Jedi Rising... (ATTN: Ava, but AW)

The looks that followed Ava's words were varied. Kota seemed to not react at all, as if all his hard years had somehow hardened him to the pain and revelation in the girl's voice. He turned and moved into the chamber from which Juno had originally emerged, vanishing in the darkness. Luke's face was one of shock, for he'd known nothing of Avadedra's past apart from the snippets Meric had shared with him on their journey here. Juno's face softened a bit, although she still maintained her aloof air. Meric's face was one of understanding, as if the last pieces of his apprentice's past had at last fallen into place.

A stillness pervaded the room then, until with a whir of gears the droid PROXY emerged from the chamber, once again followed by Kota. PROXY was a humanoid droid about two meters tall. His limbs and appendages were spindly, but his feet were broad as a normaql human's. His faceplate consisted of little more than a mouth and swept-back skull-cap. His yellowish photorecepters glowed dimly, as if he was low on power. A single hole in his torso, with burns ringing it, gave way that it was in fact a lightsaber stab that had caused the damage. "Mistress Juno," he said, straightening up as best he could, "Why have you reac-reactivated me?"

Luke raised an eyebrow. "And this damaged droid is going to get us into the palace... how?"

Juno stepped back. "Proxy? Access my Imperial record."

"Accessing..."

In a flash, Proxy's entire shape seemed to change. Where once had stood a droid, now stood an exact duplicate of Juno Eclipse herself!

"Juno Eclipse," PROXY said in an exact duplication of Juno's voice, "Born on Corulag where she became the youngest student ever accepted into the Imperial Academy, decorated combat pilot serving in over one hundred five missions, and commanding officer during the bombing of Callos. Hand-picked by Lord Vader to lead his Black Five squadron but later reassigned to a top secret project. Subsequently found to be a spy and declared a traitor to the Empire. Escaped and henceforth believed deceased."

"Well!" Juno declared, "Convinced now?"

Ava shuffled awkwardly in the silence. She hadn't meant to say all that, not really. It was something she'd hoped to speak with Meric about first, to see what he would suggest she do. She mentally kicked herself.

The seconds ticked past, and no one spoke. That alone was enough to make her want to fidget. Instead, through the doorway Kota had disappeared past stepped a droid. Involuntarily, Ava took a step back, putting a few more inches of distance between herself and the droid. Just to play it safe, though the feeling of the room, for the most part, was one of familiarity and trust toward the mechanical beast. Her eyes widened momentarily, then narrowed once more as the droid showed its programming.

"Well!" Juno declared, "Convinced now?"

Ava pressed her lips tightly together, keeping her thoughts to herself. She'd caused herself quite enough trouble already; no need in looking for more.

Luke was the first one to voice his thoughts regarding the droid's deception. "It's impressive," he said, "But how is this... droid supposed to get us into the palace?"

"It's simple," Juno answered, "Proxy has detailed access to the vast majority of Imperial records from the fall of the Galactic Republic onward, giving him a vast knowledge of procedure and personnel. He will take the form of Imperial Commander Atwick, an official charged with cleaning up crime here in the lower city. Atwick was killed several years ago, but because of the situation here, there is no official record of it." She turned to the droid. "PROXY?"

The doppelganger of Juno vanished from PROXY's frame, and within a moment another took its place. It was the image of a balding man in his late thirties. A black beard and mustache ringed his tight lips, while his coal-colored eyes appeared as if they might bore through the onlookers. He wore the standard uniform of Imperial Grey, whilst his left breast bore the insignia of a Commander in the Imperial Navy.

"Imperial officer Atwick returning to headquarters with a full report of my activities over the past two years, along with a prisoner and the civilian who assisted in her capture." the droid recited perfectly in Atwick's baritone voice.

Meric nodded, but something was nagging at him. "And what if this plan goes awry?" he asked, "Palace security will be much tighter once you get in, and when it's discovered that PROXY's story is a fake..."

