MIA [Satkia]

[Maize Wayne]

Despite his experience and lengthy travels, there were many mysteries of the galaxy that still baffled Maize Wayne. Curiosities both great and small, personal and impersonal. There were two such "wonders" plaguing his consciousness at the moment: one was his company, and the other was an old friend gone missing.

The cyber attacks against WayneTech had stopped. His incompetent IT staff - who had now been replaced - had been unable to narrow down the breach. And, just like that, it had stopped. That worried the businessman because Maize doubted that the situation was finished; he was quite certain the problems were just beginning.

Then, there was the issue of a certain Corellian Jedi Master, Spark Vallen. As Satkia knew, she'd had a break-up with her girlfriend. Spark had resigned her seat on the Jedi Council, and had vanished. No one had heard from her since, and no subtle efforts of Maize's to locate her had found a trace.

Such were his musings as he sat at the kitchen table with his datapad. Maize was retracing his steps on both issues, outlining and making notes. They weren't leading him anywhere, but at least it kept his mind busy as Satkia tucked their daughter into bed.

[Satkia Beltrak]

Satkia spent longer than usual to get Rya to fall asleep. The little girl had taken an unexpected nap earlier in the day at the Jedi Enclave, and had thus been full of energy at evening time. After two long stories, the mini redhead was finally in slumber. Stiffling a yawn, the petite Nar Shaddian quietly got up and put the holo reader back on the shelf.

She finally got time to take a quick shower as things had been busy since she had returned home a few hours earlier. Pulling her wet ginger locks into a loose braid afterwards, Satkia then headed downstairs where her husband still was. She knew that he didn't think the issues at WayneTech were over, and she couldn't disagree with him. She couldn't put her finger on what was to happen, but she knew that this felt like a beginning.

"Want some tea or caf?" She inquired as she stopped by his side, resting her hands on his shoulders and kissing the top of his head. "WayneTech or Spark?" She then asked as he was busy with notes. They had both tried to find trails of their friend who had up and went months ago.

[Maize Wayne]

"Tea. Otherwise, I'll be up all night," Maize said with a sigh. "Both."

He sighed and sat back in the chair, tossing the stylus onto the table. Maize rippled agitation because both problems mystified him.

"I can't find the pattern with WayneTech, nor a lead with Sparkler." He frowned, looking to his wife. "And you interrogated... sorry, questioned, her ex, right? That Sinead chick?"

Spark and his fem. I still can't wrap my head around that. Even if Aurrie married a woman. Spark? Really?

[Satkia Beltrak]

"If you're up all night, then I'll end doing the same. I'll make us some tea." Satkia replied, knowing that she tended to need reminders to get rest at times, though she was doing better at that since she was living on Corellia.

"I couldn't find it either for WayneTech. Gods know I tried. But slicing and actual computer stuff isn't my forte. If you had had problems with manufacturing lines, I'd probably have been more helpful." And trying to glean insight through the Force hadn't produced any positive results. She knew something was lurking, but she couldn't put her finger on it.

"Yeah, I managed to get a hold of her ex before the woman up and went from Yavin VIII. She looked devastated to say the least." She hadn't known Sinead much, but the woman had worked at the tavern for free to help whenever she wasn't off world working.

"The woman went up the hierarchy in the Hutt Cartel but gaining more information about her didn't bring much result." The redhead sighed. "I know Spark is still alive. That's a gut feeling I know I can trust, but everything else is hollow."

[Maize Wayne]

Maize's gaze asked a silent question: So you're sure the ex didn't kidnap her, huh?

He sighed and had to admit that not everyone resorted to the sort of tactics he would have employed. Maize went back to looking at his list, tapping the stylus against it.

"She's not been located on any Jedi or New Republic controlled worlds. I know she's skilled, but I just can't see Spark the type to be able to go completely off the grid. Not in this day and age. What do you think, hon? If you were she, where would you go?"

[Satkia Beltrak]

"Sinead is a mercenary but if there is one thing I know it's that she could never hurt Spark." She suddenly recalled something. "Wait... Did you know a Sith named James Icarus? Do you think he could do something to Spark? Sinead was related to him, though not a sibling or kid... Probably a cousin."

She brought the tea to the table and poured a cup for each of them, before sitting next to her husband. "I reached out to some of my contacts in the Republic, but I confirm there was no trace of her there."

At Maize's question about where she'd go. "Well, given that I stuck to Yavin VIII even after almost dying in childbirth at the same time I finalized my divorce, I'm not sure I'm a good example. My dream back then was Corellia and if I had really gone off the grid, it'd be in the unknown regions."

She sighed. "I know that Spark had a wandering streak but I'm not sure she'd have gone that far. I didn't get to check Kashyyk yet, as I know she went there a couple of times. And I had been thinking about looking for her hide in Tatooine, but I think Sinead had already gone there without any result."

