Rikki Barnes aka Nomad (nomaderwhat) wrote in starnomad, @ 2015-02-12 01:18:00 |
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Entry tags: | character: luke skywalker, character: rikki barnes, date: [60.10], location: coruscant |
Who: Rikki Barnes & Luke Skywalker
When: 60.10
Where: Solo Apartments on Coruscant.
What: Luke needs to discuss new information on Mara's illness
Rating: Low
Status: COMPLETE.
Luke Skywalker stood alone in the office of the Solo family apartments. Upon completing the meeting with the Security and Intelligence Council with his youngest nephew they had returned to Anakin's apartment and he'd contacted Rikki Barnes to meet him at the Solo's apartment. It wasn't a conversation he could hold somewhere they might be overheard, and it wasn't a conversation he wanted to have in his own apartment because of Mara. It was something he would need to talk to her about, but he didn't want to do so just yet. "Elan does have one request. She wishes to meet with the Jedi Knights…. some sort of illness the Yuuzhan Vong introduced in advance of the arrival of their worldships… She said the Jedi would understand." Belindi Kalenda's words rang in his mind as he stood with his back to the door and his eyes on the empty screen in front of him. If Mara's illness had been introduced by the Yuuzhan Vong, it seemed fitting comings and goings had seemed to go up and down with the invasion and with the Yuuzhan Vong's successes and the New Republic's failures. But it didn't precisely make sense. What sort of illness could operate that way? Particularly from an enemy that seemed to not exist at all in the Force. And most importantly - did the defector, Elan, hold some key to curing Mara's illness. Rikki had implied that Mara would be cured, and it was one of her comments that Luke had spent very little time dwelling on. He had pushed it firmly from his mind -- it might have kept him listening to her, but dwelling on it would do more harm than good. It would cloud his judgement when it needed to be clear. And perhaps that was what was happening now… but he had to speak with Rikki and find out if she knew anything about Mara's cure… anything that would help him to know whether he should meet with Elan or not. All Rikki really knew was that Luke had gone to a meeting. Usually this meant he would return back to the apartment and discuss with Mara, occasionally asking Rikki to be part of it as well. Honestly she was not sure how much insight or guidance she really provided to the Skywalkers but she hoped that it helped at least a little. But todays was different. He had asked for her specifically and to meet at the Solo family’s apartment. She might wonder if perhaps he had caught on to their evening activities but there was no reason to not include Mara if that was to be the case. But Luke had summoned her without Mara and at the moment Rikki had no particular reason to disobey. Shutting off the holo she had been watching, another recommendation from Mara, she changed clothes quickly and made her way over. The trip from the Skywalker’s to the Solo’s was burned into Rikki’s mind, she could likely go the entire way blindfolded without incident. Even the pleasantries with Threepio were easy enough to do on autopilot, being let in and making her way up to the office. Knocking on the door, Rikki waited a moment before announcing herself. “Master Skywalker?” she said as she opened the door. “You called for me?” Luke turned as she entered the room and he offered her a smile as he did so. He motioned to an over-sized chair in the corner and he took a seat himself on the edge of the desk near him. The question that always haunted him when he started to ask questions was whether or not he was going to ask the wrong thing. Whether or not foreknowledge would change something irreversibly and make him do something different. In this case with Mara's life perhaps directly on the line it was a question he was going to take very seriously. He had his instinct, and he knew what it was - speak with Elan - so unless something Rikki knew changed that instinct significantly, he would likely still go with it. It was the safest way to operate in the current moment. "I did, thank you for meeting me here. I - wanted to speak with you directly because it has to do with something you mentioned when we first spoke. I don't know that you will have answers for me - but I have questions regardless," his lips quirked up in a smile. "You said when we first met that Mara would be cured." Reflexively Rikki smiled back. It was a little hard not to. This Luke was not hers, he was older with more weight on his shoulders than ever. But she had spent long enough with one Skywalker looking after her that it became just natural to be at ease and trust him. She had been so desperate to find him that even after all this sometimes Rikki couldn’t believe that she actually had. So she followed his lead and took her seat, waiting for him to begin. The smile faded when he did. Her posture became a little straighter, more formal for the conversation. It made sense, of course this would be what he was calling her here for. That was her use her, the information she brought of a future that they were careening towards. And Mara’s absence now made sense as well. He had sworn her to secrecy on the topic of Mara’s cure and for good reason. Mara had a hard enough time believing her as it was. “I did say that.” She answered promptly. “I can’t promise I can answer, but what are your questions?” Luke sat still for a moment, trying to determine the best way forward in this particular moment. He didn't want to ask