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Mira's Last Job Chapter 4
Had there been a sun, it would've shown as directly noon by Mira's watch. As it was, the moon had made the substitute, telling when the battle would take place. Several scouts reported back and she held her position at the front of the barricade. The natives had done all they could to prepare, such as hiding for ambushes, signaling each other silently and setting a plethora of mines. Finally, a rushling in the bushes revealed the first soldiers, marching in front. The redhead unsheathed her lightsaber and waving it as menacingly as she could. Most of the new Czerka recuits were taken aback by this. But the older mercenaries simply pushed out front and glared at her.
"Back off, or you'll be answering to me. What's your choice?"
By the quick draw of their blaster rifles to the charging of their ammo packs, Mira got her answer. She paused for a moment, before sweeping the mercs legs from under them. She then gave a loud whistle, signaling her furry allies and the battle had commenced. Out of the trees, the natives leapt and broke through the Czerka offensive. With their sheer size and equipped with blaster rifles, they tore through the first line, almost wiping them out. The redhead signaled them to fall back, as the rest of the tribe followed her command. Soon, more troopers came flooding through the gates, this time with more equipment and experience. When Mira caught sight of a Gatling laser on one of the mercs, she knew this battle had come for the worst.
Hiding from cover, she let out one of the biggest missiles she ever created. After launching the custom rocket, it took out nearly the entire battalion and left some fires burning. However, Czerka continued to flood the walkway with more of their troops. From cover, Mira continued to fire dart and alterntating between the blaster rifled. The natives were not one for holding their position, but soon Czerka mercs continued to penetrate the line. However, one foolish merc didn't realize the mine he was stepping on. With a quick flash and an explosion, Mira successfully led several of the Merc soldiers ito a minefield. Those too scared or too smart to enter were taken down with blaster fire.
However, there were only so many mines as the rest broke through. Using her dart gun, she paralyzed or in other cases incapacitated whatever threat may have come. Her allies had done well sniping and otherwise taking care of officers from the trees. But, her luck soon ran out as one of the mercs blindsided her and smashed her wrist mechanism in the process.
"No, no, dammit! Not now!" She said, struggling to repair the broken circuitry. Mira had no time to waste. More soliders filled the walkway. Looking at her limited options, she quickly gave a sharp whistle and like a Kath Hound to flesh, the gunship appeared to take care of the remaining guards. Its gatling laser tore through the enemy line, allowing the natives a chance for a frontal assault. Mira knew she must've been doing something right because several of the soliders began retreating prematurely. Her victory was short lived, as one of the soldiers stared at her lustfully.
"Hey, girly. You look real nice…" He said. Doing something crazy, she clenched her fist and gave a sharp right hook to the merc's face. Looking unshaken, the guard continued his advance.
"Now, now. Nice girls shouldn't play bad. Let's get you out of those clothes and…"
The mercenary at this point felt the left part of his face freeze up. When he used whatever sthrenght remained in his left half to check himself, he felt 5 needles sticking out of his face. Confused at first, he watched as Mira unclenched her fist, dropping several darts to the floor.
"I knew I couldn't go deep enough, so I had to settle for quantity…" She said with a smirk. As she neared the battlefield, she gave the frozen soldier a pity kiss on the cheek and moved on.
The would-be Jedi watched as the battle went quickly in their favor. Her side had suffered little injuries and no casualties while the enemy line was purely decimated. She would've given herself a pat on the back, if she didn't spot several spotlights belonging to gunships that weren't hers. She leapt out of the gattling fire, climbed up the nearby tree and leapt onto one of the ships. Fortunately, she found her balance that had left her during her first time. She took her lightsaber and began piercing the hull. Once open, she cut her way inside and knocked out the guard. Once she had the controls, she began firing at the other ships. Luckily, she was a very good shot.
Landing the ship down, she rendezvous with the Chieftain, commanding the battle from the end.
"(We are winning! Most of Czer-ka is retreating.)"
