Chapter Thirty-Four: Topiary Garden

Drun Cairnwick held the door to the small room as Dr. Gilby entered. Smiling at her, he bowed slightly, "Welcome to my inner sanctum," he said wryly.

Laughing lightly, she glanced around at the various technicians scurrying around carrying spools of wire, adjusting lights and manning several computer stations.

"You're really going to do it?" she asked, intrigued.

"Yes," he said a bit too hesitantly.

"What about the reports of the Empire reinforcing this sector with another fleet of ships?"

"It needs to be done, it's a necessary risk. Yom thinks I'm being foolish. He's highly against it."

"Can you blame him? After all he's been through?"

"We can't run forever. We must stand and fight eventually. I figured with his treatment at the hands of the Empire, he'd be more willing to stand with us."

"Don't you think he's done more than his fair share? Personally, I think he's had enough. I don't blame him for throwing in the towel," she said frankly.

"Just whose side are you on?" Drun said with a hint of anger in his voice.

Raising an eyebrow, Dr. Gilby frowned at him.

Looking a bit uncomfortable, Drun quickly changed the subject.

"There's always his children," he said hopefully.

Taking a long look at Drun, Dr. Gilby slowly shook her head, "Don't hold your breath, I don't have the means to resuscitate you if you pass out."

Before he could respond, one of the tech's signaled him and motioned towards the projector," We're ready to begin the transmission, sir."

Smirking at her, Drun nodded towards the holoprojector, "It's time. Wish me luck?"

"Break a leg," she smiled.

The room grew quiet as everyone watched Drun Cairnwick move over to the holographic projector. Standing up straight, he cleared his throat, he looked to one of the technicians. At his signal, Drun began to read from a transparent tele-prompter.

"Attention citizens of the Minos Cluster. My name is Drun Cairnwick and I'm a warrior in the Rebellion against the Empire…"

Yom and his family slowly walked down the front steps of the impressive castle which loomed behind them. Entering the front garden, they casually made their way through the immaculately kept bushes, hedges and flower gardens. Interspaced around the garden were topiaries, most of them trimmed to resemble creatures that called the world of Alderaan, home.

Stopping in front of one bush, trimmed to resemble a feral wolf-cat, Yom gathered everyone around him. Motioning to a couple of benches, he informed everyone that they should take a seat. Most of them did, though Mowen and Bendu chose to remain standing. Turning to look at the topiary, Yom sighed, "I remember coming across one of these during my time on Alderaan."

"What is it," asked Megara.

"A wolf-cat. They are mostly feral, though I heard rumors that if one had enough patience, they could be tamed. This one," he added, motioning towards the elegant bush, "must have been based off a tamed one. It's showing its belly, something no feral creature would ever do."

"Why?" asked Javid.

"Because, silly," Teba interjected sarcastically, smirking at Javid, "it exposes its soft underside to attack, where all the delicious parts of it are kept. You wind up with one dead kitty."

"Teba," Phy chided, "that could have been phrased better."

Teba shrugged as everyone else rolled their eyes at her.

Javid scowled, sticking his tongue out at his sister, before looking over to his father, "Is that true?"

"Yes son, it is. It's why I brought you all here."

"You wanted us to look at a stupid bush?" Mowen asked, skeptically.

"No," Evie cautioned, "I think there's another reason."

Yom turned and nodded his head, "You are correct. I know you all went through a lot to find out the truth about us. I know you still have questions."

Everyone nodded their head in agreement.

"I guess we should start at the beginning," Yom stated.

"Just how far back are you going with this," Mowen said warily, "you like to lecture, and I don't want to stand here all-night listening to you preach to us."

Yom laughed while shaking his head, "No lectures and no preaching, eh? Shall I get right to the point, Mowen?"

Mowen crossed his arms and nodded.

"As you wish, son" he said extending his hands, doing a mock bow, chuckling, "Your mother and I joined the Rebellion shortly after we moved you all to Adarlon. We weren't happy with the recent turn of events leading to the rise of the Empire. We could not justify raising you all in that type of environment, so we decided to move as far away as possible. We chose Adarlon because I was quite familiar with that world. It was where my last mission had been."

