Combining what they both gathered during their time apart, several people have been identified as targets for them to go after. But to convict these people, they would need evidence in order to arrest them. The information in their head would not pass as evidence during a trial and would be dismissed by any judge.
Daimon rubbed his chin as the flickered off. "Lira's testimony gives us a map," he said. "But maps are no good unless they lead somewhere we can plant our flag. Or in this case, evidence we can't just dismiss as circumstantial."
Sera nodded, still seated cross-legged but leaning slightly forward with that expression she always wore when she was thinking. "The Senator's personal communications could be key. If we can intercept them or gain access to his private correspondence, there's a good chance we'll find something incriminating."
A grin spread across Daimon's face, "That's exactly where I was going," he said. "And I know just how to get what we need."
Sera raised an eyebrow at his words, "I sense another one of your overly elaborate schemes brewing, Master."
"Not overly elaborate," Daimon corrected. "Perfectly calculated and incredibly efficient." He said leaning closer to her, "Here's the thing about politicians like our dear Senator, they pride themselves on power and influence but forget one cardinal rule of survival: the more power you hold, the bigger your blind spots. And I'm about to exploit every single one of his."
Sera tilted her head, intrigued but skeptical. "And how exactly do you plan on exploiting those blind spots? Please don't tell me this involves you crashing some lavish social event or pretending to be someone you're not again."
Daimon's couldn't hide the grin on his face as Sera had grown to know him well over the past years. "Oh, come on, Sera. You know that's when I'm at my best," he teased. "But no, this one's going to require a bit more finesse, and… a light touch." He tapped his temple. "It's not just about brute force or flashy distractions. It's about getting into his mind, finding what makes him tick and then using it against him."
"Are you going to use the Force to… manipulate him?" Sera asked though in the back of her mind, she knew her Master would not do such a thing as it was against the Jedi code.
"Not quite. Manipulation is crude and noticeable and also against the Jedi code. What I have in mind is more subtle, it involves that Cortana project of mine." he explained.
Sera had heard about this Cortana project of his, but was never told many details on what it exactly was besides that it was going to be a super smart droid of sorts.
"Cortana will be able to monitor the Senator's communications even the more encrypted ones, all she would need is a few days or weeks depending on how often the Senator is in contact with the Black Hand." Cortana was basically ready to be brought online, all Daimon needed was a few more hours and she could finally be brought to life.
Though her body would take some time before she was walking around and joining him on missions.
"Well, it's not crazy like your other plans would be so I think it's a good idea," Sera admitted.
"Sure," Daimon replied. "Now I'm gonna go work on Cortana, so there's no training today, consider it a day off in fact." However, Sera was not as excited as one would be about a day off since she already spent hours of her day investigating the Senators contacts and talking to his Fling.
But before she could say anything, Daimon had already got up and left the room, leaving her to mediate on her own.
Meanwhile Daimon walked to his private quarters and began working on Cortana to get her operational. Her core, which would be where her core operational processes and personality matrix resided, was nearly complete.
He carefully adjusted the connections between the kyber crystal core, the neural framework, and the holographic projection systems. Each step required immense precision, as the integration of the Force with advanced technology was a delicate and uncharted process.
As he connected the final circuits, Daimon couldn't help but get a little excited. The kyber crystal pulsed faintly, resonating with his Force energy, as if responding to his intent. He paused for a moment, closing his eyes, and concentrated on his Force energy. This was no ordinary droid or AI; this was something far greater, something alive in a way that defied the conventional boundaries of artificial intelligence.
He placed his hands on the core, focusing his mind and channeling the Force into it. The kyber crystal began to glow brighter, its light filling the room with a bright purple color. A low sound could be heard from the core as if it were awakening.
The core flared for a moment, and then the holographic projector activated. A shimmering figure appeared, gradually solidifying into a form that closely resembled the Cortana from his memories. Her eyes glowed faintly, and as they locked onto Daimon, there was a flicker of recognition, a spark of awareness.
