In our second act, Luke Skywalker encounters the enigmatic Jianna Droxx on the planet Steruub—just before the Empire arrives. Meanwhile, Han Solo departs for Ord Mantell with two Alliance Intelligence agents to broker a black market deal for the Rebellion…
Need to catch up? Click here for Part One…
“Star Wars: Pursuit of Force” – Part II
Phil Giunta
Chapter Two – Discovery
Although he had never before seen keveya trees, Luke was certain that the blue-leafed mammoths that towered over him as he climbed out of the landspeeder were the very ones that Evad had described. The trees surrounded a large, round permacrete pad above which Luke parked the rented vehicle. Three separate stone paths began at the base of each tree and led off through the grass in different directions across the property. To the left, one path made its way down the hill to the wide, lethargic river while the path to the right led back to the main road. Ahead, the widest of the paths appeared to lead practically to the front door of the light blue and white house.
Feeling as if he were being watched, Luke did not take the time to look around, but instead hurried along the path. Upon reaching the front porch, the task of announcing his identity suddenly presented itself as a female voice inquired from a small black call box mounted on the wall next to the white plasteel door.
“Who is this, please?”
Luke cleared his throat quickly before answering. “My name is Luke Skywalker, I’m looking for Madame Jianna Droxx.”
“And your business is?”
“I’m a friend of General Obi-Wan Kenobi and I–”
“One moment, please,” the voice interrupted with sudden urgency. “Stay right there.”
Luke looked around half expecting a squad of Imperial stormtroopers to charge out of nowhere and surround him. Instead, the door suddenly slid aside–but there was no one behind it. He poked his head in and glanced around what appeared to be a large sitting room. Cautiously, he stepped inside, his hand hovering over his blaster.
“You won’t need your weapon here.”
Luke spun around to find a tall, slender woman wearing a one-piece blue dress standing across the room. Although her white hair and etched features betrayed her advanced years, the confidence and strength in her posture were more than obvious. Luke lowered his hand and nodded slowly.
“I’m sorry, I meant no disrespect,” he explained. “I just haven’t been very fond of surprises lately.”
“Understandable.” The woman made her way along the back of the room, keeping her distance from the young visitor.
“So, you said you were looking for me, Luke Skywalker. Skywalker, Skywalker,” she repeated slowly, thoughtfully. “Have you come to walk my sky? You carry a lightsaber. Are you a Jedi Knight like Obi-Wan?”
Without warning, Luke’s lightsaber detached from his belt and soared across the room into Jianna Droxx’s outstretched hand.
“Did you build this yourself?” She turned the handle over a few times. “Excellent craftsmanship.”
Luke realized immediately that he was in the presence of someone who was as strong in the Force as she was in personality. As such, he found himself speaking very slowly either out of immense respect or just to keep from stammering.
“That was my father’s at one time,” he explained. “It was given to me by Obi-Wan Kenobi before he died.”
Hearing that, Jianna froze and looked up at Luke. “How?”
“He was killed by Darth Vader, the same man who murdered my father.”
Jianna nodded in recognition. “Yes, I am familiar with Vader… and your father. I met both of them many years ago. Even then, I had a feeling even then that Obi-Wan would someday face him one final time.”
As she spoke, Jianna continued to examine the lightsaber. Pressing the button on its handle, she activated the glowing blue energy of its long blade. Moving it back and forth, she felt its balance and listened to its deep reverberating hum as it sliced through the air. Apparently satisfied, she finally deactivated it.
“I suppose you want this back,” she remarked, holding the handle up. “Take it… the way I took it from you.”
Luke stared at her hesitantly. “I… really haven’t learned to do that yet.”
“Learn now.”
“I only started training–”
“No excuses,” the woman interrupted sternly. “Do it. Reach out with your mind. Open a channel in the Force between you and me. Through it, take back your weapon.”
Swallowing hard, Luke did as he was told. Staring at the lightsaber, he imagined it flying across the room back to him. As he concentrated, it began wavering in Jianna’s open palm until it suddenly sprang from her hand and into Luke’s as he reflexively snatched it in mid-air. Slowly, as if awestruck, Luke clipped the weapon back onto his belt.
Across the room, Jianna smiled broadly. “Obi-Wan taught you well. Welcome to my home, Luke Skywalker, future Jedi Knight.”
***
Later that evening, after a hearty dinner, Jianna recounted numerous stories of Obi-Wan in his youth as an officer in the Old Republic military and how they had worked together to design and build the Treyal spaceport. Then, she retrieved a small wooden box from a cabinet in the sitting room and brought it back to the couch where she and Luke sat.
