-10-
Boarding the ship with their new detainee in tow, Nars and Karta laughed and joked like old friends. A near death experience is always a great ice-breaker.
"Hey, NineHundred, look what Nars caught! You should have seen him out there!" she called out to the inorganic presence.
"Yup. Handled it like the pro that I am, so suck on that, NineHundred," he boasted.
"Yeah, NineHundred, suck on that," Karta backed up Nars. She giggled.
NineHundred had no response to the double-team. The two looked at each other. Karta went stiff and robotic. "Computing... computing...," she said, mocking NineHundred. They both laughed. All this Karta did for Nars's benefit, feeling maybe he deserved a break. The two had given him a hard time earlier, and she was grateful to him for being there when it mattered most. He really was a decent guy overall.
They ended up getting a small bounty for the captured thug, who was actually a known member of one of the Hutt cartel's many subsidiaries. Karta reflected on the fact that had things been different, she and him would have been on the same side. But after all she'd been through, scared for her life, running from the Tekdaemons, and then coming upon an unlikely new ally with Nars Free'ta, she really didn't have any desire to go back to her old way of life and be part of that element. She felt happy now, for the first time in days, though she didn't know how long it would last. Where could she really go? The Tekdaemons were everywhere, after all, and it was all she could do to evade them for a short time. She ambled over to Nars, who was lounging in the cockpit, finally able to relax after all the ferment. "So, where are we headed to now?" she asked.
"I don't know," he replied, barely moving. "Thought I might take a few days off, y'know. Kinda clear my head a little."
"And then...,"
He turned his head to face her. "Well, business as usual, I guess. Though I might try to avoid more delinquent teens," he teased.
"Funny." She looked on for a few moments, thinking. "Y'know, I'm glad you found me. I mean besides the fact that you may have saved my life by showing up on Hethsba when you did."
Nars gave her a kind smile. "I'm glad I found ya too, kid. Aside from dragging me into all that unspeakable horror, you're not so bad to have around."
"So you'll be doing this for awhile, huh? The bounty hunting gig?"
"I don't know, probably." He was quiet for a moment, then sighed. "Look, I know, maybe I'm not the best bounty hunter around. But it's what I really want to do... and I have learned a few things throughout the years."
"Have you ever given any thought to taking on a partner?" she asked, biting her lip uncertainly.
He had an idea of where this was going. "Not really, I mean, I'm kind of my own Gran, y'know? Don't like having others to worry about, and I like calling all the shots."
"Oh...," she said meekly, tilting her head down.
"On the other hand, maybe if the right person were to come around... ," he said thoughtfully.
"Yeah?" she inquired, interested.
"I mean it couldn't be just anybody. They'd have to know how to shoot, have a little street smarts, and y'know, be calm under pressure, that kind of thing."
"And have their own blaster?" she said, pulling out the weapon she had stashed after they'd incapacitated the cartel thug.
Nars nodded in approval. "That would definitely be a plus." He then tilted his head back, returning to his much-anticipated phase of relaxation. "So you let me know if you run across anyone that fits that description, okay?" he said, smirking.
"Okay," she said. Then she hugged him tightly. "Thank you, Nars. For everything." She pulled away, but not before planting a small peck on his cheek.
"Yeah, kid. Think nothing of it." He regarded her. "And thank you. For everything."
After a very quiet, cheerless trip back to Fi'ar'la aboard a Jedi transport, Vhinh bowed good day to his master and retreated to his quarters, where he planned to immediately begin his sentencing. The last twenty-four hours had been an exceptionally formative experience for him. He had seen highs and lows, bonded with his master, and seen some of his true potential as a Jedi realized. Admittedly, he was rather impressed with his own ability, but he knew he had years of work ahead of him to hone the skills within his own mind, those that he had both revered and, at times, found to be a source of minor annoyance in his master. Still, he saw their worth, and knew they would prove to be his greatest asset.
He'd had no idea of the toll the day had taken on him until now. He found it difficult to put his mind completely at ease, partly because of the down note the day had ended on, partly because he was still worked up from all the exertion, though he was mentally exhausted. After a couple hours of meditation, he retired to his bed.
Vhinh was awoken the next morning, barely after dawn, by his door chime. Giving a quick stretch and shaking his head, he arose and went to receive the visitor. It was his Master. "Good morning, master. Is everything okay?"
"Quite. I'd like you to meet me in the main hall, Vhinh. There are a few matters we must discuss. Clean yourself up and report promptly."
