"What?" Xanin said, startled by Katha's answer. "Then what happened to you? Did you - " Katha held up her hand to silence him.
"I left Xanin. I packed up, got on the closest outgoing ship, and left." Xanin stared at her trying to understand her. He gestured to a bench and Katha reluctantly sat down.
"But I don't understand why, Katha" he continued. "You had everything you could possibly want on Balmorra. Family, friends, money… and….and you had me, Katha." Katha turned away so he wouldn't see the single tear that rolled down her cheek. He had always hated it when she cried, and she didn't think she could handle him trying to comfort her.
"I know, Xanin, and I'm sorry. I really am, but it had to be this way. I just couldn't stand that lifestyle anymore; I had to be free. I thought if I left no one would notice and maybe I wouldn't hurt anyone."
"Well you did, Katha. I should be glad to see you, but I feel angry instead of happy now." Xanin said with a growing harshness. "I hope you're happy with your new life, because I sure as hell aren't."
"I'm sorry Xanin. I never meant to hurt you. I didn't know you would take it so hard. I mean we were only twelve."
"Do you think that so young!?" Xanin snapped, then he paused and his expression changed. "I'm so sorry Katha. I guess I've wanted to talk to you all these years and it just built up inside of me."
"I understand, and I don't blame you for being angry." She said. Xanin took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. He smiled slightly.
"So…. What have you been up to?" he asked casually. Katha thought for a moment.
I can't tell him about my Imperial status. I guess I can stick to the last five years and hope I run out of time. "Well," she started, "I hung around some travelers for a little while, saw the sites, had a few small adventures, nothing really exciting. I dealt with some pirates, and I'm now I working near here, thought I'd do a little shopping" Xanin watched her speak.
There's something she's hiding he thought. "Sounds...interesting, I guess, but it's a little vague for you. What kind of work are you doing?" Katha blinked, she hadn't expected him to ask. Something in her gut said she needed to find a way out of here.
"Uh well…" she smiled as innocently as she could, trying to think of a cover "I've been ---" Suddenly her comlink beeped. Katha inwardly breathed a sigh of relief. "Oh dear I'm sorry. Let me get this." She walked out of hearing distance and clicked it on "What is it?"
"The ship is preparing to leave, you better hurry" the voice said.
"Right. I'll be there." She killed the link and turned back to see Xanin standing right behind her. That's the second time someone's snuck up on me today she thought.
"Gotta go?" he asked. Katha took a mental note to keep her guard up better.
"Uh yeah, I do" she answered quickly.
"Do you have some way I could contact you? Maybe we can get together and talk some more, at a cantina or something." He said, shrugging.
"Uh, not really," she lied," but here's a place that will forward a message to me." She handed him a number and turned quickly without much of a goodbye. As she got to the lift she thought silently I hope I never have to run into him ever again.
Xanin watched Katha go. Then he reached for his own comlink. "Zevon, did you get all of that recorded?"
"Yeah, but I'm not sure if it's enough." The voice replied.
" Sorry I couldn't get anymore before she left. Where should I meet you?"
"Go towards Invisec. There is a warehouse on the edge of the sector. I'll be waiting." The gruff voice went silent. Xanin started for the exit.
Back on the shuttle, ready for departure, Katha sat reviewing her conversation with Xanin. Something about him seemed different, she thought, but she couldn't place what it was. He was probably just angry, besides it's been 5 years, of course he's changed. A voice came over the shuttle's intercom.
"We are about to lift off, secure yourselves." Katha sat back and tried to push Xanin out of her thoughts.
On the edge of Invisec Xanin easily found the now abandoned warehouse. Inside was dark except for a lone flickering light in the distance. Xanin rested his hand on the butt of his blaster and cautiously proceeded deeper into the warehouse. Suddenly he heard a muffled noise. Xanin silently raised his blaster and looked around the area carefully.
"Zevon, is that you?" he called out. Xanin heard a scuffling sound, and Zevon's familiar voice cried out.
"Xanin! I-- " and his voice became muffled again.
"Hey, let him go!" Xanin yelled at the darkness. He looked franticly about, trying to see. A dark figure stepped out of the shadows but Xanin didn't have a clear shot at him.
"Put down your weapon and no harm will come to your friend."
"Alright" Xanin said, slowly stooping to the floor with the blaster. "Just let him go and we'll get out of your way. Come on we don't want any trouble, we were just supposed to meet someone here."
"Well it seems that we've found you and your friend first." Xanin looked at Zevon and back to the dark figure. Xanin's eyes narrowed.
"What do you mean?"
"Why don't you tell him, Zevon" the dark figure made a gesture and the two guards released Zevon. Xanin watched him.
"Uh…Xanin….this is the person that's going to help us get to Eagle."
"Zevon, you said he was going to be here. You didn't tell me we would have to talk to some middle man." Xanin said forgetting about the man still standing there.
"Silence!" snapped the dark figure. He stepped out from his cover and casually walked toward Xanin. Before Xanin could react he picked up Xanin's blaster. "The man you are looking for is not on Coruscant anymore. I am one of very few that know exactly where he is, and I'm willing to talk for a much more reasonable price than most."
"How do we know you really know where he is?" Xanin asked, hoping it wouldn't anger the man too much.
"Trust me, I know, but really you don't have a way to know. I guess that just a risk you'll have to take to get your information." the man smirked. Xanin glanced at Zevon, who shrugged slightly. Then Xanin stepped forward.
"So how much is this…risk going to cost me?"
"1000 credits, at least half that now, just for your own reassurances." Xanin thought for a moment.
"Fine. It's a deal." He counted out 500 credits and gave them to them man, who signaled to the guards.
"Come on, Xanin, we are going to a more…secure meeting place." Xanin glanced at Zevon again, but Zevon apparently didn't see a problem because he was already following the guards. Xanin caught his arm.
"You didn't tell me that our contact wasn't going to be here, or that he was an Imperial" Xanin whispered severely.
"Well I didn't know. He claimed to be Eagle, and his back ground checked out ok." Zevon replied back quietly.
"Hurry up you two, I don't have time for you to chatter." the man called back at them. They came to a small lift and got in. They stopped a few levels up at what looked like an office complex. The group walked in to one of the rooms and two guards closed the door, standing firmly to each side. The dark clad man motioned for Xanin and Zevon to sit at one end of the long table. He sat on the other end, the remaining guard beside him. Now that they were in better light Xanin could see that the man had a hood covering most of his face, and he looked at Zevon. Zevon was already slouching in his seat. Xanin sat impatiently, waiting for the man to say something.
"Well, are you going to give us our information or not?" Xanin said, suddenly jumping up out of his seat.
"Silence!" the man shouted. He gestured with a clenched fist. Xanin started to say something else, but an invisible hand silenced him.
