Song: "Tighten Up," by The Black Keys, from the album, Brothers.
Chapter Seven: Trial And Error
When I was young and moving fast,
Nothing slowed me down,
Oh slowed me down.
Now I let the others pass,
I've come around,
Oh come around,
'Cause I've found,
Living just to keep going,
Going just to be sane,
All the while live knowing,
Such a shame.
Earlier...
Not for the first time in his life, Levy didn't mind so much that he couldn't speak, because no one would have listened to him anyway.
After the adrenaline high from evading the Imperials had worn off, the crew of the as-yet-unnamed Deep-X made the final leg of the journey to Zygerria in relatively good spirits. Drake was praised – with good reason, for his piloting skills had saved the day – but Levy was more pleased with the ship's performance. It took away some of the sting of fear that refused to leave him after the close-call. Levy was bothered, more than he could express, about the fact that the Imps had somehow pulled their ship out of its hyperspace route; technology of that kind he'd only read about, but had never experienced first-hand.
It was not something that he wanted to relive.
Now, the evidence of the Empire's dominance in the galaxy had moved from rumor to speculation to fact, and even in the oppressively pungent, heated air of the Zygerrian marketplace, he shivered and tried not to scratch at his left arm. Just after the attack, they'd managed to send and receive a few coded transmissions to Master Altis, learning that the Jedi Master had a ship in a nearby system, but still...the brief Imperial entanglement had been a dangerous wake-up call.
Of all his companions, only Zara seemed as affected as he; his brothers had hardly seemed to notice the attack, save Risky's lament that they hadn't gotten to use the guns and the continuing debate about an appropriate name for the ship.
There were an abundance of neon signs that indicated the way to the auction area, which was where Altis' intel had indicated that Faye would be located, and he tried to recall the myriad of plans that the elder clones had tried to work out with them before they'd left, to be prepared for any contingency. Even so, as they hurried through the market, he kept thinking the same thing over and over that he never should have left Mundali. The whole Imperial encounter had been close...too close. Next time, he knew, they might not be fast or lucky enough to escape.
We have a mission, Levy. We can't turn back, now. Zara's voice in his mind was soothing, and he felt his shoulders relax a bit, as he hadn't realized he was broadcasting his thoughts. She glanced at him, her pale-blue skin offset by the saffron color of most of the buildings in this part of the city. "Besides," she added, indicating the area around them. "It's interesting, isn't it?"
Presently they were passing a group of Weequay ne'er do-wells who were heading into a nearby cantina; all of them were swaying unsteadily on their feet, singing a raucous song in a language that Levy couldn't identify. All around were vendors and booths, selling a wide variety of goods, from shimmersilk clothing and decadent jewelry to food that seemed varying degrees of appetizing. There was so much noise: disjointed shouting, arguments, jokes being told and enjoyed. Levy and his brothers were keeping to the peripheral edges of the crowd, trying to remain as inconspicuous as possible.
"Interesting is one word for it, I guess," Drake said from behind them. Turning, Levy didn't miss how his brother's eyes passed from him to Zara, his brow furrowed. The question was clear, and Levy recalled that they had each been too engrossed in different aspects of the journey to discuss much of anything. He figured that Zara hadn't mentioned the fact that she could speak to him through the Force either, then wondered why it mattered, or if it did at all.
The Nautolan looked thoughtful, but made no response as they continued. Ahead of them, Keo and Risky had taken point and were craning their necks to see everything they could. Zara and Finn were in the center of the group, and Levy found his pace gradually slowing, until he'd fallen in step with Drake, who was – as he'd put it – guarding their rear.
Before his brother could speak, Levy raised his hands. It's not like that, vod. It's just the mind-talking thing with the Force...Kalinda managed to get the Jedi to speak to me that way. They can – could – all manage it. He paused to tug down the sleeve of his jacket over his left arm until it brushed against his knuckles. It's good to be able to "talk" with someone, you know? It was true; sometimes his hand cramped up when they couldn't keep up with the pace of his thoughts, and he wished that he weren't damaged. Times like that were when he really felt the nanogene droids scuttling beneath his skin.
Drake nodded, but kept scanning their surroundings, and Levy could read the tension in his brother's steps. Finally, the other clone sighed and glanced at Zara once, before lifting his own hands in the sign-language that they had all learned to mimic. It was useful, particularly in situations where stealth was required.
Of course it's fine, Levy, he signed. I don't care how close the two of you are. It's not like she's – his hands fumbled here and Levy could see his throat move in a tight swallow before he continued. It's not meant to be, for us, okay? And she's fine with it, so I am too. We had a...a thing all those years ago, but it's long since over, now. Besides, he added with a faint smile in Levy's direction. I am glad that you have someone to talk to normally.
