CC: Refuge

[Medivh]

Refuge

The Wheel

Mara was a diligent, hard worker and Administrator Amir Faram, who kept a careful eye on her, became less worried about the repercussions of her presence at the Wheel.  At least temporarily.  He knew the obvious.  She could not stay here, not indefinitely.  People would begin to notice that Mara did not age like others.  Would ask questions about the baby she took care of.  And even with her change in appearance, someone might get close enough to recognize that she had played a role in the Corellian wars.

It was roughly 3 months after Centerpoint had been destroyed.  Mara had taken the time and patience to take care of her wounds, without the worry of having to run from or to anything.  In time, and with assistance, she had completely healed.  The baby, Riley, was beginning to socialize - to interact with other younglings at one of the daycare facilities located on the Wheel itself.

He was watching a monitor as his door chimed.

"Enter"

Mara stepped in, dirty-blonde hair tied in a small pony, dressed in a standard jumpsuit marked with a few grease stains.

"You wished to see me, administrator?"

He nodded

"Yes, please, have a seat"

"I've been working"

"Don't worry. Sit"

Mara nodded and made her way to the chair opposite the desk, glancing up at the monitor.

"News?"

"The Republic Senate has spent the last week debating whether or not the Corellian sector should be allowed to enter the Republic."

"Corellia wants to join the republic?"

Faram nodded

"Apparently, they want to have someone else telling them what to do, other than a dictator"

"It seems counter-intuitive.  Corellians want independence"

"Well, I'm fairly certain they think they'll have more if this way.  No doubt it will cause trouble down the line.  But that's not why I called for you"

"Why then?"

He sighed as he turned to her.  And she nodded

"We cannot stay"

"I'm afraid not"

"We were just getting situated here.  Just getting used to it"

"I know.  And you do not have to leave yet.  But reality means you cannot stay here forever.  This is not a place for long term child raising.  And people will begin to notice you"

Mara nodded

"How long then?"

"A year.  Tops"

"and after that?  where am I to go then?"

"I think I have a plan for you and young Riley.  Something that will work for the foreseeable future.  I'd like you to be a special agent of the Trade Federation"

"spying?"

"No - negotiating.  I've seen the work you've done, Mara, and its impressive.  And more importantly, you work well with others.  You are good at making things happen.  I'd like to make you an envoy of the Trade Federation, to help us regain some of our lost business.  The job will entail a fair bit of traveling.  You'll go from world to world, stay for a few months to a year, and then go on to the next location.  In that way, no one will notice that you haven't changed.  No one but me and a few others I trust will know what you are.  And in return, you'll stay on the Trade Federation credit.  Taken care of."

"what about Riley?"

"He can go with you.  Or, if you want, he can stay here, but I think you would be better off raising him then someone else."

"When do I need to decide by?"

"You have time.  A few months.  But the idea is there, and I think it would suit you well."

She nodded, silently thinking to herself before responding.

"Thank you administrator.  I'll take it into account, and let you know of my decision"

***********************

That night, as she negotiated with Riley to get the bottle in his mouth, she stared out the small box of a window at the few stars beyond.  A career in the Trade Federation.  Almost as if life came full circle.  On the other hand, she would not have the permanence and stability that she had so been craving.  Except, no one would be hunting her.

Maybe it would be good. For her. For Riley.  She glanced down at the child who was now sucking enthusiastically on the tip of the bottle.  Something told her that for all her journey's, Riley's was just beginning.  And something about him told her that he had a destiny ahead of him.

And if it was anything like the destiny of his mother, his aunt, or their best friends, she would try to keep him from it as best as possible.

TBC

[Medivh]

Ten Years Later ...

Junction

"Aunt Mara!  We're almost there!"

Mara's footsteps echoed through the shuttle, a Trade Federation modified version of the lambda-class used to escort diplomats.  A bit heavier armed, better shielded, heavier armor.  Federation ships, afterall, were often the target of pirates, and though she was not carrying any cargo today, Mara's vessel had been prepared. Just in case.  After all, pirates don't know what you have until they've boarded and killed you.

She made her way to the cockpit where a strapping ten year old was watching the monitors and the soft flashing indicating their destination was near.  As she entered, he turned and offered her an impatient smile.

"What took you so long?"

"I walked"

Riley rolled his eyes and nodded his head toward the controls.

"Can I land us today?"

"Did you do your homework?"

"Aw come on, Aunt Mara!"

She placed her hands on her hips giving him a no-nonsense stare.

"We had a deal, Riley"
"Yeah, I know, but that homework is so boring!  I know how to fly and fix a ship.  Who cares about 'history of the jedi' and ''important dates of the galaxy'"
"I've told you.  history has a habit of repeating itself, especially when it comes to the jedi"
"But I'm not a jedi"
"and thank goodness for that"
"So why do I care?"
"Because, if you had done your homework, you'd realize what happens to the jedi - past, present, future - affects the entire galaxy.  You and me included.  That's why it's part of the standard curriculum on Federation installations, which is where we got the textbook from."
"Nobody is going to ask me about the jedi on this trip"
"If you don't do your homework, you're going to be spending the Junction trip locked in the room, and nobody will be asking you anything.  What have you been doing this whole hyperspace trip anyways?"
"I was ... I was designing a new starship"
"What?"
"Designing a starship. Something better than this old bucket.  I was trying to figure out the best control configuration and then-"

"Riley Tacofer!"

His voice stopped abruptly, and much quieter now

"Yes Aunt Mara?"

"Go to your loft and get your homework done, NOW!"
"But -"
"NOW"
"Yes Aunt Mara"

Quite deflated from the conversation, Riley slinked away as Mara slipped into her seat, shaking her head and triggering the vessel out of hyperspace.  Ahead, lay the planet Junction, a world long involved with the Trade Federation, and now a key to the Federation's expansion plans.  Junction lay along the New Republic border, and with any luck, it would become a primary location for trading with the galactic power.  She glanced behind her, out the cockpit door.  Riley was a good kid, most of the time, and he loved traveling with her.  But, like so many kids, he didn't take his required work seriously, instead trying to jump ahead to what they WANTED to do.

Being with a child, the ultimate in unprogramed, undisciplined had been and continued to be an interesting experience for Mara, who literally never had a childhood.  But it had been rewarding, these past ten years.  They had developed a life together, and Mara loved Riley like her own.

Even so, anytime he asked about his mother, Mara refused to answer, telling him only that she was a woman who had been very sad and in trouble, and had died while giving birth.  And, that it was Mara's sister.  No lies, just not the whole truth.  No mention of the Patten name. And certainly not of the Gellar, Masterton, or Winton names.  Riley had a photograph of Kimber in his bunk in the shuttle.  And as far as Mara was concerned, that was enough.

Turning the shuttle slightly, Mara began her descent to the planet surface, sending a message to the Wheel and Administrator Faram, letting him know she had arrived.   Another job, on the way.

TBC

[Medivh]

((I realize upon looking at the galaxy map that the Wheel is actually closer to Republic territory than Junction - is, in fact, probably in Republic territory now.  Taking that into consideration, I'm changing a few things about the mission to Junction.  It should all work out))

Junction

"Madam Tacofer, Junction lies on the Hydian Way, and is a major stop for shipments to and from the Corporate Sector"

Mara nodded

"It's true. Junction's location is at the intersection of routes, including the Hydian Way, making it a prized location for any trade organization."
"We make a lot of our income through the Corporate Sector"
"You can make a lot through the Trade Federation - the Wheel is closer to you than the Corporates. We have a history of working with Junction"
"That history is long gone. The Trade Federation isn't what it once was.  Sure, you've recovered, but even sitting in the midst of Republic territory, you've been ostracized and denied trade permits with them.  Your biggest dealers are the Hutts and the Empire.  Why would Junction get involved in with a competitor of the Corporate Sector if we are more likely to lose than to gain by it"
"That's what I'm trying to tell you.  An agreement with the Trade Federation would be to your benefit.  Signing with us would make Junction more than just a stopping off point. It would be a primary trade center.  You would gain access not just to the Wheel but to the entire Perlemian trade route"
"That is IF the Republic starts letting you deal with their planets"
Mara gave a tight lipped smile

"The Republic will.  We're good for them, and they know it. And they don't want us only giving business to the Empire.  The Republic doesn't want the Corporate Sector to have a monopoly on its industries.  We would create competition which means everyone wins"
"everyone except the Corporate Sector.  They've got a lot of friends in the Senate"
"so do we"
"and they can make trouble for us"
"We can take care of trouble.  The Corporate Sector will just have to learn how to play nicely with others"

The Representative shook his head.
"I cannot make a commitment right now.  We need the Corporate contracts.  But if you get some approval from the Republic, we'll be willing to reconsider"

Mara nodded

"I understand. Thank you for your time, Chancellor"
"Our pleasure"

Mara stepped out of the meeting room, frustrated but not entirely surprised.  Ever since the Trade Federation had started requesting permits from the Republic, the Corporate Sector had been carefully but quietly applying pressure to keep them from expanding.  It was hard making inroads against such a massive entity, especially after the setbacks that brought the Federation to the brink of disappearing a decade ago.