"Don't celebrate just yet. Call it a gut instinct, but I have a bad feeling about this…"
Czerka observers in the computer room were watching as their career had taken a literal nosedive. The invasion had lost them many resources, and with no victory in sight. Things went even more sour when their Commanding Officer infiltrated them.
"What's going on? Why hasn't the tribe been taken yet?" He cried out at the top of his lungs.
"Sir, watch this. A Jedi is in their midst and they're causing havoc to our troops."
"Bindo?" The C.O. said. "Impossible! He's currently in the Senate as we speak!"
"No, not Bindo. Maybe his friend, but definitely not Bindo."
The Observers watched as their superior panted back and forth, wiping the sweat off his brow. He knew that this was their last chance to take back Edean and ensure Czerka would not be at fault for a village under their control. However, the C.O. checked his transmitter device in private. After a couple of "uh huh's" and "Yes'", the C.O. returned to the observers.
"These are orders from the top. Edean is to be taken at all costs. Prepare the Breach Droid!"
The scientists looked at their superior as if he had gone mad. The Breach Droid was a prototype, a design not yet perfected. Losing that would result in several debts in Czerka. Unsure whether or not to listen to him, they paused for a moment.
"What are you standing around, gawking for? I said 'prepare the breach droid'!"
Almost immediately, the observers began preparations and let the machine get to work.
For the first time she was on this forest planet, Mira smiled. Not a faux smile, not a smirk, a grin, or a shrug. This time, she genuinely smiled. The battle had, for the most part, gone in their favor and a majority of the Czerka forces were retreating. The natives chased them off as she breathed a sigh of relief. She'd help some helpless, now her conscious was clean. After this, she'd probably head back to Nar Shaddaa to settle a debt with Vogga. However, when several of the warriors came back from their pursuit, Mira had a distinct feeling that she spoke too soon.
"What the hell is that thing?" She said, as the warriors backed away. She saw a rustling in the braches, and almost heard one of the trees being forcibly pushed out of the way. With her wrist gadget out of commission, she unsheathed her lightsaber and had it at the ready. However, when the monstrosity arrived, it surprised everyone, redhead included. A War droid at least 20 feet tall almost handling a giant Gatling laser as if it were a toy. When the airship exploded behind her, it snapped her out of her fear, but not of her doubt. She took guard and charged the giant droid, only to be whipped away and hit a trunk with her back. After an audible gasp, she returned.
At first, her lightsaber seemed the most feasible choice as he leapt on the droids blindspot and began piercing its way to its hull. However, she had barely pierced 2 inches when the droid threw her about like a rag doll on the Walkway floor. Judging by the heavy fire from the natives, energy weapons nearly had no effect on the machine. Putting it away, she began picking up moderate to large pieces of the exploded ship, crates and even thick branches. However, with each hit, the droid came out unphazed. So, Mira tried the unthinkable and tried to mentally lift the droid. However, it's frame nearly weighed a ton. Noticing this, the droid activated its jet boots and flew out of the way before firing at Mira.
The redhead took cover, only to be knocked back by an explosion. When she awoke, she noticed the villiage set ablaze her stomach drenched in her own blood. She crawled away, commanding the Force to heal as much damage as possible. However, her concentration was waining. Her faith was fading. As the once cowardly troops marched into the settlement, her body shook from how the battle quickly turned away. All her doubts, her fears were all concentrated on the one droid that was impossible to take down. She knew this was a mistake; she wasn't Revan, she wasn't the Exile. She was just a bounty hunter who landed in the wrong place.
"I'm… scared. I don't want to be scared, but I am. I… can't. I… can't."
Suddenly, she felt a firm hand on her wielding hand. Mira turned to look, only to find nobody there. However, the feeling of the other's hand on hers was familiar, like an old friend returning.
"You have nothing to fear when the Force is your ally…" The Exile said. At first, Mira blinked once and then twice. However, as true as if someone were holding her hand, which held her lightsaber, so was the voice in her mind.
"Wow, I hit that tree harder than I thought." She chuckled pathetically, unsure what to say.
