Seventeen
LotJB[I]LotJB
Janek Skywalker felt as if he had just stepped into some sort of amusement park. Phindar Station, the pre-eminent spaceport for the planet Phindar, was a dazzling spectacle of lights, sound, and imagination. There were thousands of sparkling lights, lively electro-synthetic music pumping through the station's speaker system, and the scent of delicious-smelling treats permeated the air. There were beings of all shapes and sizes, languages from all corners of the galaxy, and clothing styles in just as many variations. Vendors sold all manner of wares. There were 'fun zones' for the children and young at heart, and even live plays for the whole family.
"Are you sure you know what you're doing?" Janek muttered to their de facto 'leader' of their expedition, a seemingly ageless Nate Jango'ad Tull.
"We can't exactly fly a ship from Concordia to Mandalore," Nate said amiably. "Or be on a ship that suggests we're allied to the Jedi or Galactic Alliance."
"So we're going to smuggle ourselves onto Mandalore?" Jesmin Sarkin-Tainer asked curiously.
"Nothing so risky. It may be war-time but Mandalore still needs a source of income. We're going to be using them." Nate pointed to a particular name located on a brightly colored holo-map in the middle of the passageway. It was in a portion of the station known as 'Future Sector' and had access to several hangar bays.
"Them?" Ryza said, looking at Nate dubiously. "We're going to be tourists?"
"They have to fund their war-efforts somehow."
"I know…but Star Tours?"
"Please tell me that ours won't be piloted by a homicidal Death Watch RX droid," Jesmin said faintly. "I still hope my brother was joking about that part."
"Don't worry, everything's official. I brought tickets and have proper visas," Nate said reassuringly, he pulled out a stack of name-tags. "We're currently on a school fieldtrip to learn about the proud warrior race that is the Mandalorians."
Janek took one of the tags and his eyebrows shot up at the school name. "Bespin School for Troubled Youths?"
"Face it. Given where you all want to go, you have to be troubled," Nate drawled.
"He has a point there," Vekki admitted.
As they headed towards their destination, one of the other young Jedi noticed something else.
"Nate…this station…it's controlled by the One Sith," San're muttered after a quartet of dark-siders walked by.
"Of course, how do you expect to have clearance to go to Mandalore? A planet fully in control by the One Sith, by the way."
"Just making sure I wasn't seeing things."
The line to the Star Tours hangar was absurdly long, but at the same time moving relatively quickly. The walkway took the group over several luggage conveyor belts, past a customs droid with a faulty humor circuit, and by a chatty luggage-scanner droid who appeared to be having the time of his life. After nearly an hour of waiting, it was finally their turn at the ticket counter.
"Please sign this contract," the droid manning the counter handed over several datapads.
"This is new, what are they for?" Nate asked.
"For destinations deemed potentially lethal by the Star Tours Travel Board, you are required to sign these contracts promising to hold Star Tours and its subsidiaries blameless in the event of injury or death. The signees of this contract also waive their right to litigation as well as the rights of their families or loved ones to litigate on their behalf should the signee become deceased."
"Oh, well, okay. Kids, go ahead and sign them."
"I'm only thirteen," Naeli protested. The Nautolan Jedi Apprentice took the datapad anyways. "Will it even be legally binding?"
"If you are thirteen years of age, you are considered an adult on Mandalore," the droid reported erroneously. "The contract will be legally binding."
With suspicious looks to Nate, the Jedi crew signed their contracts and handed their datapads over to the droid.
"Thank you for your cooperation. Your flight, ST Flight Forty-Five is on time and is at gate twenty-four. I hope you have a pleasant time on Sundari," the droid chimed amiably, waving them on.
"I don't think my day can get any weirder," Janek muttered, eyeing the Star Tours staff member directing the various travelers to their correct gates.
"Please don't jinx us," Vekki breathed.
In short time, the group was herded into the awaiting StarSpeeder-class shuttle along with a handful of other tourists. All were dressed for warm weather, with several children wearing faux Mandalorian helmets purchased by their parents at the neighboring store. Several safety and informative videos were shown as the doors on both sides of the shuttle closed.
"Ever been on one of these before?" Janek as San're.
The Ysanna youth shook his head, his attention still on the monitors. "The first and only time I was off Ossus was that fieldtrip to Dathomir's Praxeum five years ago. Haven't left Ossus sense.
"So Phindar is the fourth planet you've stepped foot on?" Naeli asked.
"Technically I haven't stepped foot on the planet yet so Ossus, Dathomir and Nar Shadda are the only planets I've been to."
The shuttle vibrated as it was released from the docking clamps, and the announcement from the control tower was piped in to the cabin.
"Star Tours Flight Forty-Five, Phindar to Mandalore, you are cleared for departure after final pre-flight sequence."
The safety video ended and the image of their pilot, an RX-series droid, appeared on screen. "Roger control. All stats are green."
"ST Forty-Five you are cleared for take-off. Head to one-point-zero two-four."
"Copy, heading to one-point-zero two-four."
The RX-series droid then toggled a button and the blast-shield separating the cockpit and cabin lowered. His torso rotated while his hands continued to man the controls. "Welcome aboard! I'm RX One-One-Three and I'll be your pilot for this flight to Mandalore. As this will be a short jump I ask that you remain seated for the duration of the flight."
The shuttle followed several others through the departure passageways without any problems. But then, when they reached the primary hangar, a handful of security droids floated over the shuttle, and they were directed to land.
"I've got a bad feeling about this," Janek breathed out. Through the viewport in the cockpit they could see several One Sith soldiers form up behind a masked dark Jedi.
"One moment folks we're being pulled aside for a random security check. No need to worry. That is, unless you're secretly a Jedi or Galactic Alliance spy in disguise." The pilot droid piped up positively.
The other tourists in the shuttle laughed, while the young group of Jedi smiled nervously.
The masked One Sith stopped in front of the cockpit viewport and held up a holo-emitter. "We're searching for a Galactic Alliance spy onboard your vessel. She looks like this."
Janek had to swallow the startled outburst that nearly escaped when the emitter projected an image of Catra Skirata. He jerked about in his seat before finally looking over his shoulder and seeing the sheepish-looking Mandalorian teen seated several rows behind them.
"Catra?!" Jesmin exclaimed, spotting her at the same time.
A split moment later, the security droid's spotlight landed on Catra Skirata and an alarm began to blare.
"There you are!" The dark Jedi exclaimed.
"Whoops," Nate muttered, fiddling with a wrist computer. In a low voice he whispered, "RX One-One-Three, Kyr'tsad override program initiate."
"What are you doing?" Vekki whispered to Nate.
"All the RX droids are produced by a Kyr'tsad shell corporation," Nate whispered back calmly. "I'm just making sure the baradium explosive implanted in that one doesn't blow up."
"Please tell me you're joking," Jesmin groaned.
"Time to go," Nate pressed another button on his wrist computer.
The Star Tours shuttle immediately began to rise back into the air, and the dark Jedi reached out with the Force to hold it in place. In turn, all four of the StarSpeeder X's laser cannons opened fire. The One Sith troopers immediately dove for cover and the dark Jedi was forced to let go of the shuttle and draw his lightsaber to parry the lasers.
"Punch it," Nate hit another button.
A familiar cone of blue formed around the shuttle as it prepared to leap to hyperspace inside the hangar of Phindar Station. In the blink of an eye the shuttle disappeared into the safety of hyperspace, leaving a temporary vacuum in its wake.
I-I-I-I-I
It was sometime into the hyperspace flight when Nate glanced at his wrist computer and frowned. "Uh oh."
"Please don't say that," Vekki pleaded.
"What's 'uh oh'?" Ryza asked a beat later.
"Jumping to hyperspace out of a hangar bay seems to have partially damaged the navigation circuits," Nate tapped his wrist computer several times, as if that would fix the readings.
"So what does that mean?"
"It means we should have arrived at Mandalore thirty minutes ago."
"We overshot the planet?"
"Looks that way," Nate said, tapping at his wrist computer again. "The calculations used to compute the last jump were corrupted and the end destination was never completed. The navi-computer tried to compensate but we've just hit a main hyperspace corridor and are getting further from Mandalore as I speak."
"The good news, please," Janek groaned.
"I can bring us out of hyperspace before we crash into an asteroid field or bounce too close to a super nova."
"Then do it already."
"Okay, re-establishing Star Tours safety guidelines."
The RX-droid pilot, who had become mute and seemingly oblivious to the situation with Nate in control, jolted to life and gave the controls in front of him a once over.
"Sorry folks, we seem to have missed our destination. I'll drop us out of hyperspace now and loop us back around."
The blue glow faded away, and the sight that replaced it immediately drew cause for alarm. The RX-droid pilot obviously felt the same way as his hands were thrown up in alarm and his head rotated towards the frightened tourists.
"Comets! Ladies and gentlemen, there may be some turbulence up ahead. Make sure your seatbelts are fastened."
At the speed they were going, the shuttle had no choice but to veer towards the giant tumbling ball of ice and dust. Janek and the others quickly gripped their armrests in a death grip as the shuttle bobbed and swerved at breakneck speeds through the tail of the comet. Several of those in the cabin shouted out in fear as smaller chunks of icy dirt bounced off the shuttle. Lights in the cabin flickered off and on with every jarring impact. And then a particularly large clod of frozen dust clanged against the side, nearly throwing everyone from their seats. It was clear the shuttle's shields wouldn't be able to hold out much longer, so the RX-droid sent the shuttle into a reckless dive.
The cries of fear grew louder as the shuttle now appeared to be on a collision course with the head of the comet. The four laser cannons dropped down and blasted a hole seconds before the shuttle careened into the main ball of ice. What followed was several minutes of pure heart-stopping adrenaline as the tour shuttle spiraled through the heart of the ice formation, making violent turns down one passageway and then another.
More screams, as the shuttle quickly ran out of room and headed for another wall.
One last shuttle-shaking impact had the starship bursting out the side of the comet's head in a shower of glittering, icy shards.
"Well, heh, you can relax now," the pilot said, sounding just as weak as everyone felt. "Everything is under control and we'll be on our way to Mandalore without any further delay…"
The shuttle shook again. But this time it was no ball of ice hitting it. The power in the cabin and cockpit went out, replaced by emergency lighting.
"Oh no! We're caught in a tractor beam!" The RX-droid pilot wailed, once against going into panic mode.
Nate furiously began typing into his wrist computer.
"There really is a baradium explosive in the droid, isn't there?" Jesmin said faintly.
"Standard issue," Nate acknowledged. "Now shush, Death Watch slicers are so idiosyncratic that their ciphers are always different. Trying to keep the droid from blowing up a second time is not easy."
"Here, let me," Vekki closed her eyes and the group could feel her using her unique branch of Force abilities.
"By the way, Nate, where did we come out of?" Ryza asked as the prow of a Star Destroyer came into view.
