One is Most Pleased

The Grand Admiral emerged with his guards from the turbolift, whenever he stood before Ko-Bos-Jezz's strange temple he always took a moment to admire it. Inside his brain he spent his time trying to decipher its secrets, what possessed this long dead Cerean to create such a place, why did he think he could decipher the secrets of the force. He had heard from some of his peers that the archeologist and her droid had discovered something hidden in the tomb of Ko-Bos-Jezz. Commander Luando stepped in front of him and nodded politely: "Grand Admiral, so good to have you back at the site."

"Pleasure, I'm only back because I hear that girl of yours has found something?" Abalam said tightly crossing his arms together.

"Yes, Adna Zaitoona?"

"Yes her. Where is she? I would very much like to speak to her." The Grand Admiral looked around the temple opening, there was no sign of her.

"Miss Zaitoona!" Luando called, suddenly the archaeologist emerged from behind an old stone pillar. "There you are."

"Here I am," Adna smiled, she began to slowly approach Abalam somewhat intimidated by his party of Stormtroopers. "I found something in the tomb, something your old friend Ko-Bos-Jezz was hiding."

"What did you find?" Darsh Abalam peered his head towards Zaitoona. The archaeologist pulled the Holocron type artifact from the safety of her pouch and handed it to Abalam, he looked excitedly into the jewel-encrusted device. "It's beautiful, tell me girl, where was it?"

"In a chest... caked in mud," Zaitoona began. "Do you even know what you are looking at Grand Admiral?"

"Where are your manners Miss Zaitoona?" Luando sneered.

"Apologies Commander."

"No, no it's quite fine Commander Luando. One is most pleased with the find and to answer your question Miss Zaitoona I believe this to be a Holocron. I've read countless ancient texts about them but never seen one like this." Abalam began to juggle the artifact in his right hand. "It's wonderful isn't it, I wonder what secrets it holds."

"It won't be easy to access the knowledge it holds," Adna explained.

"Don't try me Miss Zaitoona, I'll do everything in my power to access the information it stores. If you need to know one thing about me it's that I am a very determined individual - I won't let anyone or anything get in my way." Abalam summoned over an Imperial officer carrying a large metal storage chest, sealed with an input code. "Have it taken to my people on the Malice for further research," Abalam ordered, the officer quickly was on their way to the turbolift.

"Hey what'd you mean by your people? I'm the expert, that's my find!" Adna complained pointing dramatically to the officer clutching to the chest. "I was in the middle of analyzing that."

"Excuse me Miss Zaitoona but who is in charge here?" Abalam asked sternly.

"You are but you hired me for this job, you never mentioned anything about your people."

"Exactly I hired you so I pay you handsomely for whatever you find and then I do with it what I please. Is that clear?"

"As crystal!" Adna sulked.

"Very good, now if you want to be payed I would suggest you get back to work. I don't have time for these petty arguments. Report any findings to Commander Luando, as soon as you find something else." Grand Admiral Abalam smiled and turned his back to the archeologist. Q-3PO walked from the temple towards his master, he could tell when she wasn't happy.

"Is everything alright Miss Zaitoona?"

"For now Threepio, for now."

To Be Continued...