A New Jedi in an Old Republic

Invisible Hand

Deep Space

Grevious sat in his command chair, the droids on his ship performing the necessary actions required to advance his plans.

But he was not focused on something so mundane. Rather, he had more important things to consider. Like his next campaign. The plan to strike at Naboo was solid in theory. A strike to instill terror and fear into the hearts of the weaklings in the Republic. There were, of course, problems.

Naboo didn't have much in the way of a standing navy. Its army was of unknown strength thanks to the hidden forces of the Gungans. Instead, its first line of defence to prevent it from simply being blasted from orbit was a top of the line planetary shield system. It was installed after the Jedi helped repulse the Trade Federation a decade previous. The defensive Ion cannons were stalled in budgeting as the planet thought they could simply take the time to defend themselves and when the Republic finally moved to preserve the supplies of plasma that Naboo offered, the planet would be the anvil to the hammer of the Republic fleet.

He would not be able to muster the forces to batter down the shields before the Republic responded and destroyed him. And getting enough forces would require ceding several battlegrounds and sectors to the Republic.

No, he mused, this would require something more ... personal. But if he did that, he would not be able to command the fleet. Make a commando strike, which he was very good at, or leave that to someone else while he made sure the Droids didn't make a mess of things?

There was a way to have both, he recognized. The joys of working in a larger organization. "Get me Count Dooku," he commanded the droid at his communication station.

Mandalore

Ventress pulled her hood over her head, the long cloak doing little to make her stop standing out from the multitude of Mandalorians around her, but it would hide that it was her for the most part.

The place she strode through didn't get much of the artificial lighting, the false-daylight that allowed the encased city to pretend that it was outside. It was storehouses and other such places for people who didn't need the complete amenities of civilization.

It was, in her opinion, a stupid meeting place. Isolated only made it easier to get lost, or to be made lost. She reached out with the Force, and sensed nothing – not the nothingness that was the absence, but rather the nothingness that came from everyone simply going about their completely innocent business. Like she was.

She reached the appointed meeting place, having assured herself that she was not going to be ambushed. Her contact was a local dockworker who was aggressively nondescript. If it wasn't for the Force and the sign/countersign she had been provided with, he could have been passed her by a dozen times and she wouldn't have noticed.

"What do you have for me?" she asked without any pleasantries.

"Dock 17A," he replied blandly. "The people you want are there."

"I will need proof for my Master," she hissed back.

He handed her a manifest. "Compare with what you find."

She took it and quickly scanned it. Nothing there was out of the ordinary. "What am I looking for?"

"What's not on the list."

"Are you going to keep evading the questions?" She pressed him with the Force for a straight answer.

His reply was honest. "You're new. I don't know if I can trust you fully."

She would have struck him down for the insult, but stayed her hand. He was correct, she was new at this. She would have to learn. The hard way if necessary. She looked up, and he was gone. She could still sense him in the Force, but that was not what she needed. She turned around and left.

The docking bay was relatively nearby, if one considered an eighth of the way around the sphere that enclosed the city to be 'near'. But this distance also served her well as she made some effort to ensure that she would not be followed. She was not, though. It felt weird in a way, to not be under some form of surveillance, but her Sith teachings showed her that even then, she should not let her guard down.

Diplomatic Quarters

Jan busied herself with a little bit of last minute tidying up. She had been informed that the first meeting between the Duchess and the Senator was wrapping up, and that she and Obi-Wan would be returning shortly.

Working with C-3PO was certainly an experience, that much was sure. While she knew of the Droid from her past and their future, it seemed that the protocol droid hadn't changed a bit in the intervening years.

"Oh my!" the gilded droid said when the front doors opened. "Senator Amidala!"

Jan kept the couch cushion she was fluffing in her hands. She liked it, and would see about absconding with it for the Mouldy Crow when this was all over. "Senator, Master Jedi," she greeted the two returnees in accordance with her cover. "May I get you anything?"

"No. Thank you," Obi-wan replied. "How was your day?"

"Quiet," Jan replied, "I talked with some of the Duchess' staff in case either of you need anything."

Obi-wan paused and looked back at the door. "We're clear," he announced. "Forgive me."

Jan relaxed. Slightly. "I don't mind. How was the meeting?"

"Empty," Padme replied as she ditched another layer of clothing, handing it to C-3PO. "But that's only natural. I have to ask though, Master Kenobi, when you mentioned that you knew the Duchess, I did not think you knew her that well!"

Jan recognized the signs of a Jedi bristling at an accusation. If it was Kyle, she would have gladly poked him for more information, but Obi-wan? Not so much.

"I served as a guard for her for a few months," he repeated dry information. "While she may find me to be a familiar face that she can trust, I can assure you that is the end of it."

"Well!" Jan clapped her hands together sharply to distract the two others in the room. "Now that the two of you are back, and it's getting dark, I think it's time for me to do my thing."

"You have something to investigate?" Obi-wan looked up in concern. "Did you need me to come with you?"

"Not yet, and no," Jan replied with a grin. "I'm going to go looking for trouble."

