-3-
"Woah!" Jhan exclaimed, as a large rock hurtled past him, narrowly missing his head.
"Yeah, the Grimlorgs aren't known for being big on conversation," Vhinh responded. Their voices echoed throughout the mouth of the large cavern, where they had come to hold a meeting with the Grimlorgs.
The Grimlorgs, one of the indigenous species inhabiting the world of Karack, shared the planet with more recently settled and advanced humanoid races. Known for being very territorial, there existed a delicate peace between them and the other inhabitants. As long as no one bothered them, they kept mostly to themselves - until now. A group of Grimlorgs had been seen abducting the king of the Azentu, a humanoid civilization of inhabitants, while on one of his famed hunting trips, and then disappearing back into the caverns, their know habitat.
The Jedi had been called to bring back the king, peacefully, if at all possible, and attempt to get to the bottom of why he'd been kidnapped in the first place. With XXJ-9T, their highly advanced protocol droid, they'd hoped to resolve the matter without incident. It wasn't working out so well, however.
"They say they have no interest in the weak Azentu king, and if we don't get off their land immediately, we'll be buried on it. It sounds like a threat. Would you like me to neutralize them, sir?" XXJ-9T inquired.
"No, that won't be necessary, ExJay. Stand down," Vhinh instructed. Working with a passive-aggressive droid like ExJay was sometimes more of a liability than an asset.
"Tell them a group of them was seen taking the king into the caverns - we know he's here. We aren't here to fight, we just want the king back," Master Ytalha put in.
ExJay uttered a series of grunts and squeals, then awaited a response. The response came in the form of a large boulder, almost the size of the droid, flying at him, knocking him down and pinning him to the ground.
"Oh, I wish you had let me neutralize them, sir. It seems they were rather offended by your doubting them, and they are giving you one last chance to leave and never come back."
"Tell them we aren't leaving without the king, and there will be no further dialogue until we have him back, in one piece," Vhinh declared.
"Um... would you please help me up so I might take cover first, sir?"
So, the three Jedi rolled the boulder aside, helping ExJay upright, who then hobbled behind another large boulder, finally translating the Jedi's demand. Following was a hushed silence. ExJay was right to take cover, though, as now a barrage of rocks and boulders came at them. The three quickly ignited their lightsabers, slicing through the smaller projectiles, Vhinh and Master Ytalha using the Force to catch the larger boulders in mid-air, setting them down only to catch more.
"Press on!" Master Ytalha called out, and so, blocking and destroying flying objects all the way, the Jedi continued forward, deeper into the large cavern, while the Grimlorgs gradually gave up ground. Soon, they came to a huge opening in the cavern, revealing a vast room filled with multiple tiers of flooring and systems of ladders. Each walkway seemed to disappear into another hole in the cavern's walls, many over a hundred feet off the floor. The entire structure seemed to be supported by four very large pillars.
A bloodcurdling, high-pitched screech could now be heard, coming from several of the retreating Grimlorgs. In seconds, Grimlorgs emerged from the woodwork, left and right, quickly flooding the room, climbing - and jumping - down ladders and swinging down on ropes from the suspended walkways. Wasting no time in fighting for the ground they lost, they began sending barrages of rocks and boulders in the direction of the Jedi. The three put forth their best efforts, but it was becoming overwhelming.
"ExJay, if you want to neutralize things, why don't you target some of those rocks!" Vhinh called to their counterpart, now huddled behind another rock meters away from them.
"Yes, sir." If enthusiasm could be seen in a droid, this was it, as even in his body language it was evident he'd been spoiling for a chance to mount some kind of offense, hurriedly leaving cover and proceeding to pulverize rock after rock, a few even before they left the hands of the angry Grimlorgs.
