they cancelled the coin. It’s the rarest in the galaxy now.”
“That’s mildly interesting,” Astri said, “but what are you going to do with it?”
Instead of answering, Clive also took an ID security card out of his pocket. “Not a real one, a fake one,” he explained. “They use a cheaper plastoid. Works better.”
Astri stepped back from the door. Clive warmed the coin in his hands, then slid it into the hinge of the security panel. After a moment he was able to slide in the ID security card. The security
panel popped open. He studied the circuitry for a moment, then took a small electronic device out of his pocket, attached it, and pressed a sequence of keys. Astri heard a small electronic beep and
the door slid open.
“Okay, I’m impressed,” she said, before walking in.
“Mildly?” Clive asked as he followed her. “Or extremely?”
The hallway was dark and cool. Astri moved carefully, trying not to make a sound. Her blaster was in her hand now.
They explored the lower floor. The house was furnished in comfortable style, with sleep couches covered in plush fabrics and colorful rugs on the stone floors. The wide windows took in a view of
the sea far below. A protocol droid stood inactive in the hallway near the massive front door. The kitchen was stocked with prepared food in the freezer.
“It’s just waiting for a visit,” Astri said in a whisper. “You could just walk in the door.”
“No dust,” Clive said. “I wonder if the housekeeping droids are activated on a timer.”
Upstairs was a bedroom and a small office. There was no datapad that they could find.
There were several white robes and tunics of varying fabrics hanging in the closet. They could have belonged to a male or female. No clothing was in the drawers.
Clive shook his head. “No information here. If this is Eve Yarrow’s house, she doesn’t use it much. We can’t tie her to Flame or even the Empire if there’s nothing
here to find.”
“Let’s look downstairs again,” Astri suggested. “If something’s here, it won’t be in the obvious places.”
They returned down to the main level. Clive examined the shelves. He gave a low whistle.
He picked up a dark crystal embedded in a polished stone and held it up. “Look at this.” The crystal refracted the dim light in the room and sent shadows skittering on the white
walls. “It’s the Emperor’s Favor.”
Astri moved closer, examining the crystal. At first it had looked stark and beautiful, but something about it made her shudder.
“A hunk of rare obsolite crystal embedded in stone from Korriban,” Clive explained. He put the object back and rubbed his hands on his tunic. “Given to the chosen of the
Empire’s elite. Heroes of the Clone Wars. Those who do special favors.”
“Very interesting,” Astri said. “So Eve Yarrow is in the Empire’s elite. She’s been rewarded for something.”
She turned and continued her examination of the room. Suddenly she stopped and looked at the windows and walls. She paced the room, back and forth. “Something’s off,” she said.
“The dimensions of the room. Looking at it from the mountain…there should be another room.”
Clive followed her out into the hallway, where Astri pressed her fingers against the wall. “It doesn’t make sense,” she murmured.
Clive let her explore. Suddenly she crouched down in the hall. She ran her fingers along the wall. She knocked on it. “Here. A hidden room.”
Clive joined her. “If you say so. But how do we find it?”
Astri stepped back. Her eyes roamed over the hallway. Suddenly she sprang forward toward the laser painting of the house that hung on the wall. She tilted it this way and that.
A beam of light shot out from the sun in the painting and hit the opposite wall. Slowly the wall slid back.
“How did you do that?” Clive asked, shaking his head in admiration.
“I heard of using laser paintings as security devices,” Astri said. “It’s a
“That’s mildly interesting,” Astri said, “but what are you going to do with it?”
Instead of answering, Clive also took an ID security card out of his pocket. “Not a real one, a fake one,” he explained. “They use a cheaper plastoid. Works better.”
Astri stepped back from the door. Clive warmed the coin in his hands, then slid it into the hinge of the security panel. After a moment he was able to slide in the ID security card. The security
panel popped open. He studied the circuitry for a moment, then took a small electronic device out of his pocket, attached it, and pressed a sequence of keys. Astri heard a small electronic beep and
the door slid open.
“Okay, I’m impressed,” she said, before walking in.
“Mildly?” Clive asked as he followed her. “Or extremely?”
The hallway was dark and cool. Astri moved carefully, trying not to make a sound. Her blaster was in her hand now.
They explored the lower floor. The house was furnished in comfortable style, with sleep couches covered in plush fabrics and colorful rugs on the stone floors. The wide windows took in a view of
the sea far below. A protocol droid stood inactive in the hallway near the massive front door. The kitchen was stocked with prepared food in the freezer.
“It’s just waiting for a visit,” Astri said in a whisper. “You could just walk in the door.”
“No dust,” Clive said. “I wonder if the housekeeping droids are activated on a timer.”
Upstairs was a bedroom and a small office. There was no datapad that they could find.
There were several white robes and tunics of varying fabrics hanging in the closet. They could have belonged to a male or female. No clothing was in the drawers.
Clive shook his head. “No information here. If this is Eve Yarrow’s house, she doesn’t use it much. We can’t tie her to Flame or even the Empire if there’s nothing
here to find.”
“Let’s look downstairs again,” Astri suggested. “If something’s here, it won’t be in the obvious places.”
They returned down to the main level. Clive examined the shelves. He gave a low whistle.
He picked up a dark crystal embedded in a polished stone and held it up. “Look at this.” The crystal refracted the dim light in the room and sent shadows skittering on the white
walls. “It’s the Emperor’s Favor.”
Astri moved closer, examining the crystal. At first it had looked stark and beautiful, but something about it made her shudder.
“A hunk of rare obsolite crystal embedded in stone from Korriban,” Clive explained. He put the object back and rubbed his hands on his tunic. “Given to the chosen of the
Empire’s elite. Heroes of the Clone Wars. Those who do special favors.”
“Very interesting,” Astri said. “So Eve Yarrow is in the Empire’s elite. She’s been rewarded for something.”
She turned and continued her examination of the room. Suddenly she stopped and looked at the windows and walls. She paced the room, back and forth. “Something’s off,” she said.
“The dimensions of the room. Looking at it from the mountain…there should be another room.”
Clive followed her out into the hallway, where Astri pressed her fingers against the wall. “It doesn’t make sense,” she murmured.
Clive let her explore. Suddenly she crouched down in the hall. She ran her fingers along the wall. She knocked on it. “Here. A hidden room.”
Clive joined her. “If you say so. But how do we find it?”
Astri stepped back. Her eyes roamed over the hallway. Suddenly she sprang forward toward the laser painting of the house that hung on the wall. She tilted it this way and that.
A beam of light shot out from the sun in the painting and hit the opposite wall. Slowly the wall slid back.
“How did you do that?” Clive asked, shaking his head in admiration.
“I heard of using laser paintings as security devices,” Astri said. “It’s a
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