"Your last mission?" asked Megara.

"Aye," Yom answered, "I was serving in the Republic Scouting Service. I was assigned to the scout ship, Viatorem. We had a crew of four, Drun Cairnwick was the pilot, I was the co-pilot and systems engineer. Our commanding officer was a Jedi Knight from the Exploration Corps, Ka'el."

"Your brother," Bendu said silently.

"Yes, my brother Ka'el. You know him as Craer."

"So, he is a Jedi," Bendu stated softly.

"He was a Jedi. He is no longer. After the fall of the Order, he went into hiding. Not only to save himself, but to save those dear to him as well."

"Us?" asked Javid hopefully.

"Yes, as well as others," Yom said.

"Who?" Mowen asked.

"Our crew, for one. We had served together for several years until we learned of the betrayal of the Jedi Order."

"The betrayal? Dad, you told us it was all a lie?" Bendu asked, surprised.

"It was, but it wasn't until later that we learned the truth. When we first heard the news, we were shocked. But then Ka'el received a special transmission from a Jedi Master by the name of Obi-Wan Kenobi stating that all Jedi Order, as well as the Republic, had fallen. He was instructed to never return to the Temple."

"What happened then?" Evie asked.

"All of us had always been loyal to the Republic but Ka'el was now considered an enemy of the newly formed Empire. It was only a matter of time before they would come for him. Ka'el asked us to drop him off here, on Eliad. He never explained why he chose this planet.

At that time, the Emperor was having difficulties with several of the noble families who lived amongst the Core Worlds. There had been several purges and arrests, but this only fueled resentment towards him and his regime. Not wanting to create more martyrs which could fuel the growing rebellion, he chose to exile them here on Eliad instead.

After Ka'el disappeared, we received orders to return to the spaceport on Travnin. We were asked to swear our allegiance to the Empire or resign our commissions. Both Drun and I resigned. The fourth member of our crew, Babel Torsh, chose to remain with the newly formed Imperial Navy.

We said our good-byes to one another and Drun immediately disappeared. He had no family at that time, so he had nothing to return to. I, on the other hand, immediately returned to Corellia. Your mother and I agreed that a move away from the Core was our best option. We decided to move to the Cluster and settle on Adarlon."

"I remember moving. I remember arriving at Adarlon and being in awe of the blue skies and the white puffy clouds. It was very much different than where we lived before," Bendu said quietly.

"You were the second reason we moved, Bendu," Yom stated.

"Me? Why?"

Looking at the underbelly of the wolf-cat topiary, Yom had a faraway look in his eye, "Your uncle knew you were a Force-sensitive. Your mother and I didn't want to give you over to the Jedi. I knew what my family had gone through the day they came to take my little brother away. It was heart-wrenching, to say the least.

We had a choice, we could allow the Jedi to come and claim you or have Ka'el mask your abilities and hide them from the Jedi. Looking back, if we had turned you over, we'd have lost you forever. There were rumors that the younglings at the Jedi Temple were slaughtered. They found no survivors, I'm told.

After learning of the fall of the Order, your uncle knew, as well as your mother and I, that staying near the Core Worlds would risk you being discovered by the Empire. Moving here was the best way to protect you."

"But Evie, she's…" Bendu began.

"I know. I'm just as surprised as you are. I never knew, nor suspected. It's rare for the Force to run strongly in a family. I always assumed it chose folks at random."

"Ok, I appreciate the history lesson and all, but why bring us out here to talk to us about it?" Mowen asked with a slight agitation to his voice.

Yom turned back to his family, pointing to the topiary.

"My soft underbelly, my weakness, is you and your siblings. Your mother would agree."

Yom took a moment to catch his wife's eye. Filled with tears, she slowly nodded her head in agreement.

