Chapter XIV: A Jump and a Path
The Ninth Sister - Day 2 - Star Destroyer Heartseeker, somewhere in the Outer Rim
Patience has never been her greatest virtue, who would've thought? Especially not when it came to him, their pretentious fool of a leader.
Both her and Agent Eloren successful made it off from Nar Shaddaa, even if their mission went from difficult to downright absurd within a heartbeat. An enormous explosion rippled through the building, tearing the very floor in front of them apart as if it was made out of wet tissue paper. However, there was nothing that could've stopped the Ninth Sister from claiming her due price, even if she had to push on through a fiery inferno for it. No matter the cost, she needed those relicts - failure simply wasn't an option if she wished to keep her head. In a strange turn of events, however, Ninth Sister got more than she bargained for.
''I must say, you surprise me, Sister. All of us - including Lord Vader, might I add - thought that you lost your touch. That your edge was dulled, so to speak. But from what ISB has told me, it seems as if there is nothing out there that can escape your wrath. Slaves. Criminals. The innocent. You refused to let anything get in your way for those relicts. Impressive, most impressive.''
The Grand Inquisitor looked down at the Ninth Sister with slight disgust, judging her silently as he pointed his thin fingers behind her.
''And yet you manage to catch the Empire's ire. Tell me, Sister, what is the meaning of ... this?'' he stated mockingly, his holographic projection peeking at the injured woman that rested in a sickbed behind her, surrounded by several Imperial medical droids. Truth be told, even she didn't completely understand why she did it. Perhaps it was the heat of the moment, perhaps it was the will of the Force. Perhaps she finally was even madder than she herself realized. But what happened, happened.
''Eloren and I agreed. She might know more about the circumstances surrounding Nar Shaddaa. Her profile suggests she was closer to it than we first thought.''
Ninth Sister turned her head for a short moment, looking at the droids that were currently injecting fluid after fluid into the heavily maimed body of the Twi'lek. Her screams have long faded, but the pain remained. The Grand Inquisitor might not have been as attuned to the primal emotions of those around him like she was, but even he should've felt the suffering and the anger that the Twi'lek carried with her, even now. She closed her eyes, rocking her head from the left to the right as she let her mind wander back to Nar Shaddaa.
Her heavy feet dragged over the transparent surface of the Tower while her predatory eyes carefully analyzed her surroundings. From behind her, she could feel Eloren's keen mind running wild as the spy wasted her time trying to make any sense out of this mess. There wasn't any opportunity for that, Ninth Sister believed. Almost as if the relicts were within reach, she could taste their presence on her tongue. Oh, they were Jedi alright. She'd never forget how they felt: serene and tranquil on the surface, yet scared and arrogant at its core. Just as the person that wielded it and the Council that commanded them. Fools, all of them.
''They're near ... very near. We need to go up, look out for - wait, do you hear that?''
Further away, a group of heavily armed men and women burst into the hallway, carrying a weakly looking human woman with them. One of them, clad in orange armor, pulled her by her hair and threw her onto the ground, kicking her firmly into her stomach as he put his blaster on the back of her head. Ninth Sister thought that she saw her squirm for a second there, but then it was already too late. The blaster bolt rang through her face and killed her instantly, leaving only a smoldering exit hole where once her eyes were.
''That's gotta be the Imperials ... put'em down!''
How charming, Ninth Sister darkly mused. Roaring like a savage beast, she charged directly into the heart of the enemy squad, using her lightsaber to deflect any incoming attacks that could've otherwise hurt her. Using the natural length and strength of her limbs to the fullest, she took a big swing and directed it straight into the nearest foe, her mighty cleave striking down two of them in an instant. The other fell shortly after, but not through her hands. A shot of Eloren's blaster pistol whizzed past her, putting him out of his misery in an instant. That left only one more to be dealt with. Making sure that she enjoyed every second of it, she used the Force to lift the last assailant off of her feet, focusing her power in a crushing manner onto her. It took only a couple of seconds for her windpipe to crack, turning her body stiff in an instant. With a satisfying thud, the corpse was thrown into a nearby wall.
''Guess we now know who is behind this affair. At least partly.'' stated Eloren matter of factly, the woman seemingly unfaced by the brutality she just witnessed. She walked over to one of the slain attackers, analyzing him from head to toe.
''Yeah, orange color and ... there, look.'' she turned him onto his stomach, revealing a yellow and green tattoo that was imprinted on the back of his neck. It showed a tree engulfed in yellow flames, the galactic symbol for Credits towering above it. Ninth Sister looked from him to the agent with confusion.
