Note: As always here are the options to vote on as to what I work on next!
#1. In the Path of the Ravager - Episode 15 Part 3
#2. Marek of the Rebellion - Chapter 11
#3. Diary of Nitheal - entry 2
#4. King under Heaven - Chapter 1 (Story I am working on and haven't released. A novelization/slight-AU of the Manga 'Kingdom'.)
#5. To the Top - Chapter 1 (Story I am working on and haven't released. A novelization/eventually-AU of Tales from the Borderlands.)
let me know via review which you want me to work on next and release. :)
Now we get to the ending of the Nar Shadaa arc. I feel the story is starting to get a life of its own and set down roots and proper plots, but as this is a story that will evolve continuously and change in plot with just as much adaptability as the rebels will need to be to face the Empire, I expect it will always be a on-the-edge-of-your-seat kind of ride. :)
As anyone who follows this story, or the canon, can expect. Next up is the hunt for Rahm Kota. I don't plan to sit on it much. I want it to be reasonably short arc in finding and recruiting him. A few chapters at most.
As for the next arc after that, I am not sure yet. The rebellion will start to take proper organization and planning and starting itself up once they have a real general at the helm. In my mind, despite Starkiller being at the forefront of it all, that's all he can be. He isn't that big of a planner. He is more like a spear. He is dangerous, lethal, and can get the impossible done for them. But he isn't a tactician.
In my opinion, this whole chapter is planned by PROXY more than him. PROXY is more likely to pull a plan like this out of its database than for Starkiller to be genius enough to come up with it. Although, in my opinion, Starkiller can also have inventive, original thought and ideas. Stuff most people wouldn't think of, so that might be his gift. If anything, I want Rahm Kota to be the tactician. Or Falon. Otherwise Starkiller just becomes too good and has no flaws.
So let's chalk this chapter of brilliance up as a rare moment for Starkiller :P and say he won't be getting too many of these.
Justice? Of course war will be for justice! The winner will decide what is justice! - Donquixote Doflamingo
-Jowarr-
-Streets of Nar Shadaa-
Jowwarr was unsure what to make of his new master as he followed him through the streets of Nar Shadaa.
Born on Kashyyk, he was kidnapped by the Empire and sold because he was too young at the time to be on their labor force. He was raised to be a gladiator of the Hutts. Every day he was sent with the expectation to die, but he survived on his wits and strength. Unfortunately the final round for him had been nine battles in a row, and fighting nonstop for so many hours had taken its toll, and he lost. He would have lost his life if his enemy deemed it.
Jowwarr had shown mercy on occasion to his defeated enemies, but not often. The losers were often executed by the winners. It was the way things were, and it was what the Hutts enjoyed.
The loss may have ended with his life intact, but that was all. His Hutt Master sent him into a mercenary life to save himself humiliation, and to get rid of the Wookie.
Now he owed his life to the Harbinger…
Jowwarr didn't just give a life-debt to the Harbinger because it was expected as a Wookie, but because he didn't know what else to do. All his life it was from one master to another. Now, he was lost without a master and needed one.
Did he lack ability to think for himself? Possibly. But it also brought clarity and simple purpose. The purpose was also simple: To anticipate his masters wishes and act on them, both the ones anticipated and not.
Now in less than a day of servitude to the Harbinger he had witnessed the man show a great ambition. He proved himself to have skill in defeating a Sith Acolyte with ease and a bunch of mindless infestations, but to meet his ambition?
Jowwarr didn't know which was crazier, the idea of bringing down both the Empire and Cartel on their own backyard of Nar Shadaa in the span of a day or bringing down a power as massive and sheer magnitude as the Empire within his life. Both seemed equally crazy.
Jowwarr asked the Harbinger how he intended to do it, and he had been mum on the subject. The Harbinger was a very mysterious man. Jowwarr didn't even know what race the man was. The Harbinger very likely could have been a robot for all he knew. He didn't see an inch of flesh on him and his voice was filtered through a reflective mask. He was a ball of questions without answers.
What was his real name?
What race was he?
What did he look like?
What was his actual voice?
Where did he come from?
Where did his ambition come from and originate?
What fuels his ambition?