It had made a significant comeback, thanks to Mara's gift of persuasion, and the fact that until recently, competitors hadn't been paying attention to them.  Now, it was a whole new ballgame.

Mara made her way down to the shuttle bay, stepping up the ramp.

"Riley!"

The ten year old's feet were still small in sound as he ran toward the ship's opening.

"Any luck"

Mara shook her head

"Not as of yet.  Homework?"

Riley grinned triumphantly as he held up a datapad

"Done - all of it"

Mara grinned

"We;ll see how well you did.  Any messages for me while I was gone"

"Yeah, the administrator said to contact him when you got back"

Mara finished her ascent into the ship, running a hand to mess up Riley's hair as she passed him.

"Time for a haircut, I think"
"Aw, aunt Mara"

She laughed
"alright - you did your homework.  Go start powering up the ship. I'll be checking in with the administrator"

Almost dropping the datapad, Riley ran to the cockpit, grinning and gleeful.  Mara watched after him for a moment before heading to the small communication's closet and triggering a signal.

"Sir"

Amir Faram's face appeared on the monitor.

"Any luck?"
"No sir.  Junction's been getting a lot of pressure from the Corporate Sector."
"That's what I figured.  Hard to break their grasp on this area of the galaxy"
"They said if we could get approval in the Senate, they would reconsider"
"Did they now?  Well, that's at least something.  Our permits are up for consideration in the senate now"
"any idea how the votes are going to go"
"That is why I had a message for you.  I want you to head to Chandaar and work the senators as best you can. Answer questions, and act as our representative to try to get the permits through committee.  I am certain the Corporate Sector is sending their own representatives as well, and I want to be prepared"
"I'll do what I can sir"
"You'll be there for a while, Mara.  I'm arranging for hotel arrangements, so you won't need to live out of the ship"
"Riley won't like that"
"Riley might appreciate being around kids his own age for a while.  I'm going to send some support teams there as well. We're putting all our political capital into getting those permits.  Make it happen"
"Yes, sir"

The screen went dark and Mara stood heading toward the cockpit.

"Where to, aunt mara?"
"Chandaar. Sector S-6"
"Alright.  Got it.  What's on Chandaar?"
"The New Republic capital.  I thought you did your homework?"
"I ... uh ... I did.  I ... I guess I ... uh ... missed that question"
"Sure ... alright Riley, let's get going."

TBC

[Medivh]

Chandaar: Republic Capital

Mara's shuttle is given clearance with Republic command and instructed to land in the spaceport on Ambaril. Mara sat at the cockpit, Riley, remarkably enough, was asleep in the chair beside her.  She smiled fondly at him before turning to look out the viewport.  The capital city  was symbolic of the industrial strength of the Republic.  From a small, empty hub of just a few buildings, it had increased vastly into a huge city, reminiscent of Coruscant's imperial city.  It was, like Coruscant, a city that never slept, and even at the late hour of the night, the bright lights indicated nothing had slowed.

Upon arrival at the spaceport, Mara turned and shook Riley, who whined a bit before realizing they had arrived at their destination.  Rubbing his eyes, he glanced out the cockpit, frowning as he saw the durasteel walls of the hangar.

"Aunt Mara, you were supposed to wake me up so I could see the city when landing"

"You'll see it later, Riley.  Come on, we have to get settled in"

Down the ramp, Mara was greeted by three other Trade Federation reps, junior to her in position, but familiar with Mara's work.  She nodded to each of them before coming up to a fourth individual, a lean young man in a suit, bearing a lapel with the Republic logo - the Republic's liason for the Trade Federation.


"Ms. Tacofer, it is an honor to have you here on Chandaar.  Your reputation precedes you.  I have heard you are a skilled negotiator,"

"I appreciate the compliment, but really, I just do what I can. The Trade Federation is able to sell itself"

"It might not be so easy this trip around.  There is a large contingent not fond of the Trade Federation"

Mara nodded, her lips in a tight frown "And I imagine the Corporate Sector is making things more difficult for us as well"

"That they are.  Their delegation arrived earlier today, and will be staying at the Hotel Ovallus."

"Who is the head of the delegation from the Corporate Sector?"

"Let's see ..." the Republic liason glanced down at his datapad, scrolling through for a bit. "aha.  here it is.  The Corporate Sector delegation is being led by Rutherford Gellar"

Mara blinked, taken aback "Did you say Gellar?  Is he by any way related to - "

"Valerie Gellar, the hero of Corellia?  Rumor is it was her father, but it's hard to know what's real and what's fiction"

"Indeed ... Rutherford Gellar ..."

A million thoughts ran through Mara's head, not the least of which was that she was connected to the man who would be her political opponent on this trip.  But also, betrayal.  Rutherford Gellar had worked with Alexander Winton (though even Mara wasn't sure of the details).  His work had played a big part in Phage and ultimately, Valerie's death.

"You said the Corporate Sector delegates are staying at the Hotel Ovallus.  Where is our delegation set to stay?"

"The top two stories of the next hotel over, Hotel Mermeia.  Several rooms for yourself and your family - I see you brought along your son"

"He's my nephew, Riley"

"Ah, nephew.  For you and your nephew.  Other rooms for official federation work, and the rest of your delegation.  If you'll come this way, the transports are standing by"

The trip is not too long, and Riley alternates between being excited at the sights and sounds and nodding off.  Their arrival was less hectic than that of the Gellar clan, both because of the timing and because the Corporate Sector was willing to pay for more service.

As bags were taken up, the Republic delegate continued speaking tomorrow.

"The Senate is scheduled to reconvene tomorrow morning, continue with hearings on the Trade Federation question through most of the day, and probably will extend debate on the question into the next several days.  Knowing procedure, it could be longer than that, plus they have other issues to attend to."

Mara nodded "good.  It will give us time to see where the field is at, and where I need to spend my time working."
"I have sent you the docket schedule for the next several days, including the time that you are scheduled to present testimony to the Senate body."
"Will we be speaking before or after the Corporate Sector?"

The liason let out a snort.

"After - they have a certain amount of prominence, as you can imagine"
"That's alright.  When will they be presenting?"

Again he referred to his own datapad.

"The Corporate Sector is scheduled for time to address the Senate at 13:00 standard time.  Right after lunch.  Trade Federation immediately afterward"

Mara nodded.

"Would you please arrange for an appointment with Mr. Rutherford Gellar before he goes to the Senate floor"

"That might be difficult, ma'am. He has a fairly packed schedule"

"Well, if he is going to be bad mouthing the Trade Federation, I want to make sure he is aware of the consequences to himself."

The agent let out a light laugh.

"Rutherford Gellar is one of the most respected men in the Corporate Sector. What possible consequences could he have for speaking their own interests?"

"I'd rather not provide the specifics"

"It might be hard to get him in touch with you.  He'll want to steer clear of the Trade Federation as much as possible on this trip"

The turbolift arrived at the suite and Mara stepped out, Riley, head lazily forward and eyes drooping, stumbled in.  Mara turned back to the liason.

"Tell him it concerns his daughter Valerie.  That will be all for tonight.  Thank you."

"Yes ma'am"

The republic liason disapeared, and Mara stared at the now closed turbolift, pondering silently to herself. It was several minutes before she turned and let out a laugh - Riley was standing, but his head was leaning against the soft arm of a sofa.