It's nice, Levy admitted with a grimace. Really nice, actually. As he was wondering whether or not to tell his brother that he didn't really think Zara was "fine" with whatever was between the two of them, there was a skidding sound of boots on dust, followed by a growl of displeasure from Risky, and a choice phrase. Drake tried to move his brother past the blind stranger while Zara apologized, but all of Levy's attention was on the man that Risky had collided with.
Though his voice was gravelly, Levy knew beyond the shadow of a doubt that this was a Fett clone, and his realization was confirmed over the course of the brief encounter. The understanding made him want to stop in his tracks and question the stranger, but already his brothers and Zara were moving away, in the direction of the slave market. As it was, Levy only took a moment to pause and glance behind him, catching sight of the blindfolded clone who was facing their retreating backs.
Zara?
Her reply was immediate. Levy? What is it?
Levy frowned and cast another look behind him, but the blindfolded clone was nowhere insight. You know that was a Fett clone, right?
Are you sure? She sounded dubious and she turned to glance at him, so he nodded vigorously. After that she made no reply, only nodded once as they continued on.
There was no time to process the strange encounter any more than that, as they reached the auction site within a few moments. The crowd was growing thicker, and the group instinctively stuck close together. Though the clones had always taken pains to ensure that their appearance was different, each of them was all-too-aware of the fact that five identical young men in a group would clearly stand out, and they were not willing to take unnecessary risks.
It was crowded. For a few moments they simply tried to stand out of the way of the main group of potential buyers and tried to get their bearings. Levy watched as Zara got more than a few interested looks from passers-by, and he couldn't help the scowl that came to his face because of the fact. Drake seemed to notice as well, and the two young men sidled closer to the blue-skinned young woman's sides as if to offer her protection, even though Levy was certain that she didn't need it, recalling his friend's skills with a saber and a blaster alike.
The Padawan seemed not to notice the movement of her friends, as her eyes were fixed on a group of young women, a mixture of Twi'lek, Togruta, and other Near-Humans, who were being led into a corridor at the rear of the amphitheater, where Levy supposed was the "backstage" area for the auction. None of them looked any older than she was, and he saw her lekku twitching in agitation, and her large eyes blink several times.
Risky gave a heavy sigh and glanced at Drake, seemingly oblivious to anything but his own irritation. "Are we gonna get going or what?"
"There are more people here than Traxis and Ares reckoned," Finn said with a shake of his head. "We can't exactly go charging in like I know you want to, Risk."
"We need to get back there, remember?" Zara said, nodding in the direction the slavers had guided the young women. "It was part of Altis' intel. That's where the...people are kept right before the-" She broke off and gave a sharp inhale and her fists clenched beneath her jacket. After a moment she took a breath and looked at Drake. "I wonder if they allow independent sellers to come in, or if you have to be registered with the Slavers' Guild?"
"No," Drake replied, his eyes widening a fraction before he shook his head. "Absolutely not, Zar. We'll find another way in."
Keo frowned and lifted his hand to his chin in thought as his eyes flicked from Zara to another group of slaves. "It's not the worst idea, Drake."
"And we'll be right with her," Risky added, patting his hip where he kept his sidearm. "She won't be in any real danger."
"Someone has to get back there," Zara said. "Just long enough to find Faye. Then we can leave."
Drake still seemed uncertain, but from the tone of her voice, Levy could tell that Zara had made up her mind. It might not even come to you going back there, Zara, he said with his hands. If you can distract the guards, a couple of us can slip back and find her.
Finn's eyes were alight, as he'd caught on to Levy's train of thought. "From Altis' intel, there's not a lot to the locks they use...pretty standard, really." He glanced at Levy, a faint smile appearing on his face. "Think you and I can pull it off, vod?"
The good thing about not being able to speak was that it didn't matter if you couldn't find the right words, so Levy gave what he hoped was a confident nod, though internally he was fighting back his agitation. Drake didn't seem pleased either, but the matter appeared to be out of his hands, and the group took a moment to slip away from the crowd to huddle in a nearby alley and better formulate their plan.
"That means we're in charge of the distraction, " Risky said after a brief, hushed discussion. He rubbed his gloved hands together, a feral smile on his face. "Fan-kriffing-tastic."