The droid's assistance did make some difference, and the Jedi began to press on, once again. Frustration grew apparent in the Grimlorgs, as many of them abandoned their projectiles and stormed the Jedi in all-out frontal assaults. Their large, fur-covered bodies dwarfed the Jedi, and the sight of one of the beasts descending on them would have sent a normal man running. Slashing at the Jedi with razor-sharp claws, they appeared not even phased by the lightsabers. The three began moving back, now giving up some of the ground they had gained, not wanting to impale or otherwise mutilate the Grimlorgs with their deadly weapons. But the Grimlorgs would not relent, pursuing the Jedi, one of them managing to land on the young Jhanopellis, knocking him to the ground, preparing to sink its claws into him. Not yet ready to die on his first deployment, he did the only thing he could, holding his lightsaber firmly in front of his face. With each swipe the Grimlorg took at him, a slight turn of his wrists made it a painful mistake for the attacker, severing claws, then wrists, but the Grimlorg would not relent. It began gnashing its teeth at him, now attempting to take his head clean off in one ravenous bite.
"Stop! Get off!" he cried, pleading with the battle-crazed creature to no avail. Not able to escape from under its weight, Jhan's only defense was his blade, so when it came down, open-mouthed, ready to sink its teeth into his skull, he plunged the lightsaber straight down its throat. The sickening sizzle accompanied by the scent of burnt hair was the Grimlorg's send-off, as it collapsed now at his side, motionless. The fact that the Grimlorg gave him little choice in the matter did nothing to console him, but there would be time to deal with moral dilemmas later, as Grimlorgs were surrounding them, closing in.
The trio dodged and parried to no effect, as the creatures greatly outnumbered them, forcing them to use their lightsabers or die themselves. They were on a mission, to retrieve an abducted king, and the Grimlorgs were standing in their way. If they would not cooperate, there was no other recourse. The Jedi surrendered themselves to the situation, and did what they felt they must. Grimlorgs fell all around them.
Master Ytalha made one more effort to reach out to their attackers. "Exjay, tell them we do not wish to continue down this path. Surrender the king, and it will put an end to the bloodshed."
Exjay relayed the message, barely audible above the mayhem, and even a non-Grimlish speaking being could tell it was not well received. "They say the time to talk has passed, and we shall die with them for desecrating their homeland."
As soon as the words had left his mouth, even more rocks came their way, but this time, they weren't playing around. Several very large boulders were rolled out the mouths of the upper openings in the cavern walls, pushed by groups of Grimlorgs.
Vhinh looked on in horror. "I have a bad feeling about this."
"As do I," agreed Master Ytalha.
Huge boulders came rolling down from the walkways, some narrowly missing the Jedi, some wildly crashing into the cavern walls themselves, shaking the entire room with the impact.
Jhanopellis dodged another of the rolling behemoths, which grazed one of the four pillars, rocking the very structure where the Grimlorgs stood. "They're gonna bring this whole place down!"
"Exjay, come on!" Vhinh called to the droid who was still making futile attempts to break down the giant boulders rolling their way. The three Jedi, along with the droid, began to file out the way they had come in - but it made no difference. The Grimlorgs already seemed completely committed to their new tactic, and boulder after boulder continued crashing down around them. One pillar fell, taking part of the walkway and many Grimlorgs down with it, landing with a deafening boom. This did nothing to discourage the attack, however. The fact that they were destroying their own home seemed to be no deterrent, as if the giant boulders, stashed away somewhere deep within the caverns, were their all-purpose contingency plan which, once initiated, there was no turning back from.
Before they could reach the entrance of the large cavern, they saw a second pillar wobble, slowly lose its center of gravity, then finally topple over - and that was it. The entire structure, the walkways, ladders, and boulders with them, came crashing down, along with the Grimlorgs upon it. Many Grimlorgs on the ground were crushed by the falling boulders and debris, and those who made it out remained in hot pursuit of the Jedi, following them all the way through the tunnel and out the mouth of the cavern to the outside.
Trying to avoid the Grimlorgs' advances, they were all interrupted by three small shuttles rushing by overhead, flying relatively close to the ground. They all turned to watch the ships, including the Grimlorgs, whiz past the large cavern, off into the distance, then dive toward the surface, headed straight for an opening in the ground. The Grimlorgs looked on, no longer trying to attack the Jedi, as if deep in thought. Who were these mysterious shuttles, and why were the Grimlorgs so intently watching after them?