"Borosk," Nate answered tersely, still furiously typing. But after another second seemed to ease up. The dark-skinned man glanced appreciatively at Vekki. "Whatever you're doing, keep doing it."
Vekki answered with a nod.
Janek, in the meantime, blinked and stretched out his Force-senses to the sector. "I might be losing my mind, but I think I sense my cousin Jaina in the system."
"Really?" Jesmin and Ryza looked to Janek, then likewise delved into the Force. Sure enough, they could feel a very powerful, light-inclined Force-presence growing closer and closer. The family-bond Jaina shared with Janek was unmistakable.
"You're right. Your cousin is here."
"The question is, why," Jesmin added.
Another second later a Chase-X in Imperial red and black came streaking in escorted by a quartet of Starhunters. In a flawless maneuver, each fighter took a turn firing into the hangar of the Star Destroyer with their laser cannons. The last one out triggered a chain-reaction that caused serious damage to the capital ship and wiped out the tractor-beam system holding the shuttle in place.
Once the power was restored, the video panels on either side of the cockpit flickered on. Addressing them was the self-proclaimed Empress of the Fel Imperium, Jaina Solo herself. "Star Tours, what are you doing here? This is a combat zone! Ease off on your main thruster."
Though the shuttle was now free from the Star Destroyer, it had a new set of challenges in the way. Mainly, the giant, spiky space station that was now only a few thousand kilometers away, and the horde of One Sith starfighters protecting it.
A wave of TIE fighters came roaring in with guns blazing and the shuttle's taxed shields weren't able to keep up with the onslaught. One particular laser burst punched through and plowed right into the primary stabilizer. The impact was enough to knock the shuttle off course and into the space-station's own gravity shadow. A dizzying spin had everyone in the cabin once again sobbing in distress, the view of the station getting ever closer.
"Come on, come on," Nate muttered, once again furiously typing into his wrist computer.
"What now?" Jesmin shouted over the screams.
"That last shot hit the power conduit that feeds the primary stabilizer. I'm trying to reroute the power!"
"Well, hurry! We're losing altitude fast," Naeli was practically hyperventilating.
"Almost, there. Almost there," Nate muttered under his breath. "There!"
The shuttle straightened out in plenty of time, its four laser cannons flipping forward and vaping two approaching TIEs that had come in to finish it off. It veered away from another set of enemy fighters before falling into formation with the red and black Chase-X and the group of fighters escorting it.
"Sword Twenty-Four, Sword Thirty, follow me," Jaina's image relayed. "Everyone else keep those fighters off our backs."
"RX One-One-Three, initiate Kyr'tsad Secondary Programming now," Nate said in a soft voice that only the Jedi could hear.
"Okay!" The RX-droid pilot exclaimed, its photoreceptors going from blue to red. "I've always wanted to serve my Empress. We're going in!"
"Wait, what?!" multiple pairs of wild-looking eyes looked to Nate in disbelief.
"No, no, no, no, no," Vekki shook her head. "We should be going out! This isn't a combat vehicle."
"Too late now," Nate said, relaxing back into his seat. "Besides, do you really want to crush One-One-Three's dreams?"
The Star Tours shuttle veered around the turbolasers being pumped out of the spacestation below them, matching course with the Chase-X and its escorting Starhunters. One looping pass took them even closer to the spacestation's surface, the turbolaser towers now towering up all around them like a forest.
"Yaaaaaahooooo!" The RX-droid pilot exclaimed gleefully, the four laser cannons blasting turbolaser towers with reckless abandon.
The Chase-X's goal was soon clear. A good-sized crater in the station's exterior came into range within seconds.
"Sword Twenty-Four, I'm going in. Sword Thirty, bring up the rear."
"We're not…we are," Ryza slumped back into her seat as the bulkier shuttle made another loop amidst a hail of turbolaser fire, and then followed the Chase-X into the crater. The shuttle once again shook and bounced back and forth as it squeezed its way through the outer armor and sections of the Imperda station. Several walkways and weaker constructs were ripped apart by the shuttle as it not so gracefully stayed on the Chase-X's tail.
"Target's coming up. It's away!"
Said target was a massive turbine-like machine that had all sorts of bulbous contraptions attached to it. The target was hit by two odd-looking projectiles fired by the Chase-X, and whatever the projectiles were, they appeared to be extremely volatile. Only a second after impact, the entire viewport of the shuttle was momentarily filled with a bright light. The RX-droid sent the shuttle into a sharp turn as the brightness cleared to reveal a wave of flame bearing down on them.
"Oh sh…." Ryza's exclamation was drowned out by more terrified screams, the loudest coming from those sitting near her.
"We're going to die, we're going to die!" Naeli panted, her skin a pale green as her hands did their best to crush her armrests in a white-knuckled grip.
The shuttle rocked back and forth violently, light fixtures exploding and steam and smoke rising out from various parts of the cabin. In the cockpit, control panels were flashing and beeping. One entire panel even went dark while a second hissed and popped in a spectacle of sparks. The occupants of the shuttle could barely make out the Chase-X ahead of them as it blasted away larger debris to give the shuttle room through the collapsing passageway.
While all the drama was going on, Janek hazarded a look over to Nate and saw the man appeared highly amused at all their reactions as he sat upright with his muscular arms folded in front of his chest. "You're not even a little worried?"
"Of course he isn't!" Vekki shouted from Nate's opposite side. "If he dies, he just goes back to his organic body wherever it is!"
"Huh?" Janek blinked.
"He's a Force-enhanced, spirit-possessed HRD!" Vekki said in exasperation, wide-eyes still pinned to the fiery view in the cockpit viewport. "Now shut up and let me panic in peace!"
"Oh, right, you did mention your family dabbled with droids," Nate commented.
"What part of 'shut up' didn't you understand!" Vekki snapped back, squeezing her eyes shut when a particularly large metal beam collapsed and bounced loudly off of the shuttle.
Though it was only a few seconds, it seemed like an eternity before the shuttle and the last Starhunter burst out of the hole they had entered. The shuttle and the fighters continued to hightail it away from the station. Within the shuttle, the terrified tourists were now treated to a view from the shuttle's rear cameras of the once proud Imperda station seemingly collapsing in on itself. The station's spindly arms were being sucked inwards, its orb-shaped central body concaving and shattering in a myriad of explosions.
Janek needed a few moments to process the sight. "My cousin just used a Vong weapon on that station."
"Looks like it," Nate said casually, as if watching a super powerful defensive spacestation slowly turn into a black-hole was an everyday occurrence.
"Sorry about that folks," the RX-droid pilot chimed happily. "I've reset the navi-computer and I should have you on your way to Mandalore shortly. This slight detour in no way represents Star Tours standard operating procedure and you will all be granted travel vouchers to compensate you for any distress this flight may have caused."
The battered and smoking shuttle reoriented itself and in another flash, jumped to hyperspace.
Naeli, who looked about as sea-sick as a Nautolan could, just looked pleadingly to Nate. "Are we there yet?"
LotJB[II]LotJB
Ben Skywalker was having slightly better luck in the whole 'getting into an improbable situation that might lead to his death' department. That is, if you count boarding a stolen Star Destroyer full of dark siders from an obscure sect that had been marooned on a planet for millennia with a Yuuzhan Vong teenage girl as your only form of support, as not being a situation that might lead to his death.
Carefully, with Tyzhani holding her finger spear around Kaara's neck and Ben holding a blaster to the back of Kaara's head, the trio made their way down the landing ramp.
"Ben!" The voice of Jun Rasi Tuum called out, drawing Ben's attention.
The Cathar Knight was standing with a group of Jedi and dark Jedi, surrounded by a phalanx of droids and shiny-armored troopers. "Jun?"
"It's alright, you can let Sith Master Kaara go," Jun held his hands out to his side. "This group is friendly to the Jedi Order."
"Furball, is that really you?" Ben frowned, pausing in his step.
"Of course it is," the Cathar said in confusion. "Can't you…tell…oh. You cut yourself off from the Force?"
"When we were last on this planet, what did you and I have to do to get the Yuuzhan Vong to take us seriously?"
"Naked mud wrestling," Jun deadpanned. "Chatterbox and Kani were highly amused, Fishsticks took a picture. It took three hours of showering to wash off all the mud from my fur."
"Really?" Tyzhani said in an incredulous whisper.
"It was the two of us against a Storm Gundark," Ben muttered in a hushed whisper. "And we started out fully clothed…Any way, that's not the point."
"Believe it's me now?" Jun asked, stepping away from the group he was with and towards Ben and Tyzhani.
"Yeah," Ben's shoulders slumped slightly. "It's great to see you Jun."
"Said like you never actually wanted to see me in the first place." Jun reached out and placed a hand on Ben's extended blaster arm. "These dark Jedi are working with us, Ben."
"Until they decide to stab us in the back?"
"Better later than now. That gives us time to show them we're move valuable alive," Jun put a little more effort into trying to get Ben to lower the weapon. "The rest of the Menagerie has been treated like royalty since we joined up with them. So it'd be really, really rude of us if we kill one of their own…You did keep the others alive too, right?"
Ben's angular jaw clenched as he looked back and forth between Kaara and Jun. Finally, exhaling noisily and shaking his head, he activated the safety on his weapon and lowered it.
"Skywalker?" Tyzhani said hesitantly, her finger implants tensing and relaxing around Kaara's neck.
"Yeah, call them off," Ben waved a hand absently, his shoulders slumping. "And the rest of her people are in the airlock with a ysalamir and explosive nearby."
"Ben," Jun said in a soft, worried voice.
"Just…not now."
Tyzhani released Kaara and took a step closer to Ben, her eyes darting towards the lines of battle-droids filling the hangar. He could hear her mutter something in Yuuzhan Vong under her breath and he easily picked up the word 'abominations' among a few others. "So…Fearless One, what now?"
"You tell me, Jun."
Jun glanced to the dark Jedi around them. "Can you give us a few minutes please?"
"Ahz much ahz yuh ned." Kaara said with a curt nod. She gestured to a group of dark Jedi and they re-entered the shuttle to free their companions. The rest of the dark Jedi waited a respectful distance away."
"So what mess did I just step into?"
"Pretty much more of the same," Jun murmured. "Galaxy in shambles and we have to help save the people of Sriluur again."
"'Have to'? No chance of just telling them to go dominate another planet?"
"Can't do that without losing face," Jun said in negative. He lowered his voice again. "Basically Sith Master Kaara is Saber Khai's puppet leader. The rest of the Tribe only tolerates this group because they think Sith Master Kaara is keeping Saber Khai on a short leash. If Saber Khai loses that cover, then the rest of the Tribe will come down on us like a ton of Hutt poodoo. And we don't want that."
"The Tribe…one of them mentioned something about them being the descendants of soldiers who served one of those big-wig Sith types."
