| abstract
| - New Republic Base -- Corusca City: Coruscant The New Republic Military Headquarters complex is a majestic testament of the New Republic's resolve to protect Coruscant from aggression. The mammoth complex was recaptured and reengineered shortly after the recent liberation of Coruscant from the Empire. Reader strips and information displays line one of the towering walls of the lobby, providing visitors and personnel alike updated news and local information, including changes to local laws and enforcement policies. Military and civilian dressed personnel move through the checkpoint almost constantly. Directly overhead, centered on the domed ceiling, is the majestic New Republic Phoenix. Two large tapestries hang from ceiling to floor on either side of the southern entrance to the complex. The light blue tapestry on one side bears the crest of the New Republic Navy, while opposite on an equally colorful red tapestry, the New Republic Army crest is proudly displayed. This main entrance to the complex is heavily guarded by a quartet of soldiers, dressed smartly in the uniform of the Alderaanian Royal Guard, as an honor to those that were sacrificed for peace and liberty. Two of the guards remain motionless at their posts for the length of their shift, while the other pair scrutinize the ID of each and every person who desires entrance to the highly secure complex. There are parts of the New Republic's Military Base that are open to the public. In contrast, there are areas where one would be shot with a stun rifle if they tried to pass without clearance. One of these high-security regions contains a good sized room. It is dark, and generally devoid of life, save for Luke Skywalker, and the body of a woman shrouded in black. As the sun begins to rise, glittering through the tall star scrapers that litter the city, it shines into this dark room, and silhouettes Luke. He's seated backwards on a chair, his arms folded over the back and holding up his head, which gazes in deep thought at a medical cot that holds a body. The body is covered from head to foot. It wasn't very long ago that Luke had asked R2-D2 to send a message to Leia's office. She most likely wasn't aware of last night's developments, especially if she hadn't caught word of the strange explosion that rocked the Basilica at nightfall. Now, the droid lingers, only a few feet from Luke, observing the situation with quiet chirps. Although dreadfully early in the morning, R2-D2 found Leia in her office and already up to her elbows in petitions, draft and final amendments, and other clutter of a political career. She had been glad to see the droid until his message had been delivered. Then, she sent the droid back to her brother while she gathered her resources. Leaving the Senate building, Leia rode to the base in an unmarked governmental vehicle, her thoughts turning to the man waiting for her. When the car arrived, she waved off escort to walk alone to that singular room; unique in the entire Galaxy for it's occupants. Shrouded against the moist chill of morning Leia enters the room almost silently, her hands moving to lower the hood of her cloak before she hurries across to rest her hand on Luke's shoulder, "Luke?" Luke has the full cooperation of the marines on base, especially those guarding the restricted wing of the military base. The marines haven't asked any questions, and they will answer none without proper clearance. There are few who have that clearance. Leia, both Snarl and Enb'Zik Ikihsa, and the Padawan Ai'kani. Others could easily find clearance if they spoke to the right person and had reason to get involved. When Leia enters the quiet, dark room, Luke looks up from a medical cot where a shrouded body lay. He uncharacteristically doesn't speak a word at first, there isn't even a transmission of dialogue through the Force. He merely looks into his sister's eyes grievously, then back to the body, his shoulders shuddering. There are bags under his eyes, made visible by the morning rays of sun. He's clearly been up all night, and most likely has not spent time in meditation. Before Leia can ask a question, Luke senses it coming. "Johanna." "Johanna." Though the identity of the body beneath the shroud should be a shock, Leia finds that it is not. "Oh, Luke." She bends to pull her brother into a gentle hug, "I am so sorry." Johanna was, after all is said and done, a friend. At this moment, she does not want to know how it happened, or what lead up to it. Right now, there is a human in pain, alive and very dear to her. The hows and wherefores can wait a few minutes. "Are you alright?" And after that, there will be time to mourn a life lost. Luke closes his eyes. In his sister's embrace he finds more strength. It doesn't mean his mourning isn't so terribly close to the surface, but it