"Greetings, citizens! I'm Hanli Tross."
"And I'm Von Kitel."
"Today we have a very special guest joining us. Many in the financial world both despise and revere him, for he has taken his family legacy to new heights, creating a vast tech empire, and may currently be the richest man in the galaxy. But he's also received recent attention for the actions of his own private security force, or, dare I say, army, who have been striking back against the cartels, and have actually reclaimed three Hutt-controlled worlds. This has not surprisingly drawn attention from the Republic, who have fallen on hard times since the drastic escalation in crime in the aftermath of the Peacekeeper shut-down over a decade ago. Today we'll meet the man behind the story, talk about his present and future plans and his reaction to an alleged 'proposition' made to him by the Republic. But we won't keep you waiting any longer, so here he is, tech giant and multi-trillionaire, Eulian Tratzel."
"Tratzel... that name sounds really familiar for some reason... ," Karta said, as the Ishi Tib Hanli and human Von rose to greet their next guest. Their show, Affair Galactic, was the most widely-watched talk show in Republic space, as well as a well-respected news source. Normally she wouldn't bother with things of this nature, but she was bored, and there was nothing else on. As their guest appeared on stage, she sat up and took notice, feeling a chill run down her spine. She'd never forget that face. There he was, looking barely a day older, with a smug air about him as he greeted the duo onstage and took a seat.
"Hello, Mr. Tratzel, and welcome," Von greeted him, shaking his hand vigorously.
"Just Eulian, please," he requested, and made his way to Hanli, kissing her cheek. Hanli made a fanning gesture near her face, as if being wooed by the simple peck, and motioned toward him to the audience, mouthing some comment about his pleasing appearance.
"So, Mr. Tratzel - Eulian," she said with a flirty smile, "is there a Mrs. Tratzel?"
He laughed a little. "No, not yet. My work does consume a lot of my time, but there is a special someone in my life."
"Really. Well, come on, don't be shy - does she have a name?"
"I prefer to keep that private, if it's all the same."
"I understand. Well, can you at least tell us what she does? What kind of woman wins the heart of a very desirable man such as yourself?"
"She's... a teacher. That's all I'll tell you," he said teasingly.
"Hmm, so, who's the breadwinner in that relationship?" she joked. "But in all seriousness, you've taken one of the largest tech dynasties in the galaxy and grown it into perhaps the largest, and most profitable corporation in the galaxy as a whole. How did you do it?"
"Through shady dealings. Creep," Karta riposted.
"Well, as I said, I am always working, it's been my life, basically... and through some wise, well thought-out investments and acquisitions, well... I guess you'd say it takes a very good business sense, not one which can be acquired through some fancy school, but I think I learned a lot from my late father."
"A touchy subject, I understand - his untimely death," Von put in. "How old were you when he passed?"
"I was eighteen. Of course I was devastated, but I took the reigns and tried my best to fill the void he'd left. I had a good base to start with - my father was a financial genius. I suppose I put so much into the company because I saw it as my father's first love, and I wanted to honor him in that way."
"Well, you've certainly done that, and then some. With your recent acquisition of Kuat-Temkor, your net worth has soared. So why expand into that particular industry?"
"I think it was a logical step. Many of their ships are already fitted with our technology, in communications and navigation, for instance, and this I believe will bring everything together under one roof, streamlining the process and giving us more time and energy to dedicate to research & development."
"You lost a rather large contract with the disbanding of the Peacekeepers over a decade ago, but it barely seemed to phase you."
"We... did see the earnings reports, and, I'll tell you, it wasn't good, but, we had to take the loss and move on. I always try to diversify my investments, because things like this do happen. You can't put all your crew on one ship."
"Speaking of the Peacekeepers, Eulian," Hanli cut in, "the Republic has obviously been in a bad spot in their absence, and sources have indicated they've actually made you a rather substantial offer, regarding your private guard."
"Yes, it's common knowledge now, they were in fact interested in commissioning my guard, perhaps expanding, in an attempt to bring back some type of galaxy-wide security force."
"And you, I take it, weren't very receptive to the idea?"