"Naga Sadow, and it's true. These guys really do have a different way of seeing the galaxy, seeing the Force."
Ben scoffed and shook his head. "And how are they any different than the One Sith or any other delirious group of Force-users trying to conquer the galaxy?"
"Ben, just give them a chance. The entire crew of the Menagerie would have been toast without their protection."
"Because you can be of use to them."
"So is that why you don't want to protect the people of Sriluur anymore? They're no longer of use to you?" Jun countered. "Give them a chance. One way or another Sriluur is going to be theirs. I'd rather be in a position to help them choose the least bloodless way than hate them simple on principle and let them resort to the only methods they know."
"Have I ever told you how annoying you and Chatterbox are?"
"Pretty much every single mission," Jun smirked in response. "By the way, who's your friend?"
"Tyzhani Kwaad," the teenage Yuuzhan Vong girl held out a hand in very non-Yuuzhan Vong form of greeting.
Jun was somewhat taken aback and needed a moment before reaching out to shake the offered hand. "Jun Rasi Tuum, nice to meet you."
"You too. Cathar, right?"
"Yeah…" Jun looked questioningly to Ben, who in turn smiled very faintly at his friend's befuddlement.
"Nice, I haven't yet met one of your people before." She motioned to his chest. "You're wearing a biot?"
"What? Oh, no…well, not exactly wearing them. Lung implants. Had them since I was a child. How'd you know?"
"My own protectors let me know," Tyzhani held up a hand and her finger-spears curled around her fingers like snakes.
"Okay…right…Ben."
"Jun?"
"Never mind," Jun sighed and looked to Tyzhani pityingly. "He give you a nickname yet?"
"Tried to call me Shaper Girl," Tyzhani affirmed. "But he didn't like the switch from Fearless One to Ex-Jedi Guy, so he's thinking of another one right now."
Jun blinked again, then chuckled softly, shaking his head. "You'll definitely fit right into our strange little family."
"You really trust these Jeedai?" the Yuuzhan Vong teen asked softly, her eyes drifting on the forces surrounding them.
"I'm keeping an open mind," Jun answered. "We Jedi and Sith are never going to be able to work side by side unless one or both of us take a chance."
"And whatever happens next is the will of the divine Force?"
"Something like that," Jun said after another pause. He glanced wryly at Ben. "Where'd you find this one?"
"On the planet your new friends tried to conquer."
"Technically we were letting the hardliners learn a lesson the painful way," Jun flinched, apologetically pressing the palms of his hands together towards Tyzhani. "Those who knew better knew that their plan was going to fail."
"Right, because these people love the painful way," Ben drawled. "Okay, great to see you alive, Jun. What's next?"
"Great to see you too, Fearless Leader," Jun said dryly. "And next I introduce you to the brains behind this little venture."
"This 'Saber Khai' you mentioned."
"Her." Jun motioned to the light brown-haired dark Jedi who radiated 'test me at your own peril'.
Ben performed a double-take upon following Jun's hand. Striking brown-yellow eyes were staring at him in an evaluating stare, a mix of confusion and suspicion reflected in them. However, it was her pale, almost flawless face that brought back memories. Even without the Force, he could feel the aura of strength and confidence she was radiating. Almost like the combat droids all around the hangar, every fiber of her being radiated with purpose. He swallowed heavily and forced some saliva into his suddenly dry mouth. "She was on Formos too, wasn't she?"
"She was. You gave her that scar on her lip."
"And she's the unofficial leader of this bunch? She can't be any older than us."
"Younger, actually. I think she's the youngest person on this ship."
"Damn, and I thought the pressure I had was tough. She screws up and…"
"Yeah. Try not to reminder her about that. We're all counting on her to keep a cool head about things. Juggling Tribe politics and the rest of the galaxy is like trying to juggle active lightsabers without any hands."
"I'll keep that in mind. Well, Furball, lead the way."
II-I-II-I-II
Ben wasn't exactly sure how the meeting ended with Saber Khai's command staff, the crew of the Menagerie, and himself and Tyzhani in the lounge of the Dark Saber in a sing-off. But, as he gazed about with a mug full of some ancient ale made 'exactly how the original followers of Naga Sadow had made it', he wasn't sure if he was hallucinating or not. Not sure at all. If there was one thing he was certain of, the Tribe definitely made a mean brew that was guaranteed to make him regret it the next morning.
On a makeshift stage was Jedi Knight Kolir Hu'lya and Bazel 'Barv' Warv hamming it up and singing to the latest hit coming out from a HoloNet speaker. Not to be outdone, a Saber Turg and a Tyro Zin were belting out a more classical song from the days of yore. Combining a modern, peppy song about one's lover and their never-ending string of affairs, with a baritone, chant-like song about crushing one's enemies and standing on their corpses somehow seemed to work—even if the combined message was completely wrong.
"This is how you humans entertain yourselves?" a slightly tipsy Tyzhani asked, grimacing at a particularly off-key high note left Bazel's mouth. "I thought you weren't into self-inflicted torment?"
"You haven't seen anything like this before?" Ben asked, gesturing with his mug-filled hand.
"Most of the events my father took me to had more…"
"Class?"
"Let's go with that." Tyzhani gazed about the filled room, most the occupants obviously amused by the goings-on. "I see their leader has the 'dark Jedi' look mastered."
Ben's eyes traveled over to where Vestara Khai was seated in the opposite corner of the room. The corner was darkened, and the pale-skinned leader of her faction seemed just as pensive as he was. "Yeah."
"Do you think she spoke truthfully about wanting to maintain the alliance?"
Ben took a sip from his mug. "Don't really know. A part of me doesn't care."
"How about the rest of you?"
"Torn between wanting to believe her and knowing better."
In the background, Kolir pulled a reluctant Yaqeel onto the stage and Bazel grabbed the Jenet Reeqo Swen. Not to be outdone, Tyro Jesdan and the deadly blonde Saber Anyul stepped up to back up their comrades. The song choice changed, with the Jedi side now singing about a small racing speeder and the Tribe chant-singing about some ancient battle and the few that survived it. Again, the songs strangely harmonized and produced yet another weird message.
"Which side are you leaning towards?" Tyzhani asked, letting her head rest on Ben's shoulder.
"Whichever side gets us out of here alive," Ben said with a mirthless chuckle. He set the mug down on the side-table next to the couch. "Damned if I know which side that is though."
The two listened to the revelry only a few dozen meters from them, simply watching the interactions between the crew of the Menagerie and the command staff of the Dark Blade. It was a very surreal image for Ben. Knowing that one side was a group of psychopathic individuals bent on galactic domination, yet seeing them acting so…normal…his ale-addled mind spun in circles trying to make sense of it all.
"The Tribe leader," Tyzhani mumbled, her eyes half-closed.
"What about her?"
"She sits in that corner, all alone. No one dares approach her."
"Sith don't have friends."
"Everyone has friends," Tyzhani slurred slightly. "Even dark Jeedai."
"I think you had too much to drink, your Vongness is coming out again."
"First time I got to imbibe in your fermented beverages, father never let me take a sip," Tyzhani yawned, making herself more comfortable against his shoulder.
"You probably should have taken it easy then," Ben laughed softly, glancing at his Yuuzhan Vong friend. Her eyes were completely closed and a soft snore escaped her mouth. "Tyzhani?"
No response.
Ben's expression softened and he took off his jacket and draped it around her, easing her down onto the couch in the process. He adjusted the jacket and watched as Tyzhani reflexively curled up into a ball as she shifted in her sleep. He couldn't believe how quickly he had come to care for the daring Yuuzhan Vong teen, and just knew he was making a mistake caring for another given their current situation. Chances that he'd make some choice that'd get her killed, get Jun and all the others killed, was high. Yet, here he was, on a ship full of dark Jedi, sticking his nose into business that he would otherwise not care a single heartbeat about.
Stupid Kani for making him feel responsible again.
He stretched and exhaled noisily. If Kani wanted him to fix the mess, then that's what he was going to do. Maybe then the Force would get off his back. After silently counting to ten behind close eye-lids, he opened his eyes and evaluated his situation. Now that his seat was occupied by a sleeping Yuuzhan Vong teen, Ben's only options at the moment were to join in the revelry or join Vestara in her corner of the room. He wasn't sure which was worse. Despite that thought, he couldn't help but steal another glance at Vestara Khai. The younger Force-user was staring at the festivities, but her eyes were unfocused, as if she was seeing something else.
Whether it was the alcohol or Ben just plain no longer caring about the consequences, the eldest Skywalker son made his way along the back of the room towards her.
"That seat taken?" Ben asked, gesturing to the opposite side of the booth Vestara was ensconced in.
Vestara shook herself and gave him a penetrating stare that would have made lesser, or smarter, people back down. "No."
Ben slid into the booth, the table's soft white glow illuminating the both of them. "Figure it out yet?"
"What?"
"How you're going to get out of this without getting everyone killed?"
The scarred corner of Vestara's lips tugged upwards. "Getting everyone out is too burdensome. As long as I survive, that is enough."
"True," Ben pillowed his head in his hands and leaned back. "Life would be so much easier if all we had to do was look out for ourselves."
"Easier? I would think it'd make it harder." Vestara's strange accent bled through her statement.
"That's surprising coming from a Sith."
"Not caring about others is surprising coming from a Jedi," Vestara parried.
"Ex-Jedi. I quit. Maybe I should make a nametag or something so I don't have to repeat myself to everyone I talk to."
"I noticed you've withdrawn from the Force," Vestara noted, her yellow-brown eyes gleaming. "But you've stopped being a Jedi as well? Interesting."
"You're not going to ask why I gave it up?"
"Does it look like I want to hear some sob-story from the scion of one of the supposedly most powerful Jedi families of this age? You gave up the Force, end of story. I couldn't care less."
"No wonder you're sitting here all alone."
"You're free to leave whenever you want."
"I just sat down, don't feel like getting up again," Ben said lazily.
"Great," Vestara said with no enthusiasm whatsoever.
"You never did answer my question," Ben said. "You figure out how we're going to get out of this mess?"
"Orbital bombardments normally solve a lot of problems."
"You didn't miss the whole 'without getting everyone killed' bit, did you?" Ben rolled his eyes. He swung his arms forward and leaned on the table. "The way I see it, you only have the people on this ship to boss around. You really want to get a bunch of them killed fighting over a dirtball of a world with people who'd rather die than surrender?"
"And I suppose you have a plan?" Vestara said darkly.
"I'll tell you, but I have a price," Ben nodded. "I was thinking about it a lot over a mug of your best stuff."
"Your price?"
"You agree to it first."
"You expect me to agree to a plan without even hearing it?"
"I expect you to be a run-of-the-mill dark Jedi whose pride will have you refuse me outright," Ben returned with a bit of an edge. "I expect you to revert to form and shed your nice-girl routine to once again prove that Sith are only ever good at killing and destroying things. I expect you to prove that the only empire you dark Jedi can build are on the remains of all the good men and women who fought your insanity."