does mean that the resolve he's been searching for since Johanna's body was brought here, might finally be surfacing. He turns about in his chair, no longer seated on it backwards, and instead is able to face Leia after the embrace. "I'll manage," replies the Jedi Master. He then turns and hazards a glance toward Johanna's corpse, frowning darkly. "It's worse than death, Leia. I fear she never had the chance to become one with the Force. In fact... I fear that her very soul essence may not be dead at all." His voice trembles at that; at what he saw. He closes his eyes, unable to prevent the fresh memory from flashing through his eyes. It makes him flinch. Not that the vision itself was so terrible; odd, yes, but not terrible. It's what Luke sensed through the Force that makes it so gut wrenching. Passing silently between equally quiet marine guards with very grave expressions, Snarl acknowledges them only with simple and brief eye contact. The tall feline then enters the room in which Johanna's still body had been delivered the previous evening by herself, Enb'Zik, and the Padawan Ai'kani. She's been deeply concerned about Luke, but willing to give him the time alone and space that he seemed in need of last night. Not that the Horansi had slept either, but she did stay out of the way with her fretting. Now, however, with the sun rising, she returns. Snarl pauses just inside the entryway and watches her cousins without a word for a moment. That Leia is present doesn't catch her by surprise, as she smelled the Chief of State's distinctive scent lingering in the passage through which she has just traveled. Luke's comment about Johanna's soul causes the Horansi to grimace, but she erases the expression quickly as she clears her throat softly. "Enb'Zik stopped to pick something up," she murmurs quietly, almost whispering. "He will be along soon." Her golden eyes rest on the pair of Jedi with a gentle, compassionate expression residing within them. As Luke pulls out of the embrace, Leia lifts a hand to move a lock of his tawny hair from his forehead, her fingers smoothing it back to join the others. It is a tender gesture and speaks of the deep affection she feels for her twin. His pronouncement gives the petite woman pause and she darts a glance at the shrouded figure, "But... Oh, Luke... that is horrible news. What..." She pauses as she senses Snarl's approach. Turning, she offers her tall cousin a warm, if saddened smile. "Good morning, Snarl." And she means it, even in the face of horror and death. For those still alive, the morning is bright and beautiful. Looking back at Luke, she leaves one hand resting on his shoulder, her presence remaining near the Jedi Master. As least for now, "Perhaps you had better tell me all of it, Luke. Please." Luke looks up to see Snarl's entry, and gives her a heartfelt smile through the grief in his soul, beckoning her to come in with a bow of his head. He then turns his attention back to Leia, and nods. "It won't be easy, but you must hear it." "I went to the ruins of the Basilica to seek knowledge through the Force. I saw how it was destroyed. Johanna did it, using the power of the dark side, she brought the entire structure to the ground. But when I emerged from my focus, I found her standing atop the ruins, as if gloating on her victory." "I tried to reason with her, but she was under his grip too tightly. She engaged me with her lightsaber, out of pure rage, and I was forced to defend myself. But... then the most unbelievable thing happened." He looks over to Snarl, pausing, not entirely sure how to put it. "It was Vadim. He... manifested himself in her. I sensed the very dark side coursing through her, and it took every ounce of my energy to keep it from destroying me. By the time it was over, it was as if he was there. His voice spoke through her, his eyes. It wasn't Johanna, it was more like her body was possessed by Vadim." "When he left... he took her with him." The very words seem to beckon the dark side into the room, causing a chill to go through those who are sensitive. Luke closes his eyes and wills the Force to put the chill to rest, drawing it about themselves with a sense of serenity. To Snarl's way of thinking, the day itself is good, but the events don't exactly match up. Now, faced with family members who have lost a friend, the Horansi finds herself uncertain. Do her ways differ much? Will she offend her cousins if she acts as she was brought up to do when death came close? She hesitates for the span of less than a second before answering quietly and somberly, "Good morning, Leia." Her gaze shifts to rest on Luke just in time to catch the beckoning motion of his head. Nodding silently, the big feline moves further into the room and pads over to stand near the two Jedi. There she remains standing and simply