1CHAPTER XI: Removal

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Entering the Exchange offices now was no problem; all Kiray had to do was mention to the thug that Luxa had sent her, and he opened the door after a short warning of, "I hope you know what you're getting into, human," before running after the door had been opened. Glancing over to her friends and receiving an encouraging nod from Atton and a thin smile from Kreia, Kiray crossed the threshold and into the offices.

They only needed to walk forward a few feet before they were stopped by a receptionist, who began, "I'm sorry, but there seems to be a problem with the system. Are you sure that your appointment was today?"

Kiray's eyes narrowed as she walked up to the desk and leaned against it, toying with her sword. She glanced at the nametag before saying, "Vula, my dear, there isn't a problem. There is a different problem with the system, and you should probably open the door." Behind her back, she twitched her fingers just a little bit, backing the Force into her words with a compliance nudge.

"You know what?" Vula said rather kindly, "There must be another problem with the system. That has been happening a lot lately, especially with appointments. I'll get that door open." Kiray smiled as Vula set to work on a terminal before asking, "Tell me, what was your name again?"

"Kara Fontan," Kiray said, a little to Atton's surprise, and Vula busied herself at the terminal again, opening an intercom to the room beyond.

"Excuse me? Loppak Slusk's appointment had arrived," Vula spoke clearly and concisely into the microphone, "Please open the inner door." The door opened without another word. Kiray nodded happily as Vula finished, "There you are! Have a good day."

"Thank you, Vula dear," Kiray said while Atton supplemented a thankful nod and Kreia just stared long and hard at the receptionist before following Kiray into the main facility. Four Gamorreans stood listlessly behind the door, their huge battle axes bobbing up and down in a loose-gripped hand. The three of them quickly skirted the foursome and towards the left. Beyond there was a prisoner area, one of the force cages holding an Ithorian. Kiray swore to get him out, to Kreia's immense disapproval but Atton's enjoyment, and they crossed over to the other side of the complex.

"I think we're going to need everything ready," Kiray said as she sensed six Exchange members beyond the door. Kreia almost rushed to get a disruptor pistol in hand while Atton shrugged as he rubbed a few scratches from the sights of his pistols. Kiray checked the grip on her sword and when the other two confirmed ready, she opened the door.

There were indeed six people behind the door: two Rodians, two humans, and one Quarren. Kiray's amber eyes narrowed as she said one word:

"Slusk."

"Ah, so this is the Jedi that has been on the station," the Quarren, Loppak Slusk replied coolly, "I don't think you'll find such a warm welcome as you've already received by the TSF and the Ithorians." He turned to the assorted men and barked, "Matu, get the man from the door. Benok, take care of these ones."

"With pleasure," Benok growled with a mirthless smile. The one Kiray shot at him was icier than his, and when the door had closed behind a departing Slusk, she ran at him, Kreia and Atton aiming for him as well. Matu got in Kiray's way as she ran for Benok, and he almost whined as she nearly sliced him in two. Kiray turned back to Benok and charged him, her full rage unleashing itself. The first offense had been waking up at three, five-thirty, and eight in the morning at least today (or was it already night? She couldn't tell.). The second had been running for a stupid agro-droid, and the third had been coming here in the first place. Why couldn't Habat have just given me the stinking shuttle right then and there? she thought, annoyed to all hells she'd ever heard of, while she beat back all of Benok's terrible shots with the palm of her hand and barely a thought from the Force, and he toppled before he could even draw a sword to fight back. Kiray was so bored that she easily shot a fistful of lightning at the other two, who both yelled out as their bodies were charred to barely any recognition.

Atton jogged to Kiray's side and neatly pried Benok's gold blaster from the dead thug's hand. "It has ion upgrades," he remarked as he slid it into his palm, "Might prove useful at some point or another, huh?"