''One of the groups you were briefed on beforehand or what?''
''Yes. Slavery and forced prostitution. Led by a Zabrak, though he got numerous underlings that handle day to day affairs for him. However, what is far more interesting - '' Eloren rose and pointed upwards.
'' - used to be that he answered to this Boss character. My my, how dramatic.'' she said before she snickered quietly to herself.
''Great. Far as I see it, they die all the same. Slaver. Spice-runners. Whores. Who cares - it's just meat.''
They moved on and made their way up a nearby set of stairs before all hell broke loose. From below them, an enormous explosion tore through the Tower, its power enough to shake the foundation of the entire building. Both her and Eloren were forcefully tossed onto the ground as smoke began to rise skywards from outside. She heard Eloren grunt in pain as she lifted herself up once more, blood streaming down her leg as a small shard of glass was impaled within it.
''Urgh. Guess this is ... more than a hostile takeover.'' she said under cursed breath, hastily pulling out a small vial and a needle from below her blue coat. Without hesitation, she put the vial on top of the syringe and threw it right into her calf, screaming in pain as she did so. Her hands began to tremble as sweat formed on her forehead. Another second passed before she pulled the bloodied glass shard out of her leg, tossing it down the stairs as she made her way over to the Ninth Sister. As she arrived, she procured a thin bacta patch and put it on the bleeding wound only to sigh deeply afterward.
''You fall behind and I leave you.'' Ninth Sister merely stated ere she turned around, using the Force to blast the door to the next hallway off of its hinges. She wouldn't let Eloren be the reason for the failure of this mission, no matter what happened to the operative. Better Eloren than her, after all.
''Sorry to disappoint you, Inquisitor, but it takes more than that to take the ISB out.''
She could feel the suffering the woman went through, yet there was more. A feeling that she didn't believe she'd walk upon on Nar Shaddaa of all places. Resolution. Whether Eloren did so consciously or not, she had already made up her mind: she'd get out of here alive.
''Sister, did you understand me?''
Ninth Sister stared dumbstruck at the Pau'an before she began to cough, trying to steer her thoughts back to reality once more.
''Yeah, yeah. Fact is, she might know more about this Boss. And he, in turn, might know more about other relicts and so on. You know. Did what I had to do.'' she ushered, half lying and half sticking to the truth. This Twi'lek might know more about it, perhaps. But that wasn't the only reason she took her with her on board of the Star Destroyer. However, the Grand Inquisitor certainly didn't need to be aware of that. Nobody did except her.
''Amusing. Tell me, Sister - did you take pity on her?''
She scoffed at that, perhaps quicker than she was supposed to. Followed by a loud grunt, she bared her sharp teeth at the Grand Inquisitor, crossing her arms in front of her chest as she looked at him with obvious disbelief.
''You serious?''
Concealing her thoughts was as important as reading those of others, a lesson that she learned quickly after the rise of the Empire. Subtly, she could sense the Grand Inquisitor's presence trying to probe her thoughts, hoping to dig up something that he, in his never-ending lust for sadism, could use against her. His fault for believing her to be but a simple grunt: it wasn't the first time she chose what to reveal about her mind, secretly pulling the Grand Inquisitor's intrusion along with her own thoughts to emotions and memories she wanted him to see. Relicts, Jedi - the lust for the hunt. Victory over their enemy. Emotions that drove her, gave her power. And just like that, her mind was her own once more.
''Be it as it may, I shall watch this development with keen interest. That'll be all.''
Fuck off, schutta. If I can deal with Vader, I can deal with you too.
The holographic projection disappeared into nothingness, leaving the Ninth Sister alone with the medical droids and the wounded alien. She walked over to them, noticing the smell of burnt flesh and the sound of drills resounding from them.
''Will she live?''
One of the droids carried a black synthetic arm with it, not unlike the ones she herself had. Another one removed more flesh from the Twi'leks already severely damaged stump, burning the area near it whilst his partner placed the arm next to her onto a nearby table.
''Yes, Ninth Sister.''
Cere - Day 5 - the Mantis, between the border of the Mid Rim and Outer Rim
Cere took another sip of her tea as she went over the information of her datapad once more, making sure that there was nothing that she has missed. Just like Trilla suggested, they made their way to the world of Ordel, located on the outskirts of the Mid Rim. At first, Cere scoured through countless pages of Imperial propaganda within the HoloNet, hoping that she'd find some fragments of truth within them. That hope was short-lived however after she gained almost nothing worthwhile of it even following multiple hours of research. And given that Trilla has refused to spend much time with the others, no doubt thanks to the slight escalation they had a couple of days ago, that meant that she had to consult other sources of information. A task that was easier that one might believe, even if they didn't possess Cere's vast technical knowledge when it came to slicing and there such. Making her way to more questionable sites on the HoloNet, she successfully managed to pick out the most important pieces of intelligence she could find.
