated.”

“Not sabacc,” said the loud noble. “I want something faster. I can’t concentrate playing games when I’m looking at this lovely lady.”

“Sabacc still might be the quickest way. We’re using the Centran deck, and we can play for fortunes. How about it fellas?” The rest of them nodded. He looked back at the Inquisitor and Carnor Jax. They had been talking amongst themselves and she knew it must have been about her. They looked at him, they hadn’t been part of this conversation but they had still heard it. Then they looked at her again. They nodded but did not look away from her. She looked back at them and enlarged her smile to a really wide grin.