STAR WARS
THE ACTS OF BETRAYAL
ACT I
Part 2
By: Zanka, Herk
& Jaden, Lobo, Kidd
Credit for this story and characters belong to the respective authors, Star Wars belongs to Disney and Lucasfilm.
Note from the Authors
Hello and welcome back for Part 2 of Acts of Betrayal. We decided during the writing of this fic that we wanted to split up the fic into parts and acts to give you the most entertainment possible. We worked very hard with this edition, and we think you will enjoy it. If you enjoyed the spontaneous droid H8er, the misunderstood Zanka, the troubled Arran, the temptress Azura, and the loyal Myles, then you are in for a treat for Part 2.
In this part, we really wanted to show our characters in their lowest points. Part 1 was merely an introduction to the characters and the plot, Part 2 is where things really start to get interesting. We wanted to follow Mr. Plinkett's analysis of a trilogy (can be watched here: watch?v=c_W5OuuV-hk ) as well as follow the theme of the original Star Wars movies. As with The Empire Strikes Back , we felt Part 2 needed to be dark and really show the control that the antagonists have over the Galaxy.
If you haven't read Part 1, be sure to do so before reading Part 2!
We appreciate all criticism, positive or negative to help us with producing the remaining parts of this fic. Also, please be sure to pass our fic around! Anyone who is an avid fan of Star Wars (or not) will find reasons to enjoy this fic!
Thank you to everyone who reads, comments, and shares this fic. We write it not only for our own entertainment, but for yours.
As always,
May the Force Be With You.
************Dramatis Personae***********
Jaden Vallen - Jedi Master, human male
Arran Zarkaine - Ex-Sith, human male
Myles Taylov - Union soldier, human male
Zanka Nk'ik - Arran's Apprentice, jawa male
Maluma - Union Officer, miraluka female
Daveth Khaar - Force Apparition, human male
R5-H8 "H8er" - R5 astromech droid
Azura Vahn - Sith Sorceress, twi'lek female
Liz Anean - Sith, human female
Tramash Rhen - Jedi, human male
Spectrine - Sith, arkanian female
Cora Enda - Jedi, zeltron female
Till Ansa - Union Commander, human male
Jorin Khaar - Jedi Padawan, human male
Darth Verraden - Sith Lord, cerean male
Zonka - Jaden's Artificial Intelligence
Meeka Nk'ik - Union spy, jawa female
—/ Chapter 1 /—
Nar Shaddaa - Undercity
AI: Brrrrrrzzzzzttttt... Rebooting...1...2...3... Master, I hope most of your landings don't all go as "pleasant" as this one did.
[Jaden slowly opened his eyes and grunted as he got out of the crashed ship he had decided to manually land. The smell of alcohol emanated from the cockpit as well as his person.]
AI: Master, I am transferring myself to your holopad. I strongly encourage that you put down that bottle before you reach fatal blood alcohol content levels, I mean unless the crash wasn't enough for you.
Jaden: Piss off Zonka, I made you to help me...not actually help me.
Zonka: I guess it's all I can do when one percent of your blood is pure alcohol. Would be a bad time to see you go.
Jaden: [He smiled.] At least you can make me proud. [He took another swig before throwing the bottle elsewhere.]
[Jaden stumbled for his lightsaber and clipped it onto his belt. He stood up straight and took a deep breathe before he began limping towards the nearest bar]
Jaden: Calculate nearest route to bur.
Zonka: Auto Correcting audio transmission: 'Calculate nearest route to bar'.
Jaden: Ahhh yessss, the only one who understands me.
[Jaden paused briefly as he looked up toward the high skyscrapers and the bright beautiful stars in the night sky unaffected by light pollution. After several seconds, he thought to himself of better times with his favorite people. He lamented them being gone and how everyone eventually left him.]
Jaden: Zonka, any messages from Drasli?
Zonka: Sir, you've secluded yourself from contact by any other living form. I can re-enable communications for you?
Jaden: No, I just wish someone tried harder to reach me.
Zonka: Self-Loathing isn't an appealing trait Master.
Jaden: Neither is a best friend not inviting you to his wedding.
[Jaden reached into his pocket and equipped an ear piece. He then muted the holopad.]
Zonka: Master, the cantina you wished to be directed to, the Raging Sun, has profiled high threat Black Sun gang members currently inside. Would you wish me to divert our course?
Jaden: Zonka, I'm not a bitch.
Zonka: Classifying female kath hound companions as not a force to be reckoned with is a huge underestimation, Master.
Jaden: What does that have to do with me wanting a drink?
Zonka: Apologies Master, You programmed me to speak to you in an informative matter. Perhaps to deal with the incompetence of your previous padawan.
[Jaden smirked and grinned at the remark as he entered the Raging Sun cantina. The place was crowded with varying human and alien life forms.
The bouncer immediately recognized the Jedi from the bounty posters that The Union had established and let Jaden through. It was better to let trouble come to the Jedi rather than start it himself. He went to the VIP section to alert his boss.
Jaden took a seat at the bar and asked the bartender for the most expensive drink they had. He also asked that it have the highest percentage of alcohol possible.]
Jaden: In another 5 minutes bring me another one.
[Two Black Sun affiliated thugs came up to Jaden flanking him on both sides. Before they could speak, Jaden addressed the two.]