What kind of master was he?
How did he plan to destroy the Empire?
How did he plan to do all he promised today?
One question after another, but the most immediate would have to be the question of just where they were going? Jowwarr had been following Harbinger since they split up with the mercenaries and Jedi and been largely in silent company. The Harbinger offered no explanation or conversation, and short answers to the few questions Jowwarr made.
They went from tram to train to taxi to back alleys and back alleys to elevators and taxis and on and on for one turn after another as though through a maze. Whoever this Harbinger was, he certainly wasn't taking the easy route.
Eventually they entered a run-down hotel and stopped before a door. The Harbinger didn't bother knocking and entered in. Jowwarr closed the door behind them and looked around.
The apartment was a mess. It was filthy. There was an old dirty mattress in the corner, the fridge was still open, and there was some fast food left out. Whoever lived here was a slob.
He was also very dangerous. There was weapons and gear all over the table and floor. As well as chemicals on the kitchen counter. The bathroom door was left open as well as Jowwarr saw the tub had a rocket launcher sitting in it.
"You will find there are no neighbors. I rented out every room on this floor and in the rooms above and below us." The Harbinger said. "We may speak freely."
"Are you wealthy?" Jowwarr wondered. Yet another question. Just how well-funded was he?
"No, but I have my priorities. I've brought in as many bounties as possible in a short time to get supplies and some solitude."
To Jowwarr's surprise, the mysterious man reached into his hooded robes, grabbed his mask, and removed it.
Jowwarr could barely surprise his curiosity, but did not move. It would be presumptuous to look while his master had his back turned. His master might want to keep his back turned, or he might be fine with Jowwarr looking. Jowwarr could not say and hesitated without knowing what his master wanted yet.
His master turned and Jowwarr saw.
The Harbinger was a young human male? He was an older teen or young adult? From his slanky figure, Jowwarr felt it should have been obvious, but he had expected him to at least be in his mid-twenties judging from his serious, quiet, mature demeanor.
With his voice no longer filtered, the Harbinger looked to Jowwarr with his red eyes and smirked. "Your jaw is hanging."
Jowwarr shut his mouth. So this was the Master's voice too.
"You seem surprised."
"I have not seen your face or heard your voice before. You are a mysterious person, hiding behind a mask… You are not what I expected."
"And what did you expect?" The young man asked neutrally.
Jowwarr hesitated, but shrugged. "I wasn't expecting anything. I saw a mask. In the mask I saw myself, and what I heard was a faceless man of great ambition."
"Sometimes the legend is more inspiring than the real thing." The Harbinger acknowledged. He frowned and looked down in thought briefly. "I knew a man like that once."
Yep, the Harbinger was definitely mysterious.
The Harbinger placed his mask on the table. "You will find that is exactly what I am even behind the mask. A faceless man of great and terrible ambition. You may come to think it to mean I'm a legend or a very shallow person. I don't care. I have no real name, only layers upon layers of titles and objectives. The mask is as much my real face as any, but having a 'new face' like this does protect us from my old enemies."
Harbinger looked to Jowwarr. "So if you have questions, you will find a lot of them cannot be answered. Many I won't answer, and many I simply cannot because there is no answer to give. Do you regret swearing yourself to me knowing this?"
"Doesn't matter to me. I didn't make my oath conditional." Jowwarr answered.
Harbinger nodded and mused over that. "Interesting… I will keep that in mind."
"I do have a question, though. Why would you put my oath into question? Do you lack faith in me so soon?"
The Harbinger didn't respond at first, but stared into nothingness. He said neutrally, "It is nothing against you, personally. It is difficult to have faith at all these days…" The Harbinger was silent a long moment and Jowwarr felt there was something profound and deep passing through his thoughts. After a long moment, he blinked and looked up in surprise, remembering himself. "You still stand there? Take off your shields and relax. A friend will be along shortly."
Jowwarr nodded and removed his shields from his forearms. He placed them against the wall and sat down from where he could see both the window and the door. To his mild surprise, Harbinger did much the same in that he also sat where he could face all entrances.
Well, Harbinger had already proven to be a cautious person.
