16Chapter One: Charts and Washouts
Carth Onasi had been part of the Telos Security Forces for his whole adult life. But he'd never had a month less intense than this one. The charts in his office covered the entire wall, and he checked one after another. On the wall before him was a map of Telos' capital city. Red connections were everywhere between various pins on the wall.
Looking down at his paper, Carth made a few notes.
A door opened, and Carth looked up to see a forty-something man with greying brown hair. He was clad in the black and yellow outfit of the TSF and looked at Carth with concern. "Carth, are you okay?"
"Why does everyone keep asking me that, Grenn?" asked Carth, rubbing the sleep from his eyes.
"Well, you have been locked up in your office for two days," said Grenn. "You sure you don't want to go home?"
"I've called my wife and son, they know this is important," said Carth.
"What's important?" asked Grenn. "We've looked at all the information."
"I know, and I understand everyone is doing the best they can, but something here doesn't add up," said Carth. He looked to the charts and pointed to several tacks. "Here, and here, and here."
"Those are all the labs we've hit, even since the Jedi busted that drug operation on Melinda Daan. What about them?" asked Grenn.
"Well, they were all working for the Exchange," said Carth. "I mean, yes, we haven't proved they were working for the Exchange. But if you run the data, you can know something without knowing it. Sort of, I mean-"
"Your point?" asked Grenn, interrupting him.
"These aren't logical places to put these labs," said Carth. "If these were separate operations, sure. But from the looks of things, they were all taking Jorak's orders. So why this setup?"
"Uthar's orders, actually," said Grenn. "The general consensus among the Jedi is that Uthar Wynn pulled most of the strings. All while propping up Jorak as the leader. Jorak knew this and kept him around as insurance against the Sith betraying him.
"A tidy little arrangement.
"All moot now, though, since Uthar has been singing his head off for whatever deal he can get."
"What about Jorak?" asked Carth.
"Jorak is... incoherent," said Grenn. "I attended the Jedi interrogations. He spent most of it proclaiming how he would destroy the Republic singlehanded. I sincerely doubt he'll be getting parole."
"That's good," said Carth.
"So, what is it that you think these... let's call them irregularities mean?" asked Grenn.
"There's another operation," said Carth. "If this is all one group, they'd have been focused, but if there is another operation there..." He pointed to a large space of fields. "It would explain a lot."
"That's Agricultural Corps operating area," said Grenn with a frown. "You think a group could set up shop under the nose of the Jedi?"
"I don't know," admitted Carth. "But they aren't real Jedi, I mean, not full Jedi. I appreciate all the work they do for us, and it isn't right for people to call them washouts. But you have to admit, it's possible the Agricultural Corps might miss things.
"Or they could be threatened into submission. They aren't even allowed to have lightsabers. Just because they use the force doesn't mean they can't be intimidated."
"Now I know you've lost it, son," said Grenn. "The Agricultural Corps may consist of washouts. But their leadership is universally Jedi Knights. Qualified Jedi, who keep them on the straight and narrow.
"I doubt they'd miss an operation."
"Still, if you don't mind, I'd like to check it out," said Carth. "It's not like there will be any harm if I find anything.
"And even Jedi can be corrupted.
"I mean if the Sith did have some influence on this planet, it's possible that-"
"That they corrupted the Agricultural Corps?" asked Grenn. "Get real, Carth. Uthar didn't care about spreading Sith ideology, he wanted to make a quick buck. That's the entire reason he made his system work.
"If he created new Sith, they might screw things up for him.
"And the days of Sion's underground spaceport are long gone."
"Maybe, but the Dark Side is said to have a will of its own," noted Carth. "Maybe through Uthar's presence, it was able to get a hold on people and-" He drank some stimulant tea. "...Maybe I'm just being paranoid."
"Well, the first step is admitting it," said Grenn ruefully. "Take the day off and spend some time with your family. You work overtime far too much."
"Can I at least finish my hours for today?" asked Carth.
"Your hours haven't started yet," said Grenn.
Really, it was that late? "...I need to finish this, Grenn."
Grenn sighed. "...You're really not going to let this go, are you?"
"I think someone ought to check it out," said Carth.