Vestara steepled her fingers, her gaze becoming more yellow, sharper. "Amusing."
"Glad you think so."
"Do you really have a plan or did you just want to insult me?"
"Oh, I have a plan. First, let me see if I got your situation straight. Your puppet leader decided to be a run-of-the-mill dark Jedi who thought her power would be so overwhelming that the primitives on the planet would surrender at the first display of it. Now, because your puppet leader made a fool of herself, you can't exactly leave this planet alone without some sort of retribution. After all, that's what you Sithy people do when someone gets the better of you, throw a temper-tantrum. Now, me, the Jedi on this ship, and the people down below, would rather you not turn Sriluur into a ball of molten magma. We'd also prefer it if Sriluur not become a part of whatever empire you're trying to build."
"You're really trying my patience."
"Do you agree to my terms? I can promise it'll get everyone out alive and allow you to keep your head at the same time."
Vestara arched a fine eyebrow. "Provisionally, I agree."
"Provisionally, the overall idea would be to make Sriluur your allies, not your vassals, servants, or whatever." Vestara leveled a glare/not-glare at Ben, who held her gaze unflinchingly. "What? You want to play word games, I can too."
Vestara was silent for several long moments, her yellow-brown eyes trying to bore their way into Ben's skull. Finally, she blinked and nodded silently.
"You agree?"
"Don't push it."
"Your word," Ben said unrelentingly.
"Fine, I agree. What do you have in mind?"
"Sriluur has three of the most hardcore warrior races in the galaxy on it. They may not have ships or ways to counter an orbital strike, but they have soldiers that can help you. The trick is to make them want to help you. I'm sure Jun told you about our first adventure on this world. You need to gain respect of the leadership if you want negotiations to go anywhere."
"I need to gain their respect?"
"The alternative is planting a garrison of people on this world, expending resources you don't have, trying to quell an insurrection that'll take who knows how many years to quell. Rather than seeing the people of Sriluur as someone to conquer and dominate, why don't you see them as someone who'll be a powerful ally against whatever other threat you have to worry about. It's what my cousin's been doing with you guys, right? Rather than just another dark Jedi group to try and beat up on, he made a deal. You guys leave the Galactic Alliance worlds alone and the Jedi will let you Tribe people do their thing."
"And what do you get out of this?"
"Me? I do my good deed of the decade and maybe the Force will leave me the kriff alone," Ben said with a harsh note to his voice. "I don't want to have anything to do with this situation. I don't want to have anything to do with this war. When it's finished, there'll always be another one around the corner anyways."
"So you would become some sort of recluse? Let the galaxy pass you by?"
"It sure as heck hasn't done anything to make me care about it," Ben gestured, folding his arms in front of his chest.
"You are a lot different than the boy I encountered on Formos three years ago."
"And you're more Sithy than I remember," Ben rejoined. "We've both changed for the worse."
"I have an entire starship at my disposal, have subjugated over a dozen worlds for the Tribe, and am more powerful than I ever have been. How is this for the worse?"
"Back then, those other Sith stood side-by-side with you because you had a shared goal," Ben motioned to the command staff. "Now they want nothing to do with you and only follow you because you promised them power."
"That is hardly a bad thing."
"Look at the crew of the Menagerie. Each and every one of them would have each others' backs without a second of hesitation. Every one of them, from the lowly flight officers to the captains and Jedi Knights, they're together not because circumstances are forcing them to stay together, but because they want to stay together. They're on a ship surrounded by dark Jedi and deranged followers, yet they couldn't care less because they know they're not alone. If the situation was reversed, would you trust your followers to do the same?"
Vestara's eyes darted to the group in the lounge, her expression remaining completely neutral. "It does not matter."
"If you want to spend your entire life looking over your shoulder because you're just as worried about your allies as you are your enemies, sure. I'll give you that," Ben remarked. He sighed and stood, stretching his arms. "You know what, why do I even bother? You're just another one of those run-of-the-mill dark Jedi who think power is everything and that the less others have, the better."
"Wait."
Ben stopped two steps away from the table. The way Vestara had said the word had been more of a plea than a command, and that was the only thing that had him pause. Nevertheless, he remained facing away from her, his shoulders set.
"This planet…do you care for the people on it?"
"No."
"It is a strategic planet?"
"Not really."
"Then why do you go through so much effort to spare them? Why try to cater to their ways when an orbital strike would make things so much easier?"
"Because I used to be an idealist who thought my words and actions actually meant a damn in the long run," Ben snorted and folded his arms in front of his chest. "Maybe a part of me still wants to believe that. In the end, you'll do whatever it is you do. I'm just saying that there's an alternative to more death and destruction. One that will actually make you stronger in the long run."
"You can introduce myself and the others to the leadership of the planet?"
Ben heard her rise from the booth. "Maybe. Let's say we use my plan, save a planet. But what about the next one that comes along? Or what happens when your bosses finally start caring about what you've been doing out here? Why should I go through all this effort if you're just going to spit on the spirit of it later on down the line?"
"You question my honor?"
"If it means surviving, your honor doesn't mean bantha fodder," Ben retorted. "I know you dark Jedi. You'll do anything to survive, kill anyone as long as it gets you a leg up on anyone around you. We can save the planet my way now, but if you're only doing it so that you can raze it one or two months later, what's the point?"
Vestara's hand moved so fast, Ben didn't register it. He did feel a sudden warm wetness on his right cheek, the wetness flowing freely. His mind needed to catch up, eyes finally seeing Vestara grasping a glass, knife-like weapon coated in blood. He reached up to his cheek and his hand came away with bright red blood. He looked back to the dark sider and was momentarily shocked by the display of emotion she was showing.
Vestara's face was frozen in silent fury, her yellow eyes gleaming furiously. In a hiss that was heavy with her native tongue, Vestara flicked the blood off her bladed weapon. "Do not presume to know me, Ben Skywalker. That is the second time you have grouped me with the other followers of the dark side that you have encountered, the second time you have questioned my honor. For your sake, there better not be a third. I am Saber Vestara Khai of the Lost Tribe of Sith and once I give my word, I keep it. Or do you think I'm that stupid to not recognize the wisdom in your plan? Think that I can waste time on a plan I'll merely discard later? Do not underestimate me, do not cross me, and definitely do not judge me. For one who runs away from his problems, from his pain, you are definitely in no position to."
Ben's response surprised even himself as he emitted a bitter chuckle and slugged Vestara in the face. The impact sending her sprawling back onto the low table in front of the booth, causing both to come crashing down to the floor noisily. "And what would you know of my pain? A psychopathic, power-hungry schutta couldn't possibly understand what it's like to lose someone you care for, your best friend! You don't care about anything but yourself and your own wants. At least I give a damn about others enough to know when I'm doing more harm than good. You're just go full-throttle regardless of who gets run over in the process!"
The punch and outburst had halted the merrymaking in the background and everyone in the lounge was now looking up at the duo. Not that the duo seemed to notice.
Vestara emitted a bitter scoff of her own as she pushed herself back up to her feet, her lip split exactly where her mask had cut it nearly three years earlier. Her yellow eyes glimmered as she stood toe to toe with Ben. "My thinking is that as long as it's not me getting run over, it doesn't matter the least. If caring about others reduces someone to the state you're in, doesn't that make them more of a liability, a weakness?"
"Try it and find out," Ben hissed back, foreheads nearly touching as he didn't back down a centimeter. "You might be surprised by the results. After all, it takes a heck of a lot more strength and power to protect and create than it does to destroy and conquer. No one, not even you, is that powerful on their own."
"Is that so?"
"You're deluding yourself if you think otherwise. Or do you think that you alone can create whatever Sith Empire you have in mind and then maintain it all on your lonesome?"
"Going by your logic, aren't you disgracing the memory of those you lost by giving up and running away then," Vestara said with an almost cruel touch to her voice. "They died believing like most Jedi do, that their efforts actually meant something. It seems to me that giving up the Force, giving up the Jedi, is a poor way to honor those beliefs."
"Is that so?"
"You're the one deluding yourself if you think otherwise. If you cared for her as deeply as you seemed to, then isn't any pain worth it?"
The two stayed facing each other, both staring each other down, but neither backing away. The emotions radiating from both had the Force-sensitives in the room very uneasy. Even those who couldn't use the Force could feel the almost tangible tension bouncing back between the two.
"Errr…Ben," Jun said carefully.
The voice of his Cathar friend snapped Ben back to reality. Ben blinked wildly and exhaled loudly, forcing himself to look away from the pale, exotic Sith Saber. "Yeah, I know Jun. No hurting our hosts' feelings. I'm going to turn in early."
The tension still remained even after Ben left the room, the members of the Tribe likewise staring at Vestara. Vestara wiped away the small trickle of blood from her split lip and arched an eyebrow. "Party's over. All of you are to return to your quarters and prepare for the acquisition of Sriluur tomorrow. I want everyone at their best."
Eyes darted to the stoic Kaara on the other side of the room, and the blonde-haired Sith Master inclined her head a fraction.
"Jedi Hu'lyr, Saav'etu, you will tell us everything you know about the Yuuzhan Vong and the recent history of this planet. Leave out nothing," Vestara further directed. "One way or another, by tomorrow's end, Sriluur will belong to the Tribe."
LotJB[III]LotJB
Arriving on Mandalore was anti-climatic considering the journey to the budding military juggernaut world. For all the hype of Mandalore being the epicenter for a new galaxy-spanning empire, most of the planet was still an agrarian backwater. The regional capitol of Keldabe was the largest city on the planet, yet it would have been easily dwarfed by similar capitols in the surrounding sectors. It's primary spaceport was a multi-leveled construct carved into the granite hill on which the city sat. Permacrete landing strips stuck out of the hill in an almost haphazard fashion over the Kelita River, the lowest of which barely cleared the towering forests surrounding the urban fort-town.
All manner of craft came and went as a battered Star Tours shuttle swooped in from above. Despite the fact that the shuttle was blast-scarred, missing one of its fins, and otherwise looked barely functional, no one paid it a second glance. After all, several vessels departing, and several more arriving, were in similar shape. On a planet where scars were admired and blast marks a sign of valor, the Star Tours shuttle blended in perfectly.
Those onboard the shuttle were more than happy to flee its confines as soon as they were able. A group of young Jedi, a teenage Mandalorian, and a Human Replica Droid, were among them.
"We're picking a different form of transportation off this world," Vekki breathed out and then in, taking in the calming scent of the resin trees surrounding the hill.
"Preferably something that has more shields, more armor, more guns, more everything," Ryza Durron agreed, shooting a glare at Nate.
"I'll choose the next ship," Jesmin Sarkin-Tainer added.
"Hey, we survived," Nate said, as if he was blameless.