"We'll just have to get in and get out quickly," Juno answered, "If nothing else, we can confuse security enough that you and Skywalker will be able to get in and complete your scouting mission without a hitch.

"It's too big a risk!" Meric argued, "I'm willing to risk my own life, but if Ava was hurt... or you..."

"You're sweet," Juno said softly, "but I've been in danger before, and I'm no stranger to looking death straight on... I'll be okay."

Kota cleared his throat. "I'm not sure I like this plan either," he said, "With the chaos of the last few days, the guards will be on alert... But you are right Juno... This may be the best chance we have."

"Then it's settled," Juno said, "Avadedra, we had best find you somet alternate clothing. Those robes look good on you, but you hardly look the proper street urchin."

With all the impetuousness of her youth, Avadedra's first instinctual reaction was to rebel. It didn't add up at first, why she was being roped into going back to the surface an into the Palace. But the more she listened, the better she understood. Juno's explanations were valid; Ava was unknown, just another child of hard times. Who would look twice at her?

She looked down at herself at Juno's last comment, allowing a smile to slide across her face. It was the first one in a while, and it felt good.

"I suppose you're right," she said. "Alright miss... muss me up."

Juno nodded. "It won't be anything a sonic shower can't clean up when we're through," she promised, "but call me Juno." She led Ava into the private chamber and the entry slid shut.

Luke cast a glance at Meric. "Are you sure about this?" he asked, "We're putting an awful lot on Ava's shoulders."

"Ava is a Padawan, Luke," Meric stated, "Even though she is only now just opening her mind and heart to the Force, she has limitless potential. Between her natural abilities and Juno's tactical planning, we stand a good chance at pulling this thing off."

"But even the best-laid plans can fail," Kota spoke up, "We'll need a back-up plan just in case."

Ava followed Juno, flashing a look at Meric on her way by. Her stomach fluttered slightly as they left the men behind.

Juno's living space was sparse, with very little in the way of homely touches, but it was still warm and, in its own way, inviting. A few chairs, a table, and a sleeping space made it look lived in, but on closer inspection, Ava saw that the whole place could be quickly packed up and moved in an instant.

"Well, you seem close to my size," Juno said, assessing Ava from head to toe. "I think we can mash something together for you."

In the end, Ava had been given a beat up and greasy pair of pants once favored by a ship's mechanic, a long-sleeved basic shirt, and an old Imperial uniform jacket with the rank and insignias torn off. The jacket was slightly too big, but she was able to roll the sleeves enough to keep easy access to her blaster, but not so much that it looked obvious.

"There," Juno said, wiping the last bit of dirt, courtesy of a small plant in the corner, from her hands. "Just let loose, muss, and re-tie your hair, and I think we'll be set."

Ava stepped back, wrinkling her nose against the tickling sensation the dirt smeared near the bridge of her nose made. She fought back a sneeze, flicking excess particles from her sleeve as she stepped over to the only mirror in the room. She almost didn't recognize her own reflection as she ran her fingers through her braid to pull it loose. As a last moment thought, she ran her hands across her shirt, turning them black and brown, then ran them through her hair. That done, she tied it into a loose tail.

"All done," she said, turning around.

"It works," Juno said, a small smile tugging her lips. "Perfect for a girl not trying to be a Jedi. Let's go see what Kota and Meric have schemed up in our absence."

Ava nodded and followed Juno from the room.

When Juno and Ava emerged, Meric and the others were just putting the finishing touches on their plan. Meric smiled and turned as the two emerged. "Well, by the Force!" he declared, "Avadedra Hetarra, if I didn't know that was you I'd never guess you were a Jedi Apprentice."

"As it should be," Juno answered, "The Emperor was shrewd, and was always aware that other Force Sensitives would likely be the only ones able to challenge him. Ava, whatever your talents at this early stage, bury them deeply as you can. Some of the Emperor's elite guards are likely still stationed in the Imperial Palace, and they can tell when other Force Sensitives are near."