“Inside this box are a series of holo-disks of some of Ben’s training sessions,” Jianna explained as she placed the box on the table in front of them. “Most of them were recorded while he trained me, but there are a few from his sessions with… other students.”
Suddenly curious, Luke asked if there were any images of Obi-Wan’s students or friends among the disks, hoping to see the face of a father he did not remember.
“I am sorry,” she replied sincerely. “All of the recordings are only of Ben himself, but I would like to offer them to you. Perhaps they will be beneficial to you in your training.”
At first, Luke was reluctant to take Jianna’s only memories of her former love, but she insisted adamantly. “I have others upstairs from more intimate times. Besides, I do not require any further training in the Force.”
“Are you a Jedi, then?” Luke asked hopefully.
Jianna chuckled. “Hardly. I was never interested in that way of life despite the fact that Obi-Wan insisted that I was so strong in the Force. No, he taught me some basic skills and a little more, but he never tried to push me into it.” Jianna stared down at the box before continuing. “Those were the greatest years of my life, though. I miss him terribly.”
Not knowing how to comfort her, Luke simply remained silent.
“Well,” Jianna said finally. “It is getting late and I’m sure you’re tired from your long journey. You’re more than welcome to spend the night here. I have a guest room upstairs at the far left end of the hall with a washroom to the right. There is a holo-player in the room also, atop the dresser table next to the window.”
Scooping up the box of holo-disks, Luke thanked Jianna before heading for the stairs. Once he was out of sight, Jianna exhaled and slouched back tiredly, closing her eyes.
“For what you are doing, I am forever grateful.”
Jianna opened her eyes again and slowly raised her head at the sound of the familiar voice. In front of her, the ghostly image of Obi-Wan Kenobi suddenly materialized, a glowing aura surrounding him. Floating above the floor, he moved through the table and sat down beside her on the couch.
“The boy knows nothing of his father,” Jianna said almost disapprovingly. “He must learn the truth.”
“In time, Jianna,” Ben assured her. “Luke is not prepared at this stage in his development. He will find out when he is ready.”
“He is strong in the Force,” she observed. “Even I can sense that. He must be guided in the right direction.”
“Very soon, he will go to a place far secluded to learn from the one who trained me and hundreds of others before me.” Ben placed his hand atop hers. “As for you, Jianna, I wanted to tell you for so long how sorry I was for not returning to you. Once our work was finished, I was reassigned to a place far away from here. After that, events unfolded that required a great deal of involvement and secrecy on my part. Anakin fell to the Dark Side and it became necessary to take his wife and children into hiding. It was a horrible time for all involved.”
“You had to do what was necessary,” Jianna acknowledged. “But that did not stop me from hoping that we would see each other again.”
“I only wish the circumstances were different,” Ben said sorrowfully. “I am afraid I am placing your life at great risk now and I am powerless to prevent anything from happening to you.”
Jianna smiled ruefully. “You know I have always been more than capable of taking care of myself. Still, my life has been lived, and lived well. There is not much left for me here.”
For a moment that to Jianna seemed like an eternity yet was over all too soon, the two silently held each other’s gazes before Ben’s image began to fade. “I promise you, Jianna, that you will soon be with me in paradise.”
***
Aboard the Rebel transport frigate Invulnerable, the chilling howl of an irate Wookie echoed throughout the landing bay. Immediately, all activity came to a halt as maintenance crews, pilots, and even droids shifted the attentions to the spectacle playing out at the base of the Millennium Falcon’s boarding ramp.
“I don’t like this situation either,” Han said in a vein attempt to calm his towering, brown-furred partner. “But Ord Mantell is not exactly known for its hospitality to certain non-humans. If you were seen there, it would draw too much unwanted attention.”
Throwing up his arms in frustration, Chewbacca responded with a string of curt growls and grunts that required absolutely no translation.
“Don’t take it personally. Besides, I need you to keep an eye on our reward while I’m gone. I’m not carrying it on this run, too many pirate raids in that sector.”
For several tense seconds, Chewbacca merely stood quietly in place, arms folded. Then, with a snarl, he grabbed Han by the shoulders.
“Of course I’ll be careful,” Han assured him. “Just don’t hug me in front of the other pilots, will ya?”
The Wookie snorted in amusement before ruffling Han’s hair.