"Yeah, K'atini," Catra Skirata said with a smirk at the three female Jedi. "If you thought that was anything, then you're in deep poodoo. Manda'yaim is all that and more."
"You were the reason we went through all that poodoo," Naeli Nayami rounded on the Mandalorian teen.
"I know. Mom is going to be so pissed at Uncle Quito. He promised me that the ID chit he gave me was legit," Catra scowled.
Janek Skywalker just looked at San're, and his fellow male Jedi just shrugged silently. Mentally, he heard the Ysanna send him a message. Don't look at me, Skywalker. They're your harem.
Janek frantically looked to the others to see if they had picked up on it, then quickly made a shushing motion with his finger and sent a message back to the Ysanna teen. I really want to live a very long life. Please never say the 'H' word in hearing distances of the others.
"Janek, going to say anything to your harem?" Nate said aloud, causing Janek to flinch at the sudden change in Force-energies being emitted by the female contingent of the group.
Avoiding their gazes, and trying to pretend they all did not just put a hand on one canted hip with arched eyebrows, Janek smiled weakly at Nate. "Errr…what harem? I don't have a harem. Never had, never will. Nope, not me."
"He is smooth," Catra whispered to Jesmin.
"He's also nearly four years older than you," Jesmin returned.
"Empress Gedyc is nearly four years older than your brother," Catra replied in the same whisper.
"She's also an adult."
"By Mando law, I am too."
"Eh hem," Ryza gave the other two a dismissive look. "So Nate, what's the next step to getting my brothers back?"
"Them," Nate pointed to a duo of Mandalorians waiting among a line of others. The duo, a tall red-haired man and a shorter dark-haired, olive-skinned woman, were holding signs that welcomed the 'Bespin School for Troubled Youth'.
"Wait, there's actually a plan in place?" Janek said in surprise. "A real, not a spur-of-the-moment plan?"
Nate looked wounded. "Do I look like the type of guy who'd drag a bunch of teens to a world filled with professional killers without a plan to get them off it?"
"Yeah."
"Pretty much."
"Definitely
"Isn't that how you normally do things?"
"You do look a little untrustworthy."
Nate sighed and pouted. "Geez, I hack one RX-droid and I'm now Vader incarnate. Come on you troubled Bespin youths. Let me introduce you to one of my cousins."
"You have cousins?" Vekki blinked. "But you're…"
"Only inhabiting this body," Nate reminded, leading the group to the two individuals. "People, let me introduce you to Ghes Orade and his wife Mirta Gev-Orade."
"Oh," Jesmin's eyes went round. "You're that Ghes Orade."
The tall Mandalorian looked to Nate with a raised eyebrow. "That's a good thing?"
"Her brother immortalized us in his stories. Not sure if that's good or not."
Mirta just smirked and gestured with her head. Despite her warm actions, her eyes remained cold and calculating. "Come on, there are a lot of eyes and ears here."
Seeing the various soldiers and One Sith personnel in the area, the teenagers clammed up and followed the duo through the starport. They were almost clear of the doors when a heavily armored Mandalorian, flanked by several others, moved into their path.
"Ke'mot!" The golden armored leader barked, holding out a hand to stop their movement. "Meg aliit cuy gar?"
"We're Clan Ghif," Ghes spoke aloud. "I am Pitar Ghif."
"And I'm Vessin," Mirta provided a pair of ident-chits. "We're teachers in lower Keldabe collecting students for our exchange program."
"Teachers?" the Mandalorian said skeptically, eyeing the both of them. He had good reason to. Both Ghes and Mirta had bodies of warriors, their muscle definition clear even though they were wearing simple, rough-spun tunics. Their impressive physiques coupled with their calloused hands and the unique entourage behind them made their story very doubtful. "Right, and I'm the king of the Jedi. We had word that a Galactic Alliance spy was onboard the Star Tours shuttle that came in and you all look suspicious. You're going to have to come with us."
Before anyone else could move, Ryza Durron stepped forward and made a gesture with her hand. "We aren't the spies you're looking for."
The golden-armored Mandalorian paused for a moment, before slowly nodding. "You aren't the spies we're looking for."
"We can continue our lessons with Instructor Pitar and Vessin," Ryza said with a touch of impatience.
"You can continue your lessons with your instructors," the Mandalorian repeated.
"Thanks," Ryza took a step forward only to find herself staring down the barrel of a blaster.
She paused, eyes widening. The Mandalorian leader's expression was hard to discern. "Do you have any idea how stupid you look waving your hand around like a Jedi and expecting it to work?"
Ryza gulped, taking a step back.
"My apologies, commander," Mirta spoke up, shooting an annoyed glare at Ryza. "Like I said, they're part of an exchange program. These ade are from a school for troubled youth. Very troubled. The program they're in is supposed to whip them into shape and stop them from having these delusions. It's not like a Jedi would actually be that stupid and try to use their powers on a hardened Mandalorian commando like yourself, right?"
"Haat," the commander said with a snort and dark chuckle. He tapped the barrel of the blaster against Ryza's forehead. "Ad, you're lucky I'm feeling generous today. But if your instructors don't straighten you out, I'll be more than happy to blast you myself."
"Apologize to the nice commander," Mirta said with a forced smile.
Ryza hesitated for a split second, then lowered her head. "Sorry."
"I can see the two of you have your hands full with this lot," the golden-armored commander snorted. "Make sure they become productive members of society."
"Will do," Ghes said, reaching out to shake the offered hand. "Thank you for your patience, commander."
The group of Mandalorians moved on, and Ghes and Mirta led their own charges out of the spaceport and to a speeder-bus. They all boarded in complete silence, with Ghes settling into the pilot's chair and Mirta standing in the middle of the aisle.
The dark-haired Mandalorian didn't look happy at all. "Kriff, Nate, you had to bring the or'dikutla Jedi kids to this world? The fully grown ones are bad enough, but kids? What were you thinking?"
"They wanted to rescue that one's brothers," Nate pointed to Ryza.
"If they are even half as reckless as she is, they're dead already," Mirta said bluntly, staring down Ryza. "You do understand that you nearly got all of us killed back there, right?"
"I was trying to help," Ryza snapped back.
"Look, kid. This isn't like your school or some training sim. This is real life. In real life, people die. If you want to save your brothers, prepare for the fact that one of your friends here might die for that to happen. Maybe it'll be muscles there, or the alien, or red. Which of your friends will you be ready to sacrifice if you have to in order to save your brothers? And don't say 'none of them,' because that'll only make me want to smack you with my blaster until you forget those cutesy Jedi stories you've been brought up on."
"Ridor," Ghes said gently.
"What? They need to understand the situation here. One false move, one misplaced sense of heroics, and it's over for them. I'm not losing you or ba'buir, because some Jedi kid thinks they can do the impossible and then has a mental breakdown when reality doesn't turn out the way they thought it would."
"Bashing them with that fact doesn't work. Delicate Jedi emotions, remember," Ghes answered back, briefly looking over his shoulder to his wife. "I had a few adventures with one of them, I'd know."
"Then what?"
"Guilt always works well with Jedi. They practically internalize it and it festers," Ghes recommended.
"Oh, okay." Mirta turned back to the stony eyes of Ryza. "You nearly doomed your brothers to the life of a dark Jedi because your recklessness got yourself and the others killed. Jedi teachings didn't keep the dar'Jetii from stealing them from your school. They won't help you rescue them from here. You fall back on all that garbage they taught you and you end up dead, and your brothers end up dar'Jetii, and someone like me or another Jetii has to put them down. All because you tried to be the hero. Got it?"
Janek and Jesmin, sitting in the seat on the other side of the aisle, could only blink owlishly at the sudden change in tactics.
"Thanks Ghes," Mirta said to her husband over her shoulder. "After nearly five years of training Imperial Knights, I almost forgot that you need to handle regular Jetii with kid-gloves."
"Errr…excuse me, Ms. Orade," Vekki spoke up uncertainly. "Where are we going?"
"First off, it's just Mirta," the Mandalorian sighed in anguish. "Secondly, we're going to a top secret location full of allies. Or did you think those Kyr'tsad hu'tuun were the only ones who want to get rid of the dar'jetii?"
"They're not?" Naeli asked.
Mirta shook her head. "My ba'buir was a good Manda'lor. He only gave up the mantel to help me find my mother. There are many who honor the way things were when he was leading our people, and they won't bow down to a group of dar'jetii no matter how dark things get."
"Errr…you do know that Tracyn's people just want to take over the world, right?" Jesmin said hesitantly.
"Gedyc and Vizsla are only rulers for life," Mirta replied with a steely mien.
Eyes darted to Nate, but the HRD had his arms folded in front of him and appeared to be sleeping.
"But Tracyn and her people are trying to stop the One Sith," Jesmin voiced.
"And when they do, they'll establish a despotic regime and force all of Manda'yaim to submit to their rules and regulations," Mirta finished. "This planet doesn't need an empire, doesn't need someone to tell us all how to be Mandalorian. We were all fine with just the Protectorate safeguarding Mandalorian space and letting the clans do as they will."
"So…what," Janek said carefully. "You'll let the One Sith and Death Watch fight it out and wipe out whoever is left?"
"That about sums it up," Mirta said with a feral smile. "True Mando'ade will bow to no one, especially another Mandalorian."
The speeder bus continued through the narrow streets of Keldabe. The buildings on either side were an eclectic mix of new and old. Some were made of wood, some were made of sheet metal or even rock. Yet there were others made of permacrete and duracrete, others still made of thick slabs of construction-grade material. Some buildings reached out into streets, and then zigged and zagged skyward. Roofs of some buildings even formed the surface of walkways and speeder-lanes. There didn't seem to be a rhyme or reason why some of the buildings were constructed the way they were, or even where they were.
Looking out through the window, Janek didn't even think there was a city plan of any type. "How do you know where we're even going?"
"Basically," Ghes Orade called out from the driver's seat. "If you don't know where you're supposed to go, you don't belong in the city. It goes back to what Mirta was saying. Keldabe, Sundari, all the major cities on this planet developed freely, naturally. Some of the buildings you're seeing go back hundreds of years. Others sprung up only in the last decade. Mando'ade are free spirits at heart. The reason why so many different races can adapt to our culture is because they have free reign to follow the Resol'nare however they want. There is not one way to be faithful to Mandalore or this world. If someone like Gedyc comes into power, Manda'yaim will only be for those who follow her view of what makes a Mandalorian a Mandalorian."
The speeder bus jolted slightly as it hit an incline, and it rumbled down an almost forty-five degree street made of wooden slats joined together by metal poles.