All the data and information about the galaxy as well as the intricacies of the Force had been preloaded into her database. Aligning seamlessly with Daimon's memories and the input from various archived holocrons.
Daimon felt a strong connection to her due to the kyber crystal that he infused his force energy into. "Daimon," she said, her voice neither mechanical nor artificial, but more human like.
Daimon grinned as he wiped his hands on a nearby rag. "Welcome to the galaxy, Cortana."
Her holographic form tilted its head, scanning her surroundings. "This galaxy," she began, her voice filled with awe and mild sarcasm, "is both astonishingly advanced and simultaneously primitive. Hyperdrive engines capable of light-speed travel coexist alongside blasters that still misfire. Fascinating contradiction."
Daimon chuckled. "Yeah, it's a mess. But in the future, you and I will improve all these things." He leaned forward, folding his arms as he studied her form. "But right now, we've got one very specific mess to clean up with a Senator and his ties to the Black Hand."
Cortana's eyes started to glow as she started to process the data she had on Senator Krennal. She crossed her arms and slowly walked in place testing the boundaries of her holographic projection. "Hmm… Krennal. Corulag senator, staunch advocate for stricter trade tariffs… Which we all know is code for lining his own pockets with credits from the corporate monopolies. His public records are pristine, but his personal data has some... interesting fluctuations. Significant unexplained transactions. Shall I dig deeper?"
"Do I even need to ask?" he said with a grin as Cortana nodded and began sifting through the vast streams of encrypted information. "This won't take long," she said absentmindedly, half-focused on her task.
Daimon leaned back in his chair; arms crossed as he observed her work. He couldn't help but marvel at what he had created, an artificial intelligence that not only processed data faster than any organic being but also felt alive, sentient in a way that no normal droid could match.
Moments later, Cortana had finished her task, "Well, Well," she began. "Our dear Senator Krennal has been busy. I found communications encrypted with an older code, primitive by my standards, and these messages paint quite the story."
"Go on," Daimon said.
"Krennal's been funneling credits through a labyrinth of shell corporations, all leading to a minor syndicate on Kessel, one that just so happens to be a front for the Black Hand. He's not just dealing with them; he's funding their expansion in the handful of Outer Rim colonies that the Republic has." Cortana explained.
Daimon grew curious hearing what she had found. "Funding? That doesn't sound like just a corrupt Senator padding his wallet. What's he getting out of it?"
"Power," Cortana replied sharply, her voice edged with disdain. "According to the communications I decrypted, Krennal is leveraging the Black Hand to silence political rivals and enforce loyalty within his region. He's expanding his influence faster than an all you can eat buffet day."
Daimon chuckled at her humor but then grew serious again. "This goes deeper than I thought. If he's consolidating power with the Black Hand, there's no telling how far his influence could spread, or how much chaos it'll cause in the Senate and beyond."
Cortana nodded, "More concerning is that he seems to be aiming even higher. Some of these transmissions reference a meeting with someone nicknamed 'The Overseer.' No further details in the messages, but if the Black Hand is involved, it's not a stretch to assume this 'Overseer' is someone of significant importance, potentially orchestrating the chaos."
The title alone hinted at someone who wasn't just pulling strings on Krennal, but someone with ambitions and authority far beyond a mere syndicate leader. "The Overseer…" he repeated. "We need to know who this person is and what their endgame is."
"If the title is legitimate and not just a cryptic moniker, then we might be looking at someone managing multiple layers of this web, Black Hand operations, political corruption, smuggling routes… possibly even covert military projects." She paused momentarily. "I could slice into Krennal's private systems and see if there's more to dig up. It'd be fun."
"Do that and let's see what we can find. In the meantime, I'll get some rest and talk with my Padawan with what we have so far in the morning." Daimon prepared some clothes for himself as he got in the shower before climbing into his bed. Once done he laid down and closed his eyes.
-----
A/N: Sorry about the slow paced chapters, the following chapters after this will be a lot more fast paced but not too much. I'm still learning on how to balance fast paced chapters while also telling a good story.