Star Wars: Dark Angel, Scarlet Dragon Ch. 03

"Yes, Ma'am," the sergeant's voice crackled back.

Lylla strolled back to Padme's body. She slapped her hands on either side of the casket, and leaned in so far that she was almost inside it herself. She hissed into the dead woman's face, "I WIN." Her moment was interrupted by the mewling and whimpering of the women being forced by blaster point inside. Straightening up, she said to TK7866, "Leave us. But stay close." TK7866 complied, and stepped out.

Lylla turned around, spreading her arms along the edge of the casket and leaning against it: The Dragon had returned. She targeted her focus on elderly Jobal Naberrie. "I'm ready for our chat now," she said, her tone slick with condescension and menace. Sola and Ryoo still clung to each other. But Jobal, again, showed her nothing. Lylla scanned the women, then turned back to Padme in the coffin. Then back to the women, and pecked her tongue against her teeth. "Brown hair and brown eyes. Over and over again. You Naboon women are so dull. Do you all look alike?"

"At least we look human," Ryoo grunted through her tears.

"Ryoo!" Sola exclaimed, stunned by her daughter's defiance.

Lylla gasped in mock shock. "Ooo. Meow." She pushed herself off the sarcophagus and strolled casually to Jobal, once again towering over her. "Excuse my vulgarity, but I'm bored with fucking around. What happened to the child?"

"What child?" Sola demanded, unaware of her mother's stunned response to the question.

Lylla rolled her eyes, and sighed with impatience. "The child that was in her belly and now is not." She snapped back to Jobal. "Where is it?"

"You're insane!" Sola burst. "The baby died with her-"

Lylla had had enough. She stormed two steps to Sola, raised her hand, and backhanded her across the face. "I. Am not. Talking. To YOU," she roared, punching every word. Sola cried out, and Ryoo clutched her mother close to her chest. Seething, Lylla encroached upon Jobal. "If you do not tell me what I want to know, I will beat her to death in front of you, and do not think I can't do it. I will ask you one more time. Where is the child?"

Jobal closed her withered eyes, and silently made peace with her deities. When she opened them again, her gaze was hewn from stone. "Somewhere no one will ever find him. Not Vader, not the Emperor. And certainly not the likes of YOU."

Sola and Ryoo stopped their crying, and looked at Jobal. "Mama...?" Sola breathed.

Lylla glanced their way, relishing the look of utter disbelief on their faces. "Don't you just love family secrets?" she crooned. "So," she added, addressing Jobal. "Kenobi did steal him."

"Kenobi hid him," Jobal corrected defiantly. She paused. "I don't even know if it was a boy or a girl. All I know is that Obi Wan Kenobi showed immense kindness by telling me my grandchild was alive. And safe."

Lylla pulled out the holocom, and held it next to her face. "Yes, that holomessage twenty-one years ago was very kind of him. Very much worth the extensive digging it took into the Naboon communications archives to find."

"Mama," Sola whispered, unable to say anything else.

Jobal turned to her daughter, and let a tear drop down her face. "Sola, I'm sorry." She wiped the tear. "Padme wasn't the only one who kept secrets." She looked back at her interrogator... and did not expect the look on her face. The beast had softened her severe posture, and Jobal thought for a moment that she saw in those inhuman eyes... compassion? Jobal flinched a bit when she raised her hand, expecting to get a blow across the face... but was surprised when she placed it gently on her shoulder.

Lylla leaned down, and murmured, "You were right to unburden yourself of that secret." She smiled kindly. "I like you, Jobal Naberrie. You are a woman of fortitude. I admire that very much. That's why I'm not going to kill you." She straightened and pulled the comlink back to her lips. "Sergeant. Bring two with you." TK7866 came in, flanked by two troopers. "Arrest them."

"WHAT?" shrieked Sola. Ryoo burst into new tears. Jobal, however, simply smiled. A sad, tired smile.

Lylla adjusted her cloak. "Your mother gave a full confession. I recorded it on my holocom. Colluding with a Jedi war criminal, fraudulently faking the death of a person of interest who could prove to be an imminent threat to the security of the Empire. That makes her a traitor. And since Senator Naberrie has been charged with treason and we are seizing your property as evidence, we're arresting you and your daughter for fraternization with the enemy." Before she had to endure yet another round of wailing and crying, she gestured to TK7866. "Sergeant, you're with me."

"Yes, Ma'am."

They stepped back out into the Naboon summer sunshine. Lylla shielded her sensitive eyes, the light uncomfortable after so long in the dark, as she and the sergeant came back up the path to the courtyard. "Reseal the sarcophagus. Bring the prisoners onboard and put them in the hold." A thought. "Have two troopers guard this mausoleum at all times. If any locals try to be heroes...kill them."

"Yes, Ma'am."

They stopped in the courtyard's center. "You and a squad will stay here to secure the area until we can send a permanent regiment. I'll arrange a writ for the property to be seized." She smirked and lowered her voice. "Help yourselves to anything inside."

TK7866 grinned under his helmet. TK4932 had already told him about the large soft beds, the vast abundance of food and the fully stocked wine cellar they had found when they raided the house. Find a few local girls, and he was sure this would be one of his better assignments. He bowed his helmet to the side, and Lylla heard a satisfied grunt come through his vocoder. "Yes, Ma'am." He tapped his helmet's comlink. "Ground to Harbinger. Bringing three prisoners."

"Harbinger to ground, confirmed. Out."

Lylla took a long look at the almost ancient stone manor, entrenched in thought. "How deep, I wonder, does Naboon sympathy for the Rebel terrorists go? To the very top? Perhaps an Imperial investigation is in order." She turned to TK7866. "There is no Imperial military installation here on Naboo?"

"No, Ma'am."

"Perhaps it is time there is one. I shall suggest it to Lord Vader. I believe this place will make a fine Imperial headquarters."

Placing her hands on her hips, Lylla turned on her heel to go through the blasted wall and board her vessel. Just then, troopers dragged the three Naberrie women out of the mausoleum to the courtyard and forced them on their knees before her, even elderly Jobal. Lylla threw them one last frigid glance as she marched through them.

Ryoo shrieked at the top of her lungs after her, "WHO ARE YOU??"

The scarlet-haired creature didn't stop, didn't acknowledge her whatsoever. Lylla strode through the wall and up the ship's ramp, where she smiled and murmured to no one...

"I am Lady Vader."

To Be Continued