They passed the time in silence until someone knocked on the door. Jowwarr instantly jumped and grabbed both of his shields. "Relax." Harbinger said, "It is a friend." He opened the door and a man walked in. Harbinger closed the door.
Before Jowwarr's very eyes, the man's skin and clothes rippled in the air and changed into that of a robot.
"Your mouth is hanging open again." Harbinger smirked. Jowwarr promptly shut it. "Jowwarr, this is PROXY, my personal droid. PROXY, this is Jowwarr, my knight. PROXY can take on holograms and Jowwarr is nine feet of pure muscled fur. PROXY, how did your mission go?"
"It went well." The droid said. It cocked its head to the side curiously. "Knight? Why did you acquire a Wookie as a knight?"
Harbinger shrugged. "I could have gone with other titles, but it seemed fitting. I saved his life several times over, and in return for finding a cure for his recent wound, he has sworn a life-debt to me."
PROXY looked to the Wookie and back again. "Understood."
Jowwarr placed his shields against the wall again and sat back down. PROXY placed a disc on the table and a holographic image appeared on it. "As you expected, master, the Imperial orbital fortress is in proximity to the Cartel Palace, but it is off. As you can see, the station is not directly overhead, but is rather many miles to the north."
Harbinger studied the map and sighed. "Damnit… That changes things a bit. I had hoped it would be closer. Did you find the Star Destroyer's patrol?"
"Oh, master! It was easy! Seems the Imperial Star Destroyer takes the same route every day!" The holographic image changed to show the planet and the Star Destroyer's route. "It's patrol includes a number of important Cartel locations including the Palace. Judging from the pattern, I believe it to be a show of presence and strength and daily security rather than great need. It also never is too far from the Imperial station."
"Smart enough to not leave it exposed…" Harbinger mused.
"May I make a comment?" Jowwarr asked.
"Speak freely."
"If your plan is to attack the Palace or the Imperial outpost on the surface, and deal real damage, the Star Destroyer will act." The two of them could hardly take on the Palace or Imperial outpost on their own, much less the Star Destroyer. "Its suicide."
"Its fine that the Star Destroyer will respond, but its hardly suicide." Harbinger didn't take his eyes off the hologram. Jowwarr's eyes widened slightly.
Was his young master fearless or just plain stupid? The Star Destroyer is beyond them! The ships are able to decimate and control entire planets! They wipe out armies and bring into subjection entire nations! What was one young Sith and a Wookie compared to that?
"I sense you doubt me, Jowwarr. Speak your mind." Harbinger said, still thinking and studying the holographic map.
"Master, the Star Destroyer is designed to fight armies, nations, planets! What are we in comparison to a ship miles wide and long with many thousands of soldiers, hundreds of fighters, and enough cannon fire to bombard a world? And the Cartel Palace is a fortress! It is designed to withstand riots and rebels! Its every walls is lined in turrets, has hundreds of guards and many of the strongest Bounty Hunters and gangs filling its halls! The Imperial outpost is just next door to it and is just as formidable with stormtroopers and Sith!"
Harbinger looked to Jowwarr. "I understand your fear, and you are right. The Star Destroyer is just that strong, and from what I see, the Palace and Imperial Outpost are also strong enough to be the two most powerful fortresses on Nar Shadaa. They are impenetrable, massive, powerful, and fully equipped to withstand mass-assault."
Harbinger smiled darkly. Chills went down Jowwarr's massive spine at the sight of it. "And that is exactly what I am betting on."
Yep, definitely insane. What crazy ride did he sign up for?
"PROXY." Harbinger said. He told the droid where he had fought with the Sith inquisitor. "Proceed with the plan as before. There are a few things I want changed, but its only on my end. Your part of the plan is slightly changed." With that said, Harbinger wrote onto a piece of paper and handed it to PROXY. "Read it when morning comes."
"Understood." PROXY departed.
Harbinger did the same for Jowwarr. He wrote something on a piece of paper, folded it, and handed it to him. "Read this in the morning after I leave. You will not be joining me." Jowwarr nodded.
Harbinger continued to study the hologram in silence. For the rest of the day they remained in silence. Harbinger paced the room, stood on the balcony, and finally sat for hours on end in pensive thought. This lasted most of the night. Jowwarr felt invisible to him. The man didn't even eat or sleep.