Tratzel looked pensive, then said, "You know, it's not that I wasn't receptive, but there are a lot of considerations to be made, and I don't think the Republic is in that kind of position fiscally, as well as politically, at this point. They made an offer to commission my forces, yes, but for the scope of what they hope to eventually accomplish, they simply aren't ready. I wasn't interested in the credits, really, the kind they have to offer, anyway.
"Now this might make me appear greedy, but you have to realize the kind of investment it takes to make a program like this successful. It's all or nothing; there's no halfway about it. Obviously I have my guard dispersed throughout the galaxy to protect my investments, but what happens if the Republic takes over? My guard can't be everywhere, so I'm putting myself at risk, so the Republic can experience a small benefit from a little added security.
"The bottom line is, the Republic, unfortunately, is not what it used to be. They don't have the credits to support this kind of program anymore, and the way things are going I don't see that changing any time soon. Now, I actually made them a counter offer... ,"
"I didn't know that," she said, surprised. "What was your counter offer, and how did they react to it?"
"Well, in order for me to undertake any venture, I have to see a potential for success. I didn't get to where I am by making foolish investments. In order for the program to be successful, it would need to be expanded significantly, but also structured. Now, I have the credits to do this, and the business sense to oversee it. One problem I see, is that most don't realize that the Republic is no different from a failing business. We seem to separate politics from finance, but the dynamics are largely the same. Believe me, I've been in business a long time and have become very well-versed in politics."
"Yeah, like in bribing politicians," Karta said dryly.
"I've also taken failing businesses which I saw potential in, and turned them around in a short amount of time to make them profitable again, in many cases more -"
"Hey, Karta, have you seen my stunner?" Nars interrupted, thoughtlessly walking right in front of the holo deck.
"Shhhhhh!" she hushed, pushing him out of the way. He turned to see what she was so intently watching. Some fancy-dressed guy on Affair Galactic. Didn't really seem like her thing.
"Who's that guy?" he inquired.
"That's him. Now be quiet." By him, he actually had kind of an idea who she might be referring to, as more than once she'd described her run-in with some scary guy at some political building back on Commenor. He didn't really look that scary, but he was powerfully built and well-dressed, so he put two and two together.
"... would want to retain jurisdiction of my guard, while working in conjunction with the Republic, in a newly created position. I would oversee the expansion and deployment of the guard, delegating tasks to the necessary parties, in essence I would be in charge of galactic security, much like a private security contractor, but on a larger scale."
"And the Republic didn't jump on the deal, huh?"
"It's... some would say, unconventional, but others, like myself, would say innovative. The current business model of the Republic, from my perspective, needs to be re-evaluated, because it simply isn't working. Part of this, yes, is due to a shortfall in law enforcement, but there are other factors, which I won't go into, as it isn't my place at this point in time. In any case, no, they, I believe, feared handing over such a huge responsibility to an outside party. To this, I asked, 'So how is that working out for you?'"
"Indeed," she said grimly.
"So, Eulian," Von took over, "a bit about your guard in question, as they've drawn quite a bit of attention themselves. Some people claim they're actually Force users. What's your response to that, and if so, where are you finding them?"
He smiled smugly. "They're not Jedi, if that's what you're getting at. My men are very highly trained, by an elite few whom I have gathered during my travels. The suits they wear do lend a bit of enhancement to their natural abilities, but as I said the real value is in their training. I demand only the best, and that extends to all my ventures."
"A regular jack of all trades, aren't you, Eulian? And the identity of these men? There seems to be a bit of mystery in where they're coming from."
"Wouldn't you say that only adds to their power?" he asked, and Von nodded in confirmation. "While I can't divulge the identity or origin of these men, for security reasons, I will say that they undergo very thorough criminal background checks as well as psychiatric evaluations, and I'm confident we will never experience anything like the unfortunate incidents involving the Galactic Peacekeepers. I'd put my reputation on that."
"So, are you recruiting? Can I join?"