Meric nodded. "This is a severe test for you, Ava," he told her, "But I'm confident you can pass it. Luke and I will be right behind you if anything goes wrong even so."

Kota stepped forward and handed Ava a small device, appearing as little more than a garnet-colored earring. "Put this on," he said, "It's a com-link that feeds the sound directly into the wearer's mind, and transmits all sound-waves back to the receiver. We'll know if anything is wrong likely before you do, so we'll be able to come to your aide. Even though you should hide your abilities, do not neglect them. The Force is a powerful ally, even in one so young and untrained... Center yourself. Never give in to fear or anger. Those are the path to the Dark side."

Ava chuckled and blushed beneath her disguise. "Thank you, Master." To Juno's directions, she nodded, glancing at Meric. She'd already spent years suppressing her abilities, she felt that she could manage a little longer. Still, she could already tell that it would be more difficult than normal, now that she'd started openly conversing with the Force.

As Kota lay the small gem her hand, Ava reached up and removed the tiny silver hoop from her right ear and replaced it with the garnet colored com-link. She nodded in silence, wrapping her fist around the hoop, weighing it in her palm for a moment. With a quick glance at each Meric, Juno, and Kota, Ava moved to stand in front of Luke.

"Um..." she started, suddenly tongue-tied. "I can't... could you... Do me a favor. Hold this for me." She snatched his hand up and dropped the hoop into his palm, closing his fingers around it. "Just... until we meet again."

Luke's cheeks flushed, though he tried valiantly to hide it. "Sure. Yah. I'l do that. Until this is over."

Ava nodded, offering him a small smile before darting to stand on the other side of Meric, refusing to speak to or look up at anyone.

Meric took a deep breath, gazing over his friend and his apprentice. Deep down, a part of him knew there was a chance they might never meet again, but he refused to let such thoughts get the better of him. He closed his eyes a moment and cleared his mind, shunting aside the fear he felt gnawing at his heart.

He stepped forward and placed his hands first upon Ava's shoulders. For a moment, his deep blue eyes staring into his Padawan's green ones. "May the Force be with you, Avadedra Hetarra," he said softly.

Next he moved to Juno, their eyes connecting almost in mid-air between them. "Take care of her, Juno," he said softly, "And may the Force be with you."

"And with you, Jedi Meric," Juno answered, "Our paths will cross again... soon."

"I hope so."

Almost reluctantly the two parted company. Juno turned to face Ava, and with a nod led her from that comfortable apartment, leaving behind the three men. PROXY followed close behind, assuming the guise for the moment of a fellow street urchin of Ava.

No sooner had the two women and single droid arrived in the dank, musty city streets than Juno threw her plan into action. "We'll need to visit Star-port Speeders first," she said, "They'll likely have a newer speeder we can... borrow for our trip to the Imperial Palace. Afterall, Commander Atwick would never have been seen transported in anything less than the latest speeder on the market."

Ava did her best to give Meric a brave smile, reaching out with the Force to weakly brush the minds of those around her. She gathered a small amount of strength from their belief in their plans. She dropped her gaze as he moved on, hiding a smile behind an upraised hand, scratching behind her ear as Meric spoke to Juno. With a final covert glance around, Ava left the apartment.

Being unfamiliar with her surroundings, Ava followed Juno back into the undercity, walking as far from Proxy as their cover would allow. She was cool and collected outwardly, and it was only mirrored a few inches past the surface. Her nerves tingled, just like they always had when she'd set off on some errand or another. It was the feeling of being on the move, of being in the middle of it all. To say the least, Ava was excited to be useful again.

Spaceport speeders was one of the largest exporters in Coruscant's lower city. Featuring a number of speeders dating from the waning days of the Old Republic to the latest Imperial conveyances, the Toydarian owner, Quello, had made himself quite wealthy in spite of the lower city's relatively-poor conditions.