"Alright, alright, fine," said Grenn. "If it'll get you to spend some time socializing, I need a man to greet the new group of washouts coming in. It's something of a tradition that the TSF does a meet and greet, and it'll give you a chance to make contacts.
"That'll take care of the morning. Then take a break. I need you at full efficiency for the other raids."
"Right, I always say the best kind of relaxation involves work," said Carth, relieved.
"Get out of your office, Carth," said Grenn.
Later, Carth Onasi was waiting at the starport and not liking it at all. This place was way too open, and he tried to keep a back to his wall. He felt his pistol at his side and glanced at a nearby speeder on the street below. Mentally he wondered how fast he'd be able to get his gun out if it turned out there were hitmen inside it. If they were carrying weapons capable of blasting through this kind of glass?
Why would someone have him killed? As far as Carth knew he'd just followed his orders and done his job. Still, maybe the Exchange had decided to escalate in response to the hits. They'd locked up a lot of people, but it had happened on several other worlds.
Now the only question was if they'd be willing to escalate to that level?
The Exchange lacked a central leader. Instead, he was more of a coalition of planetary gang leaders. They cooperated to avoid the law and punish those that took eachother down. It was the goal of every petty crimelord to join the Exchange someday. People literally killed for the honor.
Still, it wasn't rational, there was no way the Exchange would start killing cops.
Even so, Carth was sure to put his back to a wall anyway. More specifically, a wall where he could see both the entry into the terminal and the hanger doors. He was probably wrong, and this was probably nothing, but he didn't like trusting to luck.
A woman came through the door he'd come through. Carth tensed, quickly noticing that she was wearing Jedi robes. Still, anyone could wear robes, though her body language was serene enough. She moved toward him, and he shifted his weight to move quickly.
She raised a hand and offered it to him.
"Carth Onasi?" asked the woman.
"Have we met?" asked Carth, examining the hand before he took it.
"Oh no, not personally," said the woman, she had long blonde hair that fell around her shoulders. "I'm Jedi Master Arren Kae, I'm here to greet some of the new members of the Corps."
"No offense, but that's usually our job," said Carth. "I hadn't noticed the Jedi taking an interest in things."
"Well, this is something of a special case," said Arren. "One of the people coming in on this ship was supposed to be my apprentice."
Carth frowned and did his best to not show his concerns. "What'd he do? It must have been something serious."
Arren laughed. "Turned down the job, actually."
That was suspicious, very suspicious. "...Wait, he turned down the chance to become a Jedi Knight?"
"And a Sith Lord, and a Mandalorian, and a planetary ruler," said Arren.
"Why?" asked Carth. Was it possible he'd met secretly with the Sith Lord and been given special instructions? Or maybe he was acting as a spy for the planet that had offered him the job.
"Well, that's just it," said Arren. "The Jedi Council picked him to be my apprentice because they wanted him watched. Certain influential members had him pegged as Sith Lord material."
Carth remembered reports. Revan was fourteen now. Carth had been sure to do an in-depth analysis of all those involved in busting up the Sith Drug operation. Revan was supposed to be a footnote in it, but Carth had the feeling that he was more involved. He'd been present for a lot of major events. He had documented friendships with Malak, who was more conformist.
Revan would have had to be a pretty smooth operator to get in all those places with his rank. Carth suspected the Jedi had good reason to be afraid of him.
"Yes, well, by returning to the Agricultural Corps, he threw all our plans for a loop. You see, he apparently has a lot of influence over the other members of the Corps in his generation.
"The Council is concerned about that."
"So you're trying to make a good first impression?" asked Carth.
"More or less. It's all very cynical," said Arren Kae. "So, you were the one who carried out that operation against the Exchange Cartels, weren't you? A few weeks ago."
"Yeah, not something I like remembering, but it had to be done," said Carth, feeling down. "I had to kill someone, and it isn't something I like dwelling on."
"Well, that is part of our line of work," said Arren. "So, do you want to speak to them first, or should I? When they get through."
Carth didn't want to be here. He just wanted to get this part of the job over with and get back to his family. "I don't mean to interfere in Jedi business."
"Thank you," said Arren Kae.
