Golden Age of the Republic: Ghostly Images/Part 3

Space, near Denon
"Keep impressing me, Asana."

- Evening Delwynn

"Danstari, change course to Alsakan quickly," Delwynn shouted as she stomped into the bridge area.

"But, boss&hellip;" Danstari stammered.

"Don't challenge me!" the agent yelled. "Just do it."

Danstari quietly sighed and turned his attention to the navicomputer. Delwynn quickly turned and exited the area from whence she had come. She strode with a militaristic gait back to her office and sat behind her desk. She was angry; there was no denying it this time. Depressing an intercom button on the desk, she called into the computer lab. No response came. As she prepared to stand, the agent noticed her former teacher standing in the doorway.

"I suppose you're looking for me?" he asked.

"Master, we need to talk," she hastily answered.

"I can tell," the Jedi stated. He entered the room, depressed a button on the door to close it, and sat under the mantle in one of the two chairs.

"I'm being sent on a fishing expedition to the bank in Port Taormina," the agent said with a harsh sigh. "Director Aiden had no real reason to overrule the chancellor, but he did anyway. He thinks Ko is going to be there or something to that effect."

"He is right," Master Greystone replied. "Ko will be on Alsakan, but you won't see her. That's not your battle to fight. That's his past."

"Please tell me how you know all this," Delwynn blurted.

"When we spoke with the Director, I sensed that his past is far too&hellip; intertwined in this conspiracy," he explained. "His past is in Ko, just like your past is in this bank. When I went with Fay into the lab, I meditated on what was happening. You will find something very valuable on Alsakan. It will save millions, although I can't tell what it is. What I can also say is that you've already found something that will save your life; you just don't know it yet."

"Forgive me Master, but you're being even more cryptic than usual," she returned.

"I know," the Jedi responded. "Take a short nap, Evening. You'll need it. It will help you relax, too."

Delwynn sat there as Master Greystone stood and departed, leaving the door open behind him. Dawn strolled back in and jumped onto the corner of the desk.

"So where am I going to go once we get to Coruscant?" the teenager asked.

"We're not going to Coruscant," Delwynn replied, attempting to veil her displeasure with the situation. "We're headed to Alsakan instead."

"Oh," the girl blurted. "So you've been told to go home?"

"Kind of," the agent answered. She then looked up to make eye-contact with the teenage girl. "I think I'm going to leave you with my sister for a while. You'll be safe."

"Only as long as you're on Alsakan," Dawn chided with a wagging finger. "You're not leaving me behind."

Delwynn was not amused by the tough-girl act. Still, she understood why Dawn was fearful. Careful not to nod in agreement, the agent sat back and dialed the hailing signal for her sister. A minute later, the voice-to-voice connection was made.

"Evening," the familiar voice answered. "I'm not going to be able to finish making dinner tonight, am I?"

"Twi, I need a favor," the agent said with an expressionless tone.

"Alright, shoot," Twilight acknowledged.

"I'm going to be arriving in Port Taormina in about twelve hours," Delwynn explained. "I need you to watch Dawn while I'm on the planet. I cannot take the chance of leaving her on the ship. It's not safe right now."

"Where do you want me to meet you?" the voice queried.

"Right at the government spaceport. I'll have clearance for you to get in," the agent stated flatly. "Meet us at the gate. I don't want anyone to see me with Dawn right now. That might make her a target."

"You seem more tightly-wound than usual, Evening," Twilight sighed. "What's going on?"

"I'll tell you more when I arrive," Delwynn answered.

"Okay," the voice answered with a tone of resignation. "I guess I'll see you in the morning."

"See," Delwynn said to Dawn while the connection terminated. "You'll be safe for a while."

"If you say so," the teenager answered.

"Look, Dawn," Delwynn added. "I promised that I would protect you. This allows me to do that."

"Ok," the girl quietly responded and then walked out of the office. Before crossing the hall into her quarters, she turned around with a soft smile. "Thank you for saving me, Delwynn."

Delwynn smiled back as Dawn quietly finished meandering into her area and closed the door.