clasps her paws behind her back to listen to Luke's re-telling of the previous night's events. Though she's bothered by the tale, she doesn't show it on the outside through facial expression or demeanor. Like the others, Enb'Zik had spent a sleepless night trying to reconcile Johanna's death in his own mind. After Cochran, he had wanted nothing more than to haul off and punch her as hard as he could. To make her feel /some pain/ for all the death and misery she had caused on that planet, and in the lives of those who survived. But he could not help remembering, either, all the comradery he'd shared with the woman. Johanna was one of the best fighter pilots Zik had ever known. They had flown together over the third Death Star, among other missions, and for a while, she had been his Commanding Officer when they worked together in Rogue Squadron. /That/ person, that /pilot/, was not supposed to have gone. In war, you get used to losing people, even friends, but not like this. Not by seeing them turn to evil and die before redemption. Struggling to comprehend, quiet and tearless, the General had bid Snarl to go on and return to the others alone, then wandered to a small shop alongside one of Coruscant's walkable thoroughfares. Finally, he enters a few minutes after his wife, carrying a white, flimsiplast container. If he can't work out what's happened to Johanna, perhaps he can at least provide for the others trying to answer the same questions that are on his mind. Passing the Marine guard, he sets the five-centimeter deep box atop a short cargo container and approaches the group from behind, respectfully silent as Luke's account falls on the Sullustan's ears. Listening, Leia opens herself to the telling, letting the experience enter through the Force. She shudders softly, her gaze filling with sympathy and sorrow for both the woman who was and her brother. "Luke... How can she be freed, then?" That she must be is beyond question. "She must join with the Living Force. She must." She squeezes her brother's shoulder, the touch firm if gentle. "There must be a way." As Snarl moves forward, she lifts her other hand to rest it on the feline's arm gently. A pat, that offers as well as draws comfort and her gaze falls on the shrouded figure once more. "Oh, Johanna..." The grief in her tone is quiet, though vibrates in intensity and unshed tears shimmer in her eyes. She senses Zik's presence though she does not; yet, turn to him. "I can see only one way," replies Luke, his jaw setting firmly at Leia's touch and words. He turns his eyes to glance at Snarl, then Enb'Zik, then to the carton the Sullustan carries, and finally back to Leia. "Vadim must be confronted." His face darkens. "This is what he said." He rises to his feet, knowing that repeating the words may frighten them all, but they are words that must be heard. As Luke reaches into the depths of his mind, he begins to recall the very memory that is so fresh, in great detail. His voice takes on a different tonal quality, something deeper, inhuman... remarkably close to the voice of Vadim himself. "She has asked in the past and I have prevented it; I will free her now. This burdensome life she leads will be no more and her presence will be in my safekeeping until the time is right. Balance must be maintained." Luke closes his eyes then, allowing the memory to settle back where it belongs, drawing the Force to set his vocal chords right again. He opens his eyes then, and turns aside to face the window and the rising sun. "Vadim believes that his purpose is far above the Jedi Order or any of us. He claims to have existed thousands of years before any of our ancestors. What we're dealing with is potentially more extreme than Palpatine himself." Snarl understands the Force only through peripheral experience through Jedi intentionally touching her with it, and as a concept. What has happened to Johanna is something that the Horansi does not quite manage to fully comprehend; although she does grasp the idea that something unusual is going on with this particular 'death'. She looks down at Leia quietly when the woman's hand rests briefly on her forearm, aware of the light exchange of comfort and strength orchestrated by her Jedi cousin. The faintest of smiles tugs the cat's lips upward in response, and she wishes she had the ability to return the gesture in kind. Still, she does what she can by lightly touching a massive paw on each of her cousins' shoulders briefly. As Enb'Zik arrives, Snarl turns her head to gaze at him quietly, offering a slow and silent blink as the sole conveyance of her greeting and unspoken affection. For the moment, anyway. She then turns her attention to Luke as he rises to his feet and begins speaking in a tone that literally raises the hackles on the back of her neck. The Horansi stares at the Jedi