Chapter Fourteen
Darth Vader stood at the edge of the water, staring out at the endless expanse of sea that stretched out before him. The cerulean waters of Manaan seemed eerily calm. The planet had no moon that could cause tides, leaving only the climate to drive the waves. Today's weather was nearly perfect. Bright sunshine filled the air, with only a few wispy clouds to mar the pale blue sky.
Vader had become used to water worlds during the Clone Wars, during frequent visits to the floating cities of Kamino. But, looking out at this endless, uninteresting, irritatingly serene ocean, he felt he preferred the constant storms of Kamino. Especially now.
He stood at the edge of what had once been a loading pier on Ahto City, the only platform floating on the surface of the entire planet. Thousands of years ago this had been a bustling port. Now it was an abandoned ruin, remaining afloat due to both its enormous size and the quality of its engineering. Once this port had been the sole source of the best medicine in the galaxy, Kolto. But something had happened to the source of the Kolto, resulting in a decline in quality and the substance's eventual replacement with Bacta from Thyferra.
Vader raised his artificial hand, tightening it into a fist. The water in front of him rose unnaturally until a globe of water separated itself from ocean. As a V-wing howled overhead he hurled the sphere of water forward like a cannonball. The sphere shot through the ocean for tens of meters, causing an enormous wake that pierced through the calm waters. For a moment Vader had interrupted Maanan's tranquility. But as soon as the sphere of water dissipated the wake collapsed and the apparent serenity of the sea returned.
Vader sensed a pair of Clones approaching from behind. He turned to find two Stormtroopers bowing their heads in respect. The Clones had just received their new kit, abandoning the familiar armor they had worn during their service to the Republic. Vader felt the new gear looked cheap and ineffective, but he supposed it was a necessary trade off when there was an entire Galaxy to rebuild and reorder.
"Have you finished your sweep of the city?" Vader asked, his voice deep and booming.
"Nearly," one trooper answered, wearing the orange shoulder pauldron indicating an officer's rank upon his shoulder. "So far the city has proved to be completely empty. No signs of sentient life."
"What about the city itself? Have you located any kind of central control center? Anything that can be used to return the city to functioning status?"
"That's a question for the engineers, sir. But we haven't found anything that still works. All of the doors are jammed with muck and rust...we've had to cut our way through every one of them."
"Very well. Establish a command center at the center of the city," Vader commanded. "Order Captain Timorr to start bringing submersible equipment down from the Exactor. I want to begin searching below the surface before the end of the day."
"Yes sir. And there was one more thing…"
"Yes?" Vader asked impatiently.
"A message from the Exactor...the Emperor has called. He demands to know why you've left Kashyyyk before consulting with Imperial Center."
Vader raised his fist once more, lifting the Clone into the air with the power of the Force. "I am the Supreme Commander of Imperial Forces. I do not consult with Imperial Center before going where I wish."
"Yes...sir…" the Clone gasped. "I...understand...but what shall...Captain Timorr...tell the Emperor."
Vader dropped the stormtrooper, allowing the Clone to catch his breath. "Tell Captain Timorr...tell him I am exploring a world vital to the interests of the Empire. Tell him I will give the Emperor an update as soon as our command post is established."
"Yes sir," the Clone answered, lightly clutching at his throat as he bowed and hurried away. The other trooper likewise bowed and followed his superior, his eagerness to be far from Vader's invisible grasp apparent.
When they were gone Vader turned back towards the ocean, his black cape fluttering gently in the breeze.
oOoOo
Uraala shot upwards with a start. She glanced around her bedroom, which was still seeped in the darkness of the predawn hours. Her body was covered in a cold sweat and her muscles ached. She looked over to her side, where Aramis still slept. He still had faint bruises visible on his face from his bout with Lehal Jak.
She threw off her sheet and got out of bed. Her legs nearly collapsed underneath her, forcing her to reach out and grab a nearby cabinet to steady herself. In addition to the fatigue from whatever nightmare had woken her, it seemed that the healing effects of her injection had worn off.
She slowly shuffled out of the bedroom and into the kitchen of her apartment. She instantly spotted the case of syringes lying upon the countertop. She could almost hear it calling to her. Struck with a sudden frantic energy, she opened the leather case and removed one of the syringes. She injected herself in the crook of her forearm, the silvery liquid within shooting into her body.
Relief instantly washed over her body. The fatigue in her muscles faded. Renewed energy seemed to flood her entire being. She closed her eyes and let out a deep breath. It was startling how quickly the medication worked.
She glanced over at the computer terminal embedded in the wall, next to the doorway that led into the pantry. A little green light blinked on and off, indicating that she had an incoming message.