''Cere, are you still looking up things about this ... Ordel planet your former apprentice has suggested?''
She smiled heartfully at Merrin. Luckily, the Nightsister soon regained her strength after they left Hutt Space behind, even if some of her mobility was still restricted. Standing up and helping her towards the table, Cere stepped over to the Caf machine, taking one of the cups from a nearby cupboard and opening the kitchen's fridge shortly thereafter.
''Don't worry, I know. I watched Cal the last few days. Caf with blue milk coming right up.''
Making sure to add a piece of chocolate on top of the saucer, Cere walked to Merrin, planting it in front of her as she took her seat once more.
''There you go. And yeah, I've been looking into it. Interesting stuff. Want the overview?''
Merrin looked at the Caf with almost endless satisfaction ere she lowered her head shortly, signaling to Cere to go ahead. Cere took her datapad and unlocked it swiftly, gliding it over the table towards Merrin.
''Used to be that the Empire had a big presence on Ordel. However, for reasons unknown, local wildlife became steadily more aggressive, aggressive enough for the Empire to refuse to invest even more resources into it. They wanted the expensive minerals the planet had, but nature managed to put that effort on hold, permanently. Now, it's mostly focused on agriculture, serving as a slightly glorified corn champer for nearby systems. The only things left of the Empire there are a couple of troops - most of them locals, even - and some of the infrastructure.''
Cere took her tea and put in both of her hands, breathing in quiet comfort as she continued to drink it. She was happy to have some moments of relative peace and quiet, especially after Nar Shaddaa. She would lie if she claimed that she was in a good state of mind shortly after it, far from it. Even now, she still felt some guilt left still tearing at her soul from time to time, making her question herself and her choices. Should she have looked more closely after Greez and Merrin? Was it even a good choice to come here in the first place? What if something worse would've happened to Merrin?
''You know that you need to forgive yourself eventually, right? Even If I personally doubt that there even is something to forgive.''
She coughed strongly and thus almost failed to keep her drink in her mouth. She knew Merrin to be direct, that much he has gathered by their limited interactions up until now, but to hear it out loud was something different altogether. Cere collected herself anew and glanced at her sheepishly, unsure of what exactly she was supposed to say to that right now. She glared at Merrin's wounded shoulder and then back to her face, her lips twitching anxiously as she sat there in silence. She could understand what Merrin tried to do though and she appreciated it. However, no matter her current emotional state, she knew that mistakes happened. Yes, perhaps they were more out of her control as she initially believed, but that didn't mean that she couldn't strife to be better in the future.
Once she was finished with her tea, she looked down at her empty cup, forming her lips into a slight smile. Black tea straight from the markets of Naboo, Master Cordova's favorite. It wasn't unusual to see the old Jed with his favorite drink in hand, even during the most chaotic of situations. Personally, Cere never really cared much for tea, especially not while she still was his apprentice. But after Order 66, those small things she still had left of him - well, they meant something now, even if they didn't before.
Out of the corner of her eyes, she watched how BD ran towards the cockpit, carrying some sort of lightsaber part on top of his head. Cal followed quickly behind, raising his arms in an exhausted manner.
''Oh come on, don't be like that!''
Cere could hear the droid laughing as he sprinted past them, ensuring that Cal rolled his head in slight annoyance. He gazed at them and hurried over to the table, grinning in a rogue-like way before he pointed towards the ceiling.
''Wow, would you look at that!''
Together, both Cere and Merrin stared upwards, trying to find something that was apparently invisible. Suddenly, Cal nimbly put his hand forward, easily snatching the piece of chocolate that was on Merrin's saucer. Instantly, he put it in his mouth, giggling like a child in front of Merrin while he did so. And as if he was struck by thunder, he darted away.
''Kestis, you insufferable ... that was mine!''
