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The ice formations drifted past the window, cold and sharp their slow movements were distracting or at least more interesting than the data pad in his hand. Bode leaned back against the sofa resting one foot against the table, he propped the data pad against his knee and with a sigh he scrolled back a few lines. The climate controls wouldn't let the room be actually cold but he shivered and tried to return to the data pad.
"Dammit" he threw the report down, disgusted and not caring, that it bounced off the cushion to clatter onto the floor. It wasn't just uninteresting. It was flat out wrong riddled with assumptions that were contradictory and solely for propaganda purposes. Those assumptions were going to get people killed.
Kata had been laying on a blanket in front of him colouring in a picture book. It looked like storm troopers helping a happy population. Kata had been adding accent colours to the troopers armour as if they were clone troopers from the war.
Bode looked down at his startled daughter and sighed again. He scrubbed his hand over his face feeling the slight stubble that he had yet to clean off. He had to finish his corrections and analysis on the report by tonight, well, the analysis he was allowed to put down. "I'm sorry Kata." He let his hands fall down at his sides. "I'm truly sorry Kata. I know this isn't the life I promised you."
"It's okay Papa. I know the galaxy isn't a nice place and I'm just glad you're safe." His daughter answered from the blanket. She began collecting her pencil crayons. "Are we going to have dinner soon?"
"Sure little star in fact why don't I do that right now." He agreed standing up.
When his com link beeped for his attention. Denvik had a message for him. Another meeting in the office about his plans to replace the Inquisition, a stupid and dangerous pipedream, this meeting would be more of the same and a waste of his time. How long would it take this time and what was the hair thin justification Denvik was using this time to make sure it was just them in his office. Bode scrolled through the message nodding to himself and memorizing the cover he would have to use of questioned only to stop dead on the last line.
"And Kata?" Shock force the words out of him as he read them.
"Papa?" She asked from where she was kneeling on the floor folding up her blanket.
"It's nothing little star, just a weird message. Probably some sort of error, I'm going to check it." He answered her thumbing the code for Denvik into the comlink as he brought it to his lips
"Sir, I just received your message and I have some questions about it." Bode stood up and walked down the few steps towards his room and away from Kata, so she would hopefully not worry.
"Yes, your questions agent?" Was the reply. So, he's not alone.
"I just wanted to confirm that all personnel that are listed in the message are required to attend."
"Yes," his chair squeaked and Denvik's voice changed a little. Maybe turning away from whoever else is with him. "All, personnel listed are required to attend for the most efficient facilitation of the meetings. If all requirements are met then we will be able to return to our regular duties and put this mess behind us, I trust you understand agent."
That's a strange answer.
"Yes, sir. We will be there shortly." Bode clicked off the com link and looked up at Kata who hadn't moved since he'd walked down the stairs. "We have to go meet with Commander Denvik, I want you to be quiet in less asked a question, little star. Hopefully will be able to get back soon and I'll make Latron stew."
"Sounds good Papa." She answered getting up from her blanket.
Holding Kata's hand as they walked through the sterile white corridors of Nova Garron. Most the people on duty seemed to be storm troopers in full armour. No, standard ISB personnel, nothing about this was making any sense but more than anything else. Why Kata too?
The door to Denvik's office slid open smoothly as always, commander was at his desk and his expression was strained professionalism. He sat stiff directly in front of his desk not looking at the only other figure in the room. They had their back to the door and were staring out the window. Dressed in a floor length black cloak they turned at his entrance, and angular black helmet cover their face and one black gloved hand raised towards him.
"No." Bode whispered gathering force energy to shove at the inquisitor as he charged forward. Please run and hide little star, please find a way to live.
When the voice reached him 'sleep' it was oddly familiar.
Bode fell to the ground in midstride like a puppet with the strings cut and slid over the smooth metal floor to stop at the inquisitor's feet. The mask turned to face Kata. "Walk be carried?"
"Papa!" She rushed forward to crouched beside Bode spreading her arms to try and stop the black figure.