"Play message," Uraala said impatiently.
"Hey Uraala," came Exa Karr's voice. "The info you got from the port authority was good. We've confirmed the origin of the speeders that hit your hangar. They belong to the Ard clan, a group of Gran that operate off of a dwarf planet on the edge of the system. Get back to me when you decide what the plan is. I've got a bunch of Mandalorians on my payroll that would love to get into a scrap. Message me back as soon as you can."
Uraala leaned against the countertop, rage building inside of her. If Exa was offering up his commandos...the beginnings of a plan began to coalesce in her mind. She just needed to shower, get dressed, and then meet with some of her father's lieutenants. She raised her arm, sniffed, and then shrugged. She could skip the shower.
She grabbed her case of syringes, not bothering to zip it up properly. One needle fell out and onto the countertop. She re-entered her bedroom, getting dressed quietly. She glanced at Aramis, for a moment considering waking him up. No, she didn't need him for this. His Jedi upbringing would likely get in the way. Better to explain later. Minutes later she was out the door and heading towards her speeder.
oOoOo
Lehal Jak sat inside of Uraala's living room, his legs crossed in front of him, hand in his lap. The furniture had been pushed against the walls, clearing enough space for Aramis to lay down a soft wicker mat.
The human was silent except for the sound of his breathing. Each breath came and went slowly. Aramis sat in front of him, watching him meditate. Aromatic candles surrounded them, an aide to help the amatuer reach out to the Force.
Aramis wore the same clothes he had worn during the tournament. White robes, slightly torn from the violence of the bouts. The blood had been washed out. Except for the faintest hints of bruises upon his face it was nearly impossible to tell that the blue alien had taken such a beating. Such were the healing effects of bacta.
This was their second session in the week following their bout against each other. Their involvement in the tournament was over. Jak had, subtly of course, thrown his following match, freeing him to begin training with Aramis. For his part Aramis had received thirty five thousands credits for making it into the second round of the finals. It felt like a fortune to him. He had never had much more than pocket change during his life with the Jedi.
He watched as perspiration trickled down Jak's forehead, causing the bald man's dark skin to glisten in the morning light. For some reason Jak was having difficulty, although he claimed to have tried several meditation methods by himself before now. Aramis had taught him the method he had learned from the Jedi. It was simple stuff, something he had mastered easily when he had still been able to sense the Force.
Jak suddenly exhaled and opened his eyes. "I give up," he said.
"You just started," Aramis responded. Jak glanced over Aramis' shoulder towards the expansive window in Uraala's apartment, where he could see the shadows cast by the nearby skyscrapers.
"It looks like its been hours…"
"Two at most," Aramis suddenly admitted. "I don't know why you're having trouble. You are clearly strong enough," he said, referring to the human's latent Force sensitivity.
"I don't know," Jak said, shaking his head. "I can sense you sitting in front of me. And then there is this...interference. Like this loud noise that drowns out everything else."
Aramis frowned. "Then you are touching the Force. This just means that there is something nearby dominating your senses." He stood and walked across the room, leaving the mat and entering the kitchen, intending to pour some water for the both of them. While he grabbed a pair of glasses from the cabinet he tried to work out what could possibly be the matter. If there was something nearby that was throwing Jak off, it had to be strong in the Force.
What if there was a Force user hiding on the floor below them? Aramis shook his head and then paused. One of Uraala's syringes was sitting on the counter. The new injections seemed to have been working just as Hilgal had promised. However, Aramis had noticed a shift in Uraala's personality. She had become darker, moodier.
This syringe hadn't been used yet. It was still full of that strange silvery liquid, which was mixed together with powdered kyber crystal. He reached over and picked it up, instantly feeling the uneasy sensation he recognized from his visits to the clinic. If even he could sense something was off about this stuff….
He turned back into the living room and tossed the syringe over to Jak, taking him by surprise. Even so, the human was able to intercept the syringe before it struck him in the face, thanks to his unnatural fast reflexes.
"What the hell is this?" Jak asked, his face suddenly mirroring how Aramis felt, like something that smelled horrible had just been shoved under his nose.
"It's what Uraala received from the clinic, to treat her illness," Aramis answered.
"I know that you two seem close...but Uraala's demeanor concerns me," Jak said carefully.
"I know what you mean," Aramis said, nodding. "I've never grown so close to someone, so quickly, in my entire life. I really can't explain it." Aramis exhaled as he thought of her lying next to him, not realizing he had begun to hold his breath. "I don't want to do anything to jeopardize what we have, especially since we both thought her time was...limited. That stuff seems to be helping her. But…"
"But it's changing her," Jak said knowingly. He twirled the syringe in his fingers, gazing at it like might suddenly begin emitting poisonous gas. "I really can't explain it properly, but this stuff feels...off. Unnatural."