Merrin stood up and gasped in frustration ere she followed the young Jedi through the common room of the Mantis to its cockpit, cursing him out loud as she did so. Cere had to smirk at that. Though she didn't trust Merrin at first, she soon proved herself to be an invaluable part of the crew and, more importantly, an even more valuable friend to Cal. It was good for him to had someone his age around, even if the days of their childhood were long over thanks to Palpatine's reign. Both of them were too young for all of this chaos, she believed. But it didn't matter in the end - he lost just as much as the rest of them, if not even more. Even as a Jedi, Cere at least had something resembling a childhood with the Order. Cal went from child to soldier as if it was nothing. Back during the Clone Wars, she might not have paid it much mind. Padawan were Jedi, no matter how old they were. Thus, they were soldiers, ready to defend the Republic whenever it needed protection. But now, after she saw just how much the Order of old has fallen - she truly felt for them.
Sometimes it's difficult to acknowledge the mistakes of the Order. But we have to - I owe it to those that haven't made it so far.
Speaking of mistakes, there was something Cere secretly dreaded to do, even if she knew that it was vital for the things to come. Putting her dishes into the sink, Cere grabbed her datapad and moved over to the back of the Mantis, carefully sliding down the ladder that served as a connection between Cal's crafting area and ...
Trilla's ''quarters''? Hideout? Retreat?
''Trilla, it's me. Got a second?'' she asked while she slid down the ladder, twitching with her eyes as she had to get used to the dim lights of the ship's sublevel.
''Cere. How can I assist?'' inquired Trilla with a hushed voice, the woman seemingly bussy with meditation as Cere approached.
With a small smile, she noted how Trilla finally chose to wear the clothes she provided for her, her old black and red combat suit replaced by a set of basic civilian clothes, not unlike those she herself wore. Cere hoped that with her grey tunic and slightly brighter pair of pants, Trilla wouldn't be the victim of any unwanted attention, as it has happened with her former attire. Not as if that would be a difficult task, considering that her Inquisitor armor just screamed ''Empire'' for miles.
''You've got a minute? Otherwise I can just ... '' Cere pointed back towards the ladder, an unspoken question forming on her lips. Trilla, however, bounced her head and pointed at the space in front of her, breaking her meditation and switching into a visibly more comfortable position.
Though she hoped that it wouldn't be the case, an irritating tense feeling began to spread through her chest, making its way mercilessly to her limbs, causing her fingers to twitch slightly as she watched Trilla with a sheepish smile. Was it too soon to talk to her? Perhaps she'd need more time, time to work through all of this, time -
''Ease up, Cere. Even in my state, I can feel your thoughts running rampant. Want to tell me what's going on or am I to guess?''
Trilla raised her brows at Cere as she let her fingernails dance impatiently over the cool metal floor of the Mantis. She had to swallow at that. Once more, it seemed as if every piece of carefully crafted dialogue that she has prepared beforehand disappeared from her mind, leaving nothing behind but the stumbling words of a confused fool. Cere scratched the back of her head before she closed her eyes, taking a deep breath before she nodded once.
''I just ... well, wanted to know if you wanted to talk about - well, really anything. You know ... ''
''You mean my time as an Inquisitor.'' she stated matter of factly, sighing deeply after those words left her mouth.
Cere nodded at that, unsure if she should even remain here or just leave, thinking that she had already overstepped the goodwill they shared. She was, however, pleasantly surprised as Trilla scutched a little bit closer, lowering her voice somewhat before she continued to talk.
''If you look for any intel, I'm afraid I have to disappoint. There's no way all of my codes weren't changed by now, so we can forget that. Same with anything else that could be of help, really. Perhaps some pointers here and there, like Ordel, but that's it. No surprise there. No matter our opinion of it, the Empire in itself is known for its speedy brand of efficiency.''
Yeah, you can say that one again.
''I get it. Wasn't really what I meant, though. I'm talking about ... damn it, I don't know.'' she put her hands on the back of her hand and grimaced somewhat, desperately trying to evade Trilla's eyes as she stupidly tried to look for the right words on the ceiling of the ship. How could anyone even begin to handle such a situation? There were a lot of things she learned as a Jedi, but talking to a former Inquisitor - that was her own student at one point - certainly wasn't one of them.
''What do you want me to tell you, Cere? You know the Dark Side, its lure and the power it promises. If you wish for me to tell you some sort of twisted fairy tale that I was special enough not to succumb to those urges - well, you'd be disappointed. I was an Inquisitor of the Empire - and I was good at it. One of the best, as a matter of fact. You know what that entailed, you've seen it firsthand.''
Cere's heart ached at that. The cold, almost emotionless way Trilla talked about her ordeals filled her with sorrow, sadness that managed to flow through every fiber of her body. Especially if she acknowledged her own part in all of this.
''I know, Trilla. But ... how are you holding up. Now, I mean. With everything?''
