The Indigo Tower- Coruscant- Friday night
The sea of reporters was out again tonight, even though Jaina had a job to do. Tonight was the mission she and Jag had dubbed Operation Caranak. She did talked with them for a minute outside the Temple where they were swarming, trying to assure them that she was just going out on a dinner date, see here was her dress that was too nice to fight anything in, she wasn't doing anything that they needed to worry about, that she didn't even have her lightsaber on her, see? (It was in her purse.) Then she just got into the speeder that Winter, disguised, was driving, and they took off.
Jaina was keeping an eye on the speeder that was following them, of course. She tried to be subtle, because she knew it was watching her, too, but Winter did notice when she'd glance in the mirror to see if he was still there. "Javis Tyrr?" Winter asked.
"Forever and always," Jaina sighed. Javis Tyrr was a journalist with his own show about the Jedi now. Of course he was going to follow her, trying to get some sort of story whether there was one or not. He was most of the reason she even had to do any of this. He was always the worst. "Oh, it looks like he's dropped off."
"You don't think he's left you alone," Winter said.
"Oh, no. He's probably just found a way there already. Don't even hurry, he can wait."
Jaina was dropped off in front of the Indigo Tower, a revolving restaurant overlooking the Coruscanti skyline. Jag was already waiting, and they said their hellos, then walked inside with their arms linked. They were led off by the maitre d', and Jaina could tell exactly by his Force sense when Tyrr entered the restaurant. By that time, though, they were already gone.
The restaurant had private rooms, and Jaina and Jag had reserved one tonight, and when he undoubtedly asked to sit near them, Javis Tyrr would be sat at a table just outside the room. Only thing was, they weren't using it. Instead, their doubles Karn and Lina, met them there for a very quick change. Jag had been able to wear civilian clothes under his dress clothes, while Jaina was trying to get into the shirt and pants that had been smuggled in without flashing anybody who was paid to be here. It was kind of a shame, too; her dress really was pretty great and someone else was going to be wearing it. As she got everything more or less in place and shrugged on her cloak, she said, "All right, let's go."
They left the doubles there, and Jag and Jaina snuck out the side door that led to the kitchens. No one in there even blinked, so this was probably not the first time someone had used it for an escape route. Jaina glanced back in time to see the main door to the dining area opening, and caught a glimpse of their doubles, sitting at the table, talking quietly. "One of these days," she said, "we really will have to come here just for dinner."
"I promise," Jag said. "But for now, we have a mission, remember?"
They left via the rear door, where another speeder was picking them up. Tahiri opened the doors for them when she saw them, and they both hopped inside right before she took off. "How'd it go?"
"Smooth as shimmersilk," Jaina said.
"Catch any in the net or was it just a general good slip?"
"Javis Tyrr followed us," Jag said. "At least we know he's wasted an evening."
Tahiri smiled. "Good. He's tried to interview me, you know."
Jaina made a face. "I'm not surprised. You'd boost his ratings through the roof."
Jag clicked on his comlink. "Hoth, this is Gaunt. Is the bantha in position?"
"In the cave as promised," Winter said from the other end. "Ready to travel."
"Great. Mynock has been effectively neutralized for the evening." 'Mynock' was the best description ever for Javis Tyrr, really. "Operation Caranak will proceed as planned."
"Good luck. Hoth out."
Jaina smiled and curled up against him in the backseat. Tahiri was just going to have to deal with cuddling. They had one more speeder- "bantha"- to pick up and then they were done. Then she and Jag would be off to have a little getaway. In a small inn. Halfway across the planet. Under assumed names. With their doubles hanging around Imperial City posing as them. This was really Jaina's favorite Darkmeld mission so far.
"By the way," Tahiri asked, sounding curious, "why Operation Caranak?"
"A caranak is an aquatic fowl native to Endor," Jag replied. "It is notoriously difficult to domesticate."
