FORSAKEN - Target: Zero

CHAPTER FIVE

Elynn sat in meditation on the floor of her bedroom. She steadied her mind, focusing on her breathing, letting go of her feelings. One by one, the objects around her began to float, books, tools, gadgets—everything but the parts of the lightsaber in front of her arranged over a piece of cloth. Chak-Chak woke up from her nap to find herself floating on her bed. Used to it, the tooka meowed her surprise, but remained prone. The lightsaber parts rose and began to assemble, fitting into each other with flawless precision. Elynn opened her eyes without breaking concentration to check her work. She had to trust her craftmanship worked.

With a stilling breath, Elynn lowered each object in the reverse order, one at a time, while willing herself to slow her mind down as Master Sinube had taught her as a youngling at the Jedi Temple. Keeping her Initiate training sharp comprised her knowledge in the Force. Though not the same, other sources had provided her with ways to expand her instruction, without risking discovery by the Order of Inquisitors. The effort left her exhausted.

A happy Chak-Chak sat next to her meowing as if praising her. Elynn petted the tooka and then hid the lightsaber in the secret compartment in the floor of her closet. Inside, a collection of lightsabers—most of unusual builds— lay next to a glowing holobook, resting atop a set of folded Jedi robes. Elynn replaced the panel on the floor as her computer chimed with an incoming message.

Elynn saw a message from one of her information brokers and fellow slicer, Teklord, who wanted to speak through the shadownet. Someone needed some slicing done in Coruscant. Elynn hoped it had something to do with another rebel cell. A small hologram of a Zillo beast appeared over the desk. On the other side, a similar avatar, one of a vulpex, kept Elynn's identity safe.

"Teklord?" Elynn said.

"Hello, Jink," the avatar said in a digitized voice, using Elynn's slicer nickname. "I have another job for you."

"Hit me."

"I have someone who needs a highly-classified file kept in a vault inside the Imperial Military Department of Advanced Weapons Research building."

Elynn lit up. "That's a big job."

"That's why I'm asking you. Can it be done?"

"I'll need to do some prep work, but I don't see why it can't be. Who's the client?"

"Someone I trust who wishes to remain anonymous."

The need for secrecy didn't worry Elynn. Teklord represented resistance cells across the galaxy, and he had never led her astray. If he trusted the client, so did she. "What am I looking for?" Elynn said.

"Anything you can get regarding Project Celestial Power. I'll transfer the first half of the payment to your account, and the rest upon the delivery, per usual."

"Fine. Give me a few days. I'll contact you once I have the files."

"I knew I could count on you, Jink."

Paika wiped the grease off his hands on a rag, as his astromech lit a cigar. The moment he heard the lift behind him, the Talpini snatched the stogie from the manipulator and dumped it in a bucket. Once again, the DUM droid had to put out the fire.

"Where are ya goin'?" Paika tried to clear the air with his hand.

"Retro," Elynn said.

"Alone?"

"No, with my handmaidens. I'm meeting Preacher and Leeto there."

"I don't like ya walkin' 'round alone at this time."

"But you have to respect it. I'm not a child anymore. Besides, who says I'm walking?" She headed for her classic blaster-gray Aratech Repulsor Company Ice speeder bike, reconstructed by her own two hands.