"I am speaking to you through the Force. Listen to me, Mira. The Battle is almost won, but you must deal the finishing blow."
"And you expect to listen to you, after you… you left us!" She screamed, almost looking insane in the process.
"I was always here, Mira. You just weren't paying enough attention."
The redhead didn't know what was coming over her. At first, she felt as if all her energy had left her, but now her anger had caused her to almost regain every big of lost energy. Eventually, she found her wound healed and her fatigue dispersed. She didn't understand what came over her until she realized it was all his doing. Somehow, he was helping her, even though he was million of light years away. She didn't understand or rather, didn't want to understand.
"Now come. Show me you are the best Bounty Hunter on Nar Shaddaa."
Mira sucked in a deep breath and felt the flow that was all of the Forest planet. Unlike Nar Shaddaa life was thick here and vibrant. She felt it all around her, and how Czerka was slowly killing it. She ran forward, finding her movements to be faster than she preconceived. As if time slowed down for her sake, she spun around the War droid, cutting tiny marks into it. When it tried to smash the ground and missed her, she leapt onto the droid and mentally tore open a hole on its lower region. She tried to exploit this, but the droid resisted and fired its Gatling gun. She stood several steps back, signaling for it to come.
The droid pursued the Jedi, unknowing stepping into a minefield in the process. However, even Mira's trap wasn't enough to topple the droid as it simply stepped on every mine as if it were an insect. Mira cursed audibly, unsure what to do next. If minature explosions wouldn't take down target, what could? Then, an almost insane idea formed inside her head. She wasn't sure it if was her own or the voice inside of her, but there was a plan that could be accomplished. Suicidal, yes, but brilliant at the same time. Staring at the giant droid, she unsheathed her light saber and bent down to adjust her boots.
Using her superior speed, she ran circles around the giant droid again. Distracted by the redhead, it tried several times to smash her, only to continue taunting it. How fully aware of its attention, Mira ran to a secluded spot, as if baiting it to come to her. However, the droid used its mechanized leap to cover a great distance and land inches away from her. She took the time to run, but the machine paid attention this time. It barely scratched the part of her robe and picked her up. Mira attempted to undo the wrap of her garments, but it was too late. Soon, the droid had Mira in its grasp and was slowly crushing the life out of her. She would've used the Force to Push it way, but she couldn't, she knew she couldn't.
Finally, Mira, assured that her ribs had been crushed and her body disposed of, chuckled a little.
"Guess you didn't notice, huh?" She said, pointing to its foot.
"Set a delay on the mine activation on you. In about 10 seconds, you're going to set off the 50 plasma mines you're sitting on. Later!" She chuckled, as the droid could barely move when the explosions hit. Everywhere she looked, the mines set off and simotenious detenations took its toll on the machine and her. Finally, when the explosions settled down, the droid was nothing more than pieces of scrap metal and she was looking a little worse for wear. Plasma burns and scars had covered her body as she could barely command the Force to sustain herself. She gazed, seeing the Czerka troops taking hint and leaving for the last time. She sighed and turned to the Chieftain, chuckling all the way.
"Hey, don't forget about my payment. Just… gonna… take a nap." She said, collapsing on the Walkway floor.
She never woke up from her 'nap'.
"As my feet walk on the ashes of Katarr," The Miraluka said once more, now making her statement a reality. She continued to step on her dead planet, trying to find what he told her to do. "I shall not fear, for in fear, lies" She paused for a minute, noticing the silence that was there. She turned to it, realized who it was and stayed silent for a moment. However, in this case, she felt swelling of the Force, rather than a emptiness in it.
"As my feet walk on the ashes of Katarr…"
She was buried in Atris old archives, studying and listening to the history of the Jedi. No longer a Sister of the Echani, she took the role of Jedi and claimed it to be hers. However, as she studied her new data, she felt a disturbance and then an absence in the Force. She concentrated to find out the source, only to realize who's it was. She smiled, which was something to say from an Echani to a Mandalorian.