Docking Ports

Ventress ceased her meditations high above the location she was given. She had arrived early, scouted about, then fell back to a viable overwatch position to wait for something to happen. She did not know when, but knew that it would, eventually. And she would be patient.

While she waited, she considered how her fellow Acolytes, and even Dooku would respond in her place. Some were easier than others, while some were not. The Twins, as dead as they were, would have flanked the location and crushed the targets between them. Viable, though only in the sense that those fleeing from one would run straight into the other, leaving no survivors.

Dooku, it was obvious, would have thought this beneath him, and sent a minion to do his bidding. Like her.

Understanding the motivations and actions of her erstwhile allies was important to her. One did not fight without knowing exactly how far one could trust them. So why, she mused to herself, did they not think of the same? It was very much 'each Sith for themselves' as Dooku would have it, but was that the way they needed to be?

They were at War! Why would Dooku encourage division in the ranks? What could he hope to gain? Was it stronger apprentices? There was plenty to test themselves against outside their little circle. The Jedi for starters.

Well, maybe not them. The memories of the ill-fated raid were fresh in her mind. The Jedi she encountered there was a force unto himself, and she had accepted the realization that the only reason she survived him was because she talked to him. She didn't fight.

It passed her mind that this was the reason why the Jedi were dominant, despite their decadency and multitude of failings. They presented a unified front to outside forces. The Sith ... didn't. They were fractional, divided against each other for no other reason than to promote personal strength.

But wasn't this something she already knew was a failing?

Peace was a Lie. There is only passion.

Through passion, I gain strength.

Through strength, I gain power.

She had concluded that it was the strength of the mind that made for one's power in the outside world. Yet she saw time and again how her fellow Acolytes had rejected this notion even as her attempts to reach out to Quinlan Vos to share in his inner turmoil to better strengthen her own resolve were pushed aside.

What, she questioned herself, was her passion? The fundamental focus that drove the heart of the Sith Code?

Someone crossed her attention, and it seemed familiar. From her vantage point, shadows, her cloak and the Force hid her from anyone trying to spot her while allowing her the opposite.

And that someone was slowly working their way toward her own target. It was obvious that they wanted to not be seen, but at the same time, they moved in such a manner that made it seem natural.

She knew that person, but couldn't place them. Well, there was only one way to figure this out. She jumped down lightly, hopping from place to place to slow her descent. She hit the ground with a soft thump, her cloak not as stealthy as she was. The person in front of her looked like a dock worker. Human. Hair tied behind their head. "Obi-wan, I don't need you..." she turned around as saw Ventress.

Ventress recognized her as an associate of Katarn.

She drew her pistol and Ventress reflexively yanked it away with the Force. "You." She kept the surprise out of her voice. "Is Katarn here as well?"

"I don't think we've met," the woman said. Ventress saw she was afraid, but it was not some animalistic fear.

"Assaj Ventress." She made no move to her sabres. She carefully kept her hands in the open and away from her weapons. "Is Katarn here?"

"Jan Ors. Why?"

"Personal safety," Ventress said with only a little bit of snark. "I hurt you, he kills me. I doubt mere distance will stop him." With a hand on the Force, she pulled Ors' pistol to her, then tossed it back to the human. "Here. A token to prove we are not enemies here and now."

Jan caught the weapon, but did not holster it. "And?"

"I see no reason to explain my presence to you."

"And Kyle? What do you want with him?"

Ventress knew her prior answer had been dismissed, as it should have. So she gave a more honest one. "I do not wish to fight him, or you by extension. Rather if he was here, I hoped to ask him a few questions."

"Regarding?"

"The Sith Code."

"Kyle's not a Sith."

"No, he is not. But he is more one than I have seen." Ventress didn't know why she said that. But it wasn't wrong either. "Regardless, I presume you are here because of that dock?"

"What if I am?" Jan replied, still on guard.

"If you are, I was going to suggest a ... cooperation." Ventress teased out into unfamiliar actions. But if all she ever did were things that were familiar and comfortable, she might as well be dead, and that was a violation of the first line of the Code. "The people in there are suspected of smuggling in the Confederacy. I am investigating."

"I heard they were doing the same in the Republic." Jan offered information in return. "What is your intent with them?" She glanced as the two sabers at Ventress' hips, then back to her face.

"To make sure they are punished, to be made an example of," Ventress said easily. "Assuming I have proof. And I doubt the sum total of this particular group of fools is here and now, so further evidence would be ... useful."

"And you want to work with me?" Jan's question was tinged with justified disbelief.

"It was not my first choice," Ventress hissed. "But it is something I am willing to do if it means a better completion to the mission." She looked at Jan's pistol. "Now, will you put that down, and we can get to work? I swear you will come to no harm from me."

Jan lowered her pistol. Slightly. "And the information we find?"

"Shared. Totally. And I will know if you attempt to deceive me." She watched the human as she delivered her ultimatum.

"I suppose. Won't be the first time I've worked with someone with differing politics." Jan lowered her pistol. "You scouted the location? I just arrived."