Wait a minute, Carth wasn't actually sure that it was Revan that was supposed to be Arren Kae's apprentice. Maybe he needed to know that information. If he did and there was confusion, it might cause a major disaster later. "...This newbie, what was his name?"
"Revan," said Arren.
Carth had already read the reports, but he wanted to hear it again from someone else. Sometimes if you heard several people tell the same story, cracks began to show. Truths showed up that people wanted hidden. "How'd he manage to get that kind of influence over the others?"
"Apparently he's a natural-born leader," said Arren. "At first, he just got his team to do their job in the most efficient way possible. Then he starting making connections with others. He was helping others, and pretty soon they were starting projects of their own."
"Sounds like he was doing his job pretty well," said Carth. If this kid was a Sith spy, then he was a position to cause all kinds of havoc. Especially if he happened to arrive here with a group of disgruntled Agri Corps under his thumb.
"Well, few things scare the establishment more than an honest man, as they say," said Arren with a laugh.
"...So, where would you say this group is going to be placed?" asked Carth, thinking of some way he could monitor these people. Kids were generally regarded as harmless, but kids could do a lot of damage. People manipulated them.
Yes, it probably wasn't a problem, but what if it was?
"Oh, all over the place," said Arren. "The Jedi Council doesn't want Revan to have as much influence, so they're going to separate his crew. Disperse them among the various organizations, so they are diluted."
"Right, right," said Carth. That kind of operation might stalemate them. But he knew for a fact it wouldn't stop a determined attempt to maintain communication.
"Something wrong?" asked Arren.
"Nothing, just, thinking," said Carth. "Probably hard on the kids, being separated from their friends."
"Well, I'll certainly try to make it easier on them," said Arren. "Here they are."
As if on cue, the doors to the hangar opened, and the Agricultural Corps emerged. Carth moved behind Arren, eyeing them. Some of them looked bitter, others enthusiastic, that was new. He saw Revan speaking with a boy who'd shaved his head. All of them wore bright colors, except the bald boy who bore black. Revan seemed to be giving him instructions, and the others were listening to them.
This was bad, it was obvious that Revan was still a respected authority figure. And if he was a Sith agent, there was no way the Council's precautions would stop him. But what could he do about this? No one would believe him if he told them as much, they'd laugh it off!
He had to act!
Now they were assembled before Arren Kae, who moved forward to speak. Carth raced as he tried to find possible ways to control the situation. "Greetings to all of you, I am Jedi Master Arren Kae. I've been told a great deal about your achievements on Dantooine. And I speak for the Agricultural Corps as a whole when I say that we are very impressed with you.
"Now, some of you will no doubt be feeling let down. I realize that you wanted to be Jedi Knights, and let me tell you, plenty of us felt that way as well. Still, the Agricultural Corps serves an essential function. Don't think of this as the end of your career as a Knight, but the beginning of it.
"For now, each of you will be assigned to a different barracks."
"Why are we being separated?" asked the boy Revan was talking to. None of the others spoke.
"The Agricultural Corps works a bit differently here than on Dantooine," said Arren. "We feel it's for the best if each of you goes to a different squad.
"I realize this may be difficult, but it is necessary to sever attachments now and then.
"Sometimes they get in the way of achieving your full potential."
This was bad, there was more resentment now and also less enthusiasm. Carth moved forward quickly. "Fortunately, there are ways you can stay in touch.
"My name is Carth Onasi of the Telos Security Forces or TSF for short. You should be aware that Telos has a fully operation holonet available. With it, you should be able to keep in contact with one another.
"It should make things easier.
"The services can be found in public areas, free of charge. It will be some time before the transports arrive, so if any of you are interested, I can walk you through the process.
"With your permission, of course, Master Jedi?"
By suggesting the means by which they can set up communication, Carth could control it. He had to do things right, though. He didn't like doing this kind of manipulation. But if there was a Sith presence here, every precaution had to be made.
Arren sighed. "...Of course, don't worry about it."
She wasn't taking this seriously.
Soon Carth was showing the kids how to use a nearby console and how to establish face to face connections. This kind of tech wasn't available on Dantooine, but he needed to do something else. Some of them seemed interested, but Revan already knew it. Carth could tell by his eyes.