the wrong thing, or demand too much, which ended up making the choice fairly clear. He let her direct the conversation - for the moment, and then he could ask follow-up questions if she knew anything, or there was something she needed to know. And if she knew not very much… then perhaps he would tell her more. He should have perhaps brought her with him and Anakin, but he hadn't wanted to draw attention to her just yet. Anakin's presence was easy to explain - he was Luke's apprentice which made him a shadow to nearly everything that Luke had access to and it was an accepted fact. But Rikki… perhaps a cover story needed to be made for her sooner rather than later. The question was how to make it convincing enough that no one would ask questions. There were records of who was training to be a Jedi and she didn't have the Force sensitivity required to answer questions in the Force. That was a secondary issue however, and he turned his attention back to the matter at hand. "Do you know anything about how?" Rikki hesitated, her eyes looking away while she kept still. She did not know all that much. What she did know was Ben, that Mara had been sick, that Mara got better before Anakin died. She also knew this was all so Jacen Solo could grow up and kill her to change into a Sith Lord. None of that was information that was particularly helpful to actually explaining how Mara would get better. She really didn’t even know how long Mara would have before her death. It was a few years at least, but other than that it was not a solid number. “Not really.” she said honestly as her eyes returned to Luke. “I know it has to do with tears of some kind? And Ver something.” She went silent for a moment as her lips purse together. “I know some about when, some that happens, but I’m not sure how much you wish to know.” Luke was quiet for a moment considering her words. He didn't ask questions lightly, because they weren't light questions. Every piece of information had a potential impact, and what and how. He folded his hands together and watched her for a moment, not so keenly that he was reading everything, but more considering the entirety of the situation. "Tears," he said thoughtfully. It didn't mean anything to him - but he had not been given much information to go with from either the NRI or from Rikki. After a moment he tilted his head. "I had a meeting today with the Security and Intelligence Council," he said finally. "Anakin was with me. Most of what we were looking at has been coded at the highest level of security clearance, so at the moment I won't say much about the contents, but I was given reason to believe that they might have information about Mara's illness. They don't even know what they have information about," he shook his head. "But a timeline - when - might be helpful. I had hoped for more. I have my inclinations, what feels right, but sometimes those things are cloudy these days." She had a timeline, or at least a bit of one. But that timeline was mostly centered around Ben Skywalker’s birth and that was not something that had even begun to exist yet. Though it had to happen soon enough. Babies took time and Anakin died after Ben was born. The clock was ticking so perhaps there was not too much at stake by telling him a little early? Still it was information that wasn’t vitally necessary to the mission at hand. Rikki puzzled over how much to say, how to say it, and what was really necessary for Luke to know. Because she did care for the Skywalkers and wanted to do her best to help them. Meditation had given her no answers and having lost the sounding board of Anakin Solo in her life Rikki found she had far fewer answers than she liked. “It’s soon.” she chose her words carefully as she watched Luke. “There’s a treatment. Then something happens and she gets worse. But before... Before Anakin’s...” Rikki frowned and took a sharp breath before continuing on. “She’s completely healed before that happens.” Luke was silent and then eventually nodded. It didn't give him a lot of information to go forward with. But it also didn't contradict his feelings about what should be done here. "Then I'll meet with them," he said finally. "At least, that's the current plan that I'm going to move forward with. I'll meet with the Jedi to determine which of us will meet." He paused and then offered Rikki the smallest of smiles. "There are two defectors, supposedly. The NRI has them, in transit, and they've asked to meet with the Jedi - about an illness the Yuuzhan Vong introduced into the galaxy before they came. The Jedi, they said, would know what they were talking about. The timeline is right. I don't know what they have to offer. Perhaps nothing, but I must meet with them. If there's a chance that this is what helps Mara," he trailed off and was silent for a moment. “Then you’d do anything for that chance.” Rikki finished softly. She was entirely aware that Luke’s feelings for Mara were in part how she had gotten his attention. It had been calculated in its own way. A universe away Rikki had to wonder if Natasha would have been proud or if she would have disapproved. It had moved her mission along, after all. And she did care what happened to Mara, what happened to Luke. Rikki had watched Anakin tear himself apart with worry at times, searching the force for an answer to save her. And nothing he had done had. The heartbreak of failure weighed heavily on her own heart, the agony that she had left for him. Luke was trying to avoid the same pain for himself. At least Luke wouldn’t be the instrument of her death. That was a pain Rikki had left only for Anakin. Before