Master for a long moment, so still that time might well have stopped -- and then she blinks twice before shifting her weight fractionally. She seems uncertain for a brief instant, but then her expression clears and her voice is low and steady when she finally speaks. "How shall we deal with him, Luke?" she asks slowly. "I am not a Jedi, as you know, but I wish to offer help in whatever capacity it may be useful." The reaction from Enb'Zik to Luke's voice is a grave frown, coupled with silence. He is clearly in deep thought, though meeting Snarl's gaze, he relaxes briefly and returns her gesture. Among her kind, the slow blinking shares affection and comfort. By moving slowly but purposefully to stand beside his wife, he shows that her offer of help is not unilateral. "Vadim," he finally says quietly, "if he is as old as he says, needs to realize the galaxy has moved on without him. I never had to fight Palpatine, and I was in prison for the duration of his clone's rule here, but I will not stand idly by for a similar threat to harm the innocent people of this galaxy." He frowns pensively before going on, "Did Vadim indicate when the time would be right, or what he would do with her when that time came? And, if her spirit is alive still, is there any chance of resuscitation for her body? Can it be medically preserved?" Simply from his studies and life experiences, Zik knows marginally more about the Jedi - mostly in context of the Old Republic - than his wife. But this is beyond his life experiences. The removal of someone's soul from their body hearkens back to ancient legends, and to knowledge of the mystical side of the Force that was almost certainly lost with the Great Purge. As Luke rises, Leia's hand slips from his shoulder. She clasps them before her and her gaze remains focused on her brother. As the words come forth, one brow rises, though her expression remains otherwise still. The chill that permeates the room wraps about her slender form and she cannot quite suppress the shiver that trembles the edges of her cloak. When it is over and the Force returns to warm the spirit, she draws a slow, steadying breath and releases it almost audibly, "Well. That is ominous. And yet..." She nods to Zik, adding her own resolve to his. His questions are aired and she nods, "Perhaps Brandis will have an idea. He is the Jedi Doctor. And it might give him something to research. Something very productive to do." Turning to Luke as his vocal chords return to their usual configuration, she adds, "Do you have any idea what he meant by 'balance'? If we can understand that it might lead us to a weakness." Luke raises a hand to rest upon Snarl's furry forearm. "The Jedi are not the only ones who can bring down an Emperor," he replies, encouragingly, then lowers his hand to turn and observe Enb'Zik, raising his chin in conjunction with the General's zeal. He then lowers his chin, and takes a step closer to Enb'Zik, shaking his head. "No," to the query about Vadim's timing. "I don't believe he'd give me that information unless it served his plan." He turns an agreeing look to Leia, and a brightness begins to enter his eyes. For all his grief and thought through the night, he is not the sole person who can solve problems. Snarl and Enb'Zik were the ones to suggest that Fett be handled, and now Leia has set forth an idea that very well may serve Brandis as much as it serves the galaxy. "Brandis also trained under Master Aurejin, he's likely the most well fit for that task." He smiles broadly, for a moment finding light in the situation, before letting it fade in the shadow of Leia's last question. "I don't know," he admits. "Guessing is only beneficial to a point, then it begins to numb the mind and distract the heart. Either he wishes to bring the dark side into play to a point where it 'balances' out the good in this galaxy, or he has some other agenda in mind." He looks toward Enb'Zik. "He carries himself differently than Palpatine." He turns then to Leia. "Different than our father." Then to Snarl. "Different than Valak, Korolov, or any others I've encountered." He turns the to look back at Johanna's body, grief entering his eyes again. "He reeks of the dark side, yet shines with an age old wisdom." To Snarl, he turns and says, "The best way to deal with him, is to deal with what we can handle now. Fett, Sabrina, and Brandis." His gaze encounters them all. "Perhaps we should divide up these tasks amongst those we trust, and begin to push forward." R2-D2, who has remained silent, bleeps a few times, rocking back and forth in a sign of agreement. Some of the questions Enb'Zik poses had occurred to Snarl, but she hadn't yet actually gotten around to voicing them. A little detail is niggling at the back of her mind. There's probably a simple explanation for it, but she is only