"We watched as the Empire solidified its hold over the galaxy and began to oppress all manner of beings. Slavery, once outlawed, was reintroduced. Corruption and greed grew, with Imperial officials being the worst offenders. Something had to be done. We had heard of the growing rebellion movements scattered across the galaxy, but they were few and far between. They weren't organized, unified, nor particularly helpful to one another. Some believed in passive resistance while others, like one group led by Saw Gerrera, was particularly violent, and drew a lot of attention.

After we settled in on Adarlon, I ran into Drun. I learned that he had started a rebel cell in this sector. It was small but growing. We knew we had to try and fix things, to give you all a better future. We were assigned a handler, a recruit who had recently arrived in the sector. His name was Jevik."

"That low down, scum sucking, poor excuse for a human being," muttered Evie.

Yom glanced at Evie before looking down at his hands.

"That he was. He had us run all kinds of missions, from trading information to smuggling weapons and supplies. We were bolstering our cell for the day when we'd have to stand and fight the Empire. Above all, though, your mother and I did our best to shield you from our actions. You were all young enough at first that it was easy. As you grew older, we had to come up with clever excuses for our departures. Thankfully, none of you ever caught on."

"What about Katarina?" Mowen asked.

"She found out not long after we joined the rebellion, she figured it out. We made her promise to never tell any of you. Eventually, due to the education curriculum instituted by the Empire, she started buying into the propaganda and Imperial rhetoric about the rebellion. She accused us of being traitors and threatened to turn us in," Phy replied.

"What happened?" Evie asked.

"She applied to the Naval Academy," Yom said sadly, "which came as a huge shock. Everything that we had been doing was now in jeopardy. The risks we were taking would now be exponentially larger and more damaging to the family. We started covering our tracks better, encrypting files and such, waiting for the day the Empire came knocking at our door. We did everything to protect the rest of you from our 'folly'. For four, long years, we anxiously awaited our arrests."

"You were doing what you thought was right, it wasn't 'folly' Dad," Evie reassured.

"Regardless, we lived in fear for several years," Phy stated, "until the day she graduated. We were invited to the ceremony but chose not to attend. There was still too much at risk, even though we had begun to cut back on our rebel activities. We started looking for a way out."

"She received her commission and was stationed aboard the Chariot," Yom said matter of factly.

"Isn't that the flagship of the sector?" Mowen asked.

Yom nodded, continuing, "Though the ship is outdated, it's still formidable. Katarina knew many of our drop points and routes we took to avoid the authorities. Many of our associates and conspirators were captured or killed by Katarina and the Chariot.

We were forced to create new paths, routes and strategies to avoid detection. The stress was unbearable, so your mother and I decided that we needed to get out. After voicing our concerns to Drun, he asked us to complete one last mission. That mission was the one we were on when we were captured."

Everyone sat silent for a while, mulling over their father's last statement.

Breaking the silence that hung over the garden and wringing her hands, Evie quietly asked, "Babel Torsh was the Imperial Agent who investigated us after your capture. He told us that you had been killed by pirates and the ship was destroyed. Was he the one who arrested you?"

"No," Phy replied sadly, "It was Katarina."

Yom spoke solemnly, "Babel moved from the Imperial Navy to the Imperial Security Bureau about 10 years ago. He somehow managed to get himself transferred to this sector. He was another reason we needed to get out. Though our friendship was no longer intact, he still knew things about me. He also knew about all of you.

Whenever he was on Adarlon, he'd stop by and inspect our business and he always stopped any ships carrying our cargo. He claimed we were part of the rebellion, but he had no proof. He never stopped asking about Ka'el. He was obsessed with finding him. I think that's part of the reason why he came back to this sector.

Oddly enough, since we had refused to talk after our arrest, Babel argued that we still had pertinent information and that through interrogation, it would eventually come out. He claimed our deaths would only foment further rebellion. His argument must have worked, though we were periodically targeted for beatings and torture while on Gesaril."

Tears formed in Evie's eyes as she first imagined then envisioned, through the Force, the horrors inflicted upon her parents. She leaned against her mother who cradled her head and attempted to console her.

Visibly shaking, Megara asked angrily, "How did Katarina know you were on that mission?"

