Having finally left Coruscant, we have reentered hyperspace for the trip to Terra. The Major's mood has not improved--in fact, his mood has been more or less consistent since he was forced to reveal what he knew of the Lorrdains.
He has been furious and miserable. It is hard to blame him, for besides the Lorrdains, he has been assailed on all sides. General Cracken has been breathing down his neck, NRI's other officials have been berating him for days, and he undoubtedly has conflicting feelings over some recent last-minute revelations from NRI. The fact that General Antilles had sent another agent to Terra would provoke a host of reactions, none pleasant. The Major is embarrassed, feeling that he has disappointed the General, resentful at the General's unilateral action, and at the same time embarrassed for being resentful. Finally, the Major had an unpleasant encounter early in the trip that he did not discuss.
The politics of the Republic are not yet a cause for concern, but the entire NRAF is watching the moves of the Senate carefully. The situation is tense--a lack of a common enemy in the Empire has started any number of brush wars among the Republic's members, and the Republic has been called on to arbitrate. The Senate is working with more efficiency, more like the Senate of old before the Clone Wars and the rise of Palpatine, but the same system allows for ambitious beings to gain power through the merest hint of wrongdoing.
Specifically, a certain loudmouthed Bothan has been stirring trouble up again. When it comes to Borsk Fey'lya, I much prefer the end reserved for him in the "New Jedi Order" stories of Terra--the fictional story arc created after the peace treaty to continue the "Star Wars" line.
As it stands, Senator Fey'lya is an influential voice in the Senate. His credibility took a major hit in the wake of the Camaas Document, but that was several months ago, and he has rebuilt his power base. He is not making any attempt at the President's seat, and seems content to let President Gavrisom run the show. But that Bothan has never been known to sit still.
It was of vital importance that Senator Fey'lya never discover the "Star Wars" Project. The secret was kept just as firmly from him as it was from the Empire, for about the same reason--the danger of such cultural contamination. Now, of course, that danger has extended to keeping from insulting the Senator on a level that only certain Jedi can manage. Oddly, though, no one has given thought to the possibility that the Senator may be flattered by the "Star Wars" project.
All of this led to a rather painful encounter when Fey'lya literally ran into the Major in the capital complex. Though the Major was extremely apologetic (which no doubt rankled), the Senator was extremely gruff, and eventually took down the Major's name, rank and serial number--at which point I sent an emergency flash transmission to NRI that the Senator might come asking questions. It took fast slicing work on my part and that of Crypt Chief Ghent (who, in his position, is one of the Innermost Circle on the "Star Wars" project on the grounds that he can make sure no one finds out anything they do not need to know), but we managed to prevent the Senator from tumbling to the scheme.
An extremely unusual transmission has just been received. The Major had not checked his Terran message system--his "e-mail"--in a few days, as the equipment did not exist on Coruscant to check. But now that we are approaching Terra, the limited hypercomm setup he has for the Terran internet has been in heavy use. One message in particular caught his eye, and led to a rather lengthy diatribe in several languages. I am convinced that the Major has learned the major expletives of most galactic civilizations.
The message in question was from someone that the Major identified as an "old school friend." It detailed how this school friend, by the name of David, had been in Paris--this flagged it as top-priority, as the main team had been in Paris at this time as well--for a fencing competition, and had seen something very unusual while practicing at the Club d'Escrime de la Tour D'Auvergne, a fencing salle in Paris. David has run into four people who had seemed fascinated by the sport. Two of them had eventually suited up for a practice bout, which had quickly devolved into a good old-fashioned swordfight. David closed by saying that as the Major had gotten into fencing through stories like "Star Wars," this would probably appeal to him.
At first I had been extremely confused by the Major's angry response, but then I read more carefully the descriptions of the fencers and their friends. I calculate a better than 75% probability that the four were indeed part of Terra Group's team--less Captain Nolan and Lieutenant Corletti, who had by then been removed from the major party.
The Major seems sure. When I account for what amounts to dramatic irony, I can see why he is so sure. He is angry enough to spit blaster bolts--and somehow, the phrase "he who lives by the sword dies by the sword" seems apropos for the team.