"Alright you. Time for bed.  Tomorrow is going to be a busy day for us both"

TBC

[Medivh]

Chandaar: Republic Capital

Surface: Ambaril: Hotel Mermeia

Mara was back in the suite, now bustling with activity ahead of the trip to the Senate.  her main aides were bustling back and forth with data projections, holo demonstrations, and a host of information that could be useful to the presentations.  Mara, for the most part, was ignoring them. She knew how to give the pitch, knew which senators to cater to, which to avoid.  The trip to Chandaar had been studying up on the hundreds of senators on the fence, in her favor, and against the Trade Federation.
She had even collected a sizeable amount of data, written and photographed, that could be used to blackmail some of the Federation's biggest opponents (being a machine made tracking down things a bit easier for her than for others).

But all of that failed in comparison to where her attention really lay - Rutherford Gellar.  The GURI Project. The origins of her very existence.  The past she had tried to escape.  And yet, she couldn't shake the feeling that this was something she had to do. She had to confront Gellar.  Heading off to her private room, she took a seat, closed her eyes, and began sifting.  The files of the GURI Project had been scattered, and largely destroyed, but she had collected the pieces and deciphered them, bit by bit.  She trusted no computer to hold its secrets.  Instead, it was all locked in her own cerebral processors.

Recalling the information, she sifted through it. Photographs.  Rutherford Gellar,  younger but still recognizable, standing by Alexander Winton.  The picture had no caption, no context.  Others like it, showing Gellar with Kyrie Patten, or with all three together.  Winton's face showed the poker-face that had ingratiated him into positions of power, and the eyes that, if looked at with hindsight, revealed a sinister intent.  Rutherford's face tended to look pained, embarrassed.

More photographs, all revealing no context, though a few showed a newborn being handed off, or a woman, who looked very much like her - like Valerie - and pregnant.  These pictures, Mara realized, were never meant for public consumption.  Winton had taken them to use against others, as blackmail.  Well, wouldn't he be proud of Mara now?

An analysis of the photos showed the newborn shared retinal signatures with Valerie. The other must have been Valerie's mother, Blair, daughter of Rutherford.

Mara watched the images in her head, over and over again, more and more angry with Rutherford. It seemed irrational, but he was the one who let it all happen.  He gave Winton the key to Phage.  And the photographs alone would be enough to hurt him.  She WANTED to hurt him. Wanted him to pay for what happened to Valerie.  She didn't care if it made sense. She didn't care if she was right.

As far as she was concerned, she was right.  Damn him. Damn the Corporate Sector. Damn everyone else.

"Miss Tacofer?"

Mara's eyes opened and she turned to the door.

"Yes?"

"We are getting ready to depart to the senate.  Are there any other preparations that need to be done?"

Mara blinked for a moment, the images still sitting in the active portion of her processors.

"I have a few files I'd like ready to present to the senate.  A contingency plan of sorts.  But the files must be kept secure, and only accessible by myself"

The aide nodded

"I'll get you a secure datadisk that you can plug in if needed"

The aide left the room and Mara stared after him, wondering if letting what she knew out of the box, even a portion of it, was really a good idea.

"well" she said to herself "let's just hope we won't have to use it"

She rose and began final preparations for the hearing.  She would be there in time to watch Rutherford Gellar's testimony.

TBC

[Medivh]

Chandaar: Republic Capital

Surface: Senate Chamber

Mara took her seat in one of the guest pavilions, located near the bottom of the senate chamber.  She could see Rutherford Gellar rise from across the chamber, and move to his podium.  A moment later, his image, enlarged, was hovering in the center of the room.

Mara listened with a mix of admiration, loathing, and worry.  The man had proven a coward in the past, running from controversy.  What a day for him to suddenly gain a backbone.

Of course, that wasn't what it really was. He was trying to prove himself morally superior, by beating Mara at her own game.  SHe could hear the silence of those behind her - the others in the Federation group - but she was motionless.  She had the luxury of hiding feelings behind a stone cold face.

As Rutherford finished, there was murmuring, among senators on both sides of the issue.  In standard hearing format, Gellar would be asked questions following his appearance, but his speech had so shocked people, and been so different than what had been discussed, that no one really knew what to ask.

The speaker took several minutes trying to regain order, before finally, some timid senators asked a few equally timid questions almost avoiding the speech altogether, reading off prewritten lists.  Gellar, Mara noted, shifted specific questions of monetary policy to his underlings, the better to keep his own message separate and strong.

Finally, they stepped off.

"Mara Tacofer, Ambassador of the Trade Federation, has the floor"

Mara rose from her seat, hand silently brushing against the datadisk, still debating if she would use it or need it.  The murmuring of the senate rose and then died down, but she waited, waited until she had silence, everyone finally paying attention before she spoke.  Her own holo image now hovered in the center of the room, but her gaze was trained on the Corporate Sector booth, and Gellar.  Finally, she turned her gaze upward, her holo image reflecting an appearance of looking up to the senators in the chamber.

"There is no question:  The Trade Federation has committed its share of sins in the past.  And, as Mr. Gellar just stated, the past does paint a picture but it does not define the present.  What Mr. Gellar will not remind you of though, is the true history of the Trade Federation.  The Trade Federation was responsible for starting the Clone Wars, it's true.  But that was nearly three decades ago.  The Neimodians don't control the Federation, and haven't since it was reestablished nearly 20 years ago.  Mr. Gellar will not tell you that the Trade Federation was a trading partner and fast ally of the New Republic.  We worked together to build a better civilization, a better galaxy.  I don't need to tell you this - this is hard fact.  You can find it in any history book of the republic.  Well, any history book not published by the Corporate Sector."

Mara paused glancing down again, making eye contact with Rutherford before continuing.

"Mr. Gellar also failed to mention that until 15 years ago, the Trade Federation provided the vast majority of droid merchandise to the Republic.  protocol droids, nanny droids, security droids. And yes, battle droids.  The Corporate Sector wants you to believe that Phage was a menace caused by the Trade Federation.  Well, Phage was a menace.  And he was built as part of a Trade Federation project.  But what Mr. Gellar, what the Corporate Sector failed to remind you of was that Phage was actually the product of sabotage.  Reports, written by both Federation experts and Republic experts, have found that Phage's programming was altered.  Changed by a man named Alexander Winton - the same Alexander Winton that just a few minutes ago, Mr. Gellar mentioned interacting with.  And the Corporate Sector would like you to forget that it was the Trade Federation who aided the Corellians in destroying the menace that was Phage.  It is the trickster that should be punished, not the tricked.

The Federation was made a fool by Phage, but more importantly, its biggest product was taken off the market.  Nobody was buying droids.  Quite understandably. And it has taken the Trade Federation many hard years of work to retool, rebuild, and transform itself. Diversify its products.  In that time, the Corporate Sector has taken over markets.  It is understandable that they don't want the Trade Federation trading with the New Republic.  They have their own business interests to protect.

But today, the Trade Federation has succeeded.  We have more products, and the capability to provide them to the New Republic.  Moreover, opening trade routes to the Trade Federation would have the following benefits that the Corporate Sector representative would like you not to think about:

1) Increased access to supplies throughout the New Republic
2) Faster shipping
3) Quality products at cheaper prices
4) More efficient trading, construction, and other industries
5) High quality products
6) Access to the Galactic Trade Exchange, which would allow Republic goods to be more easily traded to all other parts of the galaxy

I have much more to say, of course, but for now, I'd like to answer your questions"

Mara stopped, glancing around the room.  It wasn't long before the first question came.  When Gellar spoke, they hadn't had time to process, but her not engaging in his discussion had given them a chance to formulate questions of their own.

"Ms. Tacofer, Mr. Gellar made several accusations about you threatening him earlier today.  Would you care to comment?"

"Senator, Mr. Gellar and I met briefly this morning, and I indicated to him that it would be disadvantageous to use the Trade Federation as a punching bag"

"Ms. Tacofer, did you threaten to embarrass him today?"

"Well senator, I can tell you that Mr. Gellar is clearly a capable speaker.  He was apaprently able to embarrass himself without my assistance at all"

A few senators chuckled, some groaned, and a few scowled.

"Ms. Tacofer, you indicated that Alexander Winton was responsible for the Phage disaster.  Now we just heard from Mr. Gellar that he - i think he said turned over his granddaughter to the same Winton.  Would you say that Mr. Gellar was also responsible for Phage?"

There it was, the thing she wanted to say, but couldn't.   The thing he tried to skirt around by beating her to the punch.  And the answer that would say yes without saying yes.