a simple Kasa Horansi; who would blame her for asking obvious questions about the Force and related topics? The Mashi understand it, but the rest of Horansi-kind does not. Almost absently, Snarl curls her long tail around Enb'Zik's waist as he comes to stand beside her - the gesture is one of supportive companionship. She regards Luke as his fingers and palm rest briefly on her forearm, responding to his words with simple and honest words. "I am most gratified to hear that, Cousin. I fully intend to become involved in the effort." Although she doesn't comment on Brandis, the Horansi' silent nodding speaks of her own agreement with the idea of involving him in the situation with Johanna's organic 'house' that is currently vacant. After a moment of consideration, Snarl finally speaks her mind on one thing she's been wondering about. "If Vadim is as old as he has said he is... why did he look human in Brandis' memory? A human just does not live that long..." she says slowly, puzzled. When Luke mentions what can be done now, she brightens perceptively. "Good," comes the rumbling comment as the big cat rallies to her usual preference for action. She looks eager to get busy doing something useful. "Yes, let us discuss what courses of action to take now." As the others begin talking about those options, Enb'Zik's brow wrinkles at something that is mentioned by one of them, possibly even off-hand. There is a spike, perhaps, of curiosity surrounding him, followed by a wandering of his mind, pursuing some rabbit slowly down a different path. As such, he listens almost absently to the others as they talk. Aside from his momentary tangent, there will be much to do in the very near future. His team is about to become quite busy, and significantly, they have not been attacking any Imperial outposts or convoys in the recent past. Along with everything else, they need to do some work related to their mission profile. Standing now to one side, Leia smiles once then nods, "Very well." She turns to Zik and Snarl, "Fett needs to be dealt with. Sabrina needs to be rescued." She motions all of them a bit closer, though her gaze falls on Johanna's covered form as she does and she pauses. "But, first... Let us get Johanna into bacta and talk to Brandis. Then, we can talk in my office." She walks to the form on the pallet, one hand resting lightly on the unmoving shoulder beneath the covering, and she speaks very softly, "I am sorry, Johanna. For not being there for you. You will be missed, bright and impetuous soul." She remains thus for a moment or two, then turns to look at the others. Her gaze, while bright with unshed tears, is clear and almost hard, "Until we resolve this, no one is to talk of plans in front of Johanna. I know... I know..." She lifts a hand as though to forestall objections that might not come, "She is no longer in residence. But, is there any guarantee that Vadim can not use her shell as a listening post?" After a moment more, she turns to Zik, as though sensing his wandering attention. She lifts a brow slightly, then motions for all to leave the room. "We need to post a guard on this room, I think. Just to be certain. Perhaps Brandis can meet us in my office?" That last is aimed at the Sullustani CO of the Firecats. Luke heeds Leia's beckoning, stepping closer to center, and turns to observe her respectful gesture to Johanna. He raises his eyebrows to Leia's suggestion about Vadim, and nods his head slowly in agreement with her reasoning. He takes Snarl by the arm, and guides her toward the doorway with him, and steps outside. To the guard he says, "Have the medical personnel place the body into bacta preservation." "Yes, Sir." He then turns to Snarl and speaks quietly. "Before he passed into the eternity of the Force, my Jedi Master was preparing himself for death. I was shocked; I claimed he couldn’t die. He told me that, though he was strong with the Force, he wasn't that strong. Thus... it may be possible, indeed, to be /that/ strong." Finding herself just slightly unnerved by Leia's talking to a corpse, Snarl blinks once and watches with morbid curiosity. The expression that crosses the Horansi's face at the mention of Vadim using Johanna's empty husk as a spying location is one of shock and then disgust, finally followed by a rather grim determination. Luke's grip on her arm catches the big feline by surprise, but she accompanies him willingly enough as he heads toward the door. As she turns to leave, Snarl is careful to release her encircling tail from Enb'Zik's middle so that she doesn't accidentally cause any potentially embarrassing situations. Once they are out of the room, she glances briefly at the guards before giving Luke her full attention. Fascinated, her ears alert and her golden eyes wide with curiosity, the Horansi asks quietly, "Who? Who