To her surprise, Trilla chuckled at that. Her chest rose and fell as she put her hands on her stomach, her laugher taking some seconds until it died down once more.
''Afraid that I'll snap? Don't be. I'm in no way shape or form mentally present enough to call upon the Force in any worthwhile manner.''
She pushed the palm of her hand outwards, focusing her eyesight on one of the nearby crates that were put in storage underneath the ship's main floor. At first, nothing happened, save that Cere could feel how Trilla called upon the Force. Seconds passed until the crate began to wobble slightly, the intensity of it increasing slowly as she lifted her hand lightly. The crate rase from the floor - if only barley. And as quickly as it did, it fell down to it with a loud echo, making Trilla grunt in frustration as it did so.
''Anger. Hatred. Fury ... Peace, Tranquility, Serenity. Dark and Light. If you've ever known one end for such a long time, it is difficult to center oneself at the other end again. Yes, I might no longer fall into a complete bloodlust whenever we have to fight but ... - '' she shrugged at that and closed her eyes. '' - years of anger don't simply leave, Cere. They're still there, back at the edge of the mind, always present, no matter whether I like it or not.''
Wasn't that the truth, Cere added quietly. Even now, Cere had certain issues trying to control her emotions, as her fight at the Fortress Inquisitorius so easily showed. And unlike Trilla, Cere's dance with the Dark Side was a short one. Trilla was engulfed by it, shaped by it. Of course she'd struggle, who wouldn't?
''Trilla, if there is anGthing I can do to help, you only need to ask. You know that, right? You're a part of this crew, no matter what happened.''
She had to snort at that, making Cere recoil lightly.
''Do I have a choice, Cere?''
Carefully, Cere put her hands on Trilla's, raising them somewhat as she looked her straight in her eyes.
''Always, Trilla. You're free. If you don't wish to remain here, that's alright. Wherever you want to be, we can get you there.''
The former Inquisitor glared at her without a trace of emotion ere she merely nodded, pulling her hands away from her with quite some haste, a motion that didn't fail to sting Cere somewhat.
''Alright. I'll keep that in mind if the need arises. For now, I shall stay. At least until my connection to the Force is healed.''
Cere sighed in relief as she heard that. If she was honest, she really wouldn't have wanted for Trilla to leave. There were still so many words she wanted to tell her, time she desperately wanted to spend with her. The Force has granted both of them a chance at redemption and Cere was happy about it. Ecstatic, even. So much suffering has transpired in Trilla's life up until now, it was time that it ended. And Cere would be damned if her former student had to walk her future path alone.
''Trilla ... I just. There's no easy way to say this, but - I'm sorry. For everything. I know that it was my fault. It should've been me and not you. B - ''
''No, stop this!''
She crawled away from her a couple of centimeters, putting her fingers on her forehead as she grunted loudly.
''I don't want to hear this, alright? Not now. We can talk about the Inquisitorius and my roll in it if you wish, but I'm not ready ... well, for your part in it.''
Her voice grew softer anew ere she looked at Cere with a longing to be understood. Though it hurt, Cere bowed her head wordlessly, not wishing to touch upon the subject anew. She understood the pain Trilla felt and she was just glad that she opened up somewhat, even if it was only a little. Their shared path has only begun, there'd be many more conversations to be had. Step for step, they'd work through this. She just knew it.
''Alright everyone, computer finished the final calculations. Ready to jump to Ordel once I get the go-ahead.''
Greez's voice echoed through the speaker systems of the Mantis, making Cere stand up and turn towards the ladder. Before she marched over to it though, she peered back at Trilla who had entered a meditative stance once more.
''Thank you, Trilla.''
Though she couldn't quite see under the dim lights, she thought that she could see Trilla smile somewhat. And that smile meant the whole galaxy to her.
AN: Advina: Thank you for your continued support :) I've actually been thinking about this ever since the start (read: I knew I forgot to add it but was too lazy to re-write it) and yeah, I'd either like to add it or something similar to it at some point. Truth be told, there are some entities (ohhh how mysterious!) I'd like to add to the crew eventually. Perhaps. Maybe. You know the drill. Anyone else ever realized how small the Mantis actually is?
All of the lovely Guests: You're all so sweet and amazing and awesome and I'm too tired to think of any more words, but you get my drift. 3
Luckily enough, I've done some worldbuilding for the next chapters already, so unlike Nar Shaddaa, that much is already out of the way. Hope you had some good first two weeks of 2020 :) Can't wait to go through this year with you all!
"If you have other questions, find me in the crew quarters... there, we will speak more." - Kreia. PM me if needed, you know the drill!