Chapter 5
***
“Milady, we have exited Coruscant's aerospace and are preparing the jump to M'haeli," the copilot announced.
"Okay.... wait," Si stopped the man.
"Yes, Your Highness?"
"I want you to make several random jumps before heading for M'haeli. I don't want anyone tracking us," Si took a sip of her mynock-blood fizzer.
"Yes my mistress, excellent idea," the nervous copilot answered quickly before leaving. Si opened her travel wardrobe container and took out a light colored, flowing dress. It had a royal crest embroidered along the hem and on the bodice. It didn’t have any sleeves, and a see-through cloak accompanied it. She quickly changed, and put her things back in the trunk. She sat and continued to sip her fizzer. This was going to be a lonely trip.
***
Meanwhile, just outside the planet Mimban, in a battered, barely-working Coruscant Edition 23-TX transporter, a scruffy, dirty-looking man sat at the controls sleeping. Suddenly, the ship’s fuel alarm went off and woke up a snoring Gage L’Reesan from his fitful sleep.
“Damn, out of fuel. Eenine, you were supposed to fill it up!” Gage yelled to an R2 droid. The stout, barrel-shaped green body rolled into the cockpit and emitted a series of whistles and beeps.
“What do you mean, you filled it up?” Another string of noises erupted from the droid, none of them sounding very pleasant.
“Okay, okay. I’m not going to argue. Lets just drop off at M’haeli and get it refueled. I’ve got another shipment to pick up for Nkllon.” He hit the switch for the emergency tank and shot off toward M’haeli.
***
Just about that time, the Summer’s Crown entered the Expansion Region of space and made its way toward the white-brown planet ahead. Inside the lounge, a voice came over the intercom.
“Milady, we are approaching M’haeli. We will be entering their atmosphere in a few minutes.”
Si drew herself another glass of mynock blood and quickly swallowed it. She stood up and smoothed out her robes. Ti’ie, Jun’ie and Da’ie were sitting patiently across from her, still in their ivory capes. Si sat down again, pouring herself another drink.
After the turbulence of the atmosphere was through, the ship coasted over vast mountain regions. Very soon, N’croth could be seen on the horizon. A voice spoke over the intercom.
“This is N’croth base control. Please identify yourself.”
The pilot of the ship cleared his throat and announced, “This is the Summer’s Crown, arriving from Onderon. We have specific orders to see General Hundi. We are carrying special cargo.”
The base operator replied, “And what cargo is this?”
Si walked into the cockpit of her ship and hit the intercom button. “This is Princess Nor of Onderon. Our landing code is 2156E. I am expected by the General. Please give us clearance.”
Static was heard on the other end, and then was broken by a deep, authoritative voice. “This is General Hundi. Please identify yourself.”
“Kale, this is Caleea. These idiots won’t let us pass,” Si exclaimed in the sweetest voice she could stomach. The line was silent for a few minutes while Kale yelled at the control room crew. A shaken base commander came back on.
“Y...you are free to land.”
The Summer’s Crown soared into the docking bay and came to a swift but gentle stop. The ship attendants of N’croth rushed to the ship, ready to refuel and wash it.
Inside the ship, Si stood up and nodded toward her handmaidens. They also stood up and followed her out of the lounge and toward the ship’s door. It opened and the docking bay crew was awed as the beautiful princess stepped from the ship, followed by her attendants and pilots. The bay door opened and Kale Hundi himself stepped out into the bright sunshine. He came to greet the lovely creature he had only seen once before. Although he wouldn’t want anyone to know it, Kale had a huge crush on this young, delicate majesty.
There was one other ship on the docking platform that nobody really noticed. It was the beaten, dented transporter of Gage L’Reesan. He stood next to it, angrily yelling at his droid for not mentioning the hole in his fuel tank. A ship attendant stood nearby, waiting for his orders to repair the ship. When Gage turned to instruct the young mechanic, he happened to glance at the neighboring bay and notice the young princess walking towards the door. Turning to the repairman, he asked, “Who is that woman over there?”
The crewman replied, “That is Princess Nor. She is here on diplomatic orders.”
“Are you sure? It looks very much like Si Tingiri.”
“Who?” the mechanic asked. He had never heard of a Si Tingiri before.
“Forget it. You wouldn’t know her.” Gage returned to yelling at his droid, but kept the princess’s face at the back of his mind.
***
“I understand you know the situation at present?” the general inquired.
“Yes. You have some plans from Coruscant?” Si sat down in a chair in the conference room. Her handmaidens were standing at the far wall, keeping watchful eyes over the situation. Her bags were being taken to her room by the general’s own servants. “Might I ask, how did you acquire these plans?”
“A man brought them by anonymously. He said only that they would be of significant importance. Our computers can’t translate them, and, knowing you are exceptionally well at deciphering other languages, I called on you to help us figure out why they could be of such interest to us.”
“Well, I’ll see what I can do. Where are they?”
“Oh, our two visiting Jedi are examining them at the moment.”
“Jedi?” the color drained from Si’s face. Would she be able to fool two individuals as strong in the Force as she?
“Caleea, are you all right? You look absolutely pale!”
“Oh, um, I think all this traveling has finally caught up with me. Do you think I could rest in my room for a few hours?”
“Certainly. You can examine the plans tomorrow. We wouldn’t want anything to happen to you.” Kale tried to hide his reddened cheeks. He always managed to blush at the most inopportune of times. He motioned for Si’s handmaidens to escort her to her room. They took her arms and supported her down the hall.
When she was finally in the safety of her room, she sat and began fanning herself with her hand.
“Oh what am I going to do? Certainly the two Jedi will sense I am an intruder and a fake.”
Jun’ie replied helpfully, “We could contact Lord Maul for you.”
“But how? I have no way of communicating with him.”
Ti’ie produced a small communicator and handed it to Si. “We were given this for emergencies. It is untraceable and will be able to contact your master as easily as if he were in the next room.”
“Oh, thank you. You three are my lifesavers.” Si quickly switched on the communicator and soon Maul’s voice was heard.
“Si, are you in trouble? Why have you disturbed me?”
“Maul, baby, I just need your help on something”
“Okay. What is it?”
“There are two Jedi here, and I don’t know how to keep them from discovering my true identity.”
“Is that all? It shouldn’t be hard for you to deceive them. Jedi are fools, and easily misled. Don’t ever disturb me again unless it’s important.”
“Okay. Thanks, anyhow,” Si switched off the comm and handed it back to Ti’ie, who hid it in her robe.
Si laid down on the couch and tried to nap when the door to her room opened. Two women in dark robes entered. They were the Jedi.
“Good afternoon, Your Highness,” the older one announced, bowing gracefully.
Si sat up. “Good afternoon. May I help you?”
“We just came to introduce ourselves. My name is Kel Sagnome, and this is my apprentice, Junni D’layeo,” she motioned to the younger woman next to her.
Junni stepped forward and said, “We were hoping to invite you to dinner. We haven’t yet met anyone from Onderon except for Senator Jayson.”
“Well, I would be delighted to join you. Where will this be?” Si tried her hardest to sound innocent.
“It will be in dinner hall F. It’s just a few floors down,” replied Kel.
“What will they be serving?” Si asked.
Junni answered, “A meal in our honor. Seafah shellfish from Pydyr.”
“How delicious! What time will dinner be at?”
“Six-thirty. We will enjoy your company,” Kel said respectfully. The two Jedi left the room and shut the door behind them.
Si turned to her handmaidens and replied, “This is going to take a lot of concentration."For disclaimer, see chapter 1.