told you that?" Her expression then shifts to wariness as she adds, "And do you think it /could/ be possible to really be that strong? Would it mean that death is impossible, or simply that time and aging will not cause it on their own?" General Ikihsa is not ready to bid farewell to Johanna yet. He's not sure where he stands, though his indignance for her actions regarding Cochran is assuaged terribly by the sight of her lifeless body. Regardless of what will happen afterward, he clings to hope for that life to return. He also agrees entirely with Leia's assessment of the possibilities Vadim could work with the body in the interim. The thought crosses his mind, in fact, to make sure Johanna has no weapons on her person that could be used if Vadim were to reanimate her. That, though, would become a non-issue once she's in bacta. When Leia turns to him, his thoughts snap fully to the task at hand, almost suspiciously, though none of it shows in his expression or body language. For a second, he is confused by the implication of having someone from the Firecats handle security as he turns to follow her out. After all, Coruscant has more than enough security to handle such a task. But, this issue is more sensitive than most, he realizes. "Of course," he answers, then, his voice hushed appropriately. "Brandis is with the rest of the team off-planet right now, as Snarl and I had made a flight here for a different purpose, but I can put in a call for him to make a rush trip over. If you need someone to head security over this operation, I can recommend no one better than Snarl for the operation. She has years of experience with Mutanda's Royal Guard, Chief of Security for the CDU's CMS Typhoon, and Chief of Security for the Crusader." Enb'Zik quiets himself, then, so that Luke can speak, and as the small group approaches the door, Ikihsa nonchalantly picks up the package he'd brought in with him to carry it out again. Walking with the others, Leia listens to Luke, then turns her attention to Zik, "Security? Oh, goodness, no. If we can recover Johanna's spirit and if we can communicate with her and if she wishes to be returned to her body, someone will have to do that. I certainly do not know how, nor am I strong enough in the Force to do it. Luke probably could, but does not have a medical background. If anyone can, it would be Brandis. But, to do so, he will have to work with Luke extensively. First to finish healing himself, then to gain the control he will need if such a feat is possible." She smiles at the Sullustani, then moves to slip out the door after Luke and Snarl. "No, I did not mean to imply Brandis would handle Security." Once she has passed the guards, she turns to look up at her tall, furry cousin as the notion of Snarl's expertise in security takes hold and grows, "Security? Really... I think I knew that once, but had forgotten." She walks in silence then, for a moment or two, then adds, "We should talk later, Snarl. There is a motion in the Senate now to allow tours of the building. I am in favor of it, but wish to make certain that we do not open the doors to more trouble. Having someone with experience aiding would make a big difference, I think." Luke shakes his head to Snarl, slowly. "I don't know, cousin. Master Yoda didn't live long enough to explain it to me... and I honestly wonder if that skill is in line with the light side of the Force. But one thing is for certain, there are no limits with the Force. Only the limits our minds are able to put upon it, whether for good or evil." He envelops Enb'Zik and Leia in this conversation, of course, quietly noting his sister's observations. "If what Vadim said is true, then Johanna's very essence is in fact alive. Somewhere, somehow. At the same time, I'm not entirely sure if one of you, or any member of the Firecats, for that matter, should be posted to guard her body. If Vadim is meant to possess her again, only a Jedi would be capable of standing against it, and I fear we cannot afford the Jedi to be stretched so thin, save for Brandis's attempts to learn more about what happened to her. No... if Johanna's body becomes animated somehow, it would be in our best interests to stand down and let it leave, unless a Jedi is available to handle the situation. We don't want members of this military put against such a terrible thing." He looks between Leia, Enb'Zik, and Snarl. "Do you think this is an order the military can effectively carry out, should it become necessary?" Despite her attention being rather riveted on her discussion with Luke, Snarl is aware enough to hear her name mentioned by Enb'Zik as he and Leia exit the current resting place of Johanna's body. She's always been curious about Jedi and the Force, and the current topic of conversation with the Jedi Master distracts her briefly. Although