"I am not here to cast blame. I am here to represent the Trade Federation, and I was addressing an accusation made against the Trade Federation.  If you'd like to learn about Mr. Gellar's involvement with Phage, I recommend you speak to him.  Privately, of course"

Now she had tied him to it, without actually saying he did it.  Shrewd politics, but for her, it was something deeper. Personal. Vengeful.

The next senator spoke up.

"You want us to believe that the Trade Federation - the same organization that started the Clone Wars, that worked for Emperor Palpatine, that created Phage, a machine so dangerous he threatened the entire galaxy - you want us to believe you can be trusted?"

Mara glanced down, then back up

"Well, what can I say senator.  When you put it that way, it sounds pretty awful.  But, I'd remind you that the most recent of those events was more than a decade ago. I'd also remind you that your current most active trading partner, the Corporate Sector Authority, sided with the Separatists in the Clone Wars, was a strong ally of Emperor Palpatine, and continues to be known for its corruption, and backhand dealing.  The Trade Federation may have a past, but there is no indication that for the last 20 years, we've been anything but honest with you.  Have we made mistakes? yes, but that does not mean deception.  So in short, Senator, my answer is yes"

More questions, some on the controversial, some on the personal, and some actually on the topics of the deal.

Finally, the session was closed

"We would like to thank the representatives of the Corporate Sector and the Trade Federation for being with us today.  We will recess until tomorrow, when we start taking up the debate on the matter at hand"

Mara turned to the other federation reps

"Mara, what the hell was Rutherford talking about? threatening him? What do you know?"

She glanced behind her, across the chamber, where Rutherford and his team were.

"There's always more to the story"

she turned back to them

"But it's not for the telling now.  I want meetings with as many on-the-fence senators as possible. I'll get the higher profile ones, you take the lower profile ones.  And get me a secretarial staff.  I've got something I want to publish"

TBC

[Medivh]

Chandaar: Republic Capital

Surface

It was a whirlwind to be sure.  Mara's speech had been fairly conventional, but Gellar's unique personal confession had colored the entire proceeding.  Everyone on Chandaar seemed to be talking about it.  Gellar had an illegitimate granddaughter, who also happened to be a hero.  Gellar was connected with Alexander Winton, an undeniably evil man with his hands in too many pockets, and greedy.  Most of that connection was being fueled by rumors, and Mara was certain Gellar was working hard to clarify his particular point of view.  Mara for her part was staying out of it.  Her speech had barely referenced the scandal, and so even Gellar mentioning her threat wasn't making the kind of headway it would if she had actually followed through.

That threat.  Mara thought back to the anger that had fueled her approach to Gellar.  She wasn't certain if she ever meant to carry out her claim.  She just wanted him - what? scared?  hushed?  Part of her sensed her actions weren't part of the Federation plan.  It was her own.  A vengeance against one of the few surviving contributors to the evil that had come to her sisters - Valerie, Kimber - and her friend, Karen.

The name Karen hadn't been uttered in the first few hours, but it didn't take long for connections between the patriarchical Winton and his limelight seeking daughter (and imperial royalty) to start flooding airwaves.

So ultimately, Mara felt she had succeeded in the goal she had set out to do - limit the damage that would be done by a credible Corporate Sector.  Their reputation now was suspect, and the claims of Federation dishonesty were just as murky.  Now if only she could convince enough senators that the Federation was as good as their word.

She scanned down her list.  She and her team had met with scores of senators, steering away from discussion of scandal and talking about the benefits of the Federation trade permits, going in greater details to discuss how the senator's particular world would benefit, how the Republic would prosper. etc. etc.  Lobbying at its finest.  And of course, indicating that Gellar's confession was not the topic of her speech, and getting right back on message.  Even when the aides were growing weary, Mara kept running.  Like a machine.  There were senators who, based on their species, had different sleep patterns than humanoids, and the late evening hours were perfect for meeting with them.

She got a mix of receptions.  Some warm, some cold, some suspicious, some openly hostile, some open to listening.   

It was early morning by the time she returned to the suite, a bleary eyed secretary stretching and lifting a datapad.

"We've gotten several calls - The Corporate Sector Delegate, Mr. Gellar, is insistent upon meeting with you"

Mara nodded.  Her conversation with him had been abrupt, and undoubtedly, the day had not gone as the man had planned.

"Did you copy the information I requested?"

"Yes, ma'am.   It's on the secure disk in your office"

"Very well.  Have Mr. Gellar join us upstairs in the conference room at 0900"

"Ms. Tacofer, that's just two hours from now"

"I have no doubt he'll fit us in.  When he gets here, see to it that he is undisturbed.  And that he has no one to talk to.  This is a conversation for him and me alone"

"Yes ma'am"

TBC

[Syren]

Chandaar: Republic Capital

Surface: Ambaril

It has been a long night and he returns to the Hotel Ovallus just before dawn. Celeste and the children are sleeping soundly so he showers and changes before heading back down to the lobby. He is running on fumes but does not want to delay meeting with the Federation Ambassador.

Rutherford is dressed in shades of grey, less formal than his corporate attire yet still presentable. He walks along the slowly waking street and into the Hotel Mermeia where a Federation aide approaches him. She remains clipped and escorts him to the lift which take them to a quiet and seemingly empty floor. After instructing him where to go, she stays on the lift as the doors close. He catches his reflection in the polished metal, cringing. The lack of sleep is evident in his features, the lines on his face appearing deeper than usual. He has to tell himself he has not been a young man for a long time and these all-nighters become more grueling with age. He strides down the corridor and stops in front of the conference room door.

On Rutherford's instruction, Garron Prescott had done some digging of his own, referencing the Federation ties to Corellia. The connection to his granddaughter had stirred up his own curiosity. The results uncovered inconsistencies, some more concerning than others. The name Tacofer appears once outside of Mara's emergence in the rebuilt Trade Federation, the name of the interim Corellian governor after Valerie's death and prior to Saga Judec's consolidation of the Confederation. Trying to track her movements before the Federation on Corellia or elsewhere prove fruitless. It was almost as if she simply did not exist. Garron had narrowed the search by using only her first name, a long shot for sure. While a multitude of Mara's appear across the galaxy, a list that took his valet over an hour to sort, one in particular stands out like a glaring middle finger. One he is surprised he missed in the headlines. It seems the former Corellian High Commander had records referencing an alleged traitor whose name now echoes through his mind. He is well versed in his own linage and can name most of his ancestors back three generations. There are only two who used the Gellar name not included in that list. One is the alias created for the Imperial Agent assigned to pose as Valerie's "father."

The other is Judec's supposed traitor.

Rutherford enters the conference room to find Mara Tacofer waiting patiently at the end of a long, rectangular table. He takes the seat directly to her left, never taking his eyes off her face. Given time to study her without the barrage of threats, her features seem somewhat familiar to him, like he has seen her before. But that's impossible. He never met her before yesterday morning in the lounge of the Mermeia. His mind flashes to the photage taken of the Corellian traitor, one that bears a striking resemblance to his own flesh and blood. Shorten the hair, lighten it, add contacts to color correct the eyes and it would give the woman sitting in front of him a run for her credit. He cannot be certain but he would risk it on the chance it could equalize the leverage.

Rutherford leans forward, folding his hands together.

"I appreciate you taking the time to meet with me. No doubt your evening has been just as eventful. My actions in the Senate yesterday were, in part, a reaction to our conversation but mostly, it was what needed to be said aloud. Based on the files you spoke of, I feel you have misconceptions about me that I would like dispel."

Mara gazes at him coldly, unflinching.

He is not deterred.

"I am not here to make excuses for the things I have done. Over the course of my career, I have been called many things. Some of those sentiments I am certain you share and with good reason. I think we can agree on the grievous disservice I did my granddaughter in allowing Alexander Winton to blackmail me into submission. And that is exactly what he did, miss Tacofer. My daughter Blair was just a teenager and her affair with the CorSec Major would have been disastrous for me at that point in my career. I let my ego trump my family and it is something I will forever regret. But, as I am sure you are aware, that is not the whole story."

Rutherford swallows what's left of his pride.

"The CorSec Major in question already had a wife and a newborn daughter. This move to strike was, I assume, a way for Winton to gain favor with him by delivering his secret child to Corellia. I later learned that a pseudo-family was created for Valerie along with a cover story to explain her presence there - a "mother" who "died" in childbirth and a "father," a fellow CorSec Agent by the name of Jericho Gellar. This cover allowed Valerie to be raised with her half-sister under the watchful eye of her biological father without the damage the affair would have inevitably done to his marriage. It appears  the Major was able to have it both ways and I would be vilified for my cowardly actions. If you seek retribution, miss Tacofer, know this."