Despite his misgivings, Drake had to admit that it seemed the best way to go about the whole affair, though he inherently disliked the thought of deliberately setting Zara in harm's way. After Finn pulled out a pair of restraining cuffs from among the miscellany he always kept in his pack, Zara held out her slender wrists to Drake, meeting his eyes with her own. "I know you don't like it," she murmured. "But it really is the best idea."
As he tried to attach the cuffs without touching her skin, the action reminded him of their first meeting, over five years ago, when she'd been a prisoner of a crazed Kaminoan scientist along with he and his brothers. She'd been bound in a similar fashion, and in what had been the highlight of his admittedly short military career, he'd managed to free her. At the time, it had been the closest he'd ever been to a Jedi.
The cuffs weren't really secure, but they'd have to do. She'd shed her jacket and saber as well, giving both to Drake for him to tuck in his own pack. Beneath it she was wearing only a black, sleeveless shirt and a pair of fitted trousers that indicated the Padawan had matured into a very attractive young woman; for a moment he couldn't help but gaze at the graceful swell of her hips, or note the way that her shirt curved around her breasts.
Stop it right now, you di'kut,he told himself. Snap out of it and keep your mind on the mission, soldier.
Trying to insure that his eyes did not linger where they shouldn't, Drake took a breath and met her gaze. "I don't like it," he admitted, his eyes shifting to Risky and Keo, still within the shadow of the alley as they checked the charges on their weapons. "And I think that we need to be careful – this goes for all of you," he added, narrowing his eyes at his brothers. "Nothing reckless or stupid. Risk, you listening?"
"Copy that, Commander."
With a sigh, Drake glanced at Finn and Levy, who were scanning the rear of the marketplace. It was a relatively broad area, necessary to accommodate the large number of beings in attendance to the auction; there were several tall guard-towers stationed around the perimeter, which Drake assumed allowed an unrestricted look should any slaves attempt an escape. He hoped they could work around that. "Once we have the guards' attentions, you should be able to slip past. Levy..." He took a breath, then continued. "How far away can you and Zara be before you can't...talk to each other anymore?"
His brother glanced at the Nautolan girl, then shrugged and lifted his hands. We haven't really tested it like that. I'm not sure. Maybe a few klicks? She nodded in agreement, then smiled at the mute clone.
A flare of jealousy spiked within Drake at the action, but he set it to the side in order to focus on their mission. "Great. I want you two to stay in contact; if there's any trouble, we need to be aware of it. Risk, Keo and I will escort Zara and keep the attention of the guards long enough for you to get in, get Faye, and get out."
Finn held up a second set of cuffs he'd been able to scrounge up. "If we keep her bound, hopefully no one will look twice at seeing another slave-girl being led around. At least, until we return."
There's enough people and booths, Levy added. I think we can make it back here without too much trouble.
"And we'll give those chakaare something to focus on in the meantime," Risky added.
"As long as we can all get away after we're done," Drake said. He cocked his head at Zara, whose eyes were on another group of girls being led into the arena. "You didn't learn that shielding thing from Kalinda, did you?"
She glanced back at him and shook her head, her lekku swaying. "I couldn't ever figure it out, unfortunately."
"It's okay, Zar," he replied, his voice softening at her expression of remorse. "We'll manage without."
Keo cleared his throat. "Guys? We should get going."
Soon enough, Drake found himself facing a rather burly Zygerrian, and wondering just how foolish he was for going along with the plan. It would have gone better, he realized, if one of them had spoken the native language of the slavers, but as it was this particular fellow – whose name they'd learned was Rurik – only spoke a handful of Basic. Communication was difficult, to say the least, and so far they'd only managed to figure out that no, the Guild did not allow independent merchants to enter the arena.
"We can pay the fee," Drake said, speaking the words clearly. It was true, actually. Kalinda had given them a bit of coin, most of which was left aboard the ship, but Drake and Zara each had pocketed some for emergencies while they were dirtside. For good measure, he pulled a few creds from his belt and jingled them in his palm.
Unfortunately, the sound did not have the desired effect. Rurik snorted and gave a wave of his hand as if to dismiss them. "Not a Guild member, no deal. No matter how pretty." This last part was said with a leer towards the blue-skinned girl. Despite his attempts at nonchalance, Drake found his jaw tightening. It was difficult to watch the brutish Zygerrian run his eyes along Zara's body, the bony ridges that his horns created along his jaw darkening with arousal even though his posture remained aloof.
To her credit, Zara kept her eyes downcast and her posture hunched, though it pained Drake to see her even acting as though she'd been mistreated, and he realized that he very much wanted to get the entire situation over with. So he glanced up at the Zygerrian again and opened his mouth to speak, even as the slaver nodded in acknowledgment of a group of his compatriots who were leaving the slave quarters and making their way for the arena itself.