What was this plan Jowwarr would play a part in? Jowwarr remained largely unconcerned. He had, after all, been promised he would not be ignorant of his time to die, and as a former gladiator and slave, he was prepared to die at any time.
But the sight of the piece of paper still taunted him.
Come morning, Harbinger rose and departed.
Jowwarr opened the piece of paper and noted there were multiple pages. The first page said:
Do not open the second page.
Your instructions is this: Go to the Cartel Palace as a friend to them and warn the Hutt personally of the Sith Inquisitor's previous betrayal, intentions to take the Jedi from them, and of his death. Then warn them that I am coming to kill them. Wait until fighting starts, then open the second page.
For your sake, keep out any involvement you and I have. We don't know each other, and defend the Hutts until further notice.
Do not die at any cost.
Jowwarr stared at the paper. He read it again, turned it over, and even flipped it upside down. Every angle read the same way.
Defend the Hutts?! Warn them of the Harbinger? Wasn't that COMPLETELY counter-productive?
He sighed, "It seems my new master is truly insane…"
He picked up his shields and departed for the Palace.
-Falon Grey-
-Home-
Operation 'Cat Adoption' was code word for moving to another location while the Star Destroyer was elsewhere on its usual route. They had gone through many 'Cat Adoption's so far, and he felt this was their last one.
The Empire was breathing down their necks. They wouldn't get another chance to escape.
"As crazy as your friend is, Juno. I hope he succeeds. Otherwise we are all dead…" Falon murmured.
She looked sad, but also hopeful. "He'll be fine."
"How long have you known him exactly?" Falon asked.
"Few years. Served under him once. Didn't expect to be reunited with him by having bodies thrown on me." She chuckled darkly. "That wasn't fun…"
Falon studied her briefly. She was hiding something, but she also wasn't lying.
'She most likely knows who he is, and is playing it close to the chest just as much as he is.' He decided. 'A very dangerous pair.'
But despite knowing how dangerous they were because of their caution, he found he wasn't afraid. Mrs. Eclipse had shown herself to be a caring, trust-worthy woman, and the Harbinger had saved their lives in seeking nothing more than an ally.
He would have to be cautious too, considering their own caution was born of having a foe worthy of caution. Last thing he needed was this 'foe' coming after him.
And judging from Harbinger's words, that enemy was Palpatine.
Falon would need to be extra careful how much he associated himself with this Sith.
Falon opened the door to the shuttle and entered in with Juno. Once he closed the door he pulled out a piece of paper the Harbinger had given him and read it:
Watch for the impossible. Use it to escape.
The paper included coordinates on where to meet him when they had made their escape.
"Falon?" Kanon inquired casually. "How did it go?"
Falon chuckled. "I have much to tell you, but let's take it in the lounge. I want to have a good view of what's to come."
"Huh?" Kanon raised an eyebrow curiously.
"I'll explain there. Want to join us, Mrs. Eclipse."
"Sure."
"What are we watching for?" Kanon asked. He put his hands behind his head and relaxed.
"Not sure yet, but I expect we will know when we see it." Falon replied.
From the lounge he could see out of the ship where they were docked inconspicually on a dock. They could see for many miles. In the distance was the Cartel Palace, the Imperial Orbital Fortress, and Star Destroyer.
-Jowwarr-
-Jabba's Palace-
Jowwarr was a Wookie. The reputation of Wookies being strong enough, and sometimes angry enough, to tear men limb from limb was not an exaggeration, and even he was afraid.
He stood before the giant gate of Jabba's Palace. Around him were guns on the door, guns on the walls, guns on the guards, guns on the Imperial Stormtroopers stationed here, and even guns on the guns on the door and walls. There were a lot of guns. Not to mention Cartel tanks and Imperial walkers. The Star Destroyer was in the distance and seemed to be pointed right at him as well. It was actually continuing its usual route, but it was just going over the horizon. It would be a while till it was near.
Jowwarr gulped.
"State your business here!" A gruff pig-man demanded.
