Should old Acquaintance be forgot

[Mu Satach]

Mu's left eyebrow raisees at Harlequin's <i>"loose screws"</i> comment. She considers the image for a moment. A few screws jiggle and fall out of a metal panel, it falls away exposing the raw wires inside that spark and suddenly burst into flames.

She blinks, returns her attention to Alex and half laughs. "I'm not what you seek... and the Jedi, those that continue to survive would be supremely suspicious of m..."

Mu adjusted her seat on the sofa and continued, "I've <i>done</i> things," she glanced away then back, "and I have several close Imperial ties scattered across the core and a few key contacts on Coruscant." She looked down at her cup. "If I tried to contact the Jedi," she sighed, "it would not go well."

Mu smiled to herself, "But, your instincts are correct, Cloud 9 is a nice little operation to keep prying eyes entertained and away from my personal dealings." She half gestured to the antiques. "I think we may be in a position to help one another."

[Harlequin]

Alex followed the drift of Mu's eyes and allowed herself an appreciative review of the unique items displayed around the room.

'Its nice setup, I'll grant you that" she said after a while, "But how would this help me find the Jedi?

You know any of 'em looking for a 3rd Century Alderaanian lamp?"

[Mu Satach]

She genuinely laughed for the first time in what felt like ages. "You'd be surprised at who buys those." She leaned forward and set her cup down on the table beside the nav charts.

"You see, while you are the first I have spoken to about this, you are not the first individual I have encountered that is heeding a call." She rested one elbow on her knee. "The winds have changed since the death of Palpatine and Vader. As if a vine that had whithered in winter is now starting to have it's sap seep upwards to revive the branches. Ask yourself why <i>now</i>, after so long do you desire to revive that which was dead?"

She tapped the charts, "Connections are being made, slowly but surely all across this galaxy. Some dark, some light... some deadly. Everywhere I've traveled over the past year I have felt it calling me, as it has called you." She closed her eyes and breathed, "even now it is calling others who are on their way."

[Harlequin]

"Then what are we waiting for?"

Alex couldn't believe Mu could sit so calmly and speak of what, according to her own description, could only amount to a revival of the Force Users.

"Forget all this" she gestured to the room with a sweep of her hand. "By your own words, things are happening. Its time to act!"

Harlequin's eyes sparked in the subdued light.

"Lets restore what Palpataine's Empire has crushed beneath its boots. You could do it. You could start something. I will help you!"

[Mu Satach]

Mu shook her head slightly, "Any leader must have a clear vision, mine is so very clouded." She looked at Alex, "But you can go where I can not, make the connections that would be denied to me. What I can do, here at the edge of the Empire, is ensure that you are well funded for your journey. And through you provide a way to move supplies, information, or people out of the core and into the Jedi's hands."

[Harlequin]

Alex felt electrified at Mu's suggestion and her excitement was quite palpable.

This was it! This was what all this searching had been leading up to. Cole resisted the urge to "whoop."

"I can do that" she said, restraining herself. "Give me a name, some where to go. There's nothing to keep me hanging 'round here"

A close encounter with Henning wouldn't be an unwelcome delay, Alex thought abstractedly, but the lad was thick as two bricks cemented together with duroplasm and an interlude with him was about as likely as the Bothan's holding a square-dance on the Urion Moon.

"Lets do it. I'm ready"

[Mu Satach]

"There are some conditions I must ask you to adhere too. First and foremost, once you find them, you must not let then know about me. Second, you must not let me ever know where they are." She chose her next words carefully, "And finally, I would ask that should you find any archived records still in their possession from... before, that you retrieve something for me."

[Harlequin]

The conditions sounded reasonable enough, she guessed.

Why all the secrecy, though? Some past bad blood? Mu maybe didn't trust her ownself to keep faith?

A tad odd, Alex decided, but not impedimentary to her goal.

"I can live with that" she said, "But I wont take anything from the Archives that may lead to harm coming to the Jedi because of it"

Alex had failed the Order enough. To begin on her new path with a potentially dangerous outcome was not gonna be in the cards.

[Mu Satach]

She smiled ruefully, "Chances are the records are lost anyway." She stared at the carpet for a moment, then shook her head. Taking a deep breath she moved the charts and activated the coffee table's internal emitter. A star chart of the galaxy illuminated in the air between them, blue areas indicated the Empire's holdings and red the Alliance.