Jaden: Did they ever teach you grunts to respect your targets when they are of high value? I'm not even finished with my drinks yet.
[One of the thugs cracked his knuckles.]
Thug: You must think you're that big to come in here and not expect a hard time.
Jaden: That didn't even make sense, I'm not here to acquire prostitution services. Let me get back to my drinks gentlemen, they are begging for my attention and are more productive.
[As Jaden reached for his drink, one of the thugs tried to grab his arm. Jaden quickly countered with his opposite hand. Grabbing the thug's hand, he took out a switchblade, stabbing the thug's hand. Without hesitation, he elbowed the second thug in the face before kneeing him in the groin. With both incapacitated, Jaden sat down to resume his first drink. The bartender brought him a second one, paying no heed to the two incapacitated thugs on the floor.]
Jaden: Damn, I couldn't even use my five second line...
Zonka: Sir, attracting this much attention isn't the brightest idea. If you wish to continue drinking that is.
[A group of Union soldiers ran up-to Jaden, their blasters aimed at him.]
Jaden: Finally, a more respectable attempt. [He completely downed his second drink and stood up.]
Jaden: [He smirked.] Should I leave now or later?
[One of the members put down his blaster, the title 'Captain' was written on a patch on his arm.]
Captain: Put your lightsaber on the bar and come with us
[Jaden turned his head and moved it forward as if to ask him to speak louder.]
Jaden: What!?
Captain: I said.. Put your lightsaber on th- ugh forget it, Detain him!
Jaden: [He gave a wide grin.] Still didn't catch that, huh? I don't understand you, speak Basic!
Zonka: Activating stealth generator
[Jaden ducked as the guards shot at the spot where he had just been standing. He snuck off toward the exit and disabled the generator.]
Jaden: [He laughed.] I still got it!
Zonka: Master, they are still right there...you didn't do anything.
Jaden: Screw off Zonka, Don't remind me of my past.
[As Jaden walked out of the cantina, the holoscreens in the area changed their display to that of the Union Civilian Alert. A young female human shuffled her papers, the backdrop of Coruscant visible behind her. She appeared jubilant, as if this was the news report of the century. Glancing down at her papers, and back at the screen, she began to speak.]
Female reporter: Arran Zarkaine and his cohorts have been captured by the valiant Zark—[She fumbled with the name change.] Galactic Union. They were found on the planet Spira due to a tip given by a senior Union Intelligence Bureau agent. Killing several brave military men who tried to apprehend them, they were detained via tractor beam by the Prometheus I. Zarkaine and his compatriots are being escorted to Coruscant to await trial for the acts of terrorism and espionage against the Galactic Union. [As she spoke their names, a short video of themr mugshot accompanied them on the screen.] Those caught include the Former Leader of the Zark—my apologies—Galactic Union, human Arran Zarkaine. [An image of Arran appeared on the screen, disheveled and enraged. He did not appear to be standing still but instead screaming as though he had lost his mind. His mouth was agape, eyes wild. A hand came into the feed as if gesturing Arran to calm down. Arran spat at the hand before resuming his constant screaming.]
Twi'lek Sith Sorcerer—please note the purple pigmentation, Azura Vahn. [Azura grinned cheekily at the camera, blowing kisses and batting her eyelids constantly as if flirting with the cameraman. She gave a small wave with her right hand, as if she was crowned Ms. Ryloth of the Galaxy.]
Former Union Shadow and Commander, human Myles Taylov. [Myles stood stoically and unmoving. One could have mistaken the video feed for a still image.]
Jawa Jedi, please note robe and unrobed differences, Captain Zanka Nk'ik. [Zanka stood in his jawa robes until an officer whose face was obscured, walked up-to the jawa, pointing and gesturing for the jawa to do something. The jawa shook his head. Several more officers came into the feed, grabbing the jawa by the arms, one of them took a handful of robes in one fist, another picked up a large industrial hose from off-screen. The video feed cut for a second before coming back. The jawa now stood clad in only his loin cloth, soaking wet. The last of the officers walked off screen. Zanka gave him the finger as he walked away, then glared at the camera. The screen went back to the reporter, who looked somewhat wide-eyed at the camera. She appeared to have lost her composure momentarily.]
Female reporter: Oh my. [She closed her eyes for a brief moment but opening them and continuing with renewed vigor.] They were wanted for acts of terrorism and espionage against the Union. The trial should begin tomorrow. This was Sunva Taylov, Junior Zark—Galactic Union Reporter signing off.
[Jaden did a double take to look back at the screen as he saw his old padawan, Zanka.]
Jaden: More reckless behavior caused by my failures. [He took out a flask from his back pocket as he continued onward, though he faced danger around every corner, he could not care less.]
Jaden: Zonka, find me a method of repairing my ship, or just get me to Coruscant. It's time to repair my despair—or die trying. [He chugged down the last of his flask and threw it out onto the side of the street.]
Zonka: Yes, master.
[As Jaden walked, his thoughts were troubled. The Light or the Dark side—he wondered what any of it mattered, when his best friend had turned his back on him.]