"I am here to talk to Jabba. I have information he will want to hear, including information on a threat on his life." Jowwarr responded in a growl.
"Tell me, and I'll relay the information to him."
"No. I will tell him myself."
"Okay, better idea." Yet another gun appeared in the door through a hole at his head. "How about I kill you and let you be on your way?"
Ignoring how stupid that phrase was, Jowwarr remained firm. He didn't raise his shields to defend nor attack. "Do so, and the life of your master, and everyone here, is forfeit. Believe me when I say that what I have to say is worth his attention."
The gun withdrew and Jowwarr waited a long moment in silence. At last the voice on the otherside said, "If you waste Jabba's time, your life is forfeit." The door opened. "Enter at your own risk."
Jowwarr gulped again and entered.
The front courtyard of Jabba's Palace was huge. He counted two whole battalians of Cartel Gangs and Imperial Stormtroopers stationed right on the front doorstep, and at least ten tanks and walkers between them. Massive anti-air turrets stood on the towers along with artillery.
There were also dancers and drugs and other pleasures in the courtyard mingling, but they were not of Jowwarr's immediate notice. He was more worried about the amount of firepower he was walking into.
Be on the Hutt's side for the moment… warn them of the Harbinger, and tell them of what happened on the Tram.
Jowwarr hadn't doubted his oath to the Harbinger until this moment. Now he wondered the wisdom in it, but at the same time he wondered it in a resolute manner as if to say his oath was as much binding and firm as it was potentially foolish.
He more or less signed his own death certificate. The second page was most likely there to let him know he would die. The only difference being this death would be more fun than dying from a diseased scratch on the arm.
The Hutt guide showed Jowwarr to Jabba. Jabba, as Jowwarr expected, was lounging, smoking, watching slave strip dancers and the news and the stock market and multiple sport channels all simultaneously on the holonet, and was surrounded by the biggest bounty hunters money could buy, as well as multiple gang bosses.
There was also a formidable storm trooper presence here, although not near enough to compensate for the Hutt's portion. It was more or less a sign to say 'I'm here too'.
Jowwarr was screwed. There were, at minimum, fifty guns in this room and just as many crazies.
The guide whispered in Jabba's earhole and the giant slug briefly glanced at the Wookie. He said something in Huttese and the guide translated. Not that he needed translating, Jowwarr was fluent in Huttese.
Jabba demanded to know what information 'The Wookie' was bringing.
So Jowwarr did as he was told. He told Jabba everything from his perspective of the situation surrounding Falon Grey.
How they had searched for him, caught up with him, and the Sith had taken advantage of the Hutt's very trap to take their own prey out from under them. Then how his group, the Imperial escort, and the Cartel mercs had entered conflict. Then a person called 'Harbinger' killed the Sith Inquisitor, and said he would be going after Jabba the Hutt next.
Now, as part of pretending to be on the Cartel's side, he twisted it slightly to make the Inquisitor seem more to blame then he already was. Also, in order to save his fur, he made himself out to be sympathetic to the Cartel and merely being a good hired-gun.
And naturally the hired-gun took his job seriously and wanting nothing better than to serve the Cartel, as well as get a little something for himself.
Jabba, to Jowwarr's surprise, to his information seriously and payed him full attention.
Jabba spoke, and the translator unnecessarily said, "Do you have any proof of this?"
Jowwarr paled. No, he didn't.
A voice said behind him, "Well… most of that is right, however you will find my death is highly exaggerated."
Jowwarr felt a chill go down his spine. He recognized that voice… it was impossible!
The Sith Inquisitor entered the room along with a full squad of storm troopers and Sith acolytes.
"You're supposed to be dead!" Jowwarr yelled.
The Sith raised an eyebrow, looked down at his body, and laughed. "I think you need your eyes checked, Wookie."
Jowwarr growled angrily. What was going on? Now he had come here with false truths.
The Wookie looked back at Jabba and noted how aggravated the Hutt looked. But whether that was at himself, or the Sith, he couldn't say.
There was only one way out of this, and that was to choose a side. He wouldn't survive being pinned by both sides. At least by being on a side for the moment, he would be able to escape.
Did Harbinger anticipate this? Is that why he said for Jowwarr to defend the Hutts in the first page?