Of course, before Drake could speak, Keo jumped in. "Listen here, spike-face," he growled, modulating his voice to be a bit louder than was necessary, even among the buzz of the crowd, in order to fully keep the Zygerrian's attention upon them. "We didn't travel halfway across the Outer Rim to be turned aside by a pointy-eared, flarg-eating di'kut who doesn't know a good opportunity when it walks up to him. Let us through, or we'll-"
"You'll...?" The Zygerrian's voice was more of a growl, and the narrowing of his eyes indicated that perhaps he'd understood more than the clones had given him credit for. His arms were still crossed and he was still looking down on them from his impressive height. Drake wanted to glance around, but was wary about taking his eyes off of Rurik.
Keo patted the unmistakable bulge of a blaster at his hip and spoke again, his tone managing to be both cocky and ominous. "We can get...persuasive."
At this, Rurik let out a bark of laughter, then made to brush them aside to wave another group of slaves and a Guild member through. Clearly, his attention still needed some focusing, and Drake knew that they needed to escalate the whole thing just a bit, enough to make Rurik pay more attention to himself and his brothers and less on the folks going in and out. Drake forced himself not to look at Zara as he considered the next move.
That was when Risky chose to take matters into his own hands. The red-haired clone reached forward and shoved Rurik's torso, hard enough to cause the bulky Near-Human to take a step back. Suddenly, a strange kind of hushed silence fell around their immediate area as the Zygerrian stared at the clone, who was even now glaring up at him with no fear evident in his eyes, his hand reaching for his blaster.
Oh, kriff.
Drake gave a mental wince as Rurik's posture changed from indifferent to irate. Risky's particular brand of action wasn't quite what he'd had in mind, but he supposed that he shouldn't have been surprised that his brother had chosen to move everything to the next level in his own brusque manner. Keo's fingers were already moving for his own weapon, and he was standing shoulder-to-shoulder with Risk. Beside him, Drake felt Zara tense, and wondered if she was trying to influence the Zygerrian's mind – though he'd heard that this species wasn't susceptible to such things, which was one of the reasons they were so good at what they did.
As it turned out, none of his thoughts mattered, because in the next moment everything went to hell.
In the former days of the Jedi Order, Zara figured that it would have been considered, at the very least, highly unorthodox to allow oneself to be taken into "custody" and brought to a slaver's market in order to be "sold." It wasn't unheard of; in fact, she recalled hearing of a similar mission with another Padawan during the Wars, but generally Jedi chose to work without such lurid plans.
Honi certainly would not have been pleased with the current scenario, but Zara remembered how Kalinda had once made certain allowances with regards to her own reputation among a rather lewd group of pirates, just so she, Zara and Honi could leave their custody without incident. It had culminated in the pirate leader slapping Kali's backside in front of his crew while he bragged about his prowess – so much so that even a Jedi couldn't resist him – though he did let them go.
At the time, Zara had been a little shocked. But, she reasoned, that had been years ago. Now she thought she understood the necessity of such a thing, especially as she listened to the interaction between Risky and the Zygerrian, Rurik, and thought of the downcast eyes and hunched shoulders of the young women she'd seen. Resolve tightened in her heart, along with the understanding that, although the ends didn't always justify the means, her own pride was nothing in the face of a greater mission.
But it was still difficult to remain cowed and meek-looking when she knew there were so many who needed her help, just within her reach. Her mind drifted a little, and she wondered if she could ever return to Zygerria and maybe-
The thought was cut off by a flare of apprehension from Levy; he and Finn had successfully managed to infiltrate the areas where the slaves were kept prior to being up for sale, but he was still nervous about being discovered. From what she could tell, it was busy enough that no one had noticed them, but he felt that it was only a matter of time. Though she didn't think she could really help him, Zara tried to send a measure of confidence and reassurance his way, to bolster his spirits if nothing else.
It worked a little. Some of his agitation fled, but then she realized that it was due to the fact that his mind had found a new scenario to work over, as they'd come across Faye. She took a breath and reached to Levy through the Force, for a few moments forgetting to pay attention to what was happening around her. Levy? You found her? Is she hurt? Do you think you can-
Give a guy one second to reply, okay? His tone was sardonic and she bit back a chuckle, despite everything. He added: I think we can do this, just need a few minutes. Finn's talking to her, now.
This made Zara open her eyes and glance at the others, only to realize that the situation had deteriorated from unfriendly to downright hostile. Risky and Keo were both getting ready to draw their weapons while Drake had inched closer to her side as if to protect her. Rurik's eyes were narrow as he faced down the red-haired clone, and he was speaking.
