Daughter of Mortis

Clues

Ania tweaked the wiring within her saber hilts, trying to fix a failing power coupling wire that had fried overnight. LD-15 watched her work silently. "You seem distressed," the droid commented.

"I am. There are no clues about where I can find Fulcrum. Everything in the comm tower has been erased."

"Perhaps I can find something for you to use?" The droid offered.

"If you can, I'd appreciate it," Ania said. LD tipped her head and scurried off to find a dataport. Ania quickly fixed up the damaged wiring inside her lightsaber and stood up.

She wandered over to a monitor screen and began to tap absently at the keypad in front of it.  Numerous sources appeared on the screen, drudged up by her absent minded tapping. Ania glanced over the articles, finding nothing of interest. She switched over to an Imperial newsfeed. She watched the reporter point around at the preparations for Empire Day, the 17th one as a matter of fact. Suddenly, her monitor went black and white and fuzzy. Ania peered closer at it.

The screen switched on and showed a set of lines forming a diamond with two small diamonds on the side. "Fulcrum!" She whispered excitedly. A voice began to speak, drowning out the white noise from the interrupted signal.

"Attention, citizens of Lothal! I bring tidings of warning! The Empire is building a new factory within your city. Your resources will be dried up and the land will no longer be fertile. Your streams will be polluted and your animals will die. This new factory will begin producing new heavily armored weaponry which will be tested on your homes! What I say is true. If you wish to help fight against the tyranny that plagues the surface, you must gather beneath their feet. When the sun sheds blood over the land, darkness swathes those who lurk." Fulcrum's voice broke off and the white noise resumed.

Ania balanced her chin on her hand thoughtfully. She could tell the voice had been tampered with, but who he was behind the screen was still a mystery. "Well, at least I have a clue now."

LD-15 clanked into the room with sudden vigor. "Miss Tano, Miss Tano! I have just seen a recording of Fulcrum himself with a message to the people."

"Very good, LD," she praised, even though she had already seen the video. "I've just seen it too. Do you have any idea what Fulcrum was talking about? Meeting beneath their feet?"

"I believe he was talking to the Rebels, Miss. Perhaps he was giving them an encoded message of where to meet."

"Yes, I know that. I mean where does he mean?"

Ania stood up and began to pace, running over the words in her mind. She went back to the monitor and pulled up a 3D map of the city. "If you wish to fight the tyranny on the surface, you must gather beneath their feet." She ran a finger over a small line on the monitors map. She made sure her voice was lowered before exclaiming, "Gather beneath them. That's it! They'll meet in the sewer system, beneath the tyranny that plagues the surface."

"What time?" LD asked.

"When the sun sheds blood over the land, darkness swathes those who lurk. Sunset. He meant at sunset when it's beginning to darken." Ania clipped her lightsabers to her belt and quickly cleared her searches from the monitor. "I'm going to this little meeting, LD. We'll see if Fulcrum really shows up."

"Is that wise, Miss? What if the rebels capture you?" LD's robotic voice still hinted towards concern.

"Don't worry. They'll have no clue that I serve the Empire." Ania stood up and looked at herself in a mirror. The black folds of her garb would be too bulky for the sewers, not to mention they were a dead give away of who she was. She stepped over to the closet that was built in along one wall. There weren't many clothes to choose from. Ania pulled a forest green shirt off the rack and quickly changed. She kept her same pants and boots on, as well as her utility belt.

Ania glanced back at the mirror. Her eyes widened and her breath caught. A vision swam within her gaze, the same one with the blue haired boy. Unshed tears burned her eyelids as she blinked away the vision. "I need a cowl," she said to LD-15. "Please." She didn't know why she felt compelled to add please.

"Of course, Miss Tano," the droid offered a little bow and led the room for a few minutes. When she returned, a brown cowl was draped over her arm. "Here you are."

Ania accepted the cowl and tried it on. The holes were almost two small for her ever growing montrals, but she could easily fix it. She pulled the cowl off and grabbed a cutting blade from the kitchen. She expertly adjusted the holes and then slipped it on again. Her montrals easily slid through this time. She checked the cowls length in the mirror. It was just long enough to hide her sabers. She decided to leave her blasters behind, this time.

Ania drew in a deep breath and steeled her gaze. She peered out the window. The sun was beginning to turn red and the sky was darkening just a bit. "LD, it's time for me to go. Do not tell anyone where I have gone and if they try to check your memory banks, you are to power down and wipe you memory from the last two hours. You understand?"

"Of course, Miss Tano." The droid's golden eyes flickered momentarily.

Ania nodded and stepped out of the apartment. She had left her speeder bike securely locked up at the base of the building. She took a lift down to the ground level and jumped on to the bike. Ania took off quickly, heading deeper into the city where the large sewer covers were located.

She noted several people making their way to the same place. Ania secured the bike a few streets away from her chosen entrance. She wasn't about to risk someone stealing Imperial property. Ania slid silently over to the sewer and waited for the cover to open. Some other people waited beside her. A few of them tried to glimpse her face within her cowl, but she turned away, pulling her cowl over her face. The sewer slid open and she jumped into the dark depths, followed by the others.

There was a solid line of people heading in one direction. Ania fell in line with them and kept her head down. They walked close to 50 yards before coming into a large room, with two fans on one end. The fans were turning slowly, enough to generate a cool breeze. Ania did a quick headcount. Nearly 78 people filled the chamber.

    Ania looked around for someone who could pass as Fulcrum. People pushed past her, making their way towards the center of the chamber. She let them carry her along. There was a makeshift dais in the chamber. A Togruta stood on the dais, a white cowl covering her features.

    The woman stood up and let her voice ring over the crowd. "Citizens of Lothal! The time to strike is approaching!"

    Ania's blue eyes widened. Fulcrum!