Ghes continued to address the teens. "At the same time, right now, she's the only one in a position to take out the One Sith and Belok. The resistance we're a part of is too decentralized to affect any kind of change in government. If we try to gather, the dark Jedi will sense the threat and neutralize us. What we can do, however, is continue to ferry those who don't want to be a part of the One Sith regime to safety. To assassinate those who go too far and to gather intelligence. If I'm being honest, right now we're geared more towards dealing with Gedyc and Vizsla after the One Sith leave the world than fighting the One Sith."
"Not to ask the obvious question, but why?" Ryza said with a small scoff of disbelief.
"Because the One Sith aren't a Mandalorian problem," Catra answered softly, seated in the back of the bus. "The reason why my parents took me and my siblings to Concordia and not with this group is because what Gedyc's people will do will affect a galaxy. What this group wants to do is just close off this sector and pretend the rest of the galaxy doesn't exist. It's because of my godfather that my mom and dad know there's more to this galaxy than just Manda'yaim."
"But Boba Fett and the Protectorate fought with the Galactic Alliance during the Yuuzhan Vong War. They have to know there's more to protecting a planet than isolating it," Vekki protested.
"They fought because the Yuuzhan Vong threatened our way of life," Catra replied, her eyes darting to Mirta. "If the Yuuzhan Vong had truly intended to leave Manda'yaim alone, we would have done the same. In the case of the One Sith, it's different."
"A majority of the planet backs Belok," Jesmin said in realization, eyes growing wide as she looked Mirta and Orade to deny her conclusion. "The rightful Manda'lor. Anyone still following Fett are technically in violation of the Resol'nare. The resistance here can't openly fight the regime without becoming just like Kyr'tsad. That's why they're going to wait for Gedyc and Vizsla to take out Belok. That way they have a justification to move on whatever government tries to form after the One Sith leave."
"Told you they were smart," Nate said, his eyes still closed. "Considering you guys were at the spaceport, and your earlier lecture to Durron, can I assume you got my message?"
"We did," Mirta nodded approvingly to the Jedi teens. "You want to bust the Jedi kids out of the prison they're being held in."
"Prison?" Ryza gasped.
"Yeah. Where else would they be held?"
"I thought the One Sith had an academy to teach their Force sensitives on this world."
"Yeah, it's in the prison," Mirta said slowly. "Again, what did you expect? Some comfy, white-spired school like where you're from?"
Ryza fell silent, her thoughts whirling loud enough for the others in the bus to hear.
"Is it doable?" Nate said, continuing his conversation as if Ryza hadn't said a word.
"Doable, yes. Suicidal, that too. I'll explain more when we get to HQ. Ghes, we good to contact Kad?"
"Still trying to lose the droid that's been following us for the past few turns," Orade said in negative.
"We're getting close to HQ, we might have to get Etain to slice it," Mirta began to sit down, pulling out a datapad from behind Ghes's chair.
"Wait," Vekki called out.
Both adult Mandalorians looked to the red-head. "Yes?"
Vekki closed her eyes and concentrated. "Are you talking about the Arakyd seeker keeping tabs on us directly behind us, or the DRK-2S probie tracking us from above?"
"There's two of them?" Mirta's eyebrows rose. "How do you know?"
"Droids are kind of my thing," Vekki said with a faint smile.
"They probably had the obvious tail to see how we'd react," Orade said in a low voice. "We vape it, we as good as announce our intentions."
"So, Red, can you do anything about the droids?" Mirta requested, standing again.
"Give me a moment," Vekki muttered. Those who could feel the Force felt her presence stretch out of the bus. "Hiya guys. Don't worry, I'm friendly."
"This is actually the first time I'm seeing her do this," Janek whispered to Jesmin.
"Same here."
"What are your names?" Vekki continued on as if the droids were right in front of her. "Okay, can I call you 'Twos' and you 'Prowlie?' No, don't worry, I won't get in the way of your mission objectives. You're looking for hostiles, right? I'm a friend, maybe I can help."
The others continued to watch Vekki, enraptured by the one-sided conversation and the very unique display of Force powers.
"Yup, designate the others in the bus as friendly too please. You're welcome to come aboard and see for yourselves." A brief pause. Vekki then opened her eyes. "Mr. Orade, please stop for a moment and open the doors. I want to introduce you and the others to my new friends."
"Nate?"
"It's her show. Go ahead."
The bus pulled over to the side and a dubious Ghes opened the door. Mirta slipped into the seat behind Ghes again and rested her hand on the butt of a blaster. A few moments later and the familiar hum from the repulsors of two different probe droids could be heard. A black, spherical probe-droid entered first, followed by an ovaloid, limbed droid of similar color.
"Come here," Vekki said gently, as if coaxing a wild animal.
The droids hovered over to the red-haired Force-user, both speaking in droid-speak. They stopped in front of her, bobbing in the air as they did.
"That's right, Prowlie, there are no hostiles on board. Sorry you couldn't fulfill your purpose," Vekki petted the ovaloid droid. "But if you want, I can give you a new purpose. You can be my friend, how about that?"
The others would later swear that the ovaloid probe droid actually purred in contentment before spinning around Vekki excitedly. The second probe droid made several inquisitive beeps and boops, and Vekki patted it as well.
"Of course you can report back. That's your main directive, right? Send your report and if they put you on standby, I can give you another directive."
The spherical droid beeped again, its antenna extending. After a second, it made a 'I'm finished' beep, and Vekki patted the chair next to her.
"Great, join me and Prowlie, Twos. I promise I'll treat you with the respect you deserve and be your friend."
The spherical droid made series of happy beeps before coming to settle next to Vekki and the other probe droid.
Mirta and Ghes exchanged looks of disbelief. Even Nate seemed a bit bemused by what happened. "Okay…now I've truly seen everything."
"Are they really on our side now?" Naeli said in wonder.
"Uh huh," Vekki patted the droids. "They're even willing to give me a heads up if they detect any other probe droids in the area."
Mirta blinked again. "Maybe the jailbreak won't be as suicidal as I thought."
"Just sent the passcode in to Kad's bunker," Ghes said in turn.
"He your leader?" Janek asked.
"More like field commander," Ghes replied. "Spent a lot of time in the Mandalorian Senate trying to modernize our world. But don't worry, he's wicked smart. Always seems to know just what to say or do to get his way. If anyone can help you rescue the Jedi the One Sith have in that prison of theirs, it'll be Kad."
Ryza nodded silently, but the other Jedi could hear her silent plea loud and clear. Hang in there, Zeth, Maia. I'm almost to you, and nothing is going to stop me from saving you guys.
LotJB[IV]LotJB
Ben Skywalker looked at himself in the mirror, the gash on his cheek still fresh and held together by strips of bacta tape. Seeing it had him glance at the tattoo on his arm. Slicing right through the tattoo was a scar made by the same weapon, by the same person. The strange thing about it, however, was that when he had received that wound, he had been a different person. Like it had happened in a different lifetime.
He smiled ruefully and finished drying off his face with a towel and then throwing the towel over his shoulder.
Two different lifetimes and he runs into the same person both times.
On further reflection, Ben gave himself one last look in the mirror, maybe not the same person. This Vestara Khai was no more the naïve good little Sith than he was the naïve good little Jedi. Tyzhani's words about Vestara being alone came back to him. The main difference between he and Vestara, apart from the Force dogmas, was that he had had his family and friends to support him. Vestara had had no one.
He emerged from the refresher, scratching his head and yawning, before stopping both when he saw Kani Asari sitting on his bed. She was clad in sleeping clothes and looked to be fighting to stay awake. Given the fact that he was in orbit above Sriluur's largest city in a Star Destroyer, he made a guess that she was Flow-Walking from their freighter the Dawn, holding a similar geosynchronous position over the world.
"Hey there." Sixteen year old Kani Asari looked completely exhausted, yet her smile was just as warm as he remembered it. Upon seeing his shirtless nature, her eyes grew round and she flushed slightly. "Oh…probably should have knocked.
"Probably," Ben said, with a sheepish smile. He located a loose-fitting shirt and threw it on. "You look beat."
"Fishsticks and I just got back from tracking down the leaders of the nomadic Trandoshan and Weequay communities," Kani yawned widely. "And according to Chatterbox, you and Furball are currently doing some chest pounding to satisfy the non-nomadic portion of those communities so I didn't want to interrupt you. The shower on the Dawn is loads better than the ones they have on the planet anyways."
"Ah yes, I remember that time," Ben chuckled, taking a seat next to Kani. "Fun memories."
"I'm sure," Kani grinned, leaning against him. She tilted her head up to look at him and frowned at his latest injury. "That one looks nasty. What happened?"
"I got fresh with a hot dark Jedi girl and this was her way of returning my attentions," Ben deadpanned.
"Fine, don't tell me." Kani rolled her eyes and gave him a small shove. "You're looking less depressed than when I last saw you."
"As much a pain as it is, I decided to start caring again. Because of that, I'm helping forge an alliance between Sriluur and a group of dark Jedi."
"Oh," Kani looked bashful. "Sorry?"
"No, you were right as usual," Ben muttered. "That dark Jedi girl I mentioned is…different from the others that follow her."
"Oh?"
Ben was amazed at how the same word could have such a different meaning based on the pitch of it. "She's still as crazy as a hermit on Tatooine. Really believes in her goal of galactic domination."
"But?"
"But I think that if I play my cards right, I can help her dominate the galaxy and not kill everyone who opposes her. She doesn't seem like the type who wants to anyways, but killing is kind of how her kind stay in power."
"And I thought I was hallucinating that I was in the quarters aboard a Star Destroyer. I'm still going to blame my exhaustion for this, but why in the bowels of a Hutt do you want to help a dark Jedi?"
"Because helping the Jedi didn't do anything. Maybe, if I'm in a position to stop a murderous lunatic from being an extremely murderous lunatic, I can make a difference."
Kani groaned and flopped back against him. "Thanks for making my current problems feel pointless in comparison."
"I do my best." From her position laid out against him, Ben noticed a burn on Kani's shoulder. "I don't remember seeing that."
"What? Oh," Kani glanced down at it and grimaced, pulling her shirt over the wound to hide it from view. "I knew I was forgetting something. I was going to put some bacta paste on it so you wouldn't worry."
"So how'd you get that one? It looks like a slugthrower round hit you."
"Fishsticks and I found the Weequay first and we traveled together to look for the Trandoshans. When we found them, the Trandoshans thought we were attacking and decided to shoot first and ask questions later."
"And here I thought I had done an excellent job at keeping all of you away from near-death situations," Ben groaned.
Kani patted his arm. "That's why I didn't want you to find out. You're already stressed out as it is. Besides, I'm fine. Just really tired."
"Then get some rest," Ben said with a sigh.
"Yes, Fearless Leader," Kani yawned. "Good luck with that psycho Sith girl of yours."
Kani closed her eyes and her body became incorporeal before disappearing completely.