She picked up a small stylus "Because Cloud City," she tapped at the chart and Bespin illuminated brightly, "is so far removed from all of this," pointing to contested areas in between the seas of red and blue "we are largely ignored. The result is we are crawling with Rebels on shore leave. Mostly grunts, a few hotshot pilots, all dressed in civilian clothing, on their way to or from deployment, blending in with the bounty hunters and merchants."

She activated another keypad and surveillance footage from the bar popped up displaying several individuals. "Logically, the Rebels have a vested interest in working with any remaining Jedi. It legitimizes them in the eyes of some as the true government of the galaxy and we're pretty lively in a fight. Also, the Jedi need a certain amount of space from the Empire until they are strong enough to walk unfettered in daylight." She took a sip of coffee then set her cup down.

"So, I would follow the Rebels into the mid rim... here." she tapped at the chart again and drew a large area that encompassed several systems surrounding Ord Mantell. She leaned back and tapped her lower lip with the stylus.

"I've felt a whisper of something when I've traveled through that region." She started shaking her head slightly, "But it doesn't last. They are shadows and when you shine a light to look they are gone. But the Rebels... are the wall that keeps the Empire at bay."

[Harlequin]

While the information was the most Alex had gotten her hands in in her entire search for the Jedi, it was still a tad ambiguous for her growing impatience, especially in light of tonight's success.

"Well, I guess I could loiter about in those systems for a time and just hope my lucky stars send me a feeling"

Mu arched an eyebrow at her and Alex knew her sarcasm was unwarrented. What did she expect, Mu to hold her hand as she walked in the Jedi's front door and say, Look who's back?

Alex placed her cup down on the table, still full. "I guess I shouldn't be ungrateful, but Im tired of chasing an elusive tail. I'd hoped for a more direct connection."

Harlequin had overstepped, a personality fault she had, thus far in life, been unable to correct. Satach disolved the lightshow with a flick of her stylus.

"Ok, ok. I'll go make like Space junk over Ord Mantell" she aquienced. "Is there some way for me to contact you, should these whispers give me a call?"

[Mu Satach]

"I know, but have patience." She pulled out a small black data crystal from her pocket, "If you leap to fast, you'll miss those who have not arrived yet."

She tossed the crystal to Alex. "This contains a set of encryption key codes and list of frequencies I monitor. You can use any of them to contact me on any long range comsat. And remember that Ord Mantell is not the destination you seek, it's just as close as I've personally been able to get."

[Harlequin]

"Got it" Alex said, eyeballing the crystal thoughtfully.

"You've put a lot of faith in me tonight" she said at last "and I cant think you would trust anyone easily, given the state of the galaxy as it is"
Cole looked at Mu candidly, "Both of us are going on faith, arent we?"

It had been a very long time since Harlequin had ever put faith in anyone. And longer still that anyone had put faith in her.

It was a defining moment for the prodical Jedi.

"You wont loose on mine" Alex promised her.

[Mu Satach]

<i>"Have a little faith in me."</i> a quirky lopsided grin of her father rose and fell in the back of her mind. The corner of her mouth twitched slightly.

"The winds have changed, nothing ventured, nothing gained. I find myself wanting to believe in that change." Mu picked up her charts and organized them.

"I imagine you're tired, it's very late." Standing up she carried her charts and cup to the mini bar. "There is a guest room you are welcome to rest in before you begin your journey." She rinsed the cup and put it in the sanitizer. "Not as opulent as the rooms at the Cumulus, but comfortable and it's yours if you need it."

[Harlequin]

As gung-ho to be off and finding Jedi as Alex was, the thought of sleeping in a warm comfortable bed held great appeal and she accepted Mu's offer, with thanks.

"Should I find my own way there using more mind tricks, or would it be better if you just point the way" she said, adding a wry grin.

[Mu Satach]

Mu leaned against the counter and smiled at Alex. "It's down that way on the right." She tucked the charts up under her arm. "I'm not sure if I'll be around in the morning when you wake. Deliveries arrive rather early down at the bar. But please feel free to make yourself at home.”

[Harlequin]

"I'll try to do that" Alex rejoined.

She extended a hand to Mu using an old-world custom that lent itself to trust and committment between two parties. "Thanks Mu. I really mean it"

As the pair exited the office together, Alex left her new ally with a promise to find her in the morning.