"You're very welcome," the agent softly replied as she closed the door to her office.

Delwynn walked dutifully into her living quarters and undid her top. Tossing it on the out-hanging dresser drawer, she donned a loose-fitting shirt and plopped lifelessly on her bed. Within minutes, the agent was soundly asleep, over-exhausted from the mental strain of the case.


 * "Mom," a voice cried. "Mom, wake up."


 * Delwynn rolled about the bed for a moment before struggling to sit up. She looked about at the familiar bedroom, sunlight pouring in an undraped window.


 * "Mom, we need to talk," a tall young woman with dark brown hair said. She looked thin but strong and was wearing loose, vibrantly colored clothing more often found on so-called artsy college students. "Come on, Mom, get up."


 * The agent stammered to her feet and was quickly grabbed around her left arm by the young woman.


 * "What's going on?" Delwynn asked in a daze.


 * "Come with me," the young woman instructed while still pulling Delwynn through the house and into the kitchen. The pair stopped at a table with three chairs around it. "Okay, sit."


 * The agent sat down and looked about. The kitchen was simple but homely. It looked not too unlike a place that Delwynn had once considered purchasing with her late husband. The colors of the surfaces were muted greys and blues, but the tile floor appeared to be real obresistone.


 * When she glanced at the young woman again, the hardened agent stared in disbelief. "Mally?" Delwynn blurted in confusion.


 * The young woman nodded. "Yes, Mom. Now, let's talk about the man who killed me."


 * Delwynn immediately sensed that this was a nightmare but was too paralyzed emotionally to move. For years she had experienced periodic dreams remembering Mally, as she had been; this was the first time she had dreamt of what she might have been.


 * "There's no reason to worry, Mom," the woman stated. She reached out and grabbed Delwynn's hand as she sat at the table. "Let's discuss what happened."


 * Delwynn was speechless. She began to sob as she simply stared at the young woman who was clearly a representation of what her daughter would have been around her twentieth birthday.


 * "Before we talk about that, though, there are three things you need to do when you go back to Alsakan. Will you do these for me?" Mally asked.


 * "What would you like?" she responded while wiping her face with her right hand. The strong sense of peace confused Delwynn. She was unsure as to whether her subconsciousness was acting out or if this was really some dream through the Force.


 * "Hug Aunt Twilight," Mally said. "She is desperate to see you. Leave everything and everyone of value with her, too. You need to go to the bank alone."


 * "Alone?" Delwynn returned, still trying to parse the dream she was having. "What about&mdash;"


 * "Master Greystone?" the young woman interrupted. "No, not even him. The second thing you need to do is check the balcony. Stand there. Wait. Watch."


 * "Mally," the agent blurted, tears forming in her eyes. "I've been in that balcony many times before."


 * The image of Mally was completely unmoved. "Stand there. Wait. Watch. You'll see what needs to be seen."


 * "Okay, what's the third thing?" Delwynn inquired.


 * The young woman stood, as if to begin walking away. "After you've done what is needed at the bank, take Master Greystone and go into the tunnels under the bank and piazza."


 * "What would I do there?" Delwynn asked, standing herself.


 * The image of Mally started to walk out of the kitchen and toward the front door of the house. Delwynn followed in pursuit, asking the same question three times. Mally did not turn around until she had opened the front door.


 * "Do this for me, Mom," Mally said quietly. "Do this for Dad. Do this for me."


 * The young woman walked out of the house and into the hazy surroundings. Delwynn wailed and charged out of the house after her. After a few steps, where the street should have been, Delwynn began falling. For a few long minutes, Delwynn resisted, flailing her arms and legs. Suddenly, the soft voice of the Mally vision reemerged, saying, "I love you, Mom. Do this for me."

Delwynn snapped awake as her side hit the ground next to her bed. Her head smacked her right forearm as it hit the floor. The bed sheet then tumbled onto her face. The agent was shaking uncontrollably. Emotionally, she was disturbed by what she had seen and heard. Physically, she was in a bit of pain after seeming to have fallen off of her bed.