“Stop that!” the Corellian grumbled. “Would you just go unload the crates? I reserved a storage locker on deck eight.” Reaching into his pocket, Han handed the access card to Chewbacca who lumbered up the boarding ramp and into the vessel.
When he was out of earshot, Han exhaled and shook his head. Straightening his hair, he glared at the crowd of onlookers.
“Show’s over, people.” He waved them off in annoyance.
“Captain Solo.”
Han turned to his right to find a man and woman in black uniforms standing beside him. The woman was remarkably tall, roughly Han’s height, while the man had a shorter, broader build. Han looked around for a moment, wondering how the duo managed to suddenly appear without a sound. “Yeah, what can I do for you?”
In a flat, monotone voice the woman answered. “I’m Commander Noltaq, this is Lieutenant Zhoreen. We’ve been assigned by Alliance Intelligence to assist you.”
What a surprise, Han thought. In fact, he was expecting it sooner. Despite his efforts on their behalf, he knew these people didn’t trust a man with his questionable background. Still, he was not about to make it easy for them.
“Really? Well, you can start by helping my partner unload some crates from our cargo hold.”
For a quick second, Noltaq and Zhoreen glanced blankly at each other.
“You don’t seem to understand, Captain,” Noltaq said finally. “We’re accompanying you on this mission.”
Han pointed a finger at the commander. “Let’s get one thing straight, lady, this isn’t a mission, it’s a deal, and I don’t need anyone telling me how to cut a deal.”
“That’s not why we’re here,” Noltaq replied. “We’ve been assigned to watch your back and make sure you leave Ord Mantell in one piece.”
Chapter Three – Lessons
The keveya trees were burning.
From somewhere outside Luke’s consciousness, a horrified scream sliced into the dense silence of early morning and jarred him from a restful sleep. Leaping out of bed, he ran to the side window—and felt his heart slam in his chest. Just coming into view below, Imperial stormtroopers marched down the street, firing their blaster rifles into the air. A stray shot struck one of the keveya trees surrounding Luke’s rented landspeeder, setting it ablaze. It was not long before all three caught fire, illuminating the chaos that was only just beginning.
Having fallen asleep in his flightsuit after spending hours viewing Jianna’s holo-disks, Luke hurriedly pulled on his boots and gloves and dashed from the room. He called for Jianna, but there was no response.
As he descended the stairs, his fear grew as muffled tones of angry shouts, followed immediately by blaster fire, suddenly became clearer. He realized why when he noticed the front door of the house wide open. On the porch, Jianna stood rigid, observing the nightmare playing out around them.
She did not utter a word as Luke moved beside her and watched in silent panic as hoards of white armored soldiers disbursed throughout the neighborhood in groups, smashing their way into nearby homes and forcing residents out at gunpoint. More than once, those who showed any measure of resistance were swiftly executed.
“They must have tracked me here,” Luke said, barely able to find his voice. Fleetingly, he wondered if his aunt and uncle were violated in a similar manner before their death. “They’re doing this to find me.”
“They’re doing this because they are murderers,” Jianna said evenly. “The blame does not rest on you. Nonetheless, we need to get you off Steruub as quickly as possible.”
“How? There’s no way I’ll get past them!”
“All things are possible in the Force,” Jianna reminded him. “It will not be long before you understand that.” She nodded at the three stormtroopers who were approaching from the street. “Now, mind what you say here.”
Waiting silently, they made no attempt to escape or resist as the soldiers stepped onto the porch. Without preamble, two of them brushed past and into the house as the third turned to Luke and Jianna and demanded identification.
After giving her name, Jianna introduced Luke as her son, Ilom.
The stormtrooper pointed his rifle towards the blackened keveya trees. “Is that your landspeeder?”
“It belongs to my son,” Jianna replied calmly.
“How long have you had it?”
“About five years now,” Luke chimed in.
“A speeder of that type was reported traveling in this direction from Treyal yesterday,” the trooper informed them. “Have you seen–”
“We’ve seen nothing,” Jianna said suddenly, staring intently at him as if boring a visual hole through his helmet.
Eyes wide, Luke shot a glance from her to the stormtrooper who seemed to hesitate at the interruption. “You’ve seen nothing,” he said finally, echoing her words.
“You will not find what you’re looking for here,” Jianna continued.
“We will not find what we’re looking for here.”
It was then that Luke realized what was happening. Obi-Wan has taught you pretty well, too.
Just then, the other two stormtroopers emerged from the house carrying a few of Jianna’s possessions—including the holo-disks she had given to Luke the night before.