Carth thought about his priorities and knew what he had to do.
But he couldn't speak to Revan if he did it would be suspicious. No, no, he had to talk to someone else. That way, if Revan was a Sith, his contact would be an objective observer. "So, which one of you is Revan?" asked Carth of the bald boy.
"Why does it matter?" asked the boy.
"No, not at all, I've heard a lot about him," said Carth. "It's a pretty impressive resume."
"I report to Revan," said the boy.
Like he was a commanding officer. Carth was right to be paranoid, he usually was, otherwise he would have stopped it years ago. "Right, well, maybe you can talk to them for me. What's your name again?"
"My name is Bandon," said the boy suspiciously. "What is it you want?"
"I've got a reason to believe that there might be some illegal activity going on in the area. The one you'll be working in," said Carth, which was true. "Unfortunately, the TSF isn't supposed to intrude on Jedi business.
"So, as long as Revan and his crew are all communicating if any of you come across anything suspicious...
"Well, give me a call." Quickly, Carth drew out the communication information he kept in his pocket just in case. "Here's my number."
Bandon looked at it. Then he looked up. "...I'll tell him."
Carth finished his demonstration and quickly considered how things went. Revan might be skilled, but he was young and inexperienced. If he was a Sith in training, he'd probably try to use that contact information to manipulate Carth. Carth never did anything without first checking all the information. So he'd be able to catch whatever he was doing.
And if Revan was on the up and up, Carth would have some observers. People that could tell him if anything suspicious was happening. This group's communication would make it more difficult to corrupt them from outside.
Before Carth got into his speeder, he made sure to check to see if there was a bomb under it, like always. As usual, there was nothing there, but it was a good idea to check. Driving back home for the first time in days, he pulled in around the time the light was starting to die. Getting out into the driveway, he checked the sensor net, as usual, nothing. No damage on the shield unit he could activate, or signs of sabotage. And the blaster shed was still sealed.
Good, good.
Moving to the door, he typed in his code and moved in.
Within, he found Dustil sitting on the stairs, writing his homework. Carth moved forward, putting aside his paranoia. "Hey, Dustil, how are things going, son?"
Dustil looked up and blinked. "Dad, where have you been? Mom got mad earlier."
Oh, right, he should have seen that coming. "I... well, I didn't mean to make her mad." Carth sighed. "It's that we've had a ton of operations recently, and I had to make sure everything worked out. Are things going well at school?"
"Yeah, they're pretty good, I guess. I got a decent grade," said Dustil.
"Decent?" asked Carth in a half-joking tone. "I never thought my son would be settling for second best?" He hoped he hadn't come across as pressuring him.
"Oh come on, the stuff is boring," said Dustil.
"Bear with it and apply yourself," said Carth. "The worst is yet to come when you become an adult."
"Whatever. Mom's in the kitchen," said Dustil.
Carth shouldn't have stayed too focused on this. He'd thought about all the possible things that could go wrong, and time had flowed by. Morgana was slicing up a number of vegetables on the founder, her red hair tied behind her head.
Shifting, Carth wondered if he'd gone too far this time. Had all his precautions alienated her? What if she left him and-
No, no, that was paranoia taking. "Morgana?"
"Carth, you're back?" said Morgana, looking up with a start. "How many times are you going to stay at work late? You've spent more time there than you have here lately."
"I'm sorry, Morgana, it's just..." Carth sighed. "There is a lot going on right now. With all that information the Jedi found on Melida Daan we've been working overtime. The Republic has destroyed more drug operations in the past six months than we have in years."
"Well, you can tell us about it over supper," said Morgana. "For now, I want you to shave and clean yourself up. You've been sitting in a dark room for far too long."
Right, right, he was being paranoid. This time. "Yes, ma'am."
Carth was probably wrong, and this was probably nothing.
But he was glad he'd invested in blaster proof glass.
Author's Note:
So, I've just portrayed Carth as a paranoid lunatic barely holding on to sanity. I all fairness, his defining characteristics is being paranoid, morally upstanding, and usually right. It's not impossible; he was paranoid before the games started.
