Star Wars: Rebel Rising(25)
So she was a little surprised when Saw told her their next mission would be to Inusagi, a wealthy planet in the Mid Rim.
“What’s the mission?” Jyn asked, confused.
Saw frowned. “Not our normal fare, but it pays well,” he confessed.
“Normal fare” meant getting closer to Jyn’s father. Jyn felt the obsession Saw did just as acutely, although for a different reason. She didn’t care what her father was making for the Empire; she just wanted to face him one last time. She wasn’t sure if she’d use the chance to punch him or ask him why he had abandoned her, but she hoped that, one day, she’d get the opportunity to do at least one of those things.
“If this isn’t linked to the Empire, what is it?” Jyn asked.
“It’s still linked to the Empire, just not the big mission,” Saw said. He tossed her a holocube, and when Jyn activated it, she found herself staring into the face of a Zabrak woman. It was hard to tell on the cheap holocube, but Jyn guessed she had yellowish skin, with green-black horns like a crown around her head. She wore a heavy faceplate that covered her forehead and shot between her eyes, down to her nose. It curled over the top of her head, adding metal spikes between her natural horns.
“Arane Oreida,” Saw said. “Hates most humans, by the way. Good thing I’m so handsome.” He crinkled his scarred face in a ferocious grin.
Jyn frowned. “If she hates humans, then why—”
“Arane is notoriously suspicious,” Saw said. “We’re given pieces, not the whole. She’s paying for my services.”
“And those services are…?” Jyn asked.
“She needs two fighters,” Saw said. “Me and Maia, I think. Maybe Codo.”
Jyn’s heart sank. She was still, after everything, not good enough.
“You’re in this, too, kid,” Saw said, ruffling Jyn’s hair. “There are a lot of players on this one. We each have a specific role.”
“So what are we doing?”
Saw nodded to the holocube, and Jyn activated it. “The operatives in Group C, under Stoneface’s command,” Arane started in an imperious voice.
“My code name,” Saw said. He tilted his face to the light, setting his jaw in a hard line. Jyn giggled.
“Obtain clearance codes for ships landing on Inusagi. Arrange for access for operatives in Alpha Group to the main floor of the palace during the dedication ceremony. Guests have been sent a special imagecaster branded for the occasion and with an XLD security chip.”
Jyn shrugged. “That’s not very secure.”
Saw spoke over Arane’s holographic image. “It’s a party, not a top-secret military function. So you think you can handle something like that?”
“Sure,” Jyn said. “The clearance codes—no problem. The invites may be more difficult. If I had one to copy…?”
Arane had sent one legitimate imagecaster invitation and provided Saw with a dozen blanks. “We absolutely need ten,” Saw said. “So there’s a little room for error. But if you can make all twelve work, that’s better.”
Jyn inspected the official imagecaster. “Shouldn’t be a problem,” she said. “I’ll need some things.”
Saw took careful notes of everything Jyn suggested he get so she could replicate the invitations, then immediately sent one of his underlings to the nearest world with a tradepost. They had less than a standard month to complete the task, but Jyn was fairly certain she would need only half that time.
The outside of the imagecaster was painted in swirling designs of red and gold, the display base made of what looked like actual golden honeycomb. A scandoc had cleverly been inserted into the bottom of the imagecaster, and when Jyn twirled the three legs at the perimeter, the holo started automatically.
A young woman who looked a few years older than Jyn, in her early twenties, was illuminated in the holographic light. Rather than show just her face, the small image showed the girl’s whole body. The imagecaster was an expensive model, and the girl was illuminated in vivid detail, her clothes seemingly woven from light. Her rich brown skin seemed to glow even more against the bright red embroidered cloth that she wore tightly wound around her body. A cascade of silky black hair extended almost to her knees, curling slightly at the ends.
“As the chieftess of Inusagi,” the woman said, her voice tinkling through the small speakers of the imagecaster, “I welcome you to our planet’s annual sakoola blossom festival. This imagecaster will also allow you entry to the special dedication ceremony in honor of our first Imperial governor. Please present it to the royal guard upon your arrival, but until then, I encourage you to learn more about Inusagi and our royal heritage.” The girl threw her arms up at the end of her speech, as if celebrating a great win.
Before the holo cut off, the woman lowered her arms, her shoulders sinking, and there was a flash of emotion on her tiny, illuminated face, one that spoke of defeat.
Jyn scanned the contents of the imagecaster. The information on Inusagi was cursory at best, highlighting its contributions to the Empire and glossing over the years of “negotiations”—many of which grew violent—before the planet’s fall into the Empire’s hands. Inusagi had remained chiefly unimportant for centuries, benefiting from its position near wealthier planets but without key exports itself. It had mostly been successful in its attempts to remain neutral throughout the years, but clearly that neutrality was over. A planet was either for the Empire, or it was crushed under the Empire’s heels.