Upon seeing them, Luke opened his mouth to protest, but a nudge from Jianna convinced him otherwise. Luckily, the soldiers did not appear to take notice. Rather, everyone’s attention was suddenly riveted to the Imperial personnel carrier that was now thundering down the street.
Perched atop the vehicle, an Imperial officer wearing a headset was visible from the waist up. He stood with perfectly straight posture, hands clasped behind his back. As he spoke, his commanding tone boomed from the enormous speakers mounted on either side of the transport.
“Residents of Steruub,” the man began. “I am Moff Kellan representing the Empire in this sector of space. I urge all of you to listen very carefully to what I have to say. It has come to my attention that an agent of the Rebel Alliance has landed on this planet and at this very moment may have sought refuge among you.
“If this individual is turned over to Imperial authorities in a timely manner, the unfortunate events of this morning will, of course, be avoided in the future. Otherwise–”
Kellan paused for a moment to adjust something on the control panel in front of him. It did not take long to find out what. As he uttered his final statement, the volume of the speakers became deafening.
“–anyone found harboring this traitor will be immediately executed!”
***
Locating Zel Kanaan was not all that difficult. The cost of finding him was an entirely different matter. The fee he commanded for his time was relatively minimal compared to the credits one was forced to spend on those with information as to his whereabouts, but then Han Solo anticipated such expenditures. It was the art of the deal.
In fact, at least twice since his arrival, two of Han’s contacts took his money and steered him to a dead end. That, too, was expected. Finally, however, he found the black market dealer in an abandoned Old Republic armory several blocks from the spaceport.
Ducking into a dark alley across the street, Han hid in the shadows and waited. Convinced that no one had followed him, he turned his attention to the three-story sandstone armory. For a full twenty minutes, he watched for any activity either in or around the building. Aside from a few pedestrians, no one entered or exited.
With a glance over his shoulder, he finally made his way across. Reaching the door of the armory, he looked around for the small lever that he was told would be hidden in the doorframe. Finding it after a few seconds, he flipped it upward and stepped back.
Immediately, a screen set into the doorframe above the lever lit up, shining a thin red beam of light onto Han. After a minute, the beam faded and the heavy blastshield door slid upward. As it ascended, Han half-expected to be forced to surrender his blaster before being taken to Kanaan. He was slightly bewildered when the assassin droid that greeted him did so without even a cursory glance at his holster.
As the droid escorted him through, it did not take long to see why.
Armed guards were either posted in pairs beside doorways or assigned to patrol every level of the complex. Anyone foolish enough to even reach for their weapon in here would be lucky if they lived long enough to see which guard shot them first.
After several minutes, Han was brought to a set of gray double doors with two armed guards on either side.
“Wait here,” the droid intoned.
Han stopped as his escort moved to a control panel set into the doorframe and began keying in what was presumably an access code. Only when the doors parted did the two guards lower their weapons to allow them through.
The droid swiveled its cylindrical head to face Han. “Enter now.”
Cautiously, he moved forward into what appeared to be a large office. The walls and ceiling were a soft gray while in every corner, exotic plants from distant parts of the galaxy added sparse color. Computer monitors lined the far right wall, displaying everything from news reports to financial data.
In the middle of all this, Zel Kanaan sat comfortably in a plush chair with his feet up on a large black desk. He smiled thinly as Han and the droid entered. A middle-aged man, he had an air of confidence about him that was apparently well earned, judging from the size of his operation.
“Captain Han Solo of the Millennium Falcon.” Kanaan casually motioned for Han to take a seat on the opposite side of the desk. “Smuggler extraordinaire, legendary gambler and con-artist. Your reputation precedes you. How is old Jabba these days?”
Despite this man’s overt friendliness, Han knew better than to take it as face value. “Continuously expanding.”
“Yes, he always was the prosperous one. Now, shall we get down to business?”
“I didn’t exactly come here for my health.”
“Not many people do,” Kanaan smiled thinly. “My feelers in the city tell me you’re looking for two squadrons worth of snub fighters. I’m curious as to why someone as yourself would need so many ships.” He leaned forward over the desk. “Planning to take over your own planet, Solo?”
“I’m only acting as a point man for my client.”
“And that would be?”
“None of your concern.”
Still smiling, Kanaan sat back in his chair and shrugged. “I simply like to know who I’m dealing with from time to time.”
“You’re dealing with me.”