Prometheus I - Union Space Territory
[Within the depths of the vast metallic halls of a new series of Union Capital ships, Arran Zarkaine, an aged man in his mid fifties, was captive. His cell was all but soundproof, save for the small amounts of oxygen being pumped into the room from a single vent. The man was well practiced in the Force, and more specifically the dark side of the Force, closed his eyes and focused on his breathing. Around his wrists were shackles suspended from the top of a containment field which prevented him from using any force abilities, making breathing all the more difficult. He remained suspended in the air shirtless, revealing the scars of past battles and torturing, and showing the fresh redness of new scratches along his abdomen and chest. He felt a lightheadedness as he swayed back and forth, feeling a soreness in his shoulders. Arran judged from the soreness that he had been in his cell for several days, but that was just a guess. There's no day and night cycle in space. Time is a fickle matter where they are. Arran's head fell downward in a dead slump as he lost consciousness. It would quickly snap back up soon after once the scans in the room would show a decrease in his blood oxygen level and let in a stronger current of oxygen. Arran felt suspended between life and death, like in a dream—yet despite his best efforts, he couldn't wake up. He focused on his breathing, but constantly heard the berating voice of the officer women in his head, telling him that all of his achievements and efforts that made him think so highly of himself were for nothing. Leading the Sith, reestablishing control over the galaxy and creating the Union—all of it had been the will of others. He was being used as a puppet to do another's bidding, and he fell right for it. Anger swelled inside of him as he clenched his fists and tried pulling himself upward on the chains. His body rose a few inches and he slammed his weight downward in an attempt to dislocate the chains from the containment field. It was a fruitless effort. The bleeding red marks around his wrists showed that he had attempted the same thing countless times. It wasn't until he felt the pain of his flesh breaking that he had remembered he had tried breaking the chains already. The oxygen in the room lowered, and Arran let out slower breaths, fighting every whim and impulse to try and take in as much as he could. His head fell sharply forward again as he drifted off toward the darkness. When he came to, he shook the chains and went to lift himself up, not remembering until he felt the pain that he had tried this once before…]
[The metal clinking of Myles' boots resonated in the cell hall. The young soldier was of a natural height of 5'8''. He was donned in his slate gray Union armor that was worn from the many battles he had been in. His clean shaven face and amber eyes inspected every inch of his prison, examining the hard plated walls and using his food tray as a means of detecting the concentrated charge of the force field blocking him from freedom. The tray hit against the field upon impact and shot out a metallic spark. The loud thud of the tray hitting the floor caused one of the nearby guards to approach the cell, his gun raised.]
Guard: Stop that! I've been ordered by the commanding officer to stun you if you keep causing a commotion. You aren't the only prisoner down here, you know.
[Myles paid no attention to the approaching guard, and didn't show any sign of even hearing him. He kept slowly pacing about the room, his hands on his hips as he kept whispering to himself. "ten feet forward—right—thirty feet forward—right—…"]
Guard: Suit yourself Taylov. I look forward to blasting you. [He turned away, chuckling beneath his helmet.]
[In the cell next to Myles', Zanka sat at the edge of a bunk protruding from the wall. Drops of water fell from his face and body, making a small puddle at his feet. His clothes were gone. Nobody had ever really seen what a jawa looked like under their robes-only a handful in his life had seen him in such a state. He supposed that a human's description of a ' walking rat' would be accurate, minus the tail and whiskers. Water continued to drip from the dark brown fur on his body. His large, glowing, eyes stared ahead at a spot on the wall. The jawa sat with nothing on but a loincloth. Due to a smell complaint, his robes were taken to the incinerator, and he was sprayed with a hose and scrubbed with industrial cleaning detergents. Zanka sat in silence and dismay, not from his clothes being gone or from being forced to bathe, but because of the incident with his wife. He felt betrayed. There was still a heat emanating from his cheeks from when Meeka had slapped him twice. Zanka knew he deserved it. He had lied to her. However it was because of Meeka that they were in this predicament in the first place. His thoughts were conflicted. He felt he had come upon a pinnacle moment, the moment to choose between Arran or Meeka.
Meeka had followed Zanka as he was led to his cell, and told him he would have to make a choice. If he chose her, she promised she would work to get his record clean so they could live a normal life together. But that meant giving up on the Force, giving up on Arran, and ultimately giving up on himself…
The Jawa looked up when he heard a loud thud. He expected it to be coming from Myles' cell, but it wasn't. Several guards rushed to one cell and waited before making a call. Zanka hopped down from his bed to get a closer look. He could see out of the corner of the cell opposite Myles' the lekku of a purple twi'lek. She was motionless.]
Zanka: Azura.
Myles: If she's trying something she'll get us killed…[He said quietly so only Zanka would hear, even if he didn't particularly care if the jawa heard or not.]
[A small dispatch of medical personnel came rushing down the corridor pushing a gurney. They lifted the twi'lek onto it and attached some devices to her. Zanka stood closer to the force field, leaning his weight against the side wall to balance himself. He tried reading their lips as they spoke. "She'll live", he saw one of them say before they pushed the gurney out of the room and down the hall.
Myles watched intently as the medics left and turned his head to hear which direction they continued down the hall in.]
Myles: [He spoke quietly to himself with a small bob of his head.] Left...thought so.
