The Clouds Align For Battle
Chapter 21: Planting and Pruning
I own not those situations I borrow from Disney Properties, Lucas, Mechalich or Thomas Benjamin DeMayo. This is a dramatization from my mind on a character created from the meld of table gaming and so on. Special thanks to ideas Drew Karpyshyn and Tim Lebbon fermented. Special thanks to Morihei Ushiba who formed Petre with his wisdom. Like any mind construct this is an exercise and my own work building on other ideas from the past.
This is a Zeison Sha story, set in what is known as the Star Wars EU.
108 Kilometers from Muracie, Centares
1.2 BBA
"I have no idea what you plan on doing with that but it is a good thing we had other business here J-Boy." Malcomb scolded Jahn as he started to move the skip loader out of the YT-1930 they had bought, modified and fitted out. Being able to carry not one but two loads like this in the remodified aft cargo areas was handy for what they had set this freighter up to do.
"You deliver your cargo, pickup your load, get back and I will deliver this." At that two Starkeys droids came out to sit with the cargo on the bow. Jahn said evenly "Leave Kae onboard if she has to drop and pick us up, I need Shay" he saw Malcomb's face drop "on this delivery. So she can talk my way past a certain spot. Streehn! I want you too!"
When the Zeltron diva dressed as a sexy college coed and the Kyuzo guard dressed as a landscaper came out Jahn directed them onto their seats and drove the skip loader toward a "checkpoint". The gate had been produced when the Black Sun had moved in after the Empire had moved out. They merely wanted warehouse space, training space ect for their private army and some Vigo would not budge. However the toxic waste the Empire had placed here was upstream of a promising, previous fertile area that could grow many food crops, if the sequestering plants and benthos in Jahn's box could be planted here. So he was looking for a win-win situation.
"J-Boy, you are not wearing your…" Shay began.
"I know." but right now he was doing whatever he could to "stay quiet" in the Force.
"You just worried me." Shay answered "Should I go steal a stunt fighter?"
"I am hoping you can just get me in and they let me plant." Jahn answered.
They drove the loader up into the hills when he arrived at the newly installed gate.
"Halt! Turn around and return to where you came from, whatever you have we do not want any!" Shouted one of the two human guards.
"Showtime." Jahn whispered to Shay and she sauntered up to do her thing.
"J-Boy, you listnin in." Streehn asked.
"Yep."
"Promising?"
"Too early to tell but they are trying to be professional."
"Can you read the name on that warbird over there?"
"It says Stinger."
"Hang on, a Boss is coming out, time to see what …." Then Jahn went silent… and Streehn just shook his head until Jahn came out of his vision. By that time Shay was Shrugging her shoulders looking back at them as a statuesque blond was refusing entry. Then Jahn came out of it to begin walking toward the gate wearing his Garqi University togs and wraparound sunglasses but his ear buds so he could listen in to whatever the droids picked up with his mecha derro.
"Hello folks, I am Allan Peters." Jahn said sticking his hand out to shake the "Boss Lady's" hand.
"Guri" she said as she shook his hand Jahn's eyes rolled into his head and the Force told him just about everything there was to know about the woman. "Are you ok?" She asked suspiciously.
"Look, I told you this grad student was autistic, he just …. Why do you think we call him J-boy? He just … zones out like that." Shay said
"Or just… comes up with ideas and solutions." Jahn added rejoining the conversation.
"Right, so you wish to plant worms and bugs and plants and clams? Why?" Guri asked.
"Your land drains onto the former and future farmlands. Thus the toxins need to be sequestered."
"Your stuff will do that?" Guri asked skeptically.
"Yes, everything was specially selected and gathered from a planet that actually does sequester toxins." He answered.
"That planet being?" Guri demanded.
"Yanibar, we just put it in the drain plane and use the skip to hover over the ponds so we can lower the boo."
"Will it survive?"
"It's waxy surface is perfect for the corrosive puddles, unlike our skins." Jahn said waiting before blurting out "If I give you the plan list would you do it if you are worried about …. Whatever."
"Why does it concern me and my land."
At that Jahn smiled big. "How long do you want your supply lines?"
"Ok, just you and I will do it." Guri responded seeing the profit and Shay squeaked in joy then went silent realizing her boy would be alone with someone the people here were scared of.
"Do you at least have a picnic table for my crew to sit?" Jahn asked sweetly.
Ten minutes later Streehn and Shay sat with the Starkeys ready to sit for a long time with their lunches outside the gate as Jahn drove Guri and his gear on his skip loader.
"I take it this is your first planting?" She nodded her head "With the toxic liquids we will be dealing with, three words come to mind, DO NOT SPLASH! Slow is fast Slow is steady, slow is good."
"Thank you for the tip." Guri added beginning to reach in and grab one of the long boo.
"By the way I will be singing softly and putting these coatings on, do not touch the coatings either."
"Why?" Guri asked.
"The coatings are exotic and not approved for use on humanoids." Jahn said about his Sith reversal substances.
"Where are they from?" She asked.
"A lab?" he answered.
"Are they safe?"
"Have done just what we are hoping to do here everyplace we have tried them and in the lab."
"How many places is that?"
"Three."
"Where?" Guri asked the big question and Jahn paused.
"I would have to ask someone for permission to tell you just as I will keep things confidential here." then he paused again "Just as I hope you shall." And he started blowing softly onto the "coating" he opened and then picked up a brush to begin.
Four hours later they were driving back up to the gate. "Pleasure working with you Guri, you are stronger than you look."