His dark eyes narrow on her face.

"Because I was a coward, my wife's illness returned and she no longer had the will to fight it. Because I was a coward my daughter, my sweet and beautiful daughter, climbed to the top of my corporate tower and jumped to her death. So believe me when I tell you that I have already been punished. I suffered for years from those losses and still, I could not bring myself to rescue Valerie out of shame for what I had done. And in those years Valerie grew to become a powerful figure who brought hope to those who had lost their own. It gave me hope I could make right the wrong but in my hesitation, I lost everything that mattered to me. Her death would have put me in my own grave had it not been for the love and support of Celeste."

Rutherford's jaw tightens.

"Despite how you feel about me or what those files may say, I did not play a part in the creation of the monster that took her life. You seem to be quite knowledgeable in the intricacies of our lives, a fact I find both interesting and puzzling. Given your statements, surely you realize me, Valerie and the Federation were not the only targets of Alexander Winton's deception. The scope is far wider than that. Over the past ten years I have come to understand just how many lives that man has destroyed. My wife, Melanie's mother, and the other parents of The Four were all manipulated by his lies."

Now he leans back, inhaling sharply.

"What I want to know, miss Tacofer, is where you fit into all of this. Obviously, you have a vested interest in this information and those involved otherwise you would not have come at me with such vehemence. This goes beyond the political. This is personal for you. I have laid my cards on the table and taken responsibility for my role in Valerie's fate. So tell, Mara Anna, who are you really and why are you here?"


-TBC

[Medivh]

Chandaar: Republic Capital

Surface: Ambaril

Rutherford steps into the room, and Mara matches him stare for stare. He talks first -fair enough. Mara hadn't let him speak at all the previous day. He talks about 'misconceptions' and Mara's loathing for the man ticks up a notch.  Obviscate, avoid.  His faux apology hadn't been anything but making himself feel better - and, causing hurt probably to his wife and children. His NEW wife and NEW children.  Already, she felt he was repeating his past mistakes.

Most of what he said was information she probably knew better than him - Jericho Gellar was one of a vast array of characters in the databases of the GURI Project files (though Rutherford telling his side of what happened seemed vastly different than Alexander Winton's cold calculated writing).

He goes on with a second, more sincere sounding apology, admitting how he caused X Y and Z but still denying involvement with Phage.  Maybe he didn't know what he had done, but that didn't mean he should be forgiven.  It was true, Alexander Winton had cast a wide net of destruction, deceit, manipulation.  But those who worked with him had allowed it to happen.  The parents had all betrayed their children.  Rutherford had done so and then gone into hiding.  Finally, he comes to the end of his speech

"What I want to know, miss Tacofer, is where you fit into all of this. Obviously, you have a vested interest in this information and those involved otherwise you would not have come at me with such vehemence. This goes beyond the political. This is personal for you. I have laid my cards on the table and taken responsibility for my role in Valerie's fate. So tell, Mara Anna, who are you really and why are you here?"

Calling her Mara Anna was surprising, but Mara kept a cool face - a benefit of being a machine, you could have a good sabaac face.  She leaned back in her chair, a nonchalant voice responding to him.

"It's Mara Tacofer, Mr. Gellar.  And you are right - I do have a vested interest in this information.  As the Trade Federation representative, I appreciate open debate - lively discussion, thoughtful consideration, but not hypocracy.  And whether you admit it or not, you coming here to stop the Trade Federation was just that. hypocritical.  The Corporate Sector has committed worse crimes, and have contributed to more deaths than the Trade Federation, unless you really believe the organization today, run by humans is the same organization that existed in the Old Republic, run by those sniveling Neimodians.  And I think you and I both know you are smarter than that.

But you are right, I have a personal interest as well.  I have spent many years trying to destroy Alexander Winton, and undo the damage he did.  He destroyed many lives, literally, psychologically, financially.  And you, Mr. Gellar, gave him the keys to do the most damage"

She pulled from her folder two datapads, large screen monitors. Clicking a few buttons she slid one over to him.  the monitor had a streaming image of a DNA code running across the screen at a continuous loop.

"You are an expert in bioengineering, but you might not recognize what you are looking at.  I'll help you out. If you have ever seen your own DNA code, and could recognize it, you would notice this code has a 25% correlation to your own.  A grandchild has a 25% DNA correlation with any grandparent.  What you are looking at is the DNA sequence of your granddaughter, Valerie Gellar."

She then took the second data pad, and slid it next to the first.  Though a slightly different medium, the two screens were displaying the exact same patterns.

"That - that is the programming code for Phage.  Alexander Winton used Valerie's DNA as the blueprint for Phage's program.  In the years since I obtained this information, I have learned that Winton used Valerie not merely because of the relationships she would eventually develop with his daughter and the others.  Valerie's blood had a unique enzyme in it that was critical for the project to go forward.  I don't know who carried that enzyme - whether it was you, or one of Valerie's other relatives - but I do know that Winton would not have succeeded in creating Phage if he did not have Valerie.  I have yet to see that enzyme in any other blood stream.  You gave Alexander Winton the key to Phage.  You may not have pulled the trigger, but you are responsible for that"

Mara let him look at the datapads for a few minutes longer before speaking again.

"Valerie was someone very important to me. She still is.  And I was a friend to Karen Winton before her own death.  So yes, what you did. What you helped cause - I have a problem with that."

At that moment, the door to the conference room opened and in walked Riley, still sleepy eyed, but with an excited look on his face.

"Hi Aunt Mara!"

Mara turned to face Riley, a stern look on her face.

"Riley, I'm in a meeting now"

Riley's face dimmed, but only slightly.

"Sorry Aunt Mara.  I just wanted to know if you knew what today was"

Mara nodded her head, her features softening.

"Yes Riley.  And I promise, we'll go out today to celebrate.  Let me just finish with my meeting, ok?"

"Ok, Aunt Mara"

"and Riley - happy birthday"

Riley's smile widened again and he ran out of the room, excitedly closing the door behind him, with a loud bang.  Mara watched the door for a moment before turning back to Rutherford.

"Now, where were we?"

TBC

[Syren]

Chandaar: Republic Capital

Surface: Ambaril: Hotel Mermeia

Mara's correction does not surprise him. Why would she admit anything to him? He's nothing but a corporate rival who she has been sent to undermine and embarrass. No need, really. His revelations have the city spinning.

She does, however, cop to knowing and trying to destroy Alexander Winton which begs a different question entirely. Then she segues into territory he is not prepared for. Before him sits the DNA sequence for Valerie and that of Phage. He knew the Gellar genes were strong, resilient, surly, but not that it possessed something Winton or the Federation would have wanted. His own blood work had never raised concern or suspicion. Was it Blair who held the key? Rutherford cannot contain the dread washing over him as Mara explains how his granddaughters genetic material was used to create the monster that murdered her - a fact he most certainly did not know.

Was this Winton's plan from the beginning and, more importantly, did Patten know?

Rutherford finally raises his eyes to meet hers but before he can speak, a child enters the room. He's no older than ten, maybe eleven with longer auburn hair swept over violet eyes. The button nose and lopsided grin also seem familiar to him in a way he cannot place. Not someone he knows. Someone he has seen before. She scolds him for interrupting them but wishes him a happy birthday. If she is called Aunt then Mara must have a sister. No other Tacofer's came up in the search but that does not mean anything conclusive. The sister could have married or had another name much like Gemma and Dahlia.

Parenting had become so much more progressive than it used to be.

After the boy leaves, Mara turns back to him.

"Now, where were we?"

Rutherford smiles, "Adorable nephew."

"Thank you."

"How old?"

"Ten."

"Good age," he says. "My son Dane is eleven. They grow so fast."

"That they do."

He clears his throat, veering back on topic.

"I must admit, miss Tacofer, this information is as surprising is at is sickening. When Winton came to me, his only counterpoint to the affair between the Corellian Major and my daughter was that Valerie would be with her father. The most sinister threat was that of exposing the affair and jeopardizing my reputation with the shareholders. There was no mention of our genetics. I am certainly not attempting to absolve myself from what happened but I assure you that I would never have agreed to Valerie's release if I had known that is what he intended to do."

He pauses, considering something with that sly Gellar smile.