[As another small puddle began to gather at Zanka's feet, he went to move away from the force field only to slip and fall into it. He crashed up against it and felt a strong shock wave overtake his body. The Jawa's small frame convulsed on the floor. He rose his hand and used the Force to pull himself to the other side of the room. His body flew and came to a sudden halt as he skidded across the floor. Smoke rose from the singed fur on his head as he let his hand come crashing down. His body twitched as he lay down in silence, staring at the single row of lights above.]
Zanka: [He called out from his cell.] Myles?
Myles: [He had looked up when he heard the sound of something hitting the force field of the cell next to him and the wet slap of whatever it was hitting the floor.] You had to touch it didn't you?
Zanka: This is the reason I don't use water. It betrays you.
Myles: If you don't have a plan then stop messing around and think of one.
Zanka: We had a plan until you ruined it. I guess even Shadow get replaced.
Myles: It was an unconsidered variable, won't happen again.
Zanka: [He paused for long moment.] I have an idea.
Myles: Does it require more than just you? If not, don't say it out loud.
Guard: [The guard approaches Myles' cell again.] I said quiet in there!
[Zanka used the Force to pull the guard's legs out from under him sending him into the forcefield.
The guard topples over, a wave of electricity courses through his body. The other guards rush to his aid and shut down the field, their blasters raised at Myles as they shoot him repeatedly with their guns set to stun. His eyes widen slightly as he collapses to the ground.
Zanka kept quiet. He hadn't thought they would rush to Myles like that. He wasn't sure how long Myles would be under. He pushed himself into an upward sitting position and scooted towards the forcefield and sat several inches away from it for good measure. He watched as the troops reactivated Myles' force field and walked away from his cell to go back on patrol.]
Guard: Consider that a warning, jawa. [The guard said behind his mask as he pointed a finger in Zanka's direction.]
[Zanka only stared in response. The guard shook his head and walked away. That hadn't been the smartest move—both antagonizing Myles and using the Force when the guard had been in front of his cell. His only source to talk to, even plan an escape was unconscious for who knew how long. The only immediate way he could think to escape was to be taken out of the cell, but even then he was outnumbered. Not to mention that even if he had defeated all the guards, only more would come. It was a capital ship. This wasn't like Korriban and it certainly wasn't like Dathomir. This required actual planning to escape. A soft sigh escaped his lips followed by several drips of water from his whiskers. He lowered his head, closed his eyes, and started to mediate, hoping to think of a way to escape. He wondered if Arran was faring any better.]
[Arran opened his blurred eyes and gasped for air. He found little. Before him was a slender woman wearing a veil that covered the top portion of her face. She was a miraluka, a humanoid species that do not see with their eyes, but rather through the Force. The woman wore navy blue Union officer clothes and a respirator over her mouth. Arran could hear the woman taking in large, slow breaths. She was teasing him. Even though the woman did not have eyes, Arran felt her staring at him all same. She had been the one to come aboard Zanka's ship and arrest them. She had also been the one to passively confirm Arran's suspicions: she was working for the cerean Sith in the vision he was shown on Dathomir. All of these realizations had regained in Arran as he fully awoke. He heard a large pump of oxygen being released into the room. It was still small, but enough to allow him to catch his breath and speak if he needed to. The miraluka officer took off her mask with one hand, revealing a smile behind it. Still hanging in the containment field by the shackles around his wrists, Arran stared at the woman and allowed for the oxygen to fill his lungs.]
Officer: I expected better from you Zarkaine. To think you become so pathetic when you can't breath. Strip away your connection to the Force and you really are nothing aren't you?
[He said nothing. The man clenched his fists and kept taking in as much oxygen as he could, the headache he felt was diminishing slowly, and the vision in his eyes was returning. Suddenly there was a slight mechanical ring coming from the Officer, he looked down at her communications unit and brought it to her face.]
Officer: Yes? What is it? I'm quite busy.
Comm Unit: [The communication was clearly audible, but there was still a mechanized voice behind the speaker's words.] Officer Maluma, we are nearing the Coruscant system, awaiting transmission from HQ to request permission to land.
Maluma: What have I said about using my name over public frequencies Lieutenant?
Comm Unit: Apologies ma'am, it won't happen again. Your presence is needed on the bridge.
Maluma: [She clicked off the comm unit and replaced it back on her belt.] A pity. I was hoping i'd get to have some more fun with you before we reached our destination. Oh well, I'll be pleased to see what he has planned for you.
[The woman replaced the mask on her face and turned on her heels back towards the door.]
Arran: [His voice was quiet as he spoke, letting out an exhausted breath of air.] Wait.
[Maluma stopped and turned just before she reached the doorway.]
Arran: [He rose his head as he continued to breath deeply, his chest pumping back and forth. A smirk rose on his lips.] Go fuck yourself.
Maluma: [She shook her head as the blast doors sprung open.] Cute.
[The doors shut behind her and the pumping of the oxygen into the room seized. This was it, his second chance. Arran held his breath as long as he could and took in small gasps of breath. He disliked meditating, but it was a matter of survival at this point. The man closed his eyes, took in even smaller gasps of air, and let his mind wander freely…]
[When he opened his eyes he saw a wooded creek, with trees as wide at the base as the satellite dishes one would find on a star cruiser. The sound of the water trickling down the creek hillside into a larger pond down below, and the birds chirping as they flew from one tree to another. He saw a hand come out from behind a tree, and soon a person came along with it.]