Delwynn tossed off the bed sheet and struggled to her knees. Her side was aching from the impact with the floor, and her right arm was very sore. With a couple of loud grunts, the agent hoisted herself against the bed and worked her way to a standing position. She straightened her shirt, which had moved so much that her left shoulder was exposed, and pranced into the refresher. With a deep sigh she stared at the disheveled complexion in the mirror. Her hair was matted to one side and large, deep bags hung under her eyes. The agent glanced at the clock on the counter and realized that she had actually slept around nine hours. Her body showed the exact opposite.

The agent quickly combed out her hair and put a dab of makeup under her eyes to hide the look of fatigue. She then pranced back into her quarters and removed her sleeping shirt. Grabbing a clean bra, dark blue top, and grey pants, Delwynn dressed. Satisfied with her unartful wardrobe, she exited her quarters and grabbed the datapad on her desk. In a flurry of typing, she noted the three things that Mally had said in the dream. This was, of course, assuming that she had surely dreamt of her daughter. Regardless, Delwynn felt a twinge of obligation to at least honor the requests. After all, they were not exactly 'out of the way.'

With the three tasks notated, Delwynn unlocked the door to her office and walked out into the hallway. Looking both ways, she saw no one. Hoping to get a status update, she marched dutifully to the bridge. There, Danstari was sleeping in the pilot's chair; hyperspace was whizzing by in the window. The agent ruffled her hair a touch and considered whether or not to wake the sleeping pilot. Opting to forego the unnecessary confrontation, she walked to the navicomputer screen and spied the situation. An arrival on Alsakan was expected in just over two-and-a-half hours.

Remembering that her sister needed clearance to the spaceport, Delwynn pranced back toward her office. As she approached the door, Master Greystone exited the neighboring room.

"Master," the agent offered as a sign of respect.

"Evening," the Jedi answered. "I hope you are well rested."

"I rested," Delwynn callously replied.

Master Greystone nodded with a soft grunt. "I suppose you should know that Shalli is stable. I spent the last few hours with her, meditating, talking, and the like."

"I still am not willing to trust her," the agent replied. "At least there won't be a maniacal Jedi running around here."

"No. No, there won't," the Jedi Master returned. "She is in a dark place right now, Evening. I very much need to get her back to Coruscant. Something else is at work here."

"There are arrangements made for Fay to take her once we get to Alsakan," Delwynn stated.

"Evening, that is not the point," Master Greystone replied. "I need to get her back to Coruscant. She's finally reconnecting with the Force, which is good. I feel that the Opus Lucem have more to do with this than I would have previously liked to admit. I'm beginning to think that their involvement with Shalli is a tangent to this broader case. I need to explore that."

The agent nodded with a smirk of disgust on her face. "I suppose I at least get to keep Fay with me for a while?"

"I'll talk to her," the Jedi answered. "I don't think she will have an issue with it."

At that moment, Fay walked out of the room where Master Greystone had moments before.

"Speaking of her," Delwynn interjected.

"Fay," Master Greystone stated, turning toward the other Jedi. "I would like you to remain on Alsakan with Agent Delwynn, while I take Shalli to Coruscant and investigate this a bit."

Fay offered no expression and simply looked at Delwynn without making any other gesture.

"You would be of great assistance to me," the agent stated flatly.

"Fath&mdash; Master Greystone," Fay stumbled, turning back to the Jedi Master. "Am I being reassigned to this case?"

"Consider it a continuation of your earlier mission," the Jedi Master stated.

Delwynn nodded. "In many ways it is."

"Fair enough," the Jedi Knight answered. "I am happy to continue assisting you, Agent Delwynn, I just want to make sure that I don't get into more trouble with the Order than I am likely to already be in."

At that Master Greystone nodded and thanked Fay. The Jedi Knight nodded in return before walking toward the lounge area. The Jedi Master pulled his former student close and whispered into her ear.

"Her working with Shalli in this way is a violation of conduct regulations. I'm doing it for our safety, but Fay really should not be involved. I trust that this will remain a secret."