She was quiet. "...A wild goose chase?" she said slowly.
"Just so."
"And they say you don't have a sense of humor, Jag."
"They do not have a sufficiently good espionage network."
[Left this in for you, Shanie! NFB, NFI, OOC fine. Dialogue from Omen by Christie Golden.]
Jaina was keeping an eye on the speeder that was following them, of course. She tried to be subtle, because she knew it was watching her, too, but Winter did notice when she'd glance in the mirror to see if he was still there. "Javis Tyrr?" Winter asked.
"Forever and always," Jaina sighed. Javis Tyrr was a journalist with his own show about the Jedi now. Of course he was going to follow her, trying to get some sort of story whether there was one or not. He was most of the reason she even had to do any of this. He was always the worst. "Oh, it looks like he's dropped off."
"You don't think he's left you alone," Winter said.
"Oh, no. He's probably just found a way there already. Don't even hurry, he can wait."
Jaina was dropped off in front of the Indigo Tower, a revolving restaurant overlooking the Coruscanti skyline. Jag was already waiting, and they said their hellos, then walked inside with their arms linked. They were led off by the maitre d', and Jaina could tell exactly by his Force sense when Tyrr entered the restaurant. By that time, though, they were already gone.
The restaurant had private rooms, and Jaina and Jag had reserved one tonight, and when he undoubtedly asked to sit near them, Javis Tyrr would be sat at a table just outside the room. Only thing was, they weren't using it. Instead, their doubles Karn and Lina, met them there for a very quick change. Jag had been able to wear civilian clothes under his dress clothes, while Jaina was trying to get into the shirt and pants that had been smuggled in without flashing anybody who was paid to be here. It was kind of a shame, too; her dress really was pretty great and someone else was going to be wearing it. As she got everything more or less in place and shrugged on her cloak, she said, "All right, let's go."
They left the doubles there, and Jag and Jaina snuck out the side door that led to the kitchens. No one in there even blinked, so this was probably not the first time someone had used it for an escape route. Jaina glanced back in time to see the main door to the dining area opening, and caught a glimpse of their doubles, sitting at the table, talking quietly. "One of these days," she said, "we really will have to come here just for dinner."
"I promise," Jag said. "But for now, we have a mission, remember?"
They left via the rear door, where another speeder was picking them up. Tahiri opened the doors for them when she saw them, and they both hopped inside right before she took off. "How'd it go?"
"Smooth as shimmersilk," Jaina said.
"Catch any in the net or was it just a general good slip?"
"Javis Tyrr followed us," Jag said. "At least we know he's wasted an evening."
Tahiri smiled. "Good. He's tried to interview me, you know."
Jaina made a face. "I'm not surprised. You'd boost his ratings through the roof."
Jag clicked on his comlink. "Hoth, this is Gaunt. Is the bantha in position?"
"In the cave as promised," Winter said from the other end. "Ready to travel."
"Great. Mynock has been effectively neutralized for the evening." 'Mynock' was the best description ever for Javis Tyrr, really. "Operation Caranak will proceed as planned."
"Good luck. Hoth out."
Jaina smiled and curled up against him in the backseat. Tahiri was just going to have to deal with cuddling. They had one more speeder- "bantha"- to pick up and then they were done. Then she and Jag would be off to have a little getaway. In a small inn. Halfway across the planet. Under assumed names. With their doubles hanging around Imperial City posing as them. This was really Jaina's favorite Darkmeld mission so far.
"By the way," Tahiri asked, sounding curious, "why Operation Caranak?"
"A caranak is an aquatic fowl native to Endor," Jag replied. "It is notoriously difficult to domesticate."
She was quiet. "...A wild goose chase?" she said slowly.
"Just so."
"And they say you don't have a sense of humor, Jag."
"They do not have a sufficiently good espionage network."
[Left this in for you, Shanie! NFB, NFI, OOC fine. Dialogue from Omen by Christie Golden.]