[Maize Wayne]

Maize immediately thought of Bruwarook and Gra'har, the two Wookiees with which he'd had serious interaction over the years. Brewwie and Spark had trained together on Zhar for a time, he recalled, so trying to find the Jedi Guardian and questioning him might be a possibility.

"Kashyyyk," he repeated thoughtfully.

Yes, I could see Spark hiding out there as a recluse Jedi, he thought. She'd be right at home in a Wookiee village, or near one.

"Do you ever hear from Bruwarook?" Maize asked Satkia. "Is he reachable?"

[Satkia Beltrak]

Kashyyk might be the only lead unexplored they had for the time being. Satkia was still musing on it, as she sipped on her tea. To her husband's question, she didn't have a clear cut answer. "I heard from him the last time he was on Yavin VIII but it was a while ago. I believe he's back on his home world but it doesn't mean that he's easy to reach. I only know the general whereabouts of his village area."

She felt so helpless over all of this. That was when she had a sudden idea. She chewed on her bottom lip as she didn't think that Maize really want to hear that, but it might make some sense. "Would Spark have reached out to Keir and Aurelia?" She knew that they were like an aunt to them, since she had helped Kassandra give birth to them. Sure thing, her step children were imperials, but one never knew what might happen.

[Maize Wayne]

Maize understood Satkia's implicit re-direction about Kashyyyk. She knew he was ready to jump in the Sabre and go roaring off there in search of Spark, without a plan or any real lead. And the forest-covered world was immense! But, he could only shrug at the mention of his kids.

"Not that I'd know of. I'm sure Keir would mention it, since he will still interact with me, albeit occasionally."

He didn't bother to even reference Aurelia because they both knew she was not on speaking terms with him. Maize doubted that if he even inquired to her about Spark that she'd return the comm or answer it.

"Well, we're not doing a very good job at solving the galaxy's problems tonight, are we," he groused, taking a sip of tea finally.

[Satkia Beltrak]

"I didn't see Spark going to the Empire by her own decision but at the same time, I'm at such a loss to guess where she might have gone off." Satkia shrugged, wishing she could do better.

She technically had someone she could contact as well among the imperials, but she preferred not to, given how much she bet his mother had a dangerous endgame planned for her. And since she was still on top of the most wanted persons in the eyes of the imperial military commander, she really stayed as far as possible from anything imperial, if she could avoid it. Regardless of what had happened, she still considered Keir and Aurelia as family and would help them if she needed to, but that was the extent of what she was willing to do in association with imperials.

"Not really." She sighed in defeat. "Is there any other place from Spark's history you believe she had might gone to, even for a while, that we might explore?"

[Maize Wayne]

Maize sat back, frowning, as he folded his arms across his chest.

"Nah. I mean... it's here. Zhar, Kashyyyk, Yavin. And wherever it was her smuggler chick came from," he said, his aggravated tone slipping into that dismissive and arrogant way he would refer to others while a Sith. "It wasn't like she had a lot of locales that I knew about. Dren."

The Corellian was very annoyed by this because he felt like Spark was in trouble, though he couldn't say why he felt that so strongly. There was no indication of that, only that she'd gone AWOL.

[Satkia Beltrak]

"We can go after Sinead to speak to her again, if you wish." Satkia had already asked the mercenary what she could but if it could bring Maize some peace of mind to speak to her himself, they could catch her somewhere, at least on Drifter's.

"I'm sorry." She sighed. "So much for being married to a Jedi Master who can't be more helpful." She got to her feet and walked up to watch outside in the darkness. "I know she's somewhere out there. I know she's alive but it doesn't feel comforting."

[Maize Wayne]

"Nah. If you don't think Sinead had anything to do with this, I trust you," Maize said with a sigh.

He drew several large question marks on his notes, nearly obscuring what he'd jotted down. Shaking his head, he tossed the stylus on the table and walked over to Satkia.

"How about a trip to Zhar or Kashyyyk, just to see if we get a vibe being there? Is your schedule free enough with Bryce helping you out?"

[Satkia Beltrak]

Satkia nodded in silence to Maize's remark, before looking at him when he came to her side. She rested her head against him, her gaze still venturing outside in the dark.

"We could do both." It was the only possible lead they had for the time being. She wasn't due for a trip to Yavin VIII before a while and since her husband wasn't needed for Republic business right away, they might as well use this opportunity.

"Bryce can take care of things and he has Lorenza and other Jedi to help him. I'll call my parents so they may look after the little one."

[Maize Wayne]

Maize smiled tightly, feeling relieved that Satkia agreed to this.

"Maybe just Kashyyyk. I think I half-remember that Zhar had undergone bombardment or something," he said, realizing there were still holes in his memory. "I can't imagine she'd go somewhere like that that'd be inhospitable. Kashyyyk, then we can check in on Brewwie too, maybe."