"You claim the Corporate Sector is responsible for the loss many lives yet you freely admit to a friendship with Karen Winton - someone who, if I am not mistaken, is directly and indirectly responsible for the deaths of countless lives as a celebrity and as the Emperor's apprentice. If pointing fingers at me with friends like that is not hypocrisy then I do not know what is."

He leans back, face growing more serious.

"I think we can spend hours tallying up the scoreboard between CSA and Federation and that would get us nowhere. Neither is entirely blameless or guilty. And I can understand that if Valerie means something to you that you would rightfully wish to exact revenge for my role in how events unfolded. There is no way to express my sorrow for participating or facilitating Valerie's demise but there is no taking it back. Blame me. Hate me. I deserve your contempt. What I do not understand is how you knew Valerie or who she was to you."

Rutherford's dark eyes narrow on her face.

"Tell me something, Mara, something I have read but could never quite believe. You say you spent years trying to destroy Alexander Winton when he was confirmed dead on Bakura long before Phage. The reporter who died aboard the Centerpoint Station wrote that not only did he survive the crash but served as Imperial Director for years before miss Patten turned him over the Hapan Consortium who executed him. He also wrote that Winton was the one conspiring and controlling the Confederation High Commander months after that execution which is how miss Masterton and miss Patten ended up on that station in the first place."

He shakes his head.

"You seem to have all the answers. Tell me how this could be possible."


-TBC

[Medivh]

Chandaar: Republic Capital

Surface: Ambaril: Hotel Mermeia

Rutherford smiles, "Adorable nephew."

"Thank you."

"How old?"

"Ten."

She momentarily thinks back to ten years ago.  On this very day.  Finding Kimber lying prone and in labor. And dying.  A horde of Alexander Winton faced droids behind her, the Center Point Station collapsing around her.  She shook her head as she turned her attention back to Gellar, responding to his words with a vague response.

"That they do."

Gellar speaks now.

"You claim the Corporate Sector is responsible for the loss many lives yet you freely admit to a friendship with Karen Winton - someone who, if I am not mistaken, is directly and indirectly responsible for the deaths of countless lives as a celebrity and as the Emperor's apprentice. If pointing fingers at me with friends like that is not hypocrisy then I do not know what is."

Mara's gaze grows colder.  Karen Winton had her guilty moments - no one was bloodless, guiltless.  But she was not the evil woman that others made her out to be.  Mara had learned that much in the time she'd spent with her.  She almost - almost was about to spit some spiteful comment back at Rutherford.  But (thank goodness) he kept speaking, and Mara's stone-cold expression remained.

And he turns his attention, not to the politics of the day, or even to the Trade Federation.  But to her.  Mara.  and of course, Alexander Winton.

"You seem to have all the answers. Tell me how this could be possible."

Mara nodded her head, before responding, letting her dislike stay beneath the surface.  Let him hear what she knew about Winton - and not a thing about herself.

"Winton was a master of deception.  He faked his own death in the crash, allowing him to disappear from public life and do his work behind the scenes.  I believe, unless I am mistaken, that your family pulled a similar stunt in order to escape Winton"

Her eyes flashed at him for a moment before she continued.

"Winton already had the mechanics in place.  Set things in motion.  He used his connections to sabotage the Trade Federation's Viceroy's work.  Turn Phage from a reliable, versatile servant into the monster he became.  In setting Phage loose, he effectively destroyed any support for the Trade Federation - who at the time, had been the largest non government entity in the galaxy - while setting up his own next steps.  Corellia won, but just barely.  Valerie took control, and began increasing and expanding the military machine of the sector.  But Winton made Phage nearly indestructible.  He was able to self-replicate.  His second assault on Corellia left Valerie dead.  and the military machine she had started transformed into martial law under Saga Judec, a man that Alexander Winton had put into a position of influence so he could take charge and because he was easy to manipulate.  Winton convinced Judec to increase production, and approve of creating a fleet larger than Corellia could sustain.  And then convinced him to approve of vast droid armies to man the fleets.  All for the purpose of taking on the Empire.  But what Judec didn't realize is that those fleets of droids - they were answerable to Winton, and not really to Judec.  Center Point was an intricate trap designed to obliterate the Imperial fleet with vastly more ships than they thought the Confederation had.  Saga Judec was already dead before that battle had started.  He had outlived his usefulness to Alexander Winton."

Mara paused for a moment.  Most of that information was 'non classified' in her mind - information he could have guessed or learned, but with more context to explain the role of some key players.  What she hadn't answered was the key point - how had he survived a public execution.  She glanced down at the desk, contemplating.  She hated the man across from her, almost as much as Winton himself. ANd yet, maybe he deserved to know?  She shook her head, still staring down.

Finally glancing up.  She could tell him without telling him everything.

"It is said that the Emperor Palpatine had created a clone of himself should he ever die.  A clone that was able to remember and do everything he knew and did.  That technology, that ability, escaped most others in the galaxy, but there were a group of individuals who sought to recreate that technology.  Alexander Winton exploited that research.  When he died at the hands of the hapans, his clone awoke and continued where he left off, secure in the knowledge that those who wanted him dead thought he already was."

She let out a brief sigh, shaking her head.

"As to how I know all of this?  Well, quite frankly, I don't want to tell you.  You have secrets of your own - unless you plan on revealing those as well before the Republic Senate.  And I have my share of secrets to keep.  And let me continue to be frank.  I could continue to - how did you put it - threaten to tell the galaxy the 'truth' about you.  I could show photos of you with Alexander Winton, because he was just THAT good at documenting every individual he manipulated and worked with.  I could make you suffer in equal proportion to how you make the Trade Federation suffer, and possibly more.  It's not a threat. It's the way you and I both play politics.  You know it, and so does everyone else.  Revelations about you would be a lot worse than anything you can say about the Trade Federation, because everything about US is already known.  So I'd like to leave all that mudslinging aside

What I want is a clean debate.  A discussion on the merits versus the cons of Trade Federation permits in Republic space.  ANd I want that because I believe we'll win on the merits.  The Republic benefits with more competition.  And in return for a clean debate ... I'll help you get your family OUT of the spotlight you put them in.  And I am even authorized to open trade with the Corporate Sector itself - making us partners instead of rivals.  I cannot imagine your boss likes the negative attention you've created for yourself.  This could help smooth that over.  What do you say?"

-TBC

[Syren]

Chandaar: Republic Capital

Surface: Ambaril: Hotel Mermeia

Rutherford listens as Mara explains, carefully avoiding any specific information about herself or how she and Valerie knew one another. The insight into Alexander Winton is most appalling. Such technology would be incredibly valuable. He had heard rumors throughout the years of those who claimed to hold the power to clone while keeping the memories intact. These claims have never been substantiated until now. This clarifies something for him.

Celeste believed Winton to be dead after the crash and the revelation that he had been conspiring with the Confederation had come as quite the horrifying shock. He is glad he maintained their regimen of the Force vaccine otherwise Winton could have easily found her. Then again, his intentions no longer included Celeste by that point. Clearly his plans for The Four took precedence but just as he disposed of his wife and Celeste's first husband, she may have posed a threat. She is, after all, the only surviving parent of The Four. Just as they all believed Winton dead, everyone else believed the same  about Celeste. He and the Jedi Master Corrin insisted on it for her own protection. Loose ends were never around long enough to become a problem.

As to how she came to know this information, Mara declined to say. Fair enough. She has no reason to tell him everything. Some secrets must be kept. He has plenty of his own, including Dahlia's origin and the biological link to Mara's friend, Karen Winton. Something about her softens to him, becoming less adversarial and more genuine.

She finishes on a rather intriguing note, one he must admit would be unexpected yet potentially beneficial if he played it right. Opening trade between Federation and Sector - an interesting proposition, something he could sell to the Direx Board which would turn an enemy into an ally. He was sent to Chandaar to decimate them before the Senate, using their past as a reference point to establish a pattern and motive. What he did not count on was his own past being used as leverage, leaving little room for the Corporate Sector to move within. Clever, really. He would even congratulate her on the tactics if he were not so suspicious of the underlying intentions and ties to his granddaughter. He also did not count on how big of a mess his admission would cause for everyone, especially his family. Placing them in the media crosshairs was not his endgame nor does he wish to diminish the emotional gravity of what the Centerpoint anniversary signifies to Celeste and, apparently, to Mara. Everyone had lost someone close to them, someone they cared for deeply. Perhaps now is the time to heal in the form of a new beginning.

