Late night. The others have not returned yet, and I dare not overuse the comms. Officer Madar fell for our ruse, but it was not easy. I feel that the Force guided the situation - he is usually a more disciplined officer. But the combination of his favorite music and drink led to a late stay - he will be reprimanded if anyone reports his actions tonight.

I was quite impressed with Tor-nenko and Dash; they boldly marched up to Madar and acquired his signature on a requisition form that Tor-nenko cooked up. Risky, but one that worked this time. We shall see how drunk Madar was, and how clever his little mind is.

In any case, my job was surprisingly successful, and once Madar finally left to lead the raid on the Takkas, I casually packed away my lute and headed to the back. I began working on a draft of my report to Compatriot; while she believes the Alliance can do little directly for us on Balmorra, if they see our operation as profitable we may benefit from what little resources they can spare.

I just received a comm from Sprend. It sounds bad - the Takkas were slow to leave, and Madar's squads arrived and opened fire. So typical - the Imps seem to believe every problem can be resolved by brute force.

Thankfully Gold Squad arrived quickly. Their mission went very smoothly by all reports - am I paranoid to think perhaps too smoothly? - and Marv and I ran out to meet them. We quickly uncoupled the hoversled and I ordered them to get to the apartments ASAP. Dash looked a bit too excited as he rocketed off, the speeder's spray soaking us completely. I looked at Marv, shook my head with a wry grin, and headed back inside.

The printing press was bulky but we managed to pack it in the safehouse - we had an empty room that has enough power. Now for further waiting.

---

I slept in this morning - it was an incredibly late night. It is a good thing that the other Peers hate mornings, and so I have no appointments until the afternoon. In any case, the rest of the story:

I had been on my third cup of caf when Dash drove in. I ran outside, and helped Grexi Takka in with her young toddler, Bobo. He was still screaming, poor thing. I tuned up my lute and started to hum a lullaby while Dash spoke with Grexi for a moment. It was not long before the little one was asleep, and Dash was on his way back to pick up the rest with the hoversled attached. Marv and I prepared some hot drinks while we waited, and chatted about old times. And how the times have changed.

Damaria arrived next, dripping wet, and even exhausted, she looked absolutely… discipline, Swift; focus on the mission. She had returned with an Imperial Speeder, and Chulo slumped on, clearly injured. I nodded to Marsand, and Marv helped me carry Chulo inside. Grexi took over his care, carrying an old towel to dry him off and exclaiming over his wounds, and Marve helped her carry Chulo down into the Safehouse.

I wanted to take the opportunity to talk to Damaria in private about the Force, to enjoy a simple conversation, but my old fears welled up. Flashback to Circe; beautiful, deadly… I made some inane comment about being soaked, and turned away as Dash's speeder pulled up. Honestly.

I turned my attention to the rest of the group and ushered them into the closed cantina. We sat and debriefed, and I tried to assure the team.

Dash had found a customer list with my name on it - a good catch, and I clapped his shoulder in a gesture of confidence. I hope he does not choke in the future - the extra minutes he spent trying to track down the others could have cost us the Takkas. But he is young, I need to give him space and trust to grow.

Tor-nenko received a handshake, man to man; I told him he went above and beyond his mission - the imperial codes will be valuable. Sprend received a nod - I expressed my respect for his bravery, covering the retreat and standing firm in the midst of danger.

Damaria - a broad smile, and I enforced how her words were the difference between success and failure with the Takkas. Her confidence needs boosting, and she needs to let go of her past… Then again, who am I to judge?

It also looks like Vinny the cab driver is joining us. He was clearly in a state of shock, and immediately retired to the Safehouse. Unexpected, but welcome. Hopefully he still likes us in the morning - at least we know he hates the Imps.

Grexi came back upstairs as we spoke, and handed us an old datachip they had discovered to show her gratitude. We popped it into the datapad, and after Tor-nenko decrypted the introduction, a hologram appeared. The Cerean was strangely familiar - I will have to research who it is. I am sure I have come across his face before in my studies.

He mentioned a Jedi tomb here on Balmorra - this is fascinating! If Ms. Marsand and I managed to discover this location, we might be able to further develop our Force abilities - I have a feeling that this may mean the difference between life and death for our Resistance.

As we wrapped up, I tried to project cheerfulness, but I am very concerned with our overt approach. Perhaps it will work out, but if the Empire ever realizes what is happening here, they will destroy us. And as I know full well, mercy is not in their limited vocabulary.

I have a bad feeling about this.

---

XP expenditure

Back to today - I spent my morning meditating, trying to recall whatever I can about the Force, flipping through a rare book hidden in my parents' – my library. I came across a reference to Jedi mind tricks, the power of suggestion boosted by connecting with another through the Force. On my stroll at noon, I tested this out on an unsuspecting deathstick addict. “I will re-consider my habits, and use the extra money to feed the poor.” I am not certain how long it will last - at the end of the block the lad shook his head, and pulled another deathstick from his pocket. I slipped out of sight - I need more practice.

Influence Force Control upgrade: Make an opposed Discipline vs Discipline check combined with the Influence power check. Spend 'li' on a successful check to force the target to adopt an emotional state or believe something untrue, lasting for 1 round/5 minutes.

---

I tried the mind trick again today, I think I'm getting the knack. I convinced a young boy to listen to his mother, yelling at him to come in for lunch. I hope it was not too obvious.

After an extremely boring session at the Assembly, I had a late lunch with Baron Telmarr. He seemed willing to secure some supplies for me. Telmarr had also been a client of the Takkas, and knew about the raid, and was grateful the Empire did not discover anything that incriminated him.

It turns out that my caterer, Pohni Kor'al, was sick, so he sent his assistant COO cook droid. Thankfully an upgraded model, not the horrible stock version… ugh. This one seemed quite competent, and the peppercorn steaks were marinating in the kitchen when the others arrived.

Everyone showed up except for Dash. Tor-nenko had not RSVP'd, but I think Marv forced him to come along. It was a pleasant evening, and the COO droid was quite the entertainer, flipping sizzling steaks like a juggler as he served us. The crazy thing told jokes, too. Rather low-brow for my tastes, but I think it went over well.

All in all, a refreshing time. If our fledgling team will survive, we really need to bond, so I consider the evening a success.

After the others left, I invited Damaria to the parlour to discuss our situation. I decided to get straight to the heart of the matter, and told her about Circe's betrayal. It was a risk, laying it out, knowing that she could also be an Inquisitor, but I feel that I can trust Damaria, though logically she would be an excellent candidate for a spy.

I think in the end, I simply am not important enough to garner attention from the upper echelons of the Empire - honestly, I doubt I have done anything significant over the past 15 years. And if Damaria is not to be trusted, then everything I have worked for is already destroyed; if she is an ally, then I would destroy what little our team has by not trusting her, so the decision was simple in the end. I have no other hope.

Once I made that decision, I told her of my parents' cache of Jedi artifacts, “confiscated” by the Empire. I am sure it is in a secure warehouse somewhere on Balmorra; and it is likely only collecting dust. Perhaps she can track it down through her contacts - maybe Dash can help as well. Though it may be dangerous to be poking around.

In any case, I feel somewhat relieved that I have been able to speak about Circe – silence for so many years has created a ghost that now has a chance to be exorcised. A dark secret released is bacta for the soul.

Further XP expediture:

Uncanny Reactions - add to al Vigilance checks. By trusting Damaria instead of living in fear, he is opening up to the Force, and the Force guides him.