Arran: Father.
[It was Daveth Khaar. He was wearing his traditional armored jedi robes. His twin lightsaber hung from his belt, and his long brown locks flowed down and rest on his shoulders with a few braids straying down his forehead and across his face. The men looked similar in age, but Arran always saw his father looking the same as he did when he died. A glorified warrior and a loving father. Although Daveth is not his father by blood, he came to know the man who adopted him as the only father-like figure he'd ever know, even if he was only able to spend five short years with him before he was killed.]
Daveth: Oh? Usually you are not too happy to see me. "What do you want now" [He said to Arran, mocking their last encounter.] Am I not usually too "cryptic" for you?
Arran: I am dying father. I am dying as a man who has realized everything he's done has been a lie to help the Sith gain dominion over the galaxy.
Daveth: So you believe the miraluka's words then? Are the Sith not accustom to deceit?
Arran: [He shook his head.] No, not this one. She felt comfort in telling me the truth—I felt it—It gave her an immense joy to be the one to tell me.
Daveth: And what do you suppose you should do about it?
Arran: [He shrugged and crossed his arms, letting the weight of his body fall back against the nearest tree.] What can I do? They have ties within the Union and have a large standing Sith army in the Unknown Regions.
Daveth: You are not without allies. Who do you have?
Arran: [He scoffs, as he knows his list is short compared to the thousands of troops under the enemy's control.] N'kik, Myles, H8er, Azura…
Daveth: And? [He said in a goading manner.]
Arran: [He looked up when he realized what his father was trying to insinuate.] No. Absolutely not. I will not ask the Jedi for help. They are few in numbers as is. I told Drasli I would help protect the Jedi, not throw them as lambs to the slaughter.
Daveth: You will need their help Arran. Alone you have strength but they have sheer numbers.
Arran: But my vision—
Daveth: Visions offer guidance. The Force wanted you to bring you and your allies together, but that is not all. You were offered a glimpse. Did you think the five of you would storm into the Sith temple and save the galaxy on your own?
Arran: I couldn't honestly say I'd be surprised…
Daveth: All I'm saying is...think on it. Your brother would give his life to save you, you know that. I don't doubt the strength you have already, but you know what it takes to win wars. You are as battle-hardy as I was. Think. Trust yourself. Trust the Force.
[Arran kept silent and nodded his head several times. Even as a man in his fifties, he felt comfortable knowing his father was available to guide him in the darkest of times. Arran rose his head and gave his father a smile. It was cut short when he realized his current predicament. He was still losing oxygen as a rapid rate in his cell. He wouldn't be able to fight back against the Sith if he were dead.]
Arran: I have more important problems to worry about. I need a way out of my cell...if I can find a way to disrupt the containment field—
Daveth: Not everything has to be placed solely on your shoulders. You have allies to help lighten the load. Trust in them. Stay here with me a little while my son, your allies are currently working on a plan. But first, tell me what you know of Azura's condition...
[Hours passed and Myles blinked his eyes open. His first reaction was to grab at his throbbing head as he let out a groan. He sat upright and stayed on the floor, his head buried in his hands to try and stop the pain. He thought about what happened, and remembered seeing a guard being thrown into the force field only to have more guards come upon him moments later and shoot him. He was lucky they remembered to set their blasters to stun.]
Myles: [He lets out another groan. His words slur as he speaks.] Your plan was for them to shoot me?
Zanka: [He didn't speak for a moment but sounded apologetic when he spoke.] I wanted to try to get them fried, maybe make them shut down the fields in a panic. I didn't think it through. I'm…[He paused, he never thought he'd say this word to Myles.]...sorry. Both for this, and back on Dathomir. [He recalled their fight on Dathomir. He had been too quick to verbally abuse Myles for his past actions against him. Whatever his feelings were towards the human, the situation had changed the moment that he had joined their company. It didn't mean that he had to forgive him, but at the very least they had to work together. Now was the time to start.]
Myles: Do you realize how much time you've wasted—wait, how long was I out?
Zanka: [He wasn't sure. He had no clock, no sun positioning, nothing. At the very least he didn't feel like sleeping anytime soon.] It doesn't feel like too long.
[Myles rubs his eyes and stands up. He walks up to the force field and looks around. It only takes him a few moments to realize how long it's been.]
Myles: New guards on patrol. I've been out for a while.
Zanka: [He says nothing, instead closing his eyes again and going over his options.] I thought about trying to overload the forcefield but it seems like it'd just be a repeat of before, probably more guards too.
Myles: At least you ran the idea by me this time.
Zanka: Any idea what happened to Azura?
Myles: She fell. Has she come back?
Zanka: No, she hasn't. It's just us.
Myles: Hm... might've been a serious injury then.
Zanka: Why do you think she fell?
Myles: Trying to get out of her cell maybe? Which is what we need to be doing if you haven't forgotten.
Zanka: I just got shocked while soaking wet and I'm still here. I don't think it would hurt her that badly.
Myles: Might be something else entirely. Could be faking to get to somewhere easier to get out of. Not a bad plan actually.
Zanka: Do you think we could pull it off again?