she fell into dwelling, Rikki pulled the pain back in letting the ache go dull in her chest as she refocused. “I’d say it matches up with what I know.” Rikki added. “And if there is anything I can do to help, I want to be able to.” "That is something, at least," Luke said quietly. He looked over at the girl in front of him. He'd watched her, he'd offered her the opportunity to live in his home, and Mara had spent time with her over and over again - her assessment had been not dissimilar to Luke's albeit arrived at after more painstaking observation of Rikki over weeks worth of opportunities. "Right now, I think the next step is to decide who will meet with them and that's something that I will speak with multiple Jedi about," Luke said. "Perhaps you should sit in on that meeting, or at least… be in a place where you can hear it." He was thoughtful for a moment. "We need a cover story for you. Something that allows you to move with Anakin and myself, or Jacen, with the Jedi. I don't suppose there are Jedi in your home universe and you happen to have some Force sensitivity," he offered the suggestion with a smile, knowing it was likely not an option. “No.” Rikki gave a weak smile and shrugged. “No force sensitivity. I’m pretty much as normal as you can get.” She was more than used to spending her time around those who had far greater abilities than she did. Superheroes generally had one kind of power or another. But she did what she could to compensate, to keep up. But determination and stubbornness didn’t make a possible Jedi on their own. “Master Jade and I have talked about possible ideas.” She gave a soft, humorless laugh. “You know I’ve made identities before, but that doesn’t really help in this universe.” Knowing how to make a social security number and fake name in the United States didn’t do much in this galaxy. "You've got a lot of luck for no Force sensitivity," Luke pointed out with a smile, but he stood and he stepped across the room to glance out the window for a moment. They could fake it, for a while, a low level initiate - but everyone would wonder why he and Mara were taking her in and not leaving to her another Master on Yavin IV - indeed what help she could be to the war effort at all. They needed something people wouldn't question. "It's a different thing I'm certain," Luke turned back around. "At least, from what little you've said I'm assuming that it is. And that our universe is much different from what you were used to - language notwithstanding. Perhaps I'll leave this to you and Mara. We've some favors we can probably call in for the documentation when we need it." Kalenda would provide documentation without question Luke was certain. It was simply a matter of figuring out what that cover was in the first place. "Perhaps you should work on that this week." “No such thing as luck.” Rikki readily chirped. She watched Luke as he got up, instinctively rising from her chair so that she was not the only one sitting. Luck might have had a little to do with arriving where she could find Luke instead of thrown out into the Outer Rim, but Anakin would have said it was the force. The more time she spent in this galaxy the more proof seemed to be there that it existed. “Very different. Maybe I could tell you about it some time.” She stood at attention but a small bit of tension left her shoulders. There was so much that she missed, so much that she wanted to talk about to someone but there was no one who would know. Mara and Luke at least knew some of the truth but they didn’t know anything really about where she came from. There was no context after all. “But I can certainly discuss an appropriate identity with Master Jade. It would make it easier when people ask if we all agree on the story.” "Precisely," Luke said softly, turning around and giving her a look. "But - regardless of that we do need a story. Something that is simple enough we can all keep track of, and that is close enough to the truth that you won't have to lie much to tell it. Jedi have an annoying ability to pick up when they are being lied to, after all," the statement was made tongue in cheek and he crossed the room to put a hand on her shoulder. "I'll need to call in some of the Jedi I'd like for us to meet with, and I'll think on whether or not to have you in the room, or not. But for now - thank you. I know it wasn't a lot that you had, but you have at least told me that there is no harm in following my intuition on this one." He dropped the hand from her shoulder and nodded. "Thank you for coming over, and I suspect that Anakin wouldn't mind some training - if you're in the notion for it." “I hadn’t noticed.” Rikki deadpanned, the smallest quirk of an eyebrow accompanying the comment. Still lying was a lot easier when one could actually lie. Widow’s training was more important here than it had ever been back home. Selective truths were powerful when the people she was surrounded by could sense deception. She looked up at him, eyes slightly widened for a moment when he placed a hand on her shoulder. It wasn’t unwelcome, it was simply unexpected. Though Rikki wasn’t sure why. He was letting her live with him after all. But that was just because she was useful. If she was in the Undercity she could just disappear again. It made sense to keep an asset close. But Luke didn’t always think like that. He wasn’t cold and calculating. “I’ll do what I can to continue to help.” She answered honestly. “Whenever you have need of me, Master Skywalker.” The small smile crept back into place, her heart jumping at the chance despite her best judgement. “I’m always up for training.” |