"Now," Juno said as the three companions approached, "We'll need to find something suitable for an Imperial officer, so we'll split up. I'll take Proxy and go look. Ava, you search the lot, but don't go too far, and if you see Quello, don't talk to him. He's a Toydarian, and they're a tricky lot."

So saying, she and the still-disguised PROXY moved further into the maze of speeders and skippers.

Ava nodded at Juno, standing still until she and Proxy were out of sight.Taking a deep breath, she pulled herself up to her full height and started down a row. She quickly spotted the made-up older models and moved past them. Further down, she cut across to another section of the lot and smiled. This is what they'd need.

She ran her hand down the side of a newer model XP-38. It boasted three turbine engines and a retractable windscreen. The latter was pushed back to reveal the spacious inside, with room enough for three passengers to sit comfortably. She leaned in slightly, her eyes scanning the read-out screens set around the pilots seat. The interior had been redone to mimic that of a more expensive, higher class model.

Ava stepped back and walked around the speeder, taking in all the angles. Ducking down, she examined the undercarriage, noting that the repulsor lifts seemed to be in good shape.

Standing up, Ava dusted her hands off on her shirt, looking around to see if she could spot Juno and Proxy. Depending on cost, she thought they'd found what they needed.

"Hey! You there!" a harsh, croaking voice called. A bloated white figure made his way toward Avadedra. His bulbous body was held aloft by a pair of thin wings that flapped almost too fast for the eye to follow. His face was dominated by a short, stubby trunk that curled outward over small white tusks, while his gold eyes stared hard at the Corellian girl. He curled one pail blue arm across his vested chest, tapping his three fingers against the other in succession. "What in the name of the Empire you think you're doin?!" he snarled, "No street urchins allowed! Least not unless yous intend to pay! Now scram!"

"She will not be paying," came a voice, "But I will." PROXY and Juno made their way toward the pairing. "I am Imperial Officer Atwick, and I have need of your speeder in order to transport this fugitive to the Imperial Palace. I'm sure you will find my account in good standing." From under the "Imperial officer"'s sleeve, he produced a small, shining credit disk and held it up before the dealer.

The Toydarian laughed, "Oh, yah, that's rich!" he declared, "Officer Atwick doesn't travel in the company of street urchins! What're ya' trying to pull!?"

"She helped me apprehend this fugitive," Proxy stated, pushing Juno into the light to reveal the stun cuffs around her wrists, "Now, dealer... Quello, I believe it is, unless you want trouble with the Empire, I suggest you take your credits and leave us to our business!"

Quello reeled back. "Fine!" he declared, "Take it, but I'mma' warnin' you, if this turns out to be a trick-"

"You doubt the word of an officer of the Empire?" Proxy roared. He threw the disk at Quello and pushed Juno into the speeder before turning his head. "You will drive us to the palace," he stated, and then he climbed into the rear passenger seat, leaving a very confused Quello to just hover and stare.

Ava had remained silent from the moment Quello had appeared, playing the part of the wide-eyed, and somewhat terrified, urchin well. She slipped back behind Proxy and Juno, trying to make it look like she was getting away from Quello's attention, but surveying the scene as she moved. Proxy did well... for a droid. At least her nervous shuffling near him didn't need to be faked.

She was already aligned with the pilot's seat when Proxy barked his order. With a quick nod, she cast a feigned apologetic look at Quello before settling into the speeder. Juno settled in the seat next to her as Proxy positioned himself in the back. She glanced down at the controls and, her fingers moving almost of their own accord, she started up the speeder, whispering lightly under her breath. She carefully guided the speeder from the lot, joining with the flow of traffic.

"Alright," she said, glancing sideways at Juno. "That went well. Now, will someone please tell me where I'm supposed to point this boat?"

"I can supply that for you," Proxy said from the back.

Ava glanced down at the view screen and allowed herself a small smile. Proxy was feeding directions into the speeders computer system, and from the look of them, they were simple enough. Checking her settings, Ava sat back and guided them smoothly through the undercity. From the corner of her eye, she saw Juno's tiny smile.