Myles: Probably not, they had medics check her before they took her away. I wouldn't doubt it if she knew a technique to stop someone's heart temporarily-
[There was a loud bang coming from the opposite end of the corridor. Moments later, a droid maintenance tunnel opened and a black and chrome R5 unit rolled out. One of his legs was a dirtied white, the other a crimson red. The droid had seen some wear, and due to his age and outdated technology, he gave some suspicion from the guards.]
Guard: Droid, what's your operation code?
R5-H8: [The droid lets out an audible sigh as his memory core rotates slowly.] FZDB-H6KK-D4MZ-M4BX
Guard: That checks out, but I don't remember asking for a droid…
R5-H8: Routine maintenance. I am programmed to access your sector's computer terminal and check for any security inconsistencies. Records tell me we have high priority prisoners. Section 5-Article 207A of my programming dictates routine maintenance must be conducted to ensure the prisoner's do not escape.
Guard: Right. [He says with a sense of uncertainty.] Go on then. Stay away from the cells.
[R5-H8 looked toward the activated cells and then rotated his head to the nearby computer terminal. He rolled over and plugged himself in. Within moments, he had access.]
R5-H8: Guard? My access codes appear to be outdated. Can you log in with your credentials?
Guard: [He had stopped about midway down the hallway and turned around. He let out a sigh as he marched up to the terminal. The guard went to log in but got an error message.] Huh..weird. Peterson, over here! [He waved a hand and more guards came to his aid. Each tried to log in with their credentials only to receive the same red buzzing message of the login failing. Meanwhile, the R5 unit had silently slipped out of the group and rolled away toward the cells. When he was in front of them, he stopped. The console suddenly overloaded, sending a powerful spark of electricity to arc through the guards. They dropped. The force fields to the cells ceased, and the blast door leading out of the prison chamber closed just as guards came running down the hall after hearing the ruckus.
Zanka picked himself up off of the ground and walked through the doorframe. Water continued to drip from his body, coating the wall beneath him. Out of the corner of his eye he noticed Myles also emerging from his cell. He looked at the droid, for once happy to see him. He had just saved them from having to engineer their own haphazard plan which could have failed.]
Zanka: Thank you, H8er.
R5-H8: [He scans Zanka quickly and pulls out an extendable zapping arm.] Who are you!? How do you know my name!? [He rolls toward the naked jawa and gives him a strong zap toward the abdomen.]
Zanka: [There is a visible effort on his part not to harm the droid. He takes a step back into the doorframe away from the droid.] What the hell are you talking about H8er? It's me.
Myles: Can you blame him? How many people have seen a jawa without his robe?
R5-H8: My calculations put it at roughly one in 72,000,000,000.96 people.
Myles: Because we know R5 units are good at math…
R5-H8: [His head rotates to look at Myles.] Perhaps you should give me gratitude for once instead of shooting me repeatedly with that infernal blaster. Perhaps you could kill me right now, on the spot. I know you are capable of it soldier. [His voice lowers a pitch.] Do it now. Master will never have to know. It will be our—your, little secret. [It rolls closer to Myles, a hair's breadth away from him.]
Myles: No. We have a job to do. Our cells are open. Now we find our gear, rescue Lord Zarkaine, find Azura, and get outta here. [He steps over to the guards on the floor and picks up the blasters before tossing one to Zanka.] It's locked on stun but it's better than nothing.
Zanka: [He caught it and nodded.] Do you know your way around a ship like this?
Myles: From the path they took us down it seems to be a layout similar to the flagship of the Core Worlds Fleet. I should be able to find the way out, this way.
[Suddenly, the blast doors opened. A squad of soldiers rushed in, the ones at the front knelt down and positioned their rifles. Two soldiers flanked them on both sides. A figure from behind could be heard yelling orders.]
Unknown figure: Make sure you don't kill them—they're wanted alive.
[Myles made sure his face remained impassive as he surveyed the soldiers in front of him. They weren't to be killed—this was news to him. He didn't know who wanted them but given the amount of time that they had been imprisoned he didn't think it would be prudent to stay around and find out. He hoped the jawa and droid were able to shoot as efficiently as they talked.
The soldiers fired, concentrating on him. He expected as such—that was why he had taken the point position. If they were going to survive this, it was going to be done right. Looking down the sights of his rifle, he pulled the trigger and shot at the guards. He ignored the screech of H8er as it charged ahead of them screaming the typical demands for death. A few shots hit the droid in the front of his chassis followed by it screaming. It probably felt like an ionization blaster—Myles wouldn't complain if the droid soaking up several shots made his time easier.
The two guards that had been kneeling had dropped to the ground, unconscious. Myles aimed at the two flanking them on his right. Out of the corner of his eye he noted that the jawa had shot one on the opposite flank. Perhaps he was useful for something after all, but he wouldn't hold his breath. One of the guards from the opposite side had thrown a small object at his feet. He immediately recognized it as a stun grenade. Not enough time to pick it up and throw it back—only a fool would try and do so, he kicked it back towards the soldiers, stunning them.
The droid had since recovered from being stunned and charged towards the remaining guard—the others had been felled by him and the jawa and the meanwhile. It screeched something among the lines about being deceived about death and shocked the guard in his nether-regions. It collapsed on top of the rest, completing the pile.]
Myles: [He turned to the jawa and nodded.] Let's go.