"If you know what's good for you, haja, you will leave. Now." His hand had crept to his weapon, a wicked-looking vibroblade with a serrated edge, and after re-orienting her awareness around them, Zara realized that they were surrounded, because most of the crowd had faded into the background, leaving only Rurik's companions and coworkers. "Stinking Humans...you're out of your league."
She cut her eyes to Drake, but his gaze was on the Zygerrian before them. The clone's back was straight, his broad shoulders were tense, his eyes were full of fire, and she had an inexplicable urge to grab his hand. For the span of a few heartbeats everyone was silent.
Zara had been so preoccupied with Drake that she didn't sense Risky's fury until it was too late. The young clone gave a shout of indignation and raised his weapon.
He didn't even get to pull the trigger.
Rurik was upon him, faster than Zara had ever seen a being of his size move, and the next thing she knew, Risky had cried out once in pain and collapsed to the ground, the front of his shirt darkening with blood. But before he'd hit the dust, his brothers began firing. Dropping all pretense of her enslavement, Zara broke free of the cuffs and reached for her blaster that Drake had slung in his spare side holster. The three of them stood above Risky, backs together, firing on the Zygerrians, who had descended upon them with alacrity.
For a few moments it was chaotic, and Zara dearly wished for her saber, as foolhardy as it would have been to reveal herself as a Force-user now. Blaster bolts rang around them, filling the air with the thick, electric scent of plasma. The clones were skilled and she was able to use the Force to subtly deflect some of the shots, but she knew that they couldn't hold this out for much longer. Levy, she thought, ducking and firing at a nearby Zygerrian. Are you guys done? Our cover's blown.
We're on the way out...we'll be there in a sec.
No, she thought back, her heels pressing into Risky's legs as she inched backward almost instinctively. It's too dangerous...get to the ship, if you can.
I'm not leaving any of you, Zar. Even his thoughts sounded stubborn, but she did not have time to frown, as Drake suddenly let out a yelp of pain beside her. She spared him a glance and realized with a twist of her gut that his right arm had been hit, the fabric of his coat black and smoldering. He looked at her, then, his almost-golden eyes filled with something she thought had been sent away, by her actions as much as his.
"I'm okay, Zar," he said in a strange voice. "Don't worry about me."
Suddenly, there was a horrific noise from across the plaza; it sounded like metal being rendered and twisted by force and was loud enough to cause everyone, Zygerrian, clone and otherwise to look over to see one of the guard towers that was stationed along the perimeter of the square as it began to careen down towards the crowd that had already started to disperse. Guttural shouts sounded and the slavers began bolting for cover. Zara's first instinct was to toss up her hands to try and use the Force to stop the massive thing from falling on top of them, but Drake and Keo had already bent to collect Risky.
As they were turning to run, a slender, pale-skinned woman appeared at Zara's elbow. "This way," she hissed, indicating the direction of the collapsing tower, which was making a screeching, grinding sound as it teetered forward. Zara hesitated, but the woman grabbed her wrist and met her eyes, silver against dark. "The Force is with us," she whispered. "Please...trust me."
Zara felt a chill pass through her at the words, but she followed, urging Keo and Drake along. The tower groaned through the air as it descended, and they went as quickly as they could, following the slender woman as she raced parallel to the collapsing structure. As they ran, she heard Levy's voice in her mind once more, oddly excited despite their dire situation.
I was right, Zar. It is a clone...the woman with you...trust her. It's okay.
It was too late, anyway, for her to change her mind, but she wasn't afraid, because she knew that the stranger was right about the Force being with them. The silver-eyed woman led them to a nearby alley, where Zara was relieved to see Levy, Finn and a bewildered, young Twi'lek she assumed was Faye already waiting for them. Deep violet skin stood out among the clones, and the female – who couldn't have been any older than Zara – had a series of spiraling tattoos on her lekku, the very idea of which made Zara wince. She was dressed rather scantily, as most of the potential slaves had been, with delicate swathes of silk draping across her legs and arms.
There was another person there as well, a man who Zara recognized as the blindfolded stranger from the marketplace. The hood of his jacket was down, and she could see now that he was a clone, though he wore a strip of cloth tied over his eyes in the manner of a Miraluka. Behind them, the tower finally collapsed into the dirt, and the entire area was blanketed in a cloud of dust that obscured everything. The Zygerrians were shouting to one another, but Zara hardly paid them any mind as she stared at the newcomers.