unaware of it, the Horansi's manner somewhat resembles that of a young cub as she listens raptly to his words. "Master Yoda?" she echoes, her tone carrying a slight hint of awe that indicates she has heard at least some of the history concerning that particular Jedi. As he continues, her expression shifts to one of mild concern. "So... since you are of the light side of the Force, you do not know everything that might be possible for someone using the dark side of the Force?" she summarizes, trying to be certain that she understands what he's saying. Snarl considers Luke's logic regarding the possible reanimation of Johanna's body with an apparent seriousness that is unusual for her. The Horansi runs several different possible scenarios through her mind in an attempt to come up with something useful to offer before she ventures to speak again. Giving the Jedi Master a faintly puzzled frown, she asks, "What order, Cousin? Allowing Johanna's possessed body to leave the military base if a reanimation does indeed occur?" She pauses a moment before adding, "I would feel better if I were present." She holds up a paw as though to forestall objections before she's finished speaking. "I know that I cannot actually /do/ anything to a powerful Force user..." the big cat pauses before continuing in a quieter voice, "But I /can/ provide a distraction. If Brandis is here working with her when it happens, he will need some kind of help." Still following her train of thought, she mutters, "We could let the body leave, but we would have to try and make sure it doesn't wreck havoc on its way out." The conversation between Enb'Zik and Leia registers belatedly with Snarl when Leia speaks to her directly. Blinking once, the Horansi looks down at her diminutive cousin for a moment as her mind sorts through what was just said... and then nods. "Of course," she replies, her rumbling voice still pitched a bit lower than normal. "Security here is very important. I will be happy to assist however I can." As they walk, Enb'Zik almost gives Leia a funny look, though he diplomatically holds it back. "I had meant Brandis for the meeting in your office, and Snarl for the guard in the room. A misunderstanding, obviously - I had thought you were looking to my team to provide both, but I see now that you weren't." He smiles, though the situation with Johanna dims the expression somewhat, throwing a sadness into the Sullustan's voluminous eyes. As the group continues walking, Zik listens in on the intercourse between Luke and Snarl, participating in the conversation as questions are asked of him, but otherwise quiet and somewhat introverted. At some point, he surreptitiously hands off the package he'd been carrying, giving it to a nondescript gentleman wearing clean but old, threadbare clothes. To the right of the others, and hanging back a little, he does it with such little fanfare that it might even go unperceived by the rest of the group. Leia smiles as she hears the reference to Yoda, "Ah, Master Yoda..." There is a fondness in her eyes and a smile on her lips. A far cry from the expression Johanna's shell inspires. The softness in her eyes remains as she listens to Zik. Turning, she catches a hesitation in the Sullustani that causes her to arch a brow slightly, "Ah. I am sorry. I misunderstood." She shakes her head, but then moves on. Turning to Luke, she nods, "I think that the military would follow orders, Luke. Even if they do not understand them. Personally, I would agree with Zik, with the provision that the way out be made obvious and evacuated. If Vadim animated Johanna's body, there is no telling what could happen." Walking out with the others, she turns toward the car that brought her here, "Will you all share a ride back to the Senate building with me? We can meet briefly there, then reconvene once Brandis arrives." Her gaze slips back to look over the others near her. A slim smile is brought to Luke's face in remembrance of his little green master. He nods his head to confirm Snarl's first suggestion. "Learning the ways of the dark side, even in a purely intellectual sense, has not been one of my primary goals." He looks around the group as they grow near to the door. "Yes, Leia, I agree with you, as with you, Snal'Fashtalli. The orders should clearly state that military should stand down and allow the body to move, as long as it doesn't begin to harm others or interfere with sensitive operations. We can't give that up without a fight, even if Vadim himself has manifested." He then turns to Enb'Zik, gazing upon the Sullustani with a heartfelt and unspoken look of gratitude. It lingers for a moment, before casting his eyes upon Leia. "Yes. Let's. I will be sure to inform Ai'kani of our actions as well, we will need her talents."
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