Ben just chuckled ruefully and started to stand. As he did, though, something Kani had said circled back around in his mind. She had said that Fishsticks and herself had tracked down the nomadic families. That wasn't right. Unless he was much more out of it than he thought, he was more than certain that Kani had tracked the nomads down with Josat, not Cappricia. In fact, it was Cappricia who had recorded his and Jun's 'bout' with the Gundark. There was no way Kani could have gotten that mixed up.
Also, the Dawn had stayed on the surface of the planet for the most part, only entering orbit to track down said nomadic tribes. If Kani was done finding the nomadic groups, there was no reason why the Dawn should have been in orbit.
He shook his head again, deciding to abandon any attempts at understanding Flow-Walking and how it could or could not alter time. He had more than enough things to worry about in the present. The last thing he wanted was to worry about the past and future too.
Ben finished dressing, donning an outfit that some might consider 'smuggler chic'. He checked the charges on both his blasters before sliding them into their holsters, and then tabbed the button on the door. Now he was going to find out if he had wasted his breath the previous night.
A door a few doors down opened and Tyzhani emerged. Unlike the Yuuzhan Vong outfit she had on on the way to the Star Destroy, she had evidently decided to 'go native'. The young teen was dressed in synthetic black and red fabrics, complete with knee-high boots, and would have fit right in with the Tribe crew if it weren't for her grayish-purple skin tone.
"New outfit?" Ben said, stating the obvious as the two walked down the gray hallway of the Star Destroyer.
Tyzhani ran a hand down the black shirt she wore and tugged on the silvery buckle of the belt looped through her leather pants. "They had extras."
"Probably because whoever owned it is dead. Dark Jedi have just as limited a life expectancy as Jedi."
"As my dad would say, 'you woke up on the wrong side of your bunk'," Tyzhani retorted. "I already stand out being the only one of my species on this metal monstrosity. No way was I going to draw more attention to myself in my living garments."
"After what you had to drink yesterday, you look a lot better than I thought you would."
"One of the benefits of my biots is that they can clear toxins from my body a lot quicker than if I didn't have them."
"Well, don't introduce those to the soldiers in the GA," Ben said. "If they learn they can have all the benefits of alcohol without any of the consequences, we can kiss this war goodbye."
"Symbiots only work if they've grown with you since birth," Tyzhani patted her side where her liver was. "It's how many of the Yuuzhan Vong warriors are immune from their own amphistaff's venom."
"Still, keep it a secret. Some of those GA soldiers might have Shaper friends who'll come up with something and make a lot of credits doing so."
The duo exited the turbolift on the bridge and headed over to the large holo-table already surrounded by Tribe VIPs and Menagerie Jedi and officers.
"Nice of you to join us," sneered a Keshiri at the table.
"Hey there Grape Juice," Ben retorted. "Didn't see you yesterday at all. Saber Khai letting you join the big kid's table this time around?"
The Keshiri took a step towards Ben.
"Ahri," Vestara said coolly. "Stand down."
Ben couldn't help but notice that the split lip he had given Vestara was disguised with blood-red lipstick. "He one of yours?"
"Saber Ahri Raas, despite his many faults, is a skilled analyst and tactician," Vestara confirmed. "I thought his presence necessary when deciding our next moves."
Ben glanced to the display the holo-table was showing. In addition to the triangle that represented the ship he was on, there were now several other vessels in orbit above the planet. He turned his attention towards one of the bridge's windows and saw an Imperial-class Star Destroyer sitting just off the port side. There were also a handful of frigates spaced out over the planet, all in a position to fire on its capitol. "Next moves, huh? Seems like you've already decided what you're going to do."
"It is better to start negotiations in a position of strength," Vestara said evenly. "You told me that the aliens on the planet below respect that. If we go to them with our heads bowed, we'll get nowhere."
"Whereas threatening to glass their planet will make them more open to options," Ben finished sarcastically.
Vestara tilted her head slightly. "Yes."
"Let's get this meeting over with." Ben and Tyzhani stepped up to the table.
"Very well," Vestara gestured to the others in her 'command staff'. "Saber Raas, if you would."
Ben kept his face impassive as the Keshiri Saber began the briefing. Ahri's very accented Basic, however, had Ben's thoughts drifting towards his earlier encounter with Kani's Force-spirit. Despite not wanting to think about the whole time-travel mess, he wondered if maybe he still had a chance to save her. Maybe he could tell her exactly how she dies so that when the time came, she could avoid it. Could he save her though?
"Ben Skywalker."
Ben shook himself at Vestara's voice and realized she appeared to be waiting for an answer. "What?"
"You said you could introduce myself to the leadership of the planet. Is that still possible?"
"Yes," Ben said slowly, slightly taken aback by the lack of 'I'm Sith so I'll blast everything in my path' soundtrack. "You really want to meet with the leadership?"
"As Saber Raas has mentioned. To maintain control of a planet of this size, when there is no planetary-wide infrastructure already in place, we'd need to establish a garrison of at least a hundred-thousand. That is a garrison size the Tribe can neither afford to maintain or anchor to one site. Reducing the planet to a molten rock is also time-extensive and a waste of resources. If it is as you say, and the leadership of the planet will be amenable to an alliance, rather than expending hundred-thousand soldiers, we can gain that and more in manpower."
Ben double-checked with the Jedi at the table, all of whom seemed just as nonplussed as he was. Wetting his lips, Ben nodded slowly. "I can introduce you to the leadership and try to smooth over any misunderstandings. But I can't guarantee they'd ally with you though, even if they are at blasterpoint."
"I can be very persuasive," Vestara noted evenly. "My negotiations will not fail."
"If they do, please respect their decision," GAG Jedi Kolir Hu'lyr spoke up. "If refusal of your terms means that you'll decimate a world, then you will face more and more resistance as you venture outwards. Those in Hutt Space have already faced down a threat far more powerful and scary than a lone faction of dark Jedi. We'd rather not make enemies of the entire sector."
"These 'Yuuzhan Vong,'" Ahri Raas spoke up in his heavily Keshiri accented Basic, looking to Tyzhani. "Yes, you and the alien explained their people quite clearly. A race that is immune to the Force and nearly brought an entire galaxy to its knees. If the Vong on the planet below refuse to ally with us, it would be unwise for us to leave them alone. They have the potential to be a great threat to the Sith Empire Saber Khai is attempting to build."
"I'm starting to see what you mean about dark Jedi," Tyzhani said flatly to Ben. "They're just like those who followed Shimrra."
Multiple Tribe advisor looked to Tyzhani at the comment, including Vestara.
"Shimrra would be the leader of your people who was slain by the Solo family?"
"He saw everything that didn't benefit him a threat, everyone weaker than him a tool," Tyzhani confirmed, meeting Vestara's gaze. "In the end, it was those weaker than him who rose up and proved to be his downfall. My human father had a saying, 'if you only see an enemy around every corner, then all you'll see when you look in the mirror is your greatest foe'. As a diplomat, it was his job to turn foes into friends, to have people recognize not what made them different, but what they had in common. If you go into this meeting seeing my people as enemies, seeing the Weequay and Trandoshan as primitive savages, then what's the point of having the meeting at all? You've already made up your minds and all you'll do is to try and find some way to justify your thinking."
Vestara's face was inscrutable as she listened to the younger teen's words. Finally, after several very drawn out seconds, she looked to Ben. "You and your friend will accompany me to the planet. No one else."
This immediately drew protests from Ahri and the other Tribe members at the table. Even the Jedi faction and some of the officers of the Menagerie voiced opposition to the idea.
Vestara silenced them all with a pulse of hostile Force energy. "Look at it this way, if this coward here is mistaken, or if this is a trap, only I will suffer for his foolishness. Sith Master Kaara will gain credit for disposing of me and when you rejoin the rest of the Tribe, you'll all be rewarded beyond your wildest dreams."
Ben wondered if it was a talent that Vestara was able to sound both commanding and snarky at the same time. He figured it was his turn to say something so he faced Jun and the others. "And if this homicidal maniac says something that ends up getting us killed, at least I'll…" Tyzhani cleared her throat and Ben amended his comment. "Me and my unfortunate sidekick, will be the only ones that die. The rest of you will be safe here and can live out the rest of your lives among other homicidal maniacs in contented peace."
Vestara raised a challenging eyebrow at him and Ben returned it almost mockingly.
"Still," Jun said carefully. "Ben, you're not exactly…"
"What? Emotionally stable? Thinking clearly? In charge of my faculties?" Ben answered back. "Yeah, but I would have thought that helping these people out is proof of that. Jun, you know what the leadership is like down there. I…and my sidekick just came from there. It hasn't gotten any better and the only thing that's changed is that all the happy-warrior leaders have really banded together thanks to the threat these dark Jedi pose to their world."
At the same time, Tyro Jesdan likewise spoke his objection, using Keshiri Basic. "[Saber Khai, the people down there are savage and bloodthirsty. It's an unnecessary risk to go there without a full complement of soldiers and gunship support. We follow your dream and if you die, so does that dream. If you die, the Grand Lord wins.]"
Vestara just smirked lopsidedly. "[Then I best not die then. As…unstable as Skywalker seems, he makes sense. Going down there with an army means that we plan to force a settlement. Going down there without one shows that I am not afraid of whatever they can do. Which makes a bigger statement?]"
Both the command crew of the Menagerie and the Dark Blade seemed to reluctantly agree simultaneously, the spokespeople nodding in unison and sending skeptical glances to the leader of the other faction.
"Saber Khai," Kolir voiced. "Just so you know, if Ben Skywalker dies, it's going to be very hard to justify any treaty that Director Solo has established."
"Ben Skywalker," Tyro Jesdan said darkly. "Know that we are experts in binding the spirits of those departed. Not even death will save you from our wrath should anything happen to Saber Khai."
"Noted," both Ben and Vestara said in unexpected unison, both looked to the other in mild surprise.
Vestara huffed in annoyance and gestured to a comm-officer. "Have the hangar crew prepare my personal shuttle. We leave now."
"Yes, Saber Khai."
"Skywalker, come with me."
"As you command, your insane Sithy-ness."
"Tyzhani," Jun addressed the Yuuzhan Vong teen as she rose to follow Ben and Vestara out of the bridge.
"Yes, Jedi Raasi Tum?"
"While everyone is worried about the people of Sriluur killing them, try to keep them from killing each other."
"Might as well ask me to resurrect the Great Lord Yo'gand, the August Lord Quoreal, and the Dread One Shimrra," Tyzhani replied with disbelief. "Keeping one Jedi alive is hard enough. But two?"
"Good luck," Jun patted her on the shoulder.
As the briefing area cleared, Tyzhani looked towards the turbolift with a frown. Then lifted her gaze to the ceiling, beseeching the gods, or the Force, or whatever divine entity might be listening. "I did not sign up for this."
IV-I-IV-I-IV
Considering the 'don't come back any time soon' attitude that went with Ben and Tyzhani's initial departure, Ben wasn't surprised to see a heavily armed phalanx of soldiers surrounding their shuttle the moment they touched down.