"What do you say?"

Rutherford considers something before speaking.

"You make a solid point, miss Tacofer, one that I cannot deny is worth exploring further. I am generally not one to place faith in meetings of fate but perhaps it is not entirely accidental that you and I have crossed paths here. You blame me for aiding Alexander Winton which led to Valerie's death and the destruction of the Trade Federation's reputation. I blame the Federation for creating the monster who murdered my granddaughter and myself for not doing more to stop it. It seems now that the motives behind these feelings are not as dissimilar as once thought. One manipulation ties directly to the other."

He pauses, reflecting.

"If you are to believe me, Winton capitalized on my ego by threatening the reputation I had built in order to secure Valerie on Corellia. That is never  something I would have allowed had I known his plans. If I am to believe you, Winton then used Valerie to create Phage, sabotaging the project and undermining the Federation's reputation on a galactic scale. I assume that is never something the Federation would have signed off on given the consequences. These tales share a common factor, one I can only hope is buried for good. Blaming each other will not ease the pain or bring back the things we have lost and it certainly will not help us achieve progress in our respective fields."

Rutherford takes a deep breath.

"Which is why a debate should not be necessary. We both have merits to stand upon and share blemishes in the past that can build equal cases for our factions to be questioned and scrutinized. If we can come to agreeable terms, perhaps we can go before the Senate together and present a proposal that would put behind us a checkered past and in its place an amenable and mutually lucrative deal that would be best for not only the Federation and the Sector but, most importantly, the Republic client."

He smiles wanly.

"Of course, we would both be accused of backdoor dealing and blackmail given my earlier statements against your character. For that, I apologize. I had no knowledge of your relationship with my granddaughter or that you believed I was in league with Winton to create Phage. We can circumvent these accusations with a public announcement that for sake of our respective factions and the benefit of the Republic, we chose to rise above the mistakes of our past and move forward. I am certainly open to suggestions in terms of tact and would very much appreciate your assistance in untangling my family from the attention I have brought upon them."

Rutherford leans against the table, voice dropping lower.

"You do not know how fortunate I am that Celeste came into my life. She gave me a second chance at happiness and family that I thought I had lost forever. I swore to myself I would never jeopardize that for professional gain yet my statements before the Senate hover dangerously close to a performance I do not wish to repeat. What do you suggest I do?"


-TBC

[Medivh]

Chandaar: Republic Capital

Surface: Ambaril: Hotel Mermeia

"You make a solid point, miss Tacofer, one that I cannot deny is worth exploring further. I am generally not one to place faith in meetings of fate but perhaps it is not entirely accidental that you and I have crossed paths here. You blame me for aiding Alexander Winton which led to Valerie's death and the destruction of the Trade Federation's reputation. I blame the Federation for creating the monster who murdered my granddaughter and myself for not doing more to stop it. It seems now that the motives behind these feelings are not as dissimilar as once thought. One manipulation ties directly to the other."

"meetings of fate" - the word came out thoughtfully from Rutherford's mouth, but in Mara's ear, it had an ominous ring to it.  Fate, like prophesy meant to Mara that someone else was controlling the strings.  She had had enough of that. No mystical force would control HER destiny.  Of course, that wasn't entirely true.  But if Alexander Winton had left her with any lesson, it was that it was virtually impossible to distinguish between destiny and manipulation.

Mara turns her attention back onto Rutherford, who has used her offer as a kind of absolvence.  She wouldn't be surprised if he was relieved - it was a way out of the mess he was in.  That he had put himself in.

Mara nodded her head

"A public announcement would be excellent."

He turned back to the personal side of the conversation

"I am certainly open to suggestions in terms of tact and would very much appreciate your assistance in untangling my family from the attention I have brought upon them.  You do not know how fortunate I am that Celeste came into my life. She gave me a second chance at happiness and family that I thought I had lost forever. I swore to myself I would never jeopardize that for professional gain yet my statements before the Senate hover dangerously close to a performance I do not wish to repeat. What do you suggest I do?"

Mara felt a deep resentment for him.  Easy to try to fix a problem - but if he really cared about Celeste, he wouldn't have done what he did in the first place.  He hadn't really changed since Valerie, he just had more regret.  Celeste, on the other hand, did not deserve to suffer more just because she had married Rutherford.  And so she would help him

"The easiest way to get the news off of your family is to make it about something else - something sensational, that would fill the holonet.  And I propose it be a two-fold attack"

"the first prong is the announcement between the Corporate Sector and the Trade Federation.  But it should be more than an announcement.  We should have something big to say - a project we'll be working on together."

"As I'm sure you know, the Trade Federation has been doing very well to the north and west.  Near imperial territory.  And though The Empire had nearly collapsed ten years ago, they have been very, very busy.  Our intelligence tells us the Empire is preparing to make a major push toward the Republic border.  Emperor Shrag is trying to regain some of their lost territory.  Corporate intelligence might be able to corroborate this, and I would imagine the Republic leadership is also keeping a wary eye on their border.  Our deal should help them in securing that border with some type of joint venture"

She swivels her chair slightly and grabs a datapad from next to her.

She turns back toward him, handing him the datapad.

"THe second prong is for the more gossip-oriented members of society.  the ones who enjoy the scandal of your announcement far more than the political or policy elements of our being here.  For them, we give them a different scandal - a FRESH scandal.  The data in your hands lists five current Republic senators who are currently engaged in illicit activity. Nothing treasonous, but enough to change the focus of the media."

She let him peruse the data for a few minutes before taking the datapad back.

"We leak the information on one of the senators to the media today, and let the wolves do their work, while we prepare for the bigger announcement, from the two of us."

She stood, making her way around the table and toward the door.

"I'll give you some time to think about it.  You can reach me here on a private comm channel, and we can figure out the details.  Go see your wife.  Your children."


TBC

[Medivh]

Chandaar: Republic Capital

Surface: Ambaril: Hotel Mermeia

She held the door as he left, watching with a cold gaze as he disappeared out of the suite.  Grateful he was gone.  And yet their relationship had just started.  From now on, they were 'on the same team.'  Working together for the good of both entities, and of course, the Republic.

She shook her head.  Rutherford Gellar deserved to suffer the consequences of his actions.  He deserved to be left out to rot, the latest sacrifice to the heathen gods that were political gossip.  But Mara had a job to do, and that was to secure Federation interests.

And Rutherford had a family that deserved to be protected from his greed and stupidity.

She walked back into the conference room, taking a seat beside the series of datapads.  Information of various levels of confidentiality.  Some, public statistics, compilations from reports, condensed to easy reading.   The information on those five senators.  More 'private' collected through the benefit of private investigators, some of whom used means not altogether approved of.  Then of course, the datapads with the DNA and Phage program.  Two parts of the immense puzzle that was the GURI Project.  Alexander Winton's corrupted version of Medivh's vision to create immortality.  The files had been collected in pieces, starting more than ten years ago as Mara quested for answers.  Even once the files were found - and of course, there was a large detour in stopping Winton from his quest for galactic domination - Mara had spent much spare time deciphering the codes that had been designed to keep the greatest slicers at bay.

What she found was a remarkable database of information, organized in ways hard to comprehend.  Mara was still perusing the files, trying to figure out several sequence codes.  Her discovery of Valerie Gellar's unique enzyme had been recent - just a few months earlier, a key piece of the puzzle.  And yet here it was, unprotected, sitting on a table in front of her.  It seemed almost blasphemous to have allowed someone to see it, any part of it.  And if anyone else actually had the opportunity to spend time with it, replicate even some of the files ... well, Mara honestly couldn't be sure what the consequences would be.

She leaned forward, activating the datapad, and typing in a few commands.

'Confirm memory wipe of datapad?'

Mara affirmed, and the un-encrypted information, the file mapping Valerie's genome disappeared.  It was saved in only one place, the most secure memory bank Mara knew of - deep inside her own memory bank files.
She turned to the second datapad, the one holding the mapping of the Phage program, typing in a similar series of commands.

'Confirm memory wipe of datapad?'

Just as she was typing, the door opened again.

"Aunt Mara?"

Mara glanced up, smiling at Riley as he tentatively peeked into the door

"We'll be going out in just a minute, sweetie.  I'm just putting away my files.  Do you know where you want to go first?"