Tratzel laughed with gusto at this. "I don't know, Von, you're a little short," he joked. Von spread his arms as if offended. "Seriously, though, I'm not at this time, as I have recruiters who have been tasked with seeking out these individuals, and they are very selective... and as you can imagine, I have enough job applications to sort through as it is. But who knows, maybe some time in the future. Perhaps a few Jedi may even like to apply, that is if the bounty hunters don't get there first." His eyes widened and he wore a quaint smile as he said this, looking from side to side.
"Ooh, did he really say that?" Hanli mused. "That was a little below the belt, Eulian."
"Yes, yes, no offense intended by that, of course. I just fear the Galactic Republic is in a declining state, and it's time for some serious revision."
"Have you ever given any thought to running for office?"
"I've entertained the thought, I suppose, but honestly I don't know if the galaxy is ready for a leader such as myself. They are afraid of change."
"I'd vote for you," she commented playfully.
"Thank you, and I'll hold you to that, Hanli," he grinned.
"So, on a lighter note, how old are you now, Eulian? Fifty-something?"
"Fifty-seven."
"Wow. You don't look a day over forty, if that. What's your secret?"
"Magic." He said, with a completely serious expression, then it faded. "No, there's really not a secret. Just a healthy lifestyle, you know, exercise and nutrition."
"You are an impressive man, Eulian. You manage to do everything you do, and still take care of yourself. Do you ever sleep?"
"Yes, mostly during business meetings."
"And he has a great sense of humor. I hope your significant other realizes what she's got, because I know there's a ton of ladies who would die to get their hooks into you."
"Myself included," Karta said, scowling. The thought of this man, this evil man - an opinion formed after having spent all of thirty seconds in his presence, but an opinion she felt no doubt accurate - in charge of galactic security scared her almost as much as the dreams she'd had after that day. In these dreams - or nightmares, rather, he stared at her with that malicious glare, then began viciously choking her, until she forgot how to breathe, only to wake up in a cold sweat, gasping for air. "Can you believe that? Someone like that, having that much power over us?"
"I don't know, Karta, I mean he kinda has already, hasn't he? He's the reason you've been in hiding all these years."
"I know, and he needs to be exposed, before he becomes too big to be stopped."
"Who's gonna expose him? He'll have you killed if you come forward. Besides, you don't even really have anything on him."
"There has to be something. I need to remember the name of that lady he was trying to bribe. She was a senator... probably from Commenor. NineHundred, can you do a search on senators for me, starting with Commenor, about twelve years ago," she trailed off, taking in the fact that it had been this long, and that horrid face was still fresh in her mind. "Uh... female senators."
"Yes, Ms. Oblith." There was a quiet moment while NineHundred performed a search. "Only one match on that search, Ms. Oblith. Ayda Hynn, Commenor Senate, deceased."
"Deceased! What did she die of? She didn't even look that old, looked pretty healthy, too."
"It says unknown causes. She was found in her apartment, no evidence of foul play, full autopsy, no investigation."
"Unknown causes... I think I have a pretty good idea of the cause." There were always ways to hide foul play, especially for someone with the resources of Mr. Tratzel. "I need to know why he was bribing her... there has to be something. NineHundred, are you able to do an analysis of Ms. Hynn's acts as senator, find out what her known involvements were? Maybe see if there are any likely connections, something that occurred after or around the day you guys found me? Something about a bill, I remember him saying, 'if the bill passes...'" she said this more to herself than NineHundred.
"Yes, Ms. Oblith. I'll inform you as soon as my analysis is complete."
"Thanks, Nine."
Nars spoke up, unable to refrain any longer. "Uh, Karta... I mean, what are you planning to do? Even if you find something, how is that gonna help? That lady senator is dead, and even if she weren't... ,"
Agitated, she turned to him. "What? So I'm just supposed to let it go? Look, I don't know, okay? But I'm not gonna just sit back and not even try. This guy is obviously used to getting what he wants, I mean look at him, how much money he has, how he just pays off politicians, murders them, and gets away with it! Maybe I'd rather die than let him keep getting what he wants."
"But how are the cartel bosses any different? I mean, they do that kind of stuff every day, and we're sticking it to them every time we nab one of their guys. What's different about this guy?"