"Tyzhani, you see your brother anywhere down there?"
"No, why?"
"No reason," Ben lied horribly. "You two stay in here, let me go out first."
"No," both Tyzhani and Vestara said at the same time, startling each other.
Ben looked back and forth between the two of them, and then threw his hands up. "Fine, whatever. Just don't draw any weapons unless I give the signal."
"What signal would that be?"
"You'll know when the time comes."
The three descended down the ramp, mindful that over a hundred blasters, slug-throwers, and all manner of ranged weaponry were pointed in their direction.
A holo-droid floated downwards and activated in their path, projecting the images of Sriluur's ruling council.
"[Ben Skywalker. You were suppose to convince those onboard the Star Destroyer to leave]." The Yuuzhan Vong High Executor said warily.
"Supposed to, but they want to make an offer before they do."
"What offer is this?" a Trandoshan elder asked.
Vestara spoke up. "This planet becomes the regional capitol of the Sith Empire we're building. You give us troops and supplies and in exchange this planet receives our protection as well as the benefits that go with becoming a pre-eminent power in this region of space."
"{And if we should refuse?}" A second Trandoshan elder hissed out in his native tongue.
"Then you will be left at the mercy of the Hutts."
"We have done nothing to earn their disfavor or warrant their attention," a Weequay leader pointed out.
"But when my people continue the conquest of Hutt Space, leaving your planet completely unscathed, I wonder what the Hutts will think?" Vestara said with a hint of maliciousness in her voice. "I have heard that the Hutts are extremely paranoid of traitors and losing territory. Even if no deal is made, do you think they'll believe you?"
"You would threaten us?"
"Threatening is for the weak," Vestara responded. She then fell back on the information Tyzhani and Jun had told her the previous night. "High Executor, how would your Domain like to be in command of not just this world, but all of Hutt Space? Space your people were so humiliatingly run out of almost two decades ago? It'd be your Domain that the Sith Empire would look to to administer this region. And Trandoshan Elders, great hunters that you are, should you agree to become a part of the Sith Empire, your people would help enforce the rules of this sector. You would ensure that everyone is acting honorably and fairly, hunting down those that dare break the peace. Hunting animals is one thing, but hunting a sentient being that can shoot and plan and ensnare? How many points would your goddess give you for tracking down evil-doers?"
"And what of the Weequay?" Asked a Weequay leader Ben didn't recognize. "Are we to be your cannon fodder? Used and tossed aside? I know of Sith mentality, you view any other race besides the human race as inferior."
Vestara unflinchingly met the alien's gaze. "As I understand it, the Month of Plenty is approaching. A holy event for your people. Yet the world you live on is a poor shadow of the world it once was. The Jedi with me tell me tales of great Weequay cities with temples so impressive that even the Hutts would attend and take part in the festivities. If Sriluur becomes the capitol of this region, this world will flourish once more. Weequay from all across the galaxy would be able to come here and worship your gods as they should be worshiped. The Yuuzhan Vong will be the administrators, the Trandoshans the enforcers, but your people will be the fabric that binds this sector together. You will be required to help raise an army, yes, but it will be an army that will defend this sector so that your temples will never again be brought to ruin."
There was a silence that followed Vestara's proclamation, the leadership of the planet visually polling the others.
"Say that we agree," another Weequay said carefully. "Does that mean we have your guarantee that your ships will come to our aid should the Hutts or any other threat attack us?"
"My forces will come to defend you, yes," Vestara chose her words. "I will even leave one of my capital ships in orbit as a sign of good will."
"{Good will, my tail. The ship will be to ensure our obedience}," a Trandoshan snorted.
"You would prefer I leave no ships in orbit and continue my campaign?" Vestara challenged right back. "Right now you need the Sith Empire more than we need you. We can always choose another world to be our regional capitol. Maybe appeal to the Aqualish, or another clan of your people. I wished to glass your world, but Ben Skywalker convinced me that it would be worth my time to bargain with you. Was he mistaken?"
This time the planet's leadership all looked to Ben, who kept his arms folded in front of him and his face expressionless. This was in contrast to Tyzhani who was anxiously looking back and forth between the Force-sensitives and the leadership.
"[We will need you to prove your worth then,]" the High Executor said after receiving nods from the others. "[You claim to be powerful enough to build an empire. But aside from your army and ships in orbit, we have heard nothing about the 'Tribe' you claim to represent. Those that came before you hardly impressed us. We'd be foolish to ally with a group of people who believe that all should tremble before their might, only to lose spectacularly due to poor tactics and incomplete intelligence.]"
"That is fair," Vestara said after Tyzhani translated the Executor's Vongese statement into Basic. "What will you have me do?"
"{Have the three of you do, you mean,}" the lead Trandoshan elder corrected.
Vestara looked to both Tyzhani and Ben for a fraction of a second, and then inclined her head. "Yes, the three of us."
"Don't you love how she asked us before volunteering us?" Ben whispered to Tyzhani.
"Just like how you volunteered me to participate in this plan in the first place," Tyzhani whispered back.
"Hey, you were the one that wanted to come with me."
"Are you finished?" Vestara hissed.
"More or less," Ben and Tyzhani nodded in unison.
"[To prove your worth, the three of you will aide this city and undertake a dangerous task,]" the High Executor said imperiously. "[The Gundark population has increased faster than we have predicted and have become a danger to the traveling families and those wishing to visit this city.]"
"{A particularly large nest has been discovered in the sewers of this great city. You will enter the sewers, eliminate the nest, and bring back the head of the queen as proof of your deed. If you are successful, we will ally our world to your Empire. Return without the head and we will strike you down.}"
Vestara accepted this. "Very well, then we will…"
The High Executor held up a hand. "[You will do this with only our ceremonial spears and traditional wraps. No armor, blasters, or explosives may be used. The sewers beneath the city are full of fumes that could ignite should any spark or energy blade be used. Additionally, the supporting structures within the sewer were weakened when the Yuuzhan Vong bombarded the city that once stood on this site. Damage to the walls of the sewer puts the buildings on the surface at risk.]"
"I understand the need to limit our weapons, but our armor too?" Vestara frowned.
"The sewers are very narrow," Ben said in a low voice. "And partially collapsed. And very hot. When I was here last, my friends and I had to search the sewers for a couple of lost kids, long story. Anyways, we'll dehydrate in a heartbeat with even the clothes we're wearing now. The wraps he refers to are living garments that will both help filter the air and keep our skin from being affected by the nasties in the sewer. Think Yuuzhan Vong environmental suit."
"You've worn them before?"
"Like I said, I had to go into the sewers a couple years back," Ben nodded. His eyes flicked up and down the exotic Sith teen's form. "Just a head's up. The wraps are very…wrap like. They cling to you like a second skin because that's more or less what they are. It'll take some getting used to at first."
Vestara arched an eyebrow at Ben. "I am a Sith Saber of the Tribe. I will not run from clothing."
"That's the spirit," Ben said with a sardonic smile. "Going to tell the High Executor we accept?"
"Remember, we're about to tromp through a primitive sewer system looking for Yuuzhan Vong altered Sithspawn because this is your idea," Vestara retorted. "Do you have any second thoughts?"
"Beats letting you burn the world because you had a temper tantrum."
Vestara's eyes flashed before she turned back to the panel of planetary leaders. "We accept the mission."
Tyzhani just hung her head and clasped her hands together. "Force, Yun'o, please watch over me. I'm mortal and can only do so much to keep your emissaries out of trouble."
Ben clapped Tyzhani's shoulder supportively. "Don't worry, we're not in any trouble. We got this."
Tyzhani's eyes glinted sarcastically. "We're about to undergo a suicide mission just so some dark Jeedai don't blow everyone on this world to dust. We have crazies in orbit up there, war-happy leaders in here, and hungry monsters in the sewers below. All three groups want us dead. If we're not in trouble now, then what do you call this situation?"
"Normal." Ben and Vestara answered dryly.
"What she said," Ben jerked a finger at Vestara. "It just doesn't feel like a complete day without at least one brush with death or disaster."
"I feel really sorry for the both of you."
"As ones who use the Force, death and destruction is all we encounter," Vestara said, her eyes cooling. "We face it so those weaker than us don't have to. Jedi, Sith, we're part of the same struggle against chaos. The Jedi seek to fight it, the Sith seek to use it, and those caught in the middle of our struggle can either join one side or be torn apart. We of the Tribe believe that our power gives us the right to shape the future to the image we desire most, to rule over those lesser than use because they are too weak to make an impact against the never-ending battle against chaos. We were taught that a million weaklings are just that, weak, incapable of changing anything on their own. But guided by the members of the Tribe, those million weaklings can become our tool to shape the galaxy."
"And the Jedi believe that their powers should be use to protect others, give them the opportunity to live their lives," Ben spoke, eyeing Vestara as if seeing her in a new light. "For the Jedi, a million weaklings are not tools, but potential. If you take the time to shelter those million weaklings, to teach them to advocate for themselves, then soon instead of a million weaklings, you have a million allies that have your back. Give those million people the means, and they can help teach billions more."
Tyzhani accepted the views, blinking slowly. "So which side are we taking by doing this mission? We're trying to make allies with the people of this world so they'll be the tools Saber Khai's Order will use to pacify this region of space. At the same time, in order to be effective, Saber Khai's people have to expend resources on this world and will need to listen to the advice of those on this world as well. No matter how you put it, this sounds like neither a Jedi nor Tribe thing to do."
Ben and Vestara again exchanged glances, having obviously not expected the question. Vestara started to say something at the same time Ben opened his mouth, so she gestured for him to go first.
"I think…" Ben exhaled slowly. "That both Saber Khai and myself have realized that there are many faults in our respective Orders. Both the Jedi and Sith have repeatedly risen and fallen because they stay true to their beliefs. If Saber Khai wants to create a Sith Empire that'll last more than just the first few leaders, it has to be different than the Empires of the past."
Vestara nodded and then spoke. "And if the Jedi want to avoid being wiped out again and again, they need to first look at why they keep getting wiped out. They can't help people if they're dead, and they can't shove their believes down the throats of those who don't believe as they do."
Again Tyzhani blinked, but then she did the unexpected thing and smiled softly. "Thank you for once again proving that the Force and Yun'o truly exist. For reinforcing my faith."
"Huh?" Ben said intelligently.
"Never mind," Tyzhani shook her head. "Shouldn't we be getting ready for our next adventure now? We have a sewer to explore, a queen to behead, and a planet to save."
LotJB[Chapter End]LotJB
A\N: This story and Side A will be going inactive long term as I focus solely on A Destiny Darkened and Forging the Future. I've simply lost my muse and enthusiasm for Side A and B, and though I hope to work on these stories in the future, my muse is currently going into overdrive with aDD and FtF.