The woman they'd followed was pale of skin, with silver-colored eyes that met Zara's own gaze with calm despite their situation. Her cheekbones were wide and high, and there was a certain proud carriage to her movements, despite her somewhat disheveled appearance. Beneath her dark brown coat she was slender, but her stance was strong, as if she was ready to spring into action with barely a moment's notice. She may have been Echani, if not for the hair.
In any case, the stranger met and held Zara's gaze without a trace of fear, and the strange thought occurred to Zara that there was a touch of destiny about this woman, that the Force – while not strong at all with her – was somehow surrounding her.
There was much that Zara wanted to ask, but Drake's voice broke through her trance. "Zar..."
She looked down; Risky was still bleeding, and it looked bad. Really bad. Swallowing, Zara knelt beside him, where Keo and Finn were attempting to staunch the worst of the blood flow; Fay had begun ripping apart her costume in order to provide bandages, but the silver-eyed stranger stepped in.
"I have a medkit," the woman said, reaching into a pocket of her coat.
However, Zara ignored all of them as she knelt beside Risky and placed her hands just over the wound, closing her eyes as she did so. Despite the flare of pain she felt from Risky and that of worry from Drake, she sent a trickle of Force-energy to the wound, assessing its severity. What she found did nothing to set her at ease. It was deeper than she'd reckoned, and contaminated as if the Zygerrian's blade had been treated with a toxin of some kind. However, it was difficult to focus, particularly with all of the others hovering over her head.
Perhaps her expression indicated such. Perhaps Faye had her uncle's innate ability to read others; either way, the violet-skinned Twi'lek cleared her throat and urged the younger clones back to guard their position, allowing Zara to work in relative peace, despite the fact that the marketplace they'd just left was still rife with commotion, indicating that the danger was far from over.
However, all of Zara's attention was now on her patient. Below her hands, Risky groaned, his eyelids fluttering, and she felt her heart tighten with fear. "It's okay, Risk," she murmured, placing a hand on his forehead and sending him a bit of calming energy, hoping to help his pain. She glanced up, startled to see the silver-eyed woman kneeling beside her, holding out a hypospray. "Thanks," she said, pressing it to Risky's neck.
"Jo..." It was the blindfolded clone, his face contorted into a frown. "I can hear that they're starting to regroup. We need to move out."
"I know, Tully." The woman looked at Zara. "You're a Jedi." As Zara opened her mouth to reply, the silver-eyed woman shook her head and pressed her hand to her chest. "I'm an Antarian Ranger – we're on the same side. My name's Johari, or Jo, if you like. That's Tully," she added, jerking her thumb to the older clone, who gave a grunt in reply. Johari looked back at Zara, her expression earnest. "I'm so glad we found you, at last."
"What?" The word was spoken simultaneously by Zara and Drake, who'd come to kneel down beside her, heedless of the irritated glance that Faye shot his way.
Johari took a deep breath. "I know it sounds crazy, but just hear me out; I was told to look for ones like you by...by a Jedi Seer named Atreus Rand." Seeing Zara's incredulous expression, Jo gave her a look. "You can discern the truth for yourself. Look within my mind with the Force. I have nothing to hide."
There was no time to hesitate. Zara opened herself up to the flow of the Force and peered into the stranger's mind, her mouth parting in confusion at what she found: it was as if she was looking at a barren stretch of land, filled with walled-off sections beyond which she could make out...nothing. But they were missing memories, she realized, not conscious thoughts. Johari's mind appeared to be intact, though from what she could tell a mind trick had been performed upon her. However, her intentions were good, and there was no malice within her, not a whisper, though there was a deep, abiding sorrow. The woman – Jo – was telling the truth.
Additionally, a certain sense of capability resonated within the silver-eyed woman, and Zara puzzled over the title she'd given; having been staunch supporters of the Jedi Order, Antarian Rangers were almost as hunted as those they had once served with, and she'd honestly never thought she'd meet one. Zara opened her eyes and looked at Jo with new eyes. "Okay," she said. "I trust that you speak the truth...but-" She was cut off by the sound of booted feet; Tully's words had proven true, as the Zygerrians had regrouped and were searching for them.
Tully gave a growl and reached into his belt, pulling out a slender, long dagger that winked even in the dusty light. "We need to haul shebs. Now."
Drake indicated Risky. "Can he be moved?"
"He'll have to be," Tully replied, his fingers closing around the hilt of his weapon. "Unless you want to ask the slavers if you can use their hospital."
Johari stood up and lifted her hand down the alley. "We can make it to the spaceport from here...but we must hurry. Tully..."