Kiray didn't answer, and Atton was shocked, as well as a little hurt, but he said nothing as they proceeded on, the group of Gamorreans further on letting them in rather than fighting, and Slusk was beside himself when he found a raging Mandalorian Jedi on his doorstep. The Quarren rushed to get his droids out while keeping Kiray from getting in, but failed miserably as Kiray shoved her way past the droids, whose circuits were already charred by a blast from Kreia, and marched towards Slusk, who ran behind his desk in fear.

"What do you want?" he moaned, "Credits? No more bounties on your head?"

"I want you. Dead. And not messing with the Ithorians anymore," Kiray replied coldly, anger rolling off of her in huge waves. Slusk's fear was reaching its height, and only Luxa's appearance kept him from running and impaling himself on Kiray's sword. The pink woman was about to speak when Kiray surprised her with a strong Force shove into the wall.

"You should die too, for trying to manipulate me into doing your dirty work," Kiray growled, her skin paling and eyes reddening in rage right before Atton's and Kreia's eyes. Atton stepped forward and laid a hand on Kiray's shoulder, whispering, "Relax, Kir. They've done nothing to us. We don't need to kill all of them. Maybe only Luxa."

"Why only her?" Kiray growled, but Atton was glad that she was ever so slowly icing over, returning to her normal self. "She's the one who manipulated us," he continued, "Not Slusk, you hear?" Kiray slowly nodded, and the terrifying hatred and anger slowly fading away. A very weak and very frightened Luxa fell to the ground, gasping for breath from the hard press against the wall.

"I - I guess it's...like they say," Luxa panted as Kiray loomed over her, "You can't...trust any person...not even...a Jedi Knight."

"And that will be the last mistake you will ever make," Kreia breathed, surprisingly, and reached out with her one good hand. Luxa hovered in the air for a few moments, gasping for breath and scratching at an untouched throat, and Kreia quickly pulled her hand back. Everyone present, even Luxa's Gamorrean guard, visibly winced as Luxa's head snapped back audibly, and the broken heap of flesh and bone fell once again to the floor, unmoving.

Kreia gave one look to Slusk and said with a near-silent voice, "You shall not interfere with Czerka, or the work being done upon the surface of Telos, ever again." The Quarren crime boss nodded fearfully, and Kreia walked out, followed by an amazed Kiray and Atton.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------"What was that all about?" Kiray asked, sliding in front of the procession back to the Ithorian compound next to Kreia. The old woman frowned deeply as she replied, "You were afraid of what power you wielded there, young one. I only finished the job you were meant to do."

"And what was that?" Atton broke in, just as outraged as Kiray was in Kreia's downright misanthropic behavior, "Murder? Or was it intimidation?"

"It was neither," Kreia growled. Kiray could barely hear a struggled hiss of air from Atton, who was trying not to notice that Kreia was ever so lightly holding his throat.

"Let him go, Kreia," Kiray ordered. The old woman seemed to have gone deaf, and Atton's struggles were heard even louder. Kiray skimmed Kreia's surface thoughts, and found something that would get her out of this terrible trance-like state.

"Traya."

Kreia froze, and Atton's hand raced to his neck as air rushed back into his lungs. Kiray bent down to help him up, but Kreia spun around suddenly and kicked Kiray angrily in the stomach.

"Leave the fool," she rumbled, "He cannot help you in where we will be going."

"I will not," Kiray retorted, fighting against her huge rage as it boiled up within her. "Atton is not a fool. In fact, he has actually been a much better asset than you. T3 is a better asset than you. Both of them helped me escape Peragus, and to me, it only seemed that either you had some suicidal death wish or did absolutely nothing to aid in our escape."

"Insolent girl!" Kreia spat. Kiray noticed the crackle of lighting in the air, and she shielded Atton and rolled to the side as a burst of energy hit the floor they had just occupied. Kiray readied her sword and ran at Kreia, hoping to distract her enough to allow Atton to escape, but as Kreia readied to attack again, she stopped, wavering suddenly, and ran away to the direction of the apartment. Kiray panted heavily as she slumped on the floor, watching Kreia's form turn a corner and vanish. Atton crawled up next to her and asked, "What the hell just happened?"

"I have no clue," Kiray whispered in shock.