Yom shrugged before shaking his head, "I don't know. I suspect that Jevik was involved somehow."

Gritting his teeth, Javid growled, "Why does that perversion of humanity's name keep popping up?"

Yom smirked, "Only two people knew of our final mission and the path that we'd be taking to leave the system, Drun and Jevik. Your mother and I had chosen to fly through the debris field to avoid Imperial Patrols near Travnin. We knew that pirates operated out of there, but it was deemed safer than heading straight up through the Rimma Trade Route. When we ran into the pirates, it seemed as if they were herding us. As we broke from the debris field, the Chariot was there, and we were captured. I don't recall if any of the pirates were captured."

"Babel did say that it was pirates who had killed you," Evie said mournfully.

"Be that as it may," Yom stated, "what's done is done. We are alive and free once again. It's time to move on with our lives."

"What are your plans, Dad?" asked Megara.

"You mother and I have agreed that it's time we left the Minos Cluster. Those of you who want to come with us are welcome to do so. Those who want to stay, Drun said he would house you for as long as you need."

"What if we wanted to join the Rebellion?" asked Megara, a hint of apprehension in her voice.

"Your father and I realize that you are all old enough to make your own choices. With the recent events, things will never be the same for all of you. I truly wish you'd all stay with your father and I, but I understand if you decide otherwise."

The garden grew quiet again as the children took in what their parents had said. It didn't take long before Mowen broke the silence.

"I don't want to join the Rebellion," he said loudly.

"Why?" asked Bendu.

"The Rebels claim the Empire is their enemy. Katarina is an Imperial Officer. If I joined the rebellion, she would become my enemy. Katarina is NOT my enemy," Mowen stated harshly.

"Fair enough," Yom said with a measure of relief in his voice, "what are your plans then?"

Standing up straight, he looked directly at his father, "I've always wanted to be a tramp freighter pilot. I've always dreamed of having my own ship, plying the space lanes, being free of the constraints of a single planet. I want to see the galaxy firsthand, I want to experience life amongst the stars. I want the opportunity to make credits and live free."

Yom chuckled at his son's enthusiasm.

"How long do you think that will last? The Empire patrols those very same space lanes. You are a wanted …" Yom had to stop for a moment, considering his next word carefully, "… man. A life on the run isn't worth living."

"You did it," Mowen accused.

"Yes, I did. But I had to change my name, as well as yours. We had to go into hiding, giving up everything dealing with our old life. It wasn't as easy of a thing to do as you think. Besides, coming up with a whole new identity isn't foolproof, nor cheap," argued Yom.

Mowen shrugged nonchalantly, "Won't be a problem. I know a few folks who could help me out."

"Oh," Phy said accusingly, "and who would that be?"

Smirking, he replied, "Your Rebel Alliance. I'm sure they owe us all … a favor or two."

"…stand with us! Stand up against the Imperial Propaganda! Stand up against the Empire! Stand up for Freedom!" the blue holo-graphic figure said passionately before the transmission ended and the scene returned to a droid, sitting behind a desk. Spouting analytical nonsense about hijacked holo-transmissions within the sector and the damage to morale, the droid segued into a couple of terrorist experts who began to argue over the significance of the message. They all seemed to miss the point, the Rebels had struck a deadly blow against the Empire and now things were going to change within the sector, and not for the better. At least they had a face to go with the terrorists, he thought.

Admiral Koshtik tapped his desk and turned off the local news reports before grabbing a nearby data pad, his personal device. Tapping a series of commands on the screen, he frowned. Dropping the device back down onto his desk, he placed his hands behind his back and began to pace back and forth in front of his desk. His ire growing, his thoughts wandered to the several different ways he could make someone's life miserable. The chime at his door sounded and his anger flared. Whoever had decided to disturb him would soon bear the brunt of his bitterness.

Walking over the door, he depressed the lock controls, slightly surprised to see the individual standing on the other side of the door. He lowered his gaze and glared at him.

"Babel Torsh, what a pleasant surprise," he said through gritted teeth.