"What's different is that at least the cartels represent who they really are, instead of hiding behind all their money. Plus, he's working with them, or was - so he's already just as bad as any of them, and he's evil, okay? I don't mean like a crook, or like some violent criminal, I mean, truly evil. You had to have seen him that day, then you'd understand."
Nars didn't know what to say. He supposed she probably knew what she was talking about, but what was one person going to do up against something like that? He just didn't want her to get hurt, or be devastated when she realized there really was nothing she could do. He did wish she could find a way to let it go, but he couldn't say that. He knew how she felt, but he also knew that thinking about it was only going to make her feel worse.
"Based on my analysis, Ms. Oblith," Ninehundred's voice cut back in, "there is one specific connection around the time frame you indicated which may match the criteria of your query. A proposal for a bill involving the Peacekeepers, in fact. Proposition of bill #3749J-9365A, the cutting of all funding and removal of the Peacekeeper program."
"By the stars, Nine, that's it! That has to be it! That's why he was bribing her! He was in on it, somehow!"
"But he's a businessman, how would that help- ," Nars began.
"with criminal ties!" Karta finished. "Obviously deeper than we thought, if this is any indication. Oh my god, this is it - this is big!" she realized, now processing thoughts a mile a minute. "Look at things, Nars! Look what's going on out there, I mean - it's perfect - it fits! The cartels, the Republic - and now he's trying to profit off of it - maybe he already has! It was all a scheme, he had to have known, it can't be a coincidence." Karta turned to him for some kind of support, validation for this huge revelation she'd just had.
All he could manage was, "Wow, I think you might be right, Karta. So what do you want to do?" A little more enthusiasm, a nice retrospective moment would've been nice - after all, this involved her - at least indirectly, and was shedding new light on issues that had been in the far recesses of her mind for many years. Oh well, she'd take what she could get.
To answer the question, she didn't know - didn't have the slightest idea of where to begin or what she even expected to accomplish - but she had to do something. She couldn't let this information just pass by without incident.
"I don't know, exactly... but I need to get it out there - to the right people. To someone I can trust - someone who might have some kind of influence, who knows how to deal with these things better, obviously."
"Hmm, who does that leave? If your - ," he started to say something like 'if your dad knew about it, he'd know who to talk to, being a politician, and so on', but decided that would be a sour subject to touch on. It didn't matter, because she guessed what he had in mind, and, fortunately, was too focused on this new development to become consumed in another bout of grief, which she'd experienced periodically throughout the years.
"I can't trust a politician," she went on, as if to stifle his thought, "because I don't know the right ones, and I'm still wanted, possibly, though perhaps not actively pursued. That kind of cuts it down considerably. The bounty hunters, the wrong ones, anyway, would have reason to act on that. Virtually all my old contacts, acquaintances, they're all out. We've met a lot of people - the occasional drifter, bartender, pawnbroker, arms dealer, maybe a decent person here and there tossed into the mix - but anyone who has any kind of power? Influence?"
Nars deliberated on that point. "Now, when you say power... "
She raised a cynical eyebrow at this. "Whaaaat?" she droned.
"Well, what about the Jedi? I mean, they're supposed to have all this wisdom, you know? They might know what to do."
The Jedi. While her opinion of them had been questionable, at best, in her younger years, now they just seemed to be fading into obscurity, in her own eyes and no doubt countless others. However, it may be the most logical choice, at this point. They had served as mediators of affairs, both large and small, since their inception, and the overall impression seemed to be that they were on the right side, however misguided. As much as she hated to admit it, it might be worth some consideration. It couldn't hurt to talk to one of them, could it? Would they turn her in out of some obligation of honor to the Republic? Or would they be the understanding, compassionate example of the beings of old lore? She might just have to chance it - it could be her best bet.
"Ugh," she only said.
Notes: Thanks for reading! More chapters soon, I try to update once or twice a week, so stay tuned. Please review!
Star Wars names and concepts are owned by Lucasfilm and used for creative purposes only.
Original names and concepts created by Tony Mancosu. Cover art by Tony Mancosu.
