The Negotiator and the Fire Fang

The Cantina

"If you knew Dooku was Tyranus, does that mean you know about Sifo-Dyas?" Kenobi asked carefully.

"Yes. We know Dooku involved himself in the creation of the clones and had murdered Sifo-Dyas, but that is it." Kenobi had a flare of anger in his chest, one released and before continuing.

"And you kept this from the Council." he stated bluntly. Cordelia shrugged nonchalantly, like they were talking about the weather, not a murder plot.

"We only reveal information when it is critical to maintaining the balance. We do not cause one side to have an advantage over the other. It is not our way. How would the Jedi feel if we divulged sensitive information of the Republic to the Separatists?" she asked him. He weighed the significance of what she said and accepted it. Understood it. He started walking again.

"So you don't know anything of Dooku's master?" Kenobi asked once again, his hope slipping away. The Count was once a Jedi Knight, a trusted friend, before he betrayed the Order. His master, however, the Sith Lord... They didn't even know a name and if Cordelia is telling the truth, neither did they.

"No." she answered, shaking her head. "Just that he killed Plagueis the Wise. This lack of information makes us very uneasy." Kenobi sighed. "Tell me about it." he stated.

"Obi-Wan?" she asked meekly as she stopped short of walking into Solari's Cantina. She turned her eyes on him again. They were soft, sad.

"Let's keep this between us. The Abominations of the Force, Plagueis, everything." she asked simply. Kenobi raised an eyebrow.

"And why is that?" he responded. She looked down at her feet.

"Well, we keep the Abominations secret to prevent any temptation to read them. I wasn't supposed to tell you, but I trust you. Plus I wasn't exacting thinking straight at the time. I was still a little woosy." she told him sheepishly. Kenobi gave her a look.

"You know I have to tell Masters Windu and Yoda." he replied. She nodded. "That's alright. I trust them. I just don't want the whole Order to know." Kenobi pinched the bridge of his nose.

"My question is, what's stopping Sykes from revealing this information to Dooku?" he asked. Cordelia turned forward.

"He doesn't know it." She stepped into the cantina, gesturing for Obi-Wan to follow. "Do you know how our hierarchy works?" Cordelia asked.

"A little bit." Kenobi said, their conversation pausing as they walked through the door.

The cantina was what you would expect. Dark, dingy, dirty, the works. Vagabonds and criminal scum were everywhere. The tables covered in grime, a few suspicious looking stains on the floor, barely clean glasses. Posters covered the walls and aliens and humans from all over the galaxy filled the booths. Weequays, Ithorians, Zabraks, Twi'Leks, you name it. A waiter came and dropped two drinks on their table as they sat down in booth hidden in the corner.

"Uhh, we didn't order these." Cordelia said as the waiter, who was a species Kenobi didn't recognize, walked away. He ignored the Gray. She pushed hers away.

"Probably spiked." she stated. Kenobi made a face as he noticed a dark stain on the table. Well, at least he didn't have to eat anything here. He looked at the Gray from across the table.

"So the hierarchy works like this: There are initiates, who would be the equivalent to a youngling. An abecedarian, which would be a padawan." she said as she looked around the room for Sykes.

"An adept would be a knight and an elder would be a master. But we don't have a council, like you. We have the Palatial Elder. She is the leader. Under her are the six Elders, three of Bogun, three of Ashla." she explained.