"The pleasure is all yours, Admiral," Babel hissed, "Congratulations on your promotion, by the way."

"Some of us know how to do our jobs," Koshtik replied venomously.

Babel glared back at him as the they stood face to face. Eventually, one would have to blink. It was Babel. Pulling out a data pad and handing it over to Koshtik, Babel tried to maintain his angry posture.

Accepting the data pad, Koshtik glanced down and was surprised by what he saw. He furrowed his brows before looking back up to Babel.

Babel smirked. For the moment, he had the upper hand. He knew it wouldn't last, but he wanted to savor this one last gibe before his world would collapse around him.

"You've been reassigned to my command?" Koshtik said disgustedly.

"Yes …" Babel spat. Though he was enjoying the moment of confusion that enveloped Koshtik, he knew it wouldn't last.

"I see," Koshtik responded before realization dawned upon him. Babel was UNDER his command. Oh, joy of joys, he thought sarcastically. Where to place him? I don't want him anywhere near me or my office. Oh no, that would be too risky. I need to put him as far away from me and my command as possible. What are my options?

There was a long, uncomfortable pause, that both men were keenly aware of.

"Ahem … my assignment?" Babel asked, clearing his voice, his fear rising due to the lengthy silence.

"A moment," Koshtik said walking towards his desk, motioning Babel to follow him.

Glancing around, Babel was amazed at the trappings of wealth that adorned Koshtik's office. They hadn't been here the last time he had been in this office. The soft, plush carpet, the numerous furniture pieces inviting warmth and comfort, the small refrigeration unit as well as the wooden cabinet hold a vast array of bottles, most likely containing expensive liquors and spirits. This was far from the typical and expected tastes of Imperial officers. This was extravagance to the extreme.

The main attraction, so to speak, was the desk. It looked like it was carved from a single yew tree from Yelsain. Imbedded with the latest holographic technology and a desktop computer array that would respond with just a simple touch. It had its own holo-projector as well as several screens arrayed across the length of the desk. It was truly a very commanding desk. Envy wormed its way through him as Babel took in everything.

When he looked up, he couldn't help but gape at the painting residing on the wall, behind the desk. The near holo-graphic still, always in motion, was astounding. The seas roiled and rolled as two ships attempted to navigate the rough sea, while the storm clouds above slowly darkened, lit up occasionally by a flash of lightning.

Depicting an old wooden ship from an era long past in the foreground, the rigging adorned by pirates, Nautolans, were chasing a similar ship in the distance. Wielding metal swords or sporting old black-powder pistols, the pirates clung to their vessel, savagely watching their prey as they closed in on the doomed ship.

Babel knew little of art and culture, but he had heard of this painting. The Pirates of Glee Anselm by Garon Debrett, well known for his works depicting the ancient mariner life of the planet. If this was the actual painting, it's worth would be practically immeasurable. It was at least several hundred years old. Most likely, he reasoned, it was a reproduction, and a good one at that. Even then, it would be extremely expensive.

He narrowed his eyes at the back of the man he had to answer to. How could a man with his salary afford things like this, he thought? He'd store this away for future reference, this information might come in handy someday.

Turning his attention back to Koshtik, he kept his visage neutral.

Speaking over his shoulder, Koshtik swiped his hand over his desk and a visual display appeared, listing all the Imperial ships currently operating within the Minos Cluster. Reaching up and tapping one ship, he enlarged it's view and smiled satisfactorily.

"I think I know where you will be serving," Koshtik said mildly amused.

"Oh?" Babel said, trying to mask his disappointment. He recognized the ship and immediately knew what his assignment was to be. His disappointment shone clearly.

"Lt. Pope has recently been reassigned to the Chariot. The Tiberon needs a new commanding officer. Since I'm supposed to allow you the courtesy of continuing your hunt for Craer, what better way than with an Imperial Customs corvette. This way, you can ply the trade lanes looking for your elusive rogue Jedi, while maintaining your undivided attention to my authority. I think this will be a pleasant arrangement, don't you think?" Koshtik asked smugly.