He nodded

"There's an amusement park on the outskirts of town that supposedly has some amazing rides and games I'd like to try out"

Mara grinned

"Than that's where we are going first"

Mara glanced down, typed in the affirmation, and collected all of the datapads.

"Let's get going"

As she was stepping out of the conference room, she turned to one of the aids that was present, handing him the stack of datapads.

"Put these in the secure drawer in my office.  Arrange for me to call with the administrator later this evening"

"Yes, ma'am"

With work out of the way - at least for the next few hours - Mara let herself be led by Riley to the turbolift, to head out on his birthday adventure.  It was hard to believe he was ten years old today.

As they were walking, Riley began to look a bit nervous.

"Is something wrong, Riley?"

He was silent for a minute before turning to face her.

"You know that picture I have?  of my mom?  I've seen her face a lot recently.  It's been on the news.  Something to do with a bunch of people I don't know.  Who are the Gellars? And why is my mom's face in the news?"

Mara sighed, letting her head fall briefly before stopping and turning to face him, bending down so she was eye level with him.

"Do you remember what I told you about your mother?"

Riley nodded "she was in trouble - running away"

Mara nodded "Your mom ... she was friends with a few people who were pretty well known. Including her sister - our sister, actually.  Valerie Gellar.  Valerie was actually the governess of Corellia, and protected it from trouble, until she died, a hero"

Riley nodded.  Aunt Mara had not gone to Corellia very often, but occasionally, she referred back to a droid army run by a creature named Phage.  Mostly, it seemed like a fairy tale, but in some of his history classes, it was mentioned briefly.  He vaguely recalled the name of Gellar being mentioned on the subject, and now was curious what else he would have learned about her - his aunt? - if he had paid more attention in school.

"But why in the news now?"
"Well, Valerie's grandfather is a part of the Corporate Sector delegation that's here.  He made a speech at the senate that stirred up some controversy.  You met him before - I was meeting with him just a few minutes ago.  It stirred up interest in Valerie and your mother and their friends from a long time ago."

"So the one you met, he's ... my grandfather?"

Mara shook her head
"no.  Kimber and Valerie were only half sisters"
"oh..."

Riley looked deep in thought, and indeed, he was curious about these people.  Aunt Mara had always been cagey about family and past, and maybe this was an opportunity to learn more.  Mara may have guessed what he was thinking because she interrupted his thoughts.

"Riley - the things your mother was running from - part of it, I'm afraid, might still be out there.  The Gellar family doesn't know you are Kimber's son, and I don't think it would be safe for you to make that known."

"But Aunt Mara - if they are family, why wouldn't it be safe?"
Mara sighed
"Because some family will always have demons chasing after them.  I don't want that for you.  Please promise you'll stay away from them, and won't tell anyone who you are"

Mara looked almost desperate, and Riley, for all his curiosity, wasn't about to let Aunt Mara think he would even consider acting against her wishes.

"I promise, Aunt Mara"

Now, the only question was, how good was his word?

TBC

[Medivh]

Chandaar: Republic Capital

Surface: Ambaril: Hotel Mermeia

Aunt Mara was working, and no one was tending to the newly-minted ten year old.

It had been a day of fun - Aunt Mara, though working all night, had never tired, a gift for endurance she seemed to possess.  While the Gellars were bombarded by the press, Mara apparently was much less sensational (no actual revelations about her), and the two of them had been ignored.
They had ridden roller coasters together, had an abundance of unhealthy food, played games - everything a young ten year old could wish for.

Well, not quite everything.

In between the moments of excitement, young Riley's mind was going back to that area of curiosity.  He knew so little about his mother, who she was, why she had run, and the circumstances around his own birth.

Not to mention most boys his age were busy making friends with, well, boys his age.  His closest friends were Trade Federation executives and engineers, the youngest of which were still double his age.  Traveling was fun, and had its share of excitement.  But there was so much he was missing out on, and school for only a few months at a time was just not enough time to make lasting friendships.

Speaking of school - Mara's visit to Chandaar was scheduled to be long enough that he was about to be enrolled in a local Republic public school, at least for the next several months.  Apparently, negotiations with the Republic and the Corporate Sector representatives was going to be for the deal of the century.  He would be going back to boring lessons on galactic history and writing (which he hated) and math and science (where he was already too smart for most classes).  In just a few more days.

That meant his free time would be curtailed pretty soon, and he had to make the most use of it.

So now, as Aunt Mara kissed his forehead and headed back to work, and other Federation personnel scrambled about him, he decided this was his chance to learn more about his semi-famous mother.

Logging into the local network from the computer in his room, he began doing a search, for recent news and older news.

There they were - his mom, and three other women.  All were in their upper teens/lower twenties - it was hard to tell.  They were done up in makeup, and wearing ballgowns.  The picture was undated, but it did have their names.

Kimber Patten
Valerie Gellar
Karen Winton
Melanie Masterton

More searches found a wealth of information on the four - gossip channels seemed to hold the most.  Ancient posts about various tragedies - Karen Winton's parents had died in some type of crash, her sister had gone on a homicidal rage, her boyfriend had died.  She seemed the most fascinating of the four - a small biography of her indicated she had served as an imperial counselor, and eventually was engaged to the Emperor of the Galactic Empire.  Details of her death remained a mystery, but apparently, it was confirmed that the last time she was seen was at the famous Battle of Centerpoint - ten years ago.

Melanie Masterton was on a bunch of rumor websites, also ancient.  "Former Socialite Gone Missing - Post your sightings here!"  Stories abounded of her being seen abducted by strange species, to training as a jedi, to joining some rebel group or another.  More recent news about her indicated that she had been sighted on Corellia as head of a security detail for none other than Riley's mother, Kimber Patten.  When the Empire had besieged Corellia, they had gone into hiding again, but she was last seen protecting Kimber on Centerpoint Station - ten years ago.

Riley cocked his head.  It seemed almost coincidental that Melanie and Karen had both died on the same day in the same place.  Of course, they were friends, and a lot of people had died in that battle (at least, from what Riley could remember).

Valerie, Riley knew, had died earlier, saving Corellia.

And what about his mother? Kimber Patten

He found 'wanted' postings - the Galactic Empire had been seeking her out. Rumor posts of her being at Hapes.  Connections to a number of fashion lines (Riley grimaced at some of the outfits -fashion was just not his thing).  And that apparently was where Melanie became part of the security detail, protecting Kimber.  Again, posts indicated the last place she was spotted was onboard Centerpoint, during that final, fateful battle.

All three had died on the same day.  But what Riley couldn't understand is why they were all in that place, at that battle?  Even more confusing, if they were friends, and his mom was being hunted by the Empire, how did that fit with her friend, Karen, who was a PART of the Empire?

A few more details were revealed by the story of a reporter, Kent Carlson, who had a multi-part feature story on the four women, which was published after his death - also aboard Centerpoint.  The story told about how all the parties GOT there, about a bunch of conspiracies that led them to that one place, but didn't mention any of them LEAVING.  All of them, including the reporter, must have died aboard the station.

Which really didn't help him.  He didn't know why Kimber had been hunted, or why his mom and all her friends seemed to suffer such tragic fates.  Or, for that matter, where he came into the picture. Apparently, Kimber was still pregnant when she went aboard Centerpoint, which meant Riley was born aboard the station, a factor Aunt Mara had left out.

A few more posts on the four women, socialites, friends, whatever.  More up to date stories, this time picturing the Gellar family.  Rutherford, married to Celeste, with three children - two looked like their parents and one bore a striking resemblance to Kimber's friend, Karen.  Stories about how Valerie Gellar was an illegitimate child of Major Kyrie Patten, and the scandal that abounded.  So THAT was Riley's grandfather, who was both his mother's father and Valerie's father.  Very little was on the network about Kimber's mother.  Or, for that matter, there was NOTHING on his father.  Not even any decent rumors.

So little that was helpful.

It was getting late, and Aunt Mara would be coming in soon to make sure he was asleep.  Shutting off the computer, he made his way to the bed, staring up at the ceiling, thinking, trying to absorb the information about his mother that he had learned.
It really wasn't much.

She was famous.  Most information about her was her connection to her three other, more famous friends - Valerie, Karen, and Melanie.  And she had died on Centerpoint, along with Karen and Melanie.  Not much to go on.  Whatever information there was on Kimber Patten wasn't going to be found on the network.

That's why Riley decided he would have to dig elsewhere.

TBC