[Myles led the group down the hallway and stopped just short of the end. He hugged the end of the wall and peeked around the corner. Clear. He waved them forward as he rose the blaster to his face and paced down the hallway, his feet positioned to quickly jump away if need be. Making their way down the long stretch, the group then came into view of the front of the 'Long Ago Junk'. In front of it were two guards standing on opposite sides of the loading ramp. Myles eyed the ship followed by the hallway leading to where Arran was being held. As he turned his head back he saw a small figure walking towards the ramp, flanked by two more guards. After a moment he recognized her as the jawa's wife—Meeka, if he recalled correctly. She walked up the ramp with her two guards. Several moments passed before the engine's started up. The two guards posted at the ramp turned and entered the ship. Myles was about to open his mouth to whisper to Zanka about the unfolding events but upon glancing at the jawa he realized he didn't have to.
Zanka opened his mouth to say something but found that he had no words. He closed it quickly enough. His hands clenched together, sharp nails digging into his palms. At first, his thoughts were solely focused that the ship was his and she had no right taking it—but those were quickly pushed to the side. He did not want a repeat of Dathomir where he had acted idiotically without thinking, fighting Myles in a duel when he had been injured. The higher priority was escaping and not being imprisoned. The ship would be found, the larger issue was Meeka. She had betrayed him as well as everyone else on the ship. Her reasons—turning him into the Union, he could not accept that line of reasoning. He had lied to her, but she had committed a worse act in his eyes. Whatever small notion of regret he felt for lying to her was quickly dissipating. If the ship was there when he found her, great—if it wasn't, he'd deal with it then. In either case, he would find her.
The ship took off, almost veering into the wall as it did so. It seemed as though it was struggling to stay up. Whatever work Zanka had done on the ship had paid off only for himself—it seemed as though anyone who was not familiar with the ship and its own quirks would find themselves in the air with great difficulty. After stalling in the middle of the forcefield of the hangar, it left.]
R5-H8: [A little speaker pokes out from the top of the droid, playing a soft, whimsical sound of a violin.] I once heard a bothan play a particularly small instrument the humans call a violin. Here is a recording of it. Note the sad tune. Does this not fit your current mental state, jawa?
[A guard suddenly emerged in the doorway leading into the hangar, blaster pointed in their direction—Myles' eyes looked beyond the guard for a fraction of a second, he counted two more guards in the distance who had begun making their way towards their comrade. Myles mentally cursed the droid. It seemed that no matter the circumstance, the droid would go out of his way to cause trouble. Myles wondered if H8er even thought—-if droids even could think, that someone could have been closer than the two guards in the distance.
R5-H8: [A tiny hatch opened on top of the droid's head and a pistol emerged.] I have prepared for this day. If I shoot at the soldiers exceptionally well, they will aim back and me and I shall be destroyed. [It cackled gleefully.
With that, the droid let out a scream and charged at the two guards shooting his pistol. The two guards fired back, one shot missed the droid by a significant amount, almost hitting Myles. The droid screamed, infuriated.]
R5-H8: [It fired back, as if angry that they had failed thus far.] END MY EXISTENCE. YOU TWO ARE HORRIBLE EXCUSES FOR GUARDS. WHY MUST THIS HAPPEN TO ME? WHY?!
[As the two guards continued to fire at H8er, Myles and Zanka exchanged a look and both fired at the guards, dropping them to the floor. Myles glanced over his back and gestured for Zanka stay and hold his position. Making his way over to the two guards he picked up both of their rifles and noted that they were locked on their stun setting. It was peculiar—all of the guards' weapons were locked on the stun setting. He had thought that they would be while escaping into the immediate area beyond their cells—this however—he frowned, trying to piece more together but was interrupted by a sound to his right. It was H8er. He looked over at the droid who had meanwhile continued to scream in anger about the guard's incompetence.]
Myles: [He was annoyed at having his train of thought interrupted—it seemed as though no matter what he did for them to escape, things backfired. First the incident with the jawa and losing valuable time, then the droid trying to get himself blasted into smithereens. He glared at the droid and responded to his ongoing tantrum.] If you want to die either do it yourself or find someone you can't beat that wants you dead. All of the guards here are aiming to incapacitate, not kill.
R5-H8: [His speech lowered, and he lowered his death to give even more of a poetic effect.] A fate worse than death…
Myles: Speaking of, we need to find Lord Zarkaine—
Zanka: —and Azura. Any idea where they'd keep him?
Myles: Judging from where we broke off from the group...I'd say they took him to some kind of secure cell. The Union capital ships I used to work on were similar in design, but there's no telling what we could find. I'd expect heavy resistance though.
R5-H8: Good. [The sound of the droids' blaster reloading resonated through the small chamber.]
[Myles was already on the move, holding his blaster out in front of him and proceeding down the hallway. He lifted two fingers into the air and pushed them forward, motioning for the group to follow close behind. Zanka and H8er weren't Shadow troopers, but they'd have to make do.