"Dark," Aramis added. "As in the dark side."
Jak set the syringe on the mat in front of him. "What is it?"
"I don't know for sure how its made. But I know they use a unique bacta formula, mixed with spice. I think it has some kind of nanite to help spread it throughout the body. And powdered kyber crystal."
"Kyber crystal?" Jak asked, his voice rising in alarm. "The gem that Jedi use to power their lightsabers? The only substance that radiants the Force like a living being?"
"Yeah, one and the same," Aramis said.
"How are they even getting a supply? Every known source of kyber in the galaxy is off limits."
"It was off limits when there were Jedi around," Aramis added sadly. He entered the living room and sat in front of Jak, the syringe still lying on the floor between them. "But now…"
"What are you going to do? If this hospital…"
"Malastare Medical Corporation," Aramis interjected.
"If they are getting kyber from somewhere horrible…"
"What am I supposed to do?" Aramis asked. "Take away something that could be saving her life because I'm superstitious? Because I think her medicine might be evil? I don't even have the right to make that decision for her."
"No, of course not," Jak agreed. "But if we find out something more…"
"How would we do that? They know my face there. I was an employee...well, for almost a week anyway."
"I have connections at Obroa-Skai. I was raised by a professor there," Jak revealed.
"The library planet? What's that got to do with anything?"
"The 'library' stereotype is an oversimplification," Jak said. "Obroa-Skai is so much more. The Core Worlds have universities. But Obroa-Skai is a university. The entire planet is devoted to the pursuit of knowledge."
"I still don't get what this has to do with Uraala or Malastare Medical Corp."
"You said this stuff is made with medical nanites. Advanced bacta. Powdered kyber crystal...No offense to Malastare, but we are talking about bleeding edge research. The kind of research that would need a lot of experts coming together. The only place something like that happens at is Obroa-Skai."
"It sounds like you're pitching a field trip…"
"When we first met you said you wanted to know where I learned about the Jedi combat techniques. Outside of the Archives of the Jedi Temple, where do you think the most extensive collection of Jedi knowledge is?"
"Obroa-Skai," Aramis said, a whole lot of other worries suddenly filling his head. On Dantooine, when he had sealed away the artifacts they had saved from the Jedi Temple, he had promised Kylta he would do everything he could to prevent the legacy of the Jedi from being wiped from the galaxy. It could be that a big part of that legacy was sitting on Obroa-Skai. Vulnerable.
"Alright," Aramis said at last. "If we go, what would our first step be?"
oOoOo
Darth Vader watched as the hastily thrown together holoprojector hissed to life. He stood inside what once must have been a public square inside the enormous floating city. The muck covering the place had been cleared away, making room for the Stormtrooper detachment from the Exactor to set up their command post. A large power generator sat within the remains of an ancient bazaar, quietly producing power for the makeshift barracks still under construction behind Vader.
A pair of technicians backed away from the holoprojector. "We've completed the connection," one of them announced. "The Exactor is acting as a relay from Coruscant."
"Very good," Vader said. "Establish a signal to the Emperor's office." A moment later the enormous hooded visage of Emperor Palpatine appeared in front of him. Somehow Palpatine's side of the connection had overridden the projectors standards, producing an image of the Emperor's face that towered over his apprentice rather than appearing life sived.
"What are you doing on Manaan?" Palpatine asked, his voice raspy and deep.
"The occupation of Kashyyyk was well in hand," Vader answered. "My presence was no longer required."
"That isn't for you to decide," the Emperor said. "There is much work to be done. I can't have you gallivanting around the galaxy without notice."
"I am not an animal on a leash," Vader said, anger seeping into his voice. "I will do what must be done to secure this new Empire, but I will not ask permission to do so."
Palpatine eyes narrowed dangerously beneath his hood. "Be careful, my young apprentice, or you will discover just how short your leash is." A moment of silence passed between them. "Return to Coruscant. At once. I have new work for you."
"What work?" Vader asked.
"You will see when you get here. Take a shuttle to the former Jedi Temple. I will await you."
"Very well," Vader said, bowing his helmet in respect for his master. As soon as Palpatine's face disappeared from the holoprojector he clenched his fist, instantly killing the two technicians who had set up and monitored the communications relay. He turned to a nearby Stormtrooper, who was still staring down at the fallen techs.
"Order a shuttle from the Exactor. Captain Timorr is to continue this operation in my absence, until I return. He knows what to do."
"Very well, Lord Vader," the Stormtrooper said.