He continued to repair things, as he always did. As the Ithorians restoration efforts on the station continued to improve, he was in the middle of some complex wiring when he felt something missing. Not from the fuse box, but missing from the galaxy, like a hole. He concentrated to find it, only to find it was someone he knew. The Zabrak stood silent for a while, comtemplating this death and then sighed. He looked back, only to find one of the Ithorians looking at him.
"(Is there something wrong, Bao Dur?)"
"It's nothing, Chodo. I thought something was missing, but it turns out they wanted to missing all long."
"Hit me with some Juma and keep 'em coming." He said, getting comfortable in his new robes. Granted, he gathered many stares in the Cantina, but none so much as he was used to. As the bartender poured him his drink, he stared at him.
"(How you pay?)"
The former smuggler gave a wave of his hand. "It's on the house."
The Rodian shook his head. "(No on house. I get in big trouble if you no pay.)"
He sighed, handing him a small amount of credits and took his drink. He would've drank it down, if he hadn't felt something empty. Not the usual emptiness around him, but a emptiness in the galaxy. He listened to it, and knew who it was.
"(So, why you here?)" The Rodian said, cleaning the bar.
"Mourning the loss of a friend, you could say…" Taking a drink, he couldn't help but notice one of the dancers, being harassed by the patrons.
"C'mon, give me some sugar!"
"(Get away from me, you drunk!)" She said, trying to defend herself.
He shrugged, downing the rest of his drink and stepping towards the woman in danger. He'd repay his debt, one payment at a time.
"Today, the Galatic Senate decided today on the system of Kashyyyk. It was decided that the Czerka corporation not only cease and desist its slaving operations on the Forest Planet but to pay reperations to aid the Wookiee familes that they-"
"Turn that filth off!" Mr. Lacer said, coming out of his Senate appointment.
"If those damn Wookiee lovers want to bankrupt the Republic, so be it! We have other investments to attend to."
The Czerka lobbyist and poured himself a drink from his bar. When his secretary came in, he could tell that she bore bad news.
"Not now, I need a moment to myself." He said, dismissing his assistant. However, by the antsy way she stood her ground, he could tell it was urgent.
"Well, if you're going to stand there, spit it out!"
The secretary fumbled with her dossier and handed him the report from the Kashyyyk operation. As he took a sip, he was almost tempted to spit out the drink, if it didn't cost him a fortune. As he looked down, what was most back stabbing was the detail of how Czerka's prototype droid was lost during the battle.
"It's still salvageable, right? I mean there's still parts and bits laying about, aren't there?" He said, his voice and his temper rising.
"Well, the problem was that the mass production relied on this particular model. But the good news is that we're able to make more… economic models, smaller and more affordable."
Mr. Lacer wasn't an idiot nor a rookie. He knew for a fact that the giant models would've sold dozens with every military power wanting to buy them. Making economic models wouldn't gain as high a bid as the larger ones and worse, it may make Czerka look unfaithful amongst the shareholders. After taking a stiff drink, he paused and then threw his glass against the wall, screaming at his situation.
It was fortunate that Vincenzo Lacer was so adapt at speaking; he would have to do a lot of it in the future.
For the first time, he broke his mediation, staring outside to the unknown. As the ship hummed along to its eventual destination, he contemplated Mira's sacrifice. At first unwilling, then hesitant, then fully committed, he couldn't help but feel both a mixture of sorrow and pride at the same time. His friend, with a sliver of help, managed to round up the Wookiees and save them from certain death from Czerka. He'd thought about Kreia's prediction and how some of the details were wrong.
Weeks weren't necessarily years, but perhaps it was to Mira.
At the same time, he doubt Revan intentionally 'forgot' about the forest system, but rather had other things in his mind.
In the end, Maison chose to accept that some details in life were wrong and moved on to his next mission.
"Goodbye, Mira." He said, watching the endless void.
"Her death will occur in many years time on a forgotten planet, saving the lives of others. But it will be her choice, and she will have no regrets."
-Kreia