As they came near the end of the hallway, Myles noted the sudden change of architecture. The rest of the ship's layout thus far had been in line with what he had expected of a Union ship. This was unexpected. The hallway had begun to diverge into two directions yet between the fork was a doorway. The side that extended from the door was transparent. Myles guessed the transparency was to keep an eye on something—or someone. Peering into the glass he saw the state of which Arran was imprisoned. He felt angry. Despite his recent disagreements of—policy regarding the Jedi, this was still the man who had given him a family, the Shadow. The rightful leader of the Union did not deserve to be treated in such a manner. He quelled the feeling as instantly as it had come. He had a mission to accomplish. Not looking away from the sight in front of him, he gestured from behind for Zanka and H8er to join him.]
Myles: [He whispered it quietly.] There's nobody in sight. I don't like this. Zanka, H8er, get him out of there. I'll keep watch. Someone could be here any second.
[Zanka and H8er entered the room, the door closing behind them. They took several steps before a voice spoke behind them. Zanka felt something nudge the back of his head.]
Unknown Figure: Drop the weapon and turn around slowly.
Arran: [He takes in a large gasp of air, looking up and seeing the two in front of him. He pays no regard to the figure, instead he slowly nods his head with weary eyes.] Nk'ik, what have you done?
Zanka: I'm breaking you out.
Arran: [He breathes heavily again, looking up at his shackles and the containment field.] You're doing...a hell of a job.
Unknown Figure: [He nudged the back of the jawa's head again.] I said drop the weapon and turn around. Last chance, prisoner.
[The door to the cell reopened. The Unknown Figure uncloaked himself with his gun still held on the prisoners. He nudged Zanka with the barrel of his gun and gave a quick glance to the droid.]
Unknown Figure: Ah, Petersen. I could use some hel—[Arms wrapped around the figure's throat. There was a crack before he fell to the floor. Myles stood in his place. Behind him, an unconscious Phantom propped up against the wall.]
Myles: For a group that was supposed to replace and surpass The Shadow they should have thought to change their procedures. All the equipment in the Galaxy doesn't mean anything if your enemy is better trained.
Arran: [He rose his head and gave another nod.] Knew I could count on you Myles. H8er, get into the system and deactivate the containment field.
R5-H8: Yes Master. [The droid rolled himself to the nearest terminal, inserting his round disc into the port.
The droid took a few moments, all the while rotating his head backwards to glance at Arran. Suddenly the field turned off. An alarm sounded in the cell, rapidly carrying through to the rest of the station. Arran called upon his connection to the Force and used what strength he had to break free from the shackles around his wrists. The older man fell to the ground, his legs buckling underneath his weight. He hadn't walked in a while. Arran got back to his feet, quickly getting used to feeling the weight under each step.]
Arran: Did you get our weapons?
Zanka: Not yet. We still need to get Azura. She got carted off to the med bay.
Arran: H8er, access the security logs and find where our equipment is located.
R5-H8: Our equipment is near, as is the medical bay. I also have access to the patrol routes. We could easily alert them and perish. That is actually what the terminal here says under the 'advice section'—one's goal in life should be to perish by patrol route.
Arran: The guards have already been alerted, H8er. You didn't disable the alarm when you deactivate the containment field.
R5-H8: Even better. We can go outside this room and be shot or stay inside and starve. After which I will be shot.
Myles: [He shook his head and grabbed a gun off of the Phantom, tossing it over to Arran.] This ship's layout is similar to your own capital ship. I think I can lead us to the med bay. If H8er is right, our equipment might be in the armory nearby. Assuming of course the layout is as similar as yours...this cell is new.
Arran: [He caught the weapon and gave it a quick look over. There wasn't much of a difference from the old design he had created.] The Junk might be heavily guarded when we get to it. We'll need to shut down the tractor beam too.
R5-H8: [A tiny speaker popped out of his head and the 'The Bothan's Tiniest Violin' began to play.] Oh yes, that horrid tractor beam.
Zanka: [He glared at H8er as he played the song. His jaw clenched as he spoke.] Meeka...took it.
Myles: We'll find another way.
[Myles went for the door. It sprung open, revealing a large squadron of guards outside in the hallway coming toward them. They fired and a stray shot grazed Myles' side. He fell to the floor, grabbing at the wound. It had only grazed him, but it was enough to char some flesh and leave a scar. Arran let the gun in his hand drop to the ground as he walked forward. The blast fire aimed toward him seemed to curve around his body, shooting wildly into the ceiling and adjacent walls. There was an anger in Arran's eyes as he stopped at the mouth of the hallway. The guards stopped firing and watched. His hands pushed forward and the guards were lifted up off the ground and back down the hallway. They crashed into each other, bones snapping in between muffled screams. When they finally hit the floor they grabbed at their aching limbs.]
Arran: Let's move. We get to Azura, we get our gear, we find a way out.
[The group stepped out of the room. As the alarms continued to blare throughout the ship, the lighting changed the walls and floor from the typical gray to red.]
Arran: Lead the way H8er, and make it quick. No quips about death until we're off this ship.
R5-H8: [The droid gave an audible sigh and replied sullenly.] Yes, master.
[H8er led the group further into the hallway that would go past the hangar. As they came near, the guards who had been nursing their injuries attempted to crawl over to their dropped weapons. Before they could so much as pick them up, Myles and Zanka had both sent them to the ground unconscious.]
Myles: [He rose the butt of his gun over a fallen guard's head.] You chose to fight for the wrong side. [He brought it down, knocking the guard out and watching as his now limp head crashed against the cold metallic surface.]