"Yes, master," he said, wondering what this could be in regards to. Had the members of council heard of his indiscretion and superseded his master's decision on the matter? Surely not after all this. He hoped. He wanted to race down there right away, find out what it was all about. It couldn't be anything good, could it? They'd fought a good fight yesterday, but it's not like they would get any award for mindlessly slaughtering a horde of cartel members.
Arriving in the temple's main hall wide awake and freshly groomed, he saw several of the masters, members of the council, and then Master Ytalha, standing with a small toddler he'd never seen before. "Vhinh Skywalker," his master formally addressed him.
Not knowing quite what to do, Vhinh tentatively took to one knee, bowing to the masters.
"Your study with us has taken you to many places, both mentally and physically. You have always shown to be one of our most promising students, and the progression of your training has been substantial. While you have displayed fault at times, we collectively believe that the skill and dedication you have displayed as a padawan more than outweigh any mistakes you have made, hence you have in fact proven worthy of your place here with us. I've called this meeting in light of the events of yesterday. Though it ended on a grim note, I was very impressed with the ability you displayed, both in your handle of the Force, and, more importantly, your handle of yourself, two things which must go hand in hand. While showing impressive power and skill, you also came through and made the right decisions when they mattered most, demonstrating your value of life and your dedication to upholding these values. I believe you have all the makings to be a great Jedi one day, Vhinh." Vhinh's eyes widened at hearing this. His master continued, "But you must first pass your trials." Vhinh nodded. Did this mean his trials would no longer be suspended? If so, when would they be? Would he have more time to prepare for them?
As if to answer, Master Ytalha said, "Vhinh Skywalker, today will be the day of your trials. As in life, some things may not be anticipated, so you must always be prepared. Upon dismissal, you will report to the training area, where you will receive further instruction. Before you leave, however, there is one other thing..." Master Ytalha looked to the young child by his side, a boy who looked to be about two or three. "I would like you to meet someone, our newest inductee. His name is Jhanopellis Udo, and he may soon be your first padawan, once you have been knighted, which I am confident you will be."
Vhinh arose, ecstatic, making his way to the small boy. He offered his hand. The boy looked up at him in wonder. "Greetings, Jhanopellis Udo, and welcome to our family. I look forward to training with you," he smiled.
"Greetings, Master Skywalker," Jhanopellis replied.
"Oh, I'm not a master," he grinned. "Though someday, I hope to be."
"He may soon be calling you his master, Vhinh, once you pass your trials," Master Ytalha reminded.
Wow, he thought. To be called 'Master'. To pass on everything that he had learned, to have someone look to him, look up to him, as he had his own master. As he still did, and always would. At that moment, he felt a new level of gratitude toward Master Ytalha for all the time and wisdom he'd shared. He would make it his goal to do justice to the teachings he had received, and to strive to be as great as his own master one day.
"Well, I suppose we've delayed this long enough, haven't we," said Master Ytalha. "The day is still young, and you've much work ahead of you. You are dismissed, padawan."
Padawan. After today, he may no longer have that title. It was amazing how quickly things could change, how things both small and large could have such an immediate impact on one's life. As Vhinh headed to the training room, he reflected on all of this. Yesterday he didn't know if he would be a padawan anymore, and today, he faced the prospect of receiving the title of Jedi Knight. Of having his own padawan, the young boy who he couldn't wait to get to know. He would give him the best training he was capable of, and he would make sure that he was entirely deserving of it every time he heard that young boy say the word Master.
Deep within the confines of Darth Sceptaurus's secret abode, he was engaged in a holocom transmission with his new ally, Zabra.
"I must say I'm pleased with the outcome of our little endeavor, Zabra."
"I don't know why," Zabra contested. "We lost a couple hundred men, not to mention three gunships and dozens of starfighters and other assorted ships, and we didn't even get any credits out of the deal." Zabra crossed his arms, pouting.
"I told you, Zabra, credits are not the concern. I could show you more credits than you could imagine, but you must follow my lead. We accomplished exactly what we set out to. The bounty hunters have gained more credibility, the Jedi have lost some, not to mention the huge moral impact this will have on them, the poor weak fools. I have to admit, our garrison force held up their part of the plan perfectly, they indeed fought to the last man."
"As if they had a choice. You hand-picked men with families, telling them if they allowed any Jedi to reach the main control room, you'd execute them and their families. I would almost go so far as to say that tactic was beneath even me."
"You show weakness, Zabra. One of the biggest things you will need to work on if we are to be successful."
