Young Writers Society

"Make good on your threats and then we'll see if she worries." The Phindian made as if to stand up suddenly, but Tarkin shoved her down and got to his feet. She scrambled to get back into a sitting position and he brought his boot down hard on her hand. There was an audible crack, and she howled.

"Don't think that overheating you is all I can do," Tarkin said. His tone had darkened considerably. "I could bring Lord Vader here to have a chat with a single call. You've given us fine information, but I want your client's alias. Now."

The Phindian curled in on herself, nursing her broken hand. She didn't respond.

Tarkin turned to Sirejj and nodded toward the door. "We'll give her some time to consider it," he told him.

Sirejj hadn't so much as flinched from his crouched position. When Tarkin spoke to him he waited a moment before standing. He straightened and frowned slightly, looking at her curled up on the ground.

"Fear the Sith more than you fear the both of us," he said, before turning and following Tarkin from the freezer.

Tarkin shut the door, and the guards stepped in front of it. "Coffee?" he said to Sirejj, rubbing his hands together. His fingers were stiff; he hated the cold more than he'd ever admit. The temperate forests and humid jungles of Eriadu were where he felt at home.

"If you insist." He took a deep breath of the warmer air, glad to be out of the freezer. His skin prickled with the sensation from the temperature change. He'd be glad for something hot to drink.

"I'm half serious about bringing Vader over," he said, leading him up the stairs toward the kitchen. "The Phindian issue is a good excuse for you to get close to him--I'd like you to pick his brain."

Sirejj stared at him, at first unsure if he'd heard him correctly.

"You want me to do what?"

"Vader seems to be one of our missing puzzle pieces. I'm not stopping my investigation just to deal with some half-competent assassin." He glanced at Sirejj. "He has no reason to suspect anything, and I'm not incapable of hiding my thoughts from him. I want you to see if you can feel anything from him. I would of course guide the conversation a little, with extreme care."

"Extreme care..." he muttered under his breath. "Do you not think he would sense we were up to something? He's no fool." He only looked at Tarkin with a slight glance, his thoughts were elsewhere.

Vader worried him. He was not yet powerful enough in the magicks of the Nightsisters to confront a Sith. He wasn't even sure if he could hide his thoughts from him. If Vader found out they were sneaking around behind his back, he would certainly take the brunt of it. Vader and Tarkin could work something out, they knew each other. Nobody would be missing Sirejj if something happened to him.

"He would certainly be able to crack the Phindian's mind, that is true." He said, attempting to veil any possible sign of worry he might have expressed. "But it would be risky playing games with a Sith Lord."

"Vader is a deeply preoccupied and inward-looking individual," Tarkin said calmly. "If I can play to his weaknesses, he won't think to look beyond his own mind."

He was quiet for some time.

"If you say so." He said at length. Perhaps if Tarkin facilitated conversation he could capture a stray thought. Tarkin knew Vader. He may be right about him and meeting him wouldn't be as risky as he thought. All Sirejj knew was his reputation, and he had never intended to question it in person.

Tarkin paused as he entered the kitchen, studying Sirejj. He seemed mildly uncomfortable, concerned even. "You're a force-sensitive," he said at length. "In what ways could this go wrong? Do the costs outweigh the benefits?"

"Do you remember how we crossed paths to begin with?" Sirejj set the spear against the wall, tired of carrying it. "The Sith obviously didn't like the idea of a Force-sensitive who isn't one of them running around. And I can't imagine the Grand Inquisitor hasn't reported to his master by now." He rested his hands on the counter behind him and leaned against it. He was beginning to regret winning the duel against the rogue Jedi on Aldhani. The Sith didn't seem to know he existed before that.

"But no. The cost shouldn't outweigh the benefits. If you play your cards right. It would simply jeopardize everyone's wellbeing if he found out what we're up to."

"So you would agree to take this risk?" Tarkin raised an eyebrow. "Think on this, Sirejj. You believe you have the ability to pull this off?" He was confident in his own abilities and Vader's trust in him, but Sirejj seemed uncertain. He had a good point about the Inquisitors.

He huffed, a hint of a snarl on his breath. His own uncertainty irritated him. He wasn't sure if it was some internal fear or simply his complete disdain for the Sith that bothered him. The latter was more acceptable.

"I am capable. I simply have no desire to interact with the Sith for any longer than necessary."

"I'll do my best to make sure your time with him is brief, for both our sakes." He poured them both some coffee. "I've known him a long time; he's not a fool, but he makes himself vulnerable. Now." He glanced toward the stairs. "What do you make of our captive?"