Date 10: Registered Intersystem Ferry Daekun's Shadow

originally written in March of 2011, still needs a complete rewrite

"Ah, Vanya; you're in-system a day early!" Sir Tam greeted her holoprojection warmly.

"That was the plan. Starting with the bad news first: I'm very sorry, Davish, I'm going to have to cancel. I thought I could get all my errands done today and tomorrow morning, but at this rate ... well. By the time I get the mess here cleaned up, and then get the research done, it'll be time to hop a transport for the Freeworlds. Can we reschedule for fifty days ahead?"

Fifty days? Why not just say "ten weeks"? Frowning at the oddness, he answered gravely, "I'll have to check my schedule. Are you ... in need of support?"

"Oh, heck, no!" She blew a few strands of loose hair out of her face in an exasperated-amused huff. "This is my one HoloNet call to alert my ransomers. We've got pirates holding us hostage. I told them nobody would pay a ransom for me, we're not that kind of monks, but if they're going to insist on having me contact somebody, I might as well deal with our date."

"I see. In that case, I wish you a pleasant time, and I'll email you when I have spoken with my Captain."

As the disconnect caused her cheerfully waving projection to vanish, Davish sat back thoughtfully.

"They must be fairly stupid pirates," Imperial Knight Commander Marques observed: "First they let the Jedi talk, then they let her talk to someone off the ship, and finally they let her say whatever she wants. First and fifty? That's obviously a specific reference to someone's identity."

"Of course; it's the fiftieth entry in her Most Likely Suspects database," he confirmed. "Looks like ... Crimson Banner. Which rather explains why she didn't say the name. Odd, though, she lists them as 'very businesslike', instead of 'dumb as a post'."

Leaning over his shoulder, Marques asked archly, "A suspects database? Now just why do I not have a copy of this?"

"Propriety, ma'am. You have to meet the woman before you can have a copy of her personal files."

She gave him a brief edition of The Look before moving onward briskly. "Well, alert whichever authority you find appropriate; we'll be entering hyperspace in twenty minutes."

Apparently, since he didn't have a rendezvous, he no longer had the next day off-duty; Davish scrolled quickly through a list of currently active local holocomm addresses. Fortunately, one name appeared in the middle of the list that Vanya had referenced in passing, several months ago. Davish quickly sent a request for connection.

"Sergeant Jelal, good morning! Are you aware of the current problem with your Jedi?"

Clone Trooper Jelal stared back at Davish for a heartbeat, then sighed. "No, sir, I wasn't. What has Vanya gotten into now?"

"Oh, she has an unspecified number of pirates trapped on a hijacked public transport with her...."