"I've got your six," he replied. "Go on with the 'kids'...I'll cover you."
Zara felt Drake bristle at the term 'kids,' but he seemed to let it go, instead looking down at Risky with knitted brows. "Will he be okay?"
"The wound's deep, and already infected," Zara replied. "I'm not sure I can do anything right now, even with the Force." Her voice dropped. "If I had more time, maybe...but he needs real help, Drake. Some things even the Force can't fix."
Drake winced at the words. "Are you sure?"
"Maybe we can contact Traxis and Ares once we leave...try to find Altis..." Zara replied. "I don't know...all I do know is that he's stable for now, but Risky needs real medicine."
"And we need to go," Tully countered. "Hear that?" Indeed, they could make out the sound of footsteps drawing closer.
Zara looked at Finn, Levy and Keo, all of whom had taken defensive positions around the group; Faye was among them, armed with a blaster that looked incongruous next to the silky slave ensemble, though there was ferocity in her eyes. They exchanged glances for a moment but said nothing.
Keo stepped forward. "Come on, Finn. Let's take him." Sheathing their weapons, he and his brother hoisted Risky up as gently as they could, and everyone rose in unison. Johari was several paces down the alley, and Zara took a breath as she went to follow the Ranger.
It was not a moment too soon, for the slavers were upon them only moments later; blaster shots resonated around the alleyway, causing the others to duck as they avoided the fire. At one point, as Zara was attempting to cover Finn and Keo, she stumbled. Levy caught her arm and hauled her to her feet – with dismay she felt her bracelet from Altis rip and slide off of her wrist, but there was no time to worry about it. Johari urged them on, and the group raced for the spaceport.
Johari was displeased with the realization that the Zygerrians were a rather speedy lot, more so than she'd figured. However, they were not the ones running for their lives, and as the old proverb said, fear gives wings to the feet.
Jo found herself in the lead as the group plummeted through back alleyways and side-streets, and she was thankful that she'd taken the time to wander around the city in the few days that she and Tully had spent planet-side. It had been a spur-of the-moment decision to come here, to try and meet with a contact who might be able to direct them towards the location of a particular Miralukan Jedi; though now it seemed as though the Force, destiny, or whatever it was had other plans for her and Tully.
To get her bearings and catch her breath, she paused before an intersection of two streets, keeping to the shadows. They had come some ways from the slave markets, but had a bit longer to go to reach the spaceport.
The young woman– one of the others had named her 'Zara' – halted as well and remained at the Ranger's side, alternating her glance between her injured friend, the streets around them, and Johari herself. Now that they had stopped for a moment, Jo could tell beyond a doubt that Zara and the younger clones were whom Atreus had meant: children of the storm, indeed. Tully had often spoken of Kamino's violent weather, and in her mind, the name fit the young men who all shared the same face and homeworld.
Again, she felt a pang of sharp regret surrounding the Miralukan Jedi as she thought of all the things she wanted to say to him, but thinking too hard about them always made her head start to ache, so she pushed the thoughts aside and glanced beside her at the blue-skinned young woman. "The spaceport's down that way," she said, listening to the footsteps of the others as they caught up. "We're only about a quarter of a klick away..." She paused, uncertain about the phrasing of her next words. "I think you need to come with me."
"What?" Several of the clones spoke in unison, but Zara only studied Jo for a few moments; the Ranger could feel the gentle prodding of the Force at her mind, so she allowed the Padawan to discern for herself that Jo was being honest. In the background, Tully gave a snort, but otherwise he held his tongue and remained in place, listening for incoming Zygerrians.
As she brushed Jo's mind with the Force, Zara spoke to her. "Why?"
The Nautolan's presence was gentle, and for one moment Johari was reminded of something else; a flare of memory darted up within her brain, then settled back behind the mental walls that she could not see around. She gave a tight swallow. "I need your help, Zara. I have a mission, one that may affect the future of the Jedi Order should it be completed."
"Zar-" One of the younger clones broke in, though he was crouched beside Tully at the edges of their group, keeping watch. "You can't possibly trust her!"
Now Tully, who'd been silent, shot him a frown, and Jo knew that beneath his blindfold he would be glaring despite his lack of sight. "Watch your tongue, rookie."
There was a distant, collective shout from the Zygerrians, and for one moment they all tensed, then the sounds of pursuit faded for the moment. Johari thought she could hear Tully's teeth grinding from her own position about three meters away, but the bulk of her attention was on the Padawan.
Zara frowned. "What mission?"
Before Jo could answer, Tully spoke up. "We're searching for the Great Holocron. Ever heard of it?"