"Yes," Ventress pointed toward the dock. "Large doors leading to transport, guarded on the inside and out with irregular schedules. Personnel entrance on the east side. It appears to have security, and guards inside."

"Windows?"

"None," Ventress reported. It was odd. Jan Ors, though she still demanded information from her, did not deign to make it seem like their relationship was hostile. There was still a wariness in her body language, but not hostility. Nor was there fear. "Can you slice the security?"

"I'd have to see," Jan said, "but I do have skill there." She glanced at the lightsabres. "And keep those off for now. Unless you want them to know we're coming?"

Ventress sneered. "I am better than that."

Diplomatic Quarters

"I wonder if she's found anything interesting?"

"I'm sure that if Agent Ors had, she would have contacted us by now. However, I doubt she would encounter something on her first excursion."

Docking Ports

Jan was about to take point when Ventress stopped her. "Guard," she explained and stepped through the spliced door, hand up. True to her word, there was an armed Mandalorian coming down the hall to investigate the door, either a normal patrol, or because someone noticed the splice. "Nothing to see here," Ventress said hypnotically, using the Force to convince the guard that nothing was out of the ordinary. "Everything is normal."

"Everything is normal," the guard repeated. "Must be a glitch in the system. Have to check that out."

"It's just a glitch," Ventress intoned as she and Jan stayed out of the guard's path. "You can report it as such. Nothing to worry about."

"Nothing to worry about."

Having passed the guard by, the two infiltrators slowly backed up, Jan checking their path as the guard ignored the two of them. Once they were clear, Jan let loose a deep breath. "It's never this easy with Kyle," she lamented. "But then again, he's not exactly the most stealthy of guys."

Ventress smirked. "Well?"

"We can either start with the warehouse and check things there, or find a control room."

"One will have more people, the other will have more active people," Ventress considered her options. "Perhaps we should split up?" She couldn't help the humour in her voice.

"Good idea," Jan agreed, ignoring the tone. "I'll go for the control room, where my splicing skills will be better. You go to the warehouse section and gather intel there."

Ventress did not display her surprise that Jan simply rolled with her comment. "Very well." She slipped away from the Republic agent, and quickly freed herself of the load of needing to escort another person.

Moving though the facility, she passed by ignorant workers, and bored guards. None took note of her passage. In the area used to hold cargo and merchandise she finally slowed down, careful to leave no evidence of her passing. The warning rang even more true here as she could sense guards and non-combatants all over the place. Pulling out the manifest she did not reveal she had, she checked the nearest box to familiarize herself with the ways in which they were labelled.

It was informative. Too much information rather. But she was able to verify that this particular box was on the manifest, which meant that it wasn't what she was looking for.

And there were a lot of boxes to check. She got to it, checking everything in a systematic order, stepping around those who might have seen her before she realized she had a better option.

Sneaking up on one of the guards, she reached into the Force, and touched her mind. "Where are the boxes that aren't on the manifest?" she asked, expecting her to have been briefed that this or that was to receive special attention. "You want to check them out."

The guard looked around, not seeing Ventress, who stayed behind her. "Got to check it out," she muttered and turned to the left.

Ventress followed discretely until the guard located for her the things that were not on the manifest, examined them, then went back to their normal duties. She waited, sensing Jan Ors was not in the room, then examined the first box.

It was not on the manifest. And its products were listed as 'luxury goods'.

She snapped one of her sabers into existence, ready to cut open the box when she stopped. That wasn't going to help her. It would leave proof that she was there. Which she didn't want to do for ... reasons. This was fact finding at this point, nothing more. Alerting these peons would only make the rest of her mission harder.

But the locks were electronic. And while her slicing skills were not up to the same standard as her Republic helper, they were enough for this. After a moment's fiddling, and not a lack of the Force, she cracked open the box. Then closed it.

Luxury goods indeed.

She made her way back to where she sensed Jan, who was also coming to her. They met up, and ducked down to avoid being seen. Jan spoke first. "I traced the shipments. They're coming from Hutt space, being routed through Mandalore and then into destinations in the Republic and the Confederacy." She handed the Sith a data slate while showing that she had her own copy. "What about you?"

Ventress relayed what she found in the boxes that didn't exist. Jan paled. "sithspit," she cursed, causing Ventress to stifle a laugh. "Fine. Let's leave. I need to report back, and you have your own things to do, I think."

"I do," Ventress agreed. "However, I find working with you to not be the chore I imagined. If we need to contact each other?"

"Let's not do that," Jan shook her head. "No offence, but we are technically on the opposite sides. I doubt either of us wants to make a mess of things."

The Nightsister saw the logic in that. "Shall we leave then?"

"Yes, let's."

Diplomatic Quarters

Jan entered quietly, taking off her jacket before stepping into the living room.

"How did it go?" Obi-wan asked her as he meditated while looking out over the city through the window.

"Smuggling ring," Jan said as she tossed the data chip to him. "Hutts through here into both sides of the conflict. I couldn't verify the cargo, but I figure this could be useful in negotiations."

"I see," Obi-wan sensed she was hiding something, but did not press. "Get some sleep, I suspect tomorrow will be a long day."

"I will. Good night."