Earthlings 2: The Dark Age

35

9 BBY, Coruscant

The distant roar of an incoming airspeeder got Toni's attention, and she looked up from the counter to be met with Luthen Rael- one of her most frequent customers and longtime business partner. A stout man in his mid-late 50s, Luthen owned an antique shop 5 blocks down from Toni's own jewelry store, which she'd used some of her family's fortune to set up a few years back.

Little did anyone know, Toni wasn't just operating as any local jeweler; in fact, it wasn't even her main occupation. It was a front set up for several reasons- 2 of them being to draw Imperial attention away from her real, underground work with the Hidden Path, as well as to finance the operation and its coverup. Of course, the financial network between the Path, the clone network, and Luthen's own rebel activities was intricately woven by herself and her collaborators so that no trail of credits would wind up in Imperial hands, thereby compromising everyone's work.

"Luthen!" Toni smiled, walking over to him. "So nice to see you. Say... how's your wife liking that Corusca necklace you bought her last week?"

Luthen chuckled warmly. "She loves it. My daughter wants one of her own, in fact. For her sixteenth birthday."

"Oh, does she now-?" Toni raised an amused brow. "Here I thought Eowyn hated fancy things."

"She's quite taken to them as of late," Was Luthen's equally amused response. "I suppose she's trying to impress some handsome cadet at the Imperial Ball this year."

"Oh, goodness!" Toni suppressed a giggle before leading him to the back of the room towards a lift. "You might as well get something for your little assistant at this rate."

"Oh, no-" Luthen waved his hands. "Kleya despises jewelry. Especially necklaces."

"Such a shame," Toni replied in thought. "Fire ruby would suit her."

"You really do have a keen eye, Lady Valorum." Luthen chuckled as the lift's doors closed behind him, before his expression shifted. "Have you heard?"

"Heard what-?"

"Inquisitors on Level 2046. Your safehouse... it's on Level 2045. Your operation is at risk."

Toni tensed up. "Who could have called-"

"I'm not sure," Luthen muttered under his breath. "What I do know is that there was supposedly a Jedi terrorist on that level-"

"Who-?" Toni pressed. "Is he someone we've helped before?"

"Don't know." The lift had stopped by now, and the two stepped out towards the basement. "Supposedly, he's one of Saw's Partisans. Looked him up the moment I heard the news- his name is Cal Kestis."

"Cal-?" Toni repeated, pausing for a moment. "Pint sized, baby Kestis?"

"You know him-?"

"Ahsoka and I used to mess with him as younglings."

"Did you really?" Luthen gave an amused smile before cutting back to the chase. "This... Kestis. He came with a crew, threatened Senator Sejan... then kidnapped him."

"That's a bold move," Toni remarked. "Sejan is a very powerful man... I wager Cal will get a hefty sum to bring to Gerrera if he demands ransom."

"Such a shame he won't get to do that now," Luthen lamented. "2 Inquisitors came as they were about to leave and murdered the Senator for supposedly harboring the Jedi."

"And-?" Toni asked. "Are they still here- the Inquisitors?"

"The big one lost her head in a fight," Luthen replied. "The smaller one lives- meaning however many Jedi fugitives are currently under your protection now- are not safe."