Jowwarr grit his teeth angrily. Had the Harbinger deceived him? Did he not truly kill the Sith Inquisitor?
No, he didn't. He had lied to Jowwarr and used him and put him in the most dangerous position possible.
Now Jowwarr was alone and needed to get out of here, and get back to the Harbinger. Hopefully he would have an explanation for this. Otherwise, Jowwarr's servitude would be a difficult one.
Jowwarr raised his shields against the Sith. His posture alone would hopefully speak for itself.
Jabba spoke, and the guide said unnecessarily, "What is your purpose here, Imperial? This is Lord Jabba's palace!"
"It's all very simple, Lord Jabba." The inquisitor said. The Stormtroopers spread out across the room. "Your failure to capture the Jedi prompted my presence and you were ordered to step down."
"There was no such order. You speak lies."
The Sith smiled, "Lies? Please, as though you have any right to speak about 'lies', you overgrown slug. You were ordered to step down while I hunted him, but rather than stop, you went behind the Empire's back. If you had succeeded, or helped in the capture, your action might be excusable, but instead you fired on us."
"You expect us to be able to control the actions of every merc we hire? Their actions do not speak for us."
"No, perhaps not. But my actions do speak for the Empire. That is power. That is authority." The Sith Inquisitor ignited a lightsaber on his spinning gyroscope. The Stormtroopers raised their guns. "You are under arrest, Lord Jabba."
If that wasn't enough for the gang-bosses, bounty hunters, and Hutt guards to raise their own guns, axes, and butter knives, nothing would be.
Jabba, though, was unarmed. Part of being a Hutt. He growled angrily and actually raised himself up to his full worm-ish height in an attempt to appear threatening. He pressed a button, and a door opened in the far back of the room behind the Sith Inquisitor. A rancor sat in the next room and looked up curiously. Seeing so many fine morsels to devour, it dropped the bone it was nibbling on and stood. It had an electric chain around its neck holding it in place.
"If you knew what was good for you, Imperial, you would choose your enemy more wisely."
"You will find I have chosen my enemy VERY carefully, Lord Jabba." The Sith ignited the other half of his gyroscope lightsaber and ordered his men to arrest the Hutt.
Jowwarr turned the ray-layer of his shields on, and hunkered behind the cover of his dual-shields as the first volley of laser fire erupted from both sides.
Stormtroopers were deadly shots and managed to kill the majority of the Cartel forces in the room, but due to their lack of tactical sense in standing out in the open, they also took great losses from the first blow.
The next few seconds were a scramble of movement as everyone scattered to find cover. The Inquisitor stood directly in the center of the room blocking laser bolt after laser bolt with a smirk on his face, and Jowwarr slowly backed up. His shields blocked a number of blows, and due to his positioning, he also ended up absorbing blows meant for the Hutt. Jabba barked orders angrily and, after hitting a button, rode an elevator to a lower floor.
The Inquisitor ordered into a mic on his sleeve. "All forces, engage the Cartel! Capture the criminal Hutts and Nar Shadaa in the name of the Emperor! I hold Jabba on grounds of warmongering, attempted murder, attempted assassination, and evading authority!" With one brief smirk he added, "Happy hunting!"
Jowwarr saw a grenade land perilously close, and jumped away. The explosion seared his fur. Raising his head, he saw the Imperials were steadily gaining control of the Palace control room. The rancor was making a complete mess of the Imperial's grunts, but even the grunts were crack shots and rarely missed. The Cartel were managing to use sneaky tactics and all kinds of gear to help even the odds. One Mandalorian bounty hunter sent a volley of weapons one after another into the Imperial masses including grenades, mini-rockets, twin-pistol laser bolts, and even a chemical flamethrower that shot out 25 feet in length and set a half-dozen Imperials aflame in one attack. The Mandalorian used a rocket back-pack and hightailed it out a window.
Outside the window, Jowwarr heard the sound of battle. The battle going on in this room was being carried out all over the Palace grounds! The courtyard had to be intense, with a full platoon of both sides already having been stationed there to begin with.
Remembering the paper, Jowwarr huddled behind cover and hurriedly opened the Harbinger's papers. The first page was the same as before and said to open the second page only after fighting starts.