"Watch it. I can be as cold-hearted as the next guy, if and when it is necessary, which I'm not entirely sure this was. If we were just going to disperse our four 'bounty hunters' at just the right moment, why did we need all these other casualties? Even without the garrison, we still had all the hostages, which would have been enough to keep all the Jedi away."
"Yes, but we had to make it look believable. And remember, this was also a double-edged attack on the Jedi, having the bounty hunters outdo them, as well as making them look like mindless killers. Not only did this hurt their reputation, but it surely hurt their morale. Now add in the fact that our invading force was put down with a minimal amount of strife, and this gives the public a sense of false security. That they can survive without the Peacekeepers. That the Republic made the right decision."
Zabra processed all of this. "I must say I'm astounded, my lord. You really did put a lot of thought into this plan. So what's next, then."
"The galaxy is now our playground, Zabra. Do all the things you couldn't do before the Peacekeepers disbanded. Just don't be reckless. We still want to nurture that false sense of security. We've taken down the Peacekeepers, next are the Jedi. We start by weakening them, slowly diminishing the public's need for their services. We make sure that our 'bounty hunters' are constantly rendering the Jedi's attempts futile. They will be there first, they will be in the right places, at the right times. They will be our new heroes."
"That is a very tall order! It sounds good, sure, but do you have any idea what it would take to carry out such a plan on the scale we are talking about? Yes, we control the two largest cartels in the galaxy, but we can't be everywhere. And if we keep thwarting our own activities, our profits will also suffer."
"Be creative, Zabra. You've a developed criminal mind, so use it. You know what you can get away with, and what you can't. The Jedi can't be everywhere, either. But soon, we will be. We will be expanding. We will create a presence, embedding ourselves within galactic society, ever so discreetly, until the Jedi discover that we are everywhere before they even realize."
"I see. A lot like what you did with your organization, expanding under our very noses until you were too large to put a stop to."
"Very insightful, my friend. Now remember, this is only one phase of many. It will be a gradual process; patience is key. You are still a young Hutt, only a few hundred years old if I'm not mistaken. And I... well, I have all the time in the galaxy."
Ending the transmission, Sceptaurus noticed a small cruiser appear above-ground on his surveillance cam. He hit a button, which moved a few boulders, revealing the entrance to a large underground hangar. He walked to the hangar to greet his guest.
"Sada, my dear!" he said as the attractive woman from the holocom transmissions emerged from the cockpit. "How was your journey?"
"Without incident, my love," she said, greeting him with a deep kiss. "And how go things on your end?"
"Splendidly. Everything is really moving along, almost better than expected, had I not been gifted with such impeccable skills for planning."
"So when do I get to see it, then?" she said, eagerly.
"We can head down there right now, if you'd like."
"Yes, let's go!" she said, grabbing his arm, leading him ahead like an excited teenager. "So is it operational, then?"
"Yes, it has been for awhile, now, my dear. State-of-the-art, with the latest technology. More options than you can imagine."
"Wow, I can't believe it, my love. Our very own cloning facility. We could get in so much trouble!"
"Yes, if we were ever found out, we would both face execution, or lifetime imprisonment in the least. But by the time anybody ever finds out about this, we will be much too strong. Now, my dear, I trust you've brought our 'subject'." he studied her.
"Of course, my love," she touched her stomach. "Fell right into my trap. You know I always get what I want, it's just a matter of time."
He laughed evilly, then regarded her in admiration. "The blood of a Skywalker. I am very impressed."
"It was a simple task, getting a man to succumb to my charms."
"Well, I must say, you are quite the sorceress, my dear. Imagine you, passing for a beautiful young woman," he jested.
"Yes, keep it up, lover, and this woman will be the last remaining Sith."
"Until our child is born, you mean," he grinned, touching her stomach.
"We really are going to rule the galaxy, aren't we?" she looked at him with anticipation.
"Why limit ourselves, my dear. Once everything comes together, nothing will be able to stop us." The two Sith moved in for a long, passionate kiss, and at that moment, the entire galaxy grew a shade darker.
Notes: There you have it, the final chapter of Act One! Please write a review and let me know what you think so far. This is a three-act storyline. Look for Tainted Ties - Act Two: Rise & Decay in a separate thread sometime within this coming week. It is a more dark and emotional storyline, delving deeper into the thoughts and feelings of the characters, and has some pretty intense action, as well. If you liked the first act, you will love Act Two. If you are following Act One, remember to follow Act Two separately so you don't miss the updates. Thank you again for reading!
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.