"Master, you and I both know that there is nothing that I want to be a part of less than Jedi affairs," Delwynn answered quietly.

"Then it be resolved," the Jedi Master said. He then began to walk away from the agent, following after Fay. "I will see you in about two hours, right before we land."

Delwynn turned and went back into her office. There, she sat down at her desk and adjusted the computer keypad. It was time to begin filling out the electronic forms that could grant her sister access to the spaceport. The agent sighed as she began to enter the tedious information into the computer. Delwynn really did not hate paperwork; she simply did not like the bureaucracy that required such paperwork.

"I found it!" a familiar voice shouted, startling the agent as she continued to type. Delwynn looked up to see a cheerful Asana bouncing on her toes. "I found the connection!"

"What connection?" Delwynn asked.

"Hazar Tordana and the plague!" the Twi'lek blurted with enthusiasm.

"You have hard proof?" the agent asked. "If we're going to move in on him, I need something more solid than permacrete."

"Consider it done," Asana said. "Come on. I'll show you!"

Delwynn nodded in agreement and then quickly turned her attention back to the last line of the clearance form. "One more second&hellip; done."

"Paperwork?" the Twi'lek asked, as she began to meander out of the office.

"Always," the agent playfully retorted, rising. She followed the scientist into the hallway and around the corner.

"Watch your step," Asana said as they entered the lab.

Delwynn looked around. Piles of papers were strung everywhere along the floor. There was no apparent organization or scheme to the stacking; it seemed entirely random. Near the middle of the area, however, was the infamous pink cushion.

Asana quickly scurried over to the computer and began typing. With a flurry of finger motions, a few images of documents popped up onto the main terminal screen.

"Here," Asana said, pointing at the documents. Delwynn approached as the red-skinned Twi'lek continued. "Direct orders regarding the destruction of documents and closing down of the lab on Eriadu. He simply calls it 'the plague.'"

"These aren't in Basic," Delwynn stated. Then, glancing over them again, she realized what they were. "This is Corellian! They used Corellian for these things?"

"That is correct," the forensic expert stated in a matter-of-fact manner. "What's more, only Samit is Corellian. Tordana is actually from Shawken."

"You did some digging," the agent remarked.

Asana smiled and answered, "Yes I did. I was curious as to why there were these few paper documents in Corellian. Seemed odd, considering everything else was either in Basic or bungles of scientific formulas. Formulae? Formulas? Hmmm&hellip;"

"And you can prove that these came from Tordana?" Delwynn asked. Skepticism oozed in her voice.

"Oh Delwynn of little faith&hellip; in me!" the Twi'lek cheered. "I ran print samples from the documents. Tordana, Samit, and Tordana's secretary are all on there&mdash;everyone of the Corellian ones, too."

"That definitely changes the game," the agent softly inputted. "Attach these to a message and forward them on to Director Aiden."

"When?" Asana asked.

"Two minutes ago," Delwynn answered. "Send him this message, too&hellip;"

"One sec," the scientist interjected, pulling up a new message file.

The agent rubbed her temples before continuing. She wanted to get this right.


 * Director Aiden, I am sending this on behalf of Agent Delwynn. Here are a few documents that we have that can prove Hazar Tordana's involvement in the plague. Although the documents are in Corellian, the instructions contained in them are explicit and damning. Asana Lani ran print samples on the sheets of paper and found Tordana, his secretary, and Samit. To our knowledge, only Samit is Corellian. This is yet another piece of evidence against the Czerka owner. If possible, I would like to question him formally about all of these things in an interrogation setting. I would be happy to do that on Coruscant, Denon, or Thyferra. Please advise.

"Done," Asana remarked. "That's a little formal for the Director, no?"

"This is not only for his eyes," Delwynn clarified. "There are many others who will see this message. I want the galaxy to see it this way."

The Twi'lek nodded and the agent turned and began departing.

"Keep impressing me, Asana," Delwynn said over her shoulder as she reached the hallway. She returned to her office and continued preparing for her arrival on Alsakan.