Another explosion made him lower his head. Dust and ash landed on his back. Fighting had most definitely started!
The second page was as follows:
Run.
He didn't have to be told twice.
He raised his shields and ran out the nearest door. His shields blocked a ton of fire the moment he exposed himself and once inside the hall he became a running wall. He slammed his shields into anyone in his way. Once he got surrounded and had to resort to actual fighting.
He swiveled one of his shields around. The opposite end of his shields was thin and much narrower than the side he used to hide behind, and he impaled the Imperial into the wall. With the first Imperial having a narrow hole in his torso from his waist up to his clavicle, he was out of the count. Jowwarr snapped his shield out of the wall and cleaved another in half with it. With this patrol removed, he continued his escape. He was a one Wookie stampede.
-Starkiller-
-Jabba's Palace-
Up above Jabba's Palace, at the very top of one of the palace towers, sat a single Sith. From there, Starkiller observed the fighting ignite between the Cartel and the Empire. He laughed.
"This has gone better than expected." He mused to himself. He expected he would have to insert himself into the fray and make it more explosive while also focusing his attention on the winner to make it more even, but the two sides were remarkably even. The Imperials were far better marksman, but their organized formation exposed their heavier weapons to fire and was destroyed by the Cartel's heavier mix of lasers, fire, and explosives. Meanwhile, the Cartel hid everything they could. They still lost the majority of their infantry due to the stormtrooper's skill, but the tactic of hiding protected their heavier weapons from immediate danger.
At this rate, the Cartel would win just because tanks and heavy weapons outmatch rifles.
Starkiller turned his gaze up toward the primary target: the Star Destroyer.
All of this, the Inquisitor, the Hutts, the manipulated battle, it was all to bring the Star Destroyer. Everything revolved around it. Jabba's Palace had the most anti-air capability on the planet, while the Star Destroyer kept Falon Grey and his team pinned to the ground. Falon might be able to evade the Palace's weaponry just because the turrets were localized to this area alone, but the Star Destroyer brought mobility to the table. Mobility that needed to be removed.
"Come on, PROXY. Call it in!" He tapped his knee nervously.
Everything hanged on a fragile set of lives. PROXY needed to succeed. Jowwarr needed to help light the fire. Starkiller was not used to sitting back and letting others do the main work, he had always gone solo. This was the first time he had a plan to sit back and let others do the work for him.
But it was also important. If he stepped in personally and destroyed the Star Destroyer, odds are he would be on Vader's most wanted list very quickly. If he stepped in and personally caused the Cartel to do his dirty work, then Vader could still follow the breadcrumbs to him and put the pieces together.
One day he would allow himself to take the risk of being exposed to Vader's spies, but not yet. Not yet. Not until he had an army and at least a dozen layers of aliases and decoys to hide behind.
So no, Starkiller needed to let his men do the work.
"Consider it training…" He told himself. He sighed and tried to get the tension out of his legs. He was starting to shake. He wanted to get in and take care of things personally. "You can't do everything yourself… need to let others do things here and there."
The Star Destroyer in the distance continued his lazy route, and Starkiller continued to watch it. He had memorized its route so he would know the moment there was a change.
There… The Star Destroyer changed direction and slowly pointed its nose toward the Palace. It was on its way.
"Good job!" He congratulated PROXY and Jowwarr. The Cartel was too proud to submit to the Empire, and the Empire was corrupt enough to make up reasons for arresting them. The Cartel's so called allegiance thus far had been a lie. Starkiller didn't know politics or law, but he did keep up with current events during his time in Vader's apprenticeship. If Vader wanted him to go to Nar Shadaa, he needed to be able to know where it was and what to expect. If Vader wanted him to raid Tattooine, Starkiller needed to be able to know the situation surrounding it.
Conveniently, Vader did want him to go to Nar Shadaa, so Starkiller did look into the situation surrounding Nar Shadaa already.
If Starkiller was lucky, this incident could spark a war between the Cartel and Empire.
Or… even better. He could ignite one. The Star Destroyer loomed closer, and by his estimations, it was close enough.