"I was expecting to be stationed here, on Travnin, with the freedom to continue my search, unhindered," protested Babel.

"It clearly states that I'm to utilize you in a way that is beneficial to both myself and the operations of the Imperial Navy in this sector. I can find no better assignment."

"But … the Jedi …"

"If he's out there, I'm sure you'll find him hiding on a starship, just as Katarina did," he let that statement hang in the air for a moment, "You'll just have to keep searching. I know that you are more than capable."

"This is an insult! I am an Agent of the ISB and deserved to be treated accordingly!" growled Babel.

Koshtik looked down to the data before smiling back at Babel, "According to this, you've been stripped of your rank as well. Congratulations, Lt. Torsh, and welcome to my command."

Fuming, Babel turned and exited from the office as quickly as he could.

Sighing in relief as he watched him leave, he heard a chime come from his personal data pad. Lifting it up, he smiled.

"Well, well, Jevik, it seems you were true to your word. Sometimes it does pay to help those in need. It was a pleasure doing business with you. Rest and recover my friend, you've earned it."

The Cameroon popped out of hyperspace barreling towards the bright orange planet. Within the cockpit, Bendu and Evie watched in wide eyed anticipation as the planet began to loom larger in the ship's canopy.

"Are you sure this is it?" asked Bendu, trying to hide the excitement in his voice.

Checking over the controls, Evie looked back to her brother, "Based on the coordinates that we received, this is it."

"So, this is the planet Delfii," Bendu said with some satisfaction, leaning back in his chair.

"Like you would even know, you've never been here," Evie said, rolling her eyes.

Smirking, Bendu shot his sister a sidelong glance, "Neither have you."

Bendu reached up and flipped a couple of switches, "I'm getting a signal. It's faint but it's coming from the northern hemisphere. I'll try and lock onto it."

The two of them sat, silent with their thoughts, before Evie finally spoke up.

"It's hard to imagine that we've all gone our separate ways. We've all been together for so long," she said wistfully.

"Yeah, but it was bound to happen eventually. Mowen has always been itching to run amok amongst the stars," he said chuckling.

"I'm surprised that Mom and Dad allowed Teba to go with him."

"I think they did it, so she could keep an eye on him," he laughed.

Giggling, Evie responded, "I can only imagine the trouble those two will get into."

Nodding in agreement, Bendu laughed.

Quickly, the laughter died down.

"I'm going to miss Megara," Evie said, softly.

"I think she's going to miss your more. You two were very close. At least she'll have Javid with her. Dad made sure we had a secure holo-projector, so we can communicate with the rest of the family. I'm sure you and Megara will be using it quite a bit."

"I just hope they are both doing all right. The evacuation of Eliad wasn't pleasant," Evie stated softly.

"Imperial Star Destroyers never make things easy. At least everyone managed to get off planet in time."

"I just wish I knew where Mom and Dad were going," Evie said quietly.

"I'm sure that where ever they go, they'll be fine. Drun was generous enough to give them a small ship with plenty of fuel. I heard them discussing possible locations."

"Eavesdropping?" Evie accused.

"Yeah, kind of. I heard something like Tantooine or Dantooine. I wasn't sure."

"Never heard of either place. Must be something off the beaten path."

"I hope so. They've been through a lot and deserve a break. A vacation perhaps?"

Before Evie could respond, a red light began to blink on the control panel. Pressing a button, a small, blue image appeared before them. Evie's face lit up. It was Craer.

"Welcome to Delfii my Padawan's. I'm sending you the coordinates to my location."

Smiling, the two siblings prepared the ship for atmospheric entry.

"I can't wait to start training to be a Jedi," Evie exclaimed.

"Let's start with the first lesson, shall we?" Craer said sternly.

Both Bendu and Evie turned to face the holo-graphic image.

"I am no Jedi. I will not teach you the Jedi Code. I am only training you to use the Force. I thought I made that perfectly clear?"

"Yes, sir," Bendu said, Evie echoing his response.

"Call me Master," Craer corrected.