Ignoring his tone, Johari reached into one of the interior pockets of her coat as she spoke. "It was the last thing that Atreus did before he...disappeared," she said, withdrawing a small, spherical crystal and handing it to the Padawan. "He hid it, somewhere. All I know is that this is the key to finding it."
Zara took the crystal and examined it closely, her dark eyes going very large. "This is an Adegan crystal...the kind we use for lightsabers. But I've never seen one in this cut or color. It's almost pure white..." She looked up at the young man next to Tully, who was glancing between the alley's exit and her; one of the others, the only one who had not spoken, moved beside her to study the crystal as well. In the shadows of the alley, the other clones were kneeling by their injured brother, along with the purple-skinned Twi'lek girl.
"I know all of this sounds...passing strange," Johari said, ignoring the sound of booted feet rushing past them, down nearby alleys. "And I know that you have little reason to trust that what I say is true, but I swear to you by my ancestors, I have been given this task, and I cannot complete it without your help."
Zara took a breath and seemed to consider a moment, before looking up at Jo again. "You said that Atreus Rand was a Jedi...?"
"Rand was a Seer," Tully broke in, his chin lifting. "A damn fine one, from what I could tell. I don't know much about the Force, and I wasn't privy to all of the brouhaha with the Holocron, but I do know that if he said something was true, it was true."
Something in Johari's heart tightened at the word "was" but she shook the feeling aside once more to dwell on the here and now. "Several years ago he had a vision of you, Zara," she added. "You and your companions. He called them 'the children of the storm,' and said that all of you would be the key to my mission surrounding the Great Holocron." As she spoke, they heard the unmistakable whine of a speeder being started nearby, as if the slavers were preparing vehicles.
One of the young men lifted his hands and made a few fluttering motions with his fingers that Jo did not recognize, but his companions seemed to understand. Another of the clones,who had not been one of the ones helping to carry his brother, looked at the Nautolan. "Zar...you're not really thinking of going off with these people, are you?"
Zara turned and glanced at her injured companion, her brow furrowed. Jo could read the deliberation in her body, how she kept shifting her weight on the balls of her feet and how her fingers tensed; she also had about nine thick, lekku that were twitching in agitation.
Behind them, Tully cleared his throat. "It's rude to take a blind guy sightseeing, you know. Is there some other reason we're still standing here? "
Jo noticed that some of the younger clones shot him incredulous looks, though they said nothing, save the injured one who let out a groan. This caused the Padawan to shut her eyes briefly, then shoot a look at the younger clone who had spoken to her moments ago, who met her gaze. Something passed between them, something that even Jo, with her extensive understanding of the language of the body, couldn't read, something that caused him to frown and shake his head.
Zara looked back at Johari; her back was straight and her eyes were unwavering. "Okay. I'll come with you. But I need to make sure that Risky's taken care of, first. Let's get to our ships and regroup, then rendezvous when we're safe." Her tone was edged with uncertainty, but Jo thought that it was out of concern for her friend.
"Assuming we make it off of this rock alive, sure, why not?" Tully replied.
Trying not to roll her eyes, Jo nodded to the young woman. "Agreed." She straightened and removed her twin blades from their sheaths at her upper legs. "Tully...come with me. We'll stay here and draw their attention for a bit, which will give you time to get to your ship. Once we leave the system..." She paused and named a local moon that she knew would be secure; Zara nodded and turned to her companions.
There were a few moments of hushed debate, but they were cut short by a sudden shout from the edge of the alleyway – they had been discovered. The clones, the Padawan and the Twi'lek all broke into a run while Tully and Jo remained behind, daggers raised as they stood next to one another, ready to meet their foes. As the footsteps from the others faded and the bulky forms of the Zygerrians bore down upon them, Tully turned his face down to her.
"That's what I like about you Echani women: never a dull moment." The words were spoken with his usual gruff tone, but within she detected a note of sadness, and again she thought of her sister.
But it was pointless to grieve when she had so many other things to do, so she lifted her song-steel daggers and readied herself as the Zygerrians approached.
Whew! Super long chapter today...thanks for sticking with me!
Ah, the "plot" begins, at long last. :P It took a while to get there, I know.
Johari has daggers and not blasters because her people, the Echani, prefer weapons of that sort. She's quite capable with them, as we'll see later. ;)
Poor Risky! :( They had a plan – of a sort – although it didn't work out so well. Zara and Co. are meant to come off as a bit inexperienced and...well, naïve. Hey, only one way to get experience, right?
Next up: fleeing Zygerria...sorta. :P
Thanks for reading! :)
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