"What?" she asked, chancing to look at the woman.

"Not bad," Juno returned, "for a rookie."

Ava put on a show of being hurt, but smiled anyway. "I've never flown one of these before, so trust me, I'm a little shocked myself." She banked for a turn, slipping away from the heavier traffic for the time being. "I kind of stumbled on the schematics for one of these a while back and read through them." She shrugged. "When it comes to some things, I have a photographic memory. Besides, these things are simple. Now, put me in something bigger, like one of those A-A5's, and I'd rather shoot myself in the foot with a malfunctioning blaster."

Silence fell between them as Ava concentrated on navigating the speeder through the undercity, following Proxy's directions as closely as she could. She found it almost amusing how the beings living down here went on about their lives, unaware that the center of the Empire had crumbled to dust so recently. It was almost enough to pity them.

"So," she said, more to shove her thoughts aside than to break the silence in the speeder, "I understand getting to the palace, but what's the plan once we get inside?"

Juno leaned back, seeming confident in Ava's abilities. "You're a natural pilot, Avadedra," she complimented, "Meric said you are Corellian, so that shouldn't be a surprise I suppose. Still, if you like piloting at all, you would have loved my assignment back when I served under Lord Vader. She was called the Rogue Shadow, the most advanced ship in the Imperial arsenal at the time, completely experimental, and she was mine.... well... mine and-" She broke off and shook her head. "Nevermind."

As the silence grew to be too much for her though, she went on. "Once we get inside the palace, we'll need to make our way to the main communication center," she said, "From there, we can access the Imperial Holonet to determine how much is known about Endor and in particular about Meric and Luke Skywalker. If too much, I've downloaded a virus into Proxy's system that should wipe out the net until we can get Coruscant under Alliance control. From there, Alliance techs shouldn't have too much trouble correcting the virus."

Ava knew better than to pry where it was obvious Juno didn't want to continue, so she only nodded at the abrupt ending and checked her bearings. She furrowed her brow at the thought of letting a virus loose into the network. Things like that tended to get messy, but if Juno was confident...

"Looks like we're about there," she said, eyeing the coordinates and looking at the stretch ahead of the speeder. "And it looks like there's a checkpoint just ahead. But it's not in the schematics. New addition, maybe?"

Juno craned her neck. "Maybe. I don't remember that being there."

"I guess the Rebellion has everyone stirred up more than normal," Ava muttered, drawing the speed down as they approached the checkpoint. "Here we go."

The Imperial guarding the checkpoint flagged them down. Ava dropped the speeder into standby, hovering inches over the platform.

"State your business," the guard ordered in a gruff, and somewhat irritated voice.

Proxy leaned forward. "Imperial Commander Atwick, requesting entrance into the palace security level for prisoner transport." He nodded his head in Juno's direction.

"And the... civilian?" The guard gave Ava a once over, his lip curling at her uncouth appearance. She gave him a broad smile in return, her hands folded primly in her lap.

"She helped in the apprehension of the prisoner," Proxy explained. "The Empire should duly reward her for her efforts in turning the traitor over to us."

The guard looked the three of them over a moment longer. "One moment." He stepped away to a terminal and began pulling information from the database. "It says that you've been missing for two years, Commander Atwick. Is that true?"

"I do not see the need to explain myself to you, Sergeant. All you need know is a traitor to the Empire has been apprehended, and instead of questioning me, you should be letting this craft through so that we may go about seeing to her sentencing. Am I understood?"

From the corner of her eye, Ava watched the guards face cloud over at Proxy's commanding tone. Covertly, her hand drifted to her right hip where her blaster lay strapped to her hip beneath her shirt. Just as she thought she'd have to use it, the guard let out a rough sigh.

"Yes, sir. Understood. You have clearance to proceed to the palace." He stepped back to the terminal and keyed in their information. "Proceed straight on to the bay. No deviation."