“Of course, stupid question,” Kanaan said quickly. “I expect you have the payment with you?”
“No, I left it in my other pants.”
“Your reputation for crassness is also well known, Han. May I call you that?”
“No,” the Corellian answered gruffly. “I’m not here to discuss my reputation, I’m here to buy ships. I have three hundred and fifty thousand credits, enough to buy two squadrons each of X and Y-Wings. By your reputation, I would imagine you can provide that many ships on demand.”
“I can provide fifty Imperial Star Destroyers on demand for the right price,” Kanaan bragged. “I’m afraid, however, that for the amount of vessels you want, you’ll have to at least double your offer.”
Han leaned forward over the desk. Behind him, he could hear the assassin droid move closer. “No deal. We both know these are old ships. They’re barely worth the price I’m offering. If you know my reputation as well as you say you do, then you should also know I don’t get ripped off by anyone.”
Kanaan stared blankly at Han for a moment before suddenly laughing aloud. “You know, there could be a place for you in my organization, Solo. You know your business well.” He slid his feet off the desk and sat forward in his chair. “Let the deal begin.”
***
Two hours later, Han emerged from the room followed closely, of course, by the assassin droid. Although he remained as stone faced as he did during the negotiations with Kanaan, he was more than happy with the outcome. For the amount of credits Han offered, he placed a fifty percent down payment on two squadrons of X-Wings, and one squadron each of Y-Wings and the newer B-Wings. The balance would be paid upon receipt of the merchandise.
In his inner vest pocket, Han carried the datachip containing the star system name and exact coordinates where the vessels could be picked up.
Upon reaching the back door of the building, the droid stopped and checked what appeared to be a security console. After a moment, it pressed a series of buttons and the door slid aside, revealing the dark street beyond.
“Exit now.”
Pleasure doing business with you, too.
Silently, Han departed the building. As the door slid closed with a thud, he peered into the night to get his bearings, as this was not the same way he entered. After a few seconds, he determined that the spaceport was to the right. Ensuring once again that he was not being watched, he made his way down the street.
It was well into the small hours of the morning and Han seemed to be alone for most of his journey. On occasion, he passed a bar with one or two customers staggering out but fortunately, no one gave him any trouble.
The spaceport was only three blocks away as Han turned the corner only to be greeted by the business end of a blaster rifle. At arm’s length behind it was the familiar face, or more accurately, helmet of Boba Fett.
“Going somewhere, Solo?”
Raising his hands slowly, Han groaned. “Do all of you bounty hunters always use the same opening lines?”
Chapter Four – Sacrifices
“Worthless rubbish.”
In what was formerly the office of the spaceport director, Moff Kellan rummaged through the array of personal possessions confiscated from the homes of those suspected of sheltering the Rebel traitor. Not surprisingly, there was nothing among the scattered piles that appeared to hold any clue as to the insurgent’s identity or whereabouts.
Tossing aside what seemed to be a tattered personal diary, Kellan’s attention was drawn to a small wooden box that lay on its side at the opposite edge of the table. Reaching over, he lifted the box and opened it slowly, revealing a set of five holo-disks.
With a sudden urgency, he picked out the first disk and inserted it into the holo-projector beside the communications panel. Almost immediately, the image of a young man in an Old Republic military uniform materialized atop the console.
Taking a seat behind the modest desk, Kellan watched intently as the man lectured about the power of the Force and the abilities of the Jedi. Although the hologram was not exactly the highest quality, the man’s face struck the governor as strangely familiar.
Moving to the comm station, Kellan contacted the Imperial Star Destroyer in orbit around Steruub and uploaded the contents of the holo-disk to the ship’s computer. After, he ordered the captain to run a search through historical records for a match.
“This is top priority,” Kellan insisted. “The identity of this individual may be the clue we need to find the Rebel agent.”
“I’ll have our best men tend to it immediately, Governor.”
With a curt nod, Kellan terminated the transmission. Ignoring the rest of the items lying on the table, he summoned each of the squad leaders into his office. Once all six were present, he held up the wooden box for each of them to see.
“This was confiscated from a home outside Treyal this morning,” he informed them. “I want to know which one and I want to know the identity of the resident as soon as possible. Dismissed.”
***
Thirty minutes later, the captain of the Ruthless contacted Kellan with his answer. “At the time the hologram was recorded, the man was a major in–”
“I need a name, Captain!” Kellan’s patience was beginning to wear thin.