"So are you." She said and Jahn blinked behind his glasses. "I think I would like to get to know you better. I like quiet men." Jahn just stayed silent and shook her hand going back into rapture before bringing himself out of it. "You really have to get that "touch freaks me out thing" of yours under control."
"I have, it used to be much worse." Jahn commented "In two years you will see a remarkable difference and the farms below will be productive again, shortening your supply chain so take good care of your neighbors."
Guri hopped off and waved. "Take care J-Boy."
When he picked up his crew they asked him some questions after they pulled away, Jahn just waved them off. "I need an easel, meditation, a bath and a nerf burger." He said with a hollow eerie voice. "Streehn, you and your brother need to be in your ranger suits, Shay all crew in enviro spacer combat togs, no transmissions at all and do not engage her, just run, preferably in a vehicle." He turned to the Starkeys "We do not engage them if at all possible, do not transmit, erase all previous dates, places, any data that is not ability specific. Sacrificial protocol Theta now active!"
Shay and Streehn looked at each other in apprehension for they did not know "Theta" existed. Jahn drove the skip loader normally confidently through the land and directly into the ship. He shut down and said as he disembarked and with only "Anti-intel protocol now! where is Malcomb?"
Kae alarmed replied "Still at the consolidation point."
"Call up all maps I want to ping his comlink and map a 12 second recovery scoop." Jahn stated moving toward his gear. "I need the petty cash."
"How much?" Kae asked.
"All of it! power up the ship and lets get moving. Malcomb's bacon is out and he can expose us!"
When the frenetic activity was done, Jahn in an armored suit but without the matching gloves but there were some circular repulsor emitters and back of the hand plates that were the beta for the gloves in his palms. Jahn knelt saying "Kia te kaha ki a koe".
They drove up in a van they had rented to move the cargo they delivered and received to a "gambling hall" inside of a converted inn an outside firm had bought.
"Do NOT rescue me, do not stay for me, do get Malcomb out of here to Garage 3." Jahn said using the audio circuits in the enviro suit's mask, producing a resonant voice.
"Yes sir." his four combat equipped backup answered as he picked up his "possibles" bag.
When he entered the red marble gambling hall and its past use as an inn was clear. This was no outer rim cantina, but it used to be a respectable hotel for the tourists who once visited the natural beauty of the Muracie Falls basin.
Jahn sighed, silently since the enviro suit did not activate anything except by his mecha derro Force touch. The dark side destroys and corrupts, never creates, leaving wreckage and twisted past in its wake. Time for a little breath of life here as well, making the dark side wane here.
He was flanked by the two Kyuzo completely anonymous in the ranger gear, the barkeep was about to throw Jahn out as a "droid" when Jahn waved his finger at the man back and forth, showing the exposed skin. Jahn then walked directly over to Malcomb.
"Malcomb Bax! I have a bounty on your carcass!" Malcomb stiffened in recognition of Jahn's battle armor voice and he shrugged to the others at the sabbacc table. "I have to leave, sorry."
"You owe us 40,000 imperial credits." Guri responded walking slowly toward Malcomb having entered from a side door looking over the "bounty hunter" with an appraising eye. Jahn noticed her slightly bent knee and ready stance from all his martial training.
Jahn reached into his possibles bag and pulled out 40 one thousand credit coin rolls, slamming them on the table.
"Buyout of his debt is 45,000." Guri said with a wicked grin.
Jahn answered venomously "I came all this way because someone pays me and I ALWAYS deliver." Jahn paused taking out another five stacks. "That should do it."
"He must have something you need badly." Guri said.
"Postman always delivers. The why means little." Jahn said using Kua Wan's mantra on Guri taking off the hand equipment on his right hand "Shake on it and we go from there." He relaxed his control on the Force draw that was natural to him in preparation, energizing himself.
Guri smiled, a plan forming in her circuits, reaching out to take his hand so she would have him captured before she neutralized the bounty hunter. As she tightened the grip a feeling shot up her arm reaching her cortex effectively shutting her down completely with a silent mechanical scream as Jahn's mecha derro overwhelmed her turning her into a limp heavy rag doll.
The rest of the Black Sun looked as their erstwhile leader crumpled in Jahn's grasp.
"Contact poison!" one hissed. And a Kyuzo style helmet lifted off Jahn's back to hover near them spinning and looking like a repulsor driven remote.
"Technology, gotta love it more than your chances." He turned his head slightly "Haters! Come and get him! and shut down data net so our unwitting taxi does not take off without us!" he ordered. The two Starkeys entered while the Kyuzo covered the room with their weapons. Looking over the rest of the "planted winners" of the Black Sun and the farmers at the table Jahn snatched Guri's deactivated body with the Force flipping her over the table to land on his shoulder without releasing her hand.
"Your organization has only two standard galactic hours before Ral Gorgon arrives. I suggest you evaporate." As one "winner" reached for the cash Jahn swiftly drew his left hip pistol without turning his head to point at the man's forehead. "Leave it for the Farmers you have been stealing from. You owe them that since it is cheat winnings anyway. They may take their time remembering you long enough to get away. Take your gear and get out while you can, you have 1 hour fifty eight minutes left." He turned to the room "Thank you gentlemen, its been my pleasure."
With that they loaded up the van. Jahn never released or relaxed his grip as they traveled to the ship called "Chowder" to lift off.
"I will be in my meditation room holding on, send a burst through eggnet to contact W meet at Garage 3 in six hours time. Patient 3 like Shandra. Punch it with best speed."