Ava took a deep breath before powering the speeder back up and taking it forward. She let it out as the checkpoint faded behind them, forcing herself to relax her nerves. "That was... interesting."

Juno nodded in agreement. She leaned back, obviously glad to be past the checkpoint. "I hadn't expected that," she admitted, "It looks as if the Imperial guard are becoming more cautious as more and more news comes from Endor."

"It is likely that they expect an attack on the palace by an organized force," PROXY commented, "It is unlikely that they will expect a small scouting party and even if they do, they will not consider it a threat. Thus, by their increased caution, I calculate a fifty-six percent advantage has been handed over to us."


"Let's hope you're right Proxy." Juno worked at her cuffs, loosening them just enough to slip a small Q-2 holdout blaster from her pants. "We'd better be prepared just in case we come across another one. I doubt they'll be as forgiving."

"Lovely," Ava muttered, taking a look over her shoulder. "Proxy, do me a favor. Never tell me the odds again, okay? It doesn't set well."

She turned forward once more, checking her readouts to ensure their heading. She fell silent, keeping her eyes open for more checkpoints... but there were none. Minutes after their run-in with the first guard, she guided the speeder into the deserted hangar bay.

"Nice reception," she commented, shutting the speeder down, eyeing the small handful of cleaning and astromec droids scattered here and there. "Shall we then? The sooner we're done with this, the better I think we'll all feel."

Adjusting her stun cuffs once more, Juno found herself helped from the speeder by PROXY. "They will be guarding the palace proper," she warned, "Let Proxy do the talking to get us in, and we'll be fine."

PROXY straightened up as if pleased by the compliment.

As the three made their way through the hangar, Juno found herself surprised that everything seemed so abandoned. Even the astromechs were little more than beat-up R1 units left over from the Clone Wars. Their dark cylindrical bodies were like silhouettes in the dim light shed by the glow panels along the walls. She saw only one or two small cleaning droids, and a single, box-shaped GNK droid hooked up to one of the R1 units, likely giving it a power boost. "Either the Empire has fallen on hard times, or the Imperials don't value this place as much as they used to."

There was no chance for a reply as approaching an entry to a turbolift that led into the upper levels of the palace, Juno and the others were met by a single black-uniformed Imperial Officer and a pair of scout troopers. Their white plastoid armor was lighter than that of the other storm troopers, consisting of only a black body glove and minimal plating over their torso and the lower sections of each limb. Their helmet was, if anything, much more skull-like in appearance than their grunt cousins. "Halt!" the officer ordered, "Where are you taking these two women?"

"I am Imperial Commander Atwick," Proxy responded, summoning up his most menacing growl, "I have captured this traitor to the Empire and am taking her to the detention level for interrogation and sentencing."

"And the girl?"

"This urchin was of great assistance to the Empire in apprehending the traitor," PROXY answered, "She shall be rewarded thusly."

"I see..." The officer turned to his two bodyguards, as if conferring over what to do. When it seemed as if they'd reached a consensus, they turned back. "I am duly impressed by this feat," the officer said, "And in fact, I would be a lot more impressed if the whole thing were not a fabrication!"

"What?!" Proxy growled, "I most emphatically deny-"

"The real Commander Atwick has been dead for two standard months!" the officer snarled, "I find it far more likely that you are spies, and I hereby place you under Imperial arr-" Before he could say anything more, Juno slipped the loosened cuffs from her wrists and fired her holdout blaster. The green bolt illuminated the chamber briefly before it disappeared, into the officer's chest, leaving only a scorch mark behind. The Scout troops tried to react, but PROXY raised his hand and the two flew back into the plascreet wall as if thrown by invisible hands. The two were instantly knocked cold.

"Well, that could have gone better," Juno said, rushing the group into the lift, "But at least the officer is out of our way, and the troops won't be coming to for at least a couple days."

With her connection to the Force dampened, Ava had little time to react when the situation turned south. By the time she had her blaster drawn from its hiding place beneath her shirt, the officer and his fellow stormtroopers were already down. She inspected the scene, eyeing Proxy closely.