“Kenobi,” the man said simply. “Known during the Clone Wars as General Obi-Wan Kenobi. He was a Jedi Knight of the Old Republic. Originally, he was thought killed by the Emperor’s dark lords when they were sent to hunt down the Jedi.”
“I am aware of the history of the Sith, Captain.”
“Were you also aware that Kenobi was last seen aboard the Death Star before its destruction?”
At that, Kellan shot forward in his chair. “Contact the main fleet, inform them of what we found and await instructions from Admiral Ozzel.”
“Yes, sir.”
As the comm screen faded, one of the squad leaders returned to the office. Kellan rotated his chair to face him. “Report, Lieutenant.”
“Sir,” the officer began. “The item you inquired about was confiscated by one of my men.”
“Does he recall which house he found it in?”
“Yes, sir. It was beside the Esign River.”
“Good.” Kellan stepped over to the table and snatched up the box of holo-disks. “Because that’s where we’re going right now.”
***
Stepping out of his meditation chamber aboard the Executor, Darth Vader was greeted by an anxious Admiral Ozzel.
“What is it, Admiral?” Vader asked, restraining his annoyance with the officer’s impetuousness.
“My Lord,” Ozzel began with a quick nod as the pair made their way down the corridor. “We have just received a report from Moff Kellan on Steruub. A Rebel snub fighter has been impounded at the planet’s spaceport.”
“Has he apprehended the pilot?”
“Not yet, but the governor’s troops are engaging in a massive search effort in the vicinity of the spaceport and have already encountered several leads.”
“Do not waste my time, Admiral. Get to the point.”
Ozzel drew himself to his full height before continuing. “Among the items confiscated by Kellan’s troops during their search was a set of holo-disks that dated back to the Old Republic. They specifically contain images of Obi-Wan Kenobi.”
Vader abruptly stopped in his tracks and stared straight ahead for a moment, saying nothing. Once again, the admiral felt a certain level of discomfort at being unable to read Vader’s expression. He almost leaped backward as the dark lord suddenly whirled to face him.
“Order the fleet to Steruub, maximum speed. We will find nothing of importance on the jungle moon. Then contact Kellan and have him prepare for my arrival.”
Vader pointed a gloved finger at Ozzel. “Make certain you inform the governor that I will hold him personally responsible should that X-Wing fighter leave the spaceport. Is that clear, Admiral?”
“Of course, my Lord.” Ozzel nodded once more before hurrying off toward the bridge. He paused for a moment long after he was out of Vader’s sights and wondered how the dark lord knew that the Rebel vessel in question was an X-Wing.
***
As if he was expected, the door to Jianna’s home was wide open when Kellan arrived. Without bothering to announce himself, the governor charged into the house followed by three stormtroopers one of which remained at attention just outside the door. No sooner had the group entered then they spotted Jianna seated casually on a couch towards the back of the room, seemingly unfazed by the impromptu arrival of the Imperial contingent.
“I am Moff–”
“Kellan,” Jianna finished. “Yes, I know exactly who you are. Your display this morning was rather… unforgettable.”
“You must also know why I’m here then.” Kellan said as he glanced around the sitting room. It was not a question.
The woman shrugged. When she spoke, her tone was one of indifference. “I imagined you would return at some point.”
“You are suspected of aiding an enemy of the Imperial government,” the officer informed her. “Tell me about your relationship with the Rebel Alliance.”
“I have no relationship with any alliance.”
“I see.” Kellan stepped closer to Jianna, placing the wooden box atop the table between them. “Yours?”
“My son’s actually.”
“And where is he now?”
“Not here at the moment.”
Holding up a hand, Kellan pointed toward the two stormtroopers and immediately, they began making their way through the rest of the house. As they exited the room, Kellan began pacing in front of Jianna.
“The moment I recognized the man in the holo-disks as Obi-Wan Kenobi,” Kellan began, “I ran a background check on you once I discovered that these came from your house. Very impressive work on the spaceport, by the way. I find the accommodations fairly comfortable. However, there was one thing in your personnel record that stood out.” Kellan stopped in mid-stride. “You have no children.
Just then, the two stormtroopers reentered the room. As expected, they were unable to find ‘Ilom’ anywhere in the house or on the grounds. Kellan stepped around the table to the couch and leaned over Jianna.
“I’m only going to ask this question once more,” he said. “Where is the traitor?”
Remaining silent, Jianna merely stared up at him impassively.
With a deep breath, Kellan drew himself up and waved the soldiers closer. “Be defying me, you’ve chosen poorly.”