Now, he hadn't tried this before. He had seen this in a vision, but despite that he had never… he had never considered doing this before.
The Star Destroyer loomed closer, and Starkiller reached out with the Force.
Just as he saw in his vision, he reached out with the Dark Side. Strands and tentacles of power wrapped themselves around the Star Destroyer. He tightened his hold around it, and pulled down. He pulled, he pulled, and he pulled. He grunted with the effort and pushed himself to his limits of power. His body shimmered in the air, sparks flew off his robes, and the Star Destroyer tilted.
But… it was too much. Starkiller released the hold and fell to his knees gasping for air. Sweat rolled down his face. He had only exerted himself for a minute, but he had pushed everything he had into it and his body was unused to the strain of power he had just put into a single technique. It was literally like he was trying to pull down the vessel with his bare hands, as far as his body was concerned.
"Not good enough…" He growled. "There is no limit to the Force, but there is still a limit in me."
Okay, time for plan B.
Starkiller turned the same power on the palace anti-air turrets and aimed them at the Star Destroyer. Whether the Star Destroyer reacted from the Force power trying to pull it down, or the anti-air turrets suddenly aiming at it, it opened fire on the Palace turret placements, and since its power was explosive, it also ended up hitting a lot of other things too.
The Palace shook under his feet and for a moment Starkiller stumbled.
Having achieved what he set out to do, he ran across the roof and leaped. He soared through the air over the walls and down hundreds of meters before landing. He surrounded himself in the Force and rolled across the ground. The Force absorbed the impact. He brushed himself off and entered the fleeing crowd. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a vial of medicine. He twirled it between his fingers and smiled darkly. He had only succeeded in the beginning of his overall plan to destroy the Empire. He had years of work to go and would most likely face death a hundred times over, but for the moment he would relish in how the first mission had ended.
Victory.
-Falon Grey-
-In a state of shock and awe-
Falon gaped. Kanon's lolipop fell out of his mouth that he was sucking on. Mrs. Eclipses' pistol, that she had been rubbing down, fell out of her hands and clattered on the ground as she gaped. The whole room was silent and Falon felt everyone was just as stunned as he was, if not more so.
Falon didn't know how, but the Imperial Star Destroyer had opened fire on Jabba's Palace, and the Palace was firing back. The Palace was losing badly, but this was something he never would have expected… ever.
The only reason he had the inkling of an idea that something as grand as this might happen, was because someone said to watch for it. He had no idea what to expect, but this certainly fit into the category of 'impossible'.
Kanon and the others besides Mrs. Eclipse didn't even have the words of a stranger to help them realize what was going on. For them, it was like the world had suddenly gone flat, pizza was now made of chocolate, and stories about pedophile, sparkling stalker vampires were suddenly good!
He did it. The glorious bastard did it!
"By the Force…" Kanon whispered. "Am I seeing what I think I'm seeing…"
"If it is what I think it is, then yes." Falon grinned. The Harbinger did it! "The impossible was handed to us. Kanon! Get on the comms! Tell the others to leave Nar Shadaa immediately! We're using this window to escape!"
Kanon continued to stare at the scene before them, before snapping out of it and rushing out. Falon looked to everyone else, still mesmerized. "Snap to it people! We don't have much time!"
Everyone rushed out of the room except for Mrs. Eclipse. Falon looked to her. He grinned widely. "Did you have any idea our mutual friend was capable of this?"
She looked back at him with wide eyes and slowly shook her head.
"Well, we owe him our lives if we can get out of here. I don't much like the idea of owing a Sith anything, but at this moment, I'd kiss him square on the mouth!" He laughed excitedly. "That glorious bastard actually did it!" His laugh and smile was infectious on her and she grew excited as well.
Hope was an amazing thing. The world didn't seem so dark anymore.
"We're not out of here yet." She reminded him.
"No, we're not. We need to get out of here. I suggest you head to the bridge and see if you can help. I know you aren't offically one of us, but we need everyone on station if we are getting out of here."
She nodded and ran out the door. Other of his men ran past to hurry to their station as well. Alarms went off, and Kanon's voice on the speakers told everyone to get in position.
They were leaving Nar Shadaa.