"How did he do that?" she asked out loud, an edge of distrust and suspicion in her voice as Juno maneuvered her into the turbolift. "Without touching them? What's going on?"

"I'll explain later," Juno promised as the lift door hissed shut, locking the three inside, "But to make a long story short, PROXY was designed to kill a Jedi, a very special Jedi named Galen Marek... programmed by Lord Vader himself with the ability to mimic Jedi powers..."

By the time she had managed that much, the lift arrived at the next floor. "Hopefully our ruse won't be discovered," she said, "It's more likely that the officers on that level had knowledge of Commander Atwick's demise should any attempt to get by using his name."

Proxy slipped the cuffs back onto Juno's arms. "Now be extra careful what you say when we reach the main hall," Juno warned, "The Emperor had ways of hearing what was said by his officers... and more than a few summary executions took place based on intelligence gathered in these walls."

Ava nodded, unsatisfied. She let out a rough sigh, resettling her clothing over her blaster just as the doors opened. She fell into step behind the other two, keeping to her act. She looked around, her eyes wide as she took in the look of the palace, but she was really looking around for more Imperials. It was almost as oddly quiet here as it was on the floor below, and somehow, that unnerved Ava more than anything. She resisted the urge to test her Force strength, remembering Meric's warnings. Instead, she kept looking around, waiting for that inevitable moment where the whole plan would be blown to pieces.

She only hoped Meric, Luke, and Kota knew what they were doing.

Juno's lips pursed tightly together as she walked, not daring to make a sound. Years had passed since she last entered the Imperial Palace, and she knew she would not be welcomed. Like Avadedra, she found it strange that all seemed so quiet, as if with the Emperor gone, the very life had been drained from these walls. Her fingers nervously played over the locks on her cuffs, ensuring they were still loose enough for her to quickly slip them off.

A few stormtroopers passed the three by, but strangely they didn't stop or question. Juno suspected it was because of Proxy's disguise. Stormtrooper grunts had been trained for absolute loyalty and obedience, and were instructed never to question their superiors. The ones Juno really feared were other officers, or worse still, the red-armored royal guards who sometimes patrolled these halls, although they were few and far between, and Juno suspected that most of them had been on the Death Star, accompanying the Emperor himself, when it had been destroyed. She could only hope the quiet would remain.

They emerged from the main hall into another that branched in two different directions. Ava glanced at Juno, one eyebrow raised in question. The older woman looked in both directions for a few moments before nodding discretely to the right. The trio set off again, Juno whispering directions at junctions and intersections. Ava couldn't believe how BIG the palace really was, and slowly, her feigned act of wonder turned into reality. Another handful or two of guards and stormtroopers swept past them, but little attention was paid to them.

"Gee," she said as they stepped into a turbolift. "This place is huge! How do you not get lost in here?"

"Training," Juno said shortly.

Ava glanced at her, but let it go. All things in time, as her mother would tell her. Minutes later, they stepped out onto another level and started down the hall. Two stormtroopers passed them by, flanking an officer. Ava noticed that his gaze lingered on them, specifically Proxy, for a few fractions of a second too long, but he kept moving. The hair on the nape of her neck tickled as the three rounded a corner and were out of sight.

"I don't trust the look of that," she muttered, sparing a glance at Juno, trying to guage whether the older woman had caught it too.

Juno nodded. "We'd better hurry," she said, "Grunts won't question an officer to his face, but they'll look into any strange happenings, especially if they're not sure who is leading a prisoner and street urchin through their halls."

The pace slowed as the walls slowly began to close in, from wide, sweeping corridors to hallways small enough that one person had to walk in front of the other. Proxy moved behind Juno, who would move behind Ava. The white stone gave way to durasteel framework and instrument panels.

"We're nearing the Com center," Proxy stated.

Juno nodded, but she shivered. "This place brings back memories," she said, "not all of them pleasant... It's like the Death Star all over again..."