The inquisitor ignored her as he casually lifted Bode up and onto their shoulder and began to walk out of the office with him dangling limply over their shoulder. The inquisitor paused in the doorway, turning to the frozen man in the chair. "The Empire thanks you for your service this day. But Vader will still hear of your plan." He strode forward across the threshold and Kata scrambled to follow before the motion sensor close the door on her.
--
Bode woke on something soft, whatever it was it vibrated with the sound of an engine in hyperspace. He was on the couch in the central area of a nighthawk shuttle, the kitchen at his feet and the cockpit by his head with its door open. A way to familiar voice speaking.
"Now I better go make sure, that they both alright."
The inquisitor turned the chair and stood up, they weren't wearing the mask and the yellow line across their face had to be fake. But the lack of helmet was a good enough reason to try again and then he had to go find Kata.
Bode surged his feet with force power and charged this time he caught the inquisitor by surprise and with enhanced strength drove them to the floor. Now that they were down there was no way they were getting back up, he rained blows on the traitor's arms. The inquisitor had barely got them up to protect himself. "Bastard, how could you? Was everything just a lie? After everything how could you just give up?" He screamed as his vision blurred with tears.
His hands were caught and held.
"Look at me munchkin, am I really what you fear?"
Shaking his head as the tears continued to fall.
"Look. It's okay." In spite of everything the voice was soft.
"Quinn no, please. I can't."
"Please, munchkin it'll be okay I promise."
And he was let go.
Staring down at the figure beneath him still dressed in inquisitorial black and red, Bode opened his senses for the first time in so long. Wincing he carefully, shyly turned them to the person. No. Inquisitor under him. But he wasn't.
"Where were you, master?" He collapsed on Quinn's chest and arms he hadn't felt in a long time closed around him, once he hadn't felt since before.
"Not, where you needed me. I'm so sorry munchkin." Quinn stroked his hair and gently pressed his head into his shoulder the fabric was already wet.
--
Quinn stretched his arms up over his head he had been sitting in the chair for hours. Ever since he got back shipboard, holding the data pad in his offhand and only occasionally typing on the console in front of him. Normally it would be a good clue to go for a med scan, that things had gone messy and that had led to selflessness. Sometimes it was better to leave him to sweat it out until he was ready to address it. But the untouched plate the fact that he'd barely acknowledged Kata when she put it down beside him.
With a sigh Bobe picked up the cup of still steaming caf that he'd been mixing, it was time for more drastic measures to convince him to take a break and explain what happened. And to make sure nothing serious had happened.
"Hey boss, long mission?" He deliberately reached in front of Quinn to put the mug in the holder at the other end of the console.
Quinn jumped a little as he looked up at his Padawan, "oh, munchkin, I didn't see you there. Something you need?" Tapped the console to save his work.
"Oh, I noticed. Time for a break, boss." He reached down and spun the chair to face him.
"Munchkin." Quinn sighed and made to turn the chair back.
Bode didn't let him. "What are you doing that so important that it can't wait or be passed to me, hmm?" He asked leaning his weight on the arms of the chair forcing it to stay in place.
Quinn sighed again and let his head fall back against the seat cushion, Bode waited him out letting him breathe. "I'm sorry Bode." He paused before continuing even more of the tension seeming to leave his shoulders. "It's just there's an a new cell that's appeared and they have a suspicious amount of resources. Enough that I'm actually worried about it. But I wanted to confirm things before setting up any kind of investigation."
"And did you? Because I've been monitoring some stuff on the shadow accounts and a couple other sectors that I think may be related." Bode offered stepping back and beckoning back towards the central area of the shuttle. "I'll tell you about it while we eat lunch." He said while gently tugging Quinn to his feet.
"Bode." Quinn complained fond exasperation but allowed himself to be pulled to his feet.
"Okay. But only a sample and the rest after the meal. I still remember the rules around here." Bode shook a fond finger at his master. But relented at Quinn's raised eyebrow. "Their main ship his called the Stinger Mantis."