Chapter Twenty-four: Riot Control
The elevator doors slid open to level 5 of Coruscant. It was the first level that had anything approaching a real civilization. Vrook strode forward with purpose, Reven, and Meetra moving behind him. At the same time, Mune and Mira brought up the rear.
"Do you feel it?" asked Vrook. "The unrest is spreading here even now. Our first priority is to calm these riots. Meetra, Revan, I will need your help in this matter."
"What? You want me to participate?" asked Revan, surprised.
"I am running low on options," admitted Vrook, opening a door into what passed for a street. "Mune Gunray, given the situation, it would be best if you accompanied us for the moment. You as well."
Mune nodded silently. Mira checked her blaster. "Great, and here I was hoping to get home on time."
On they walked through the Lower City, and Revan found it depressing. The walls here were drab and showed little signs of cleaning. Some droids could be seen driving around to clean the floors. But mold was growing on the ceiling. A look out ancient windows revealed only endless blackened streets.
Did people seriously live here?
"Meetra," said Revan. "Why would anyone want to live here when they can just take an elevator up?"
"This is more of a colony than a city," said Meetra. "Almost everyone lives on higher levels. However, someone has to make sure the foundations of the city don't collapse. Because of this, there are people who take contracts to live here for a period of years. There are also a bunch of penal colonies that use criminals for hard labor.
"We started doing it a few centuries ago after several skyscrapers collapsed.
"There are actually some archeological digs around here too. Master Stellan Gios set them up in the hopes of learning more about the ancient Jedi. Nobody really knows how we ended up on Coruscant after all."
"Nice to know he has other things to do besides child torture," muttered Revan.
"Child torture?" asked Meetra.
"Me," said Revan. "Don't you watch the news."
"But that was the Jedi Covenant," said Meetra. "You can't hold Master Gios responsible for that. And they did clear you."
"Just because Gios is a puppet of someone bigger doesn't make him any less responsible," said Revan. "Willful ignorance isn't an excuse for letting the Dark Side triumph.
"If the Jedi Council didn't know about what was going on, it was because they didn't want to know. They went to parties with people who did. They traded favors and let it all go on, turning a blind eye to what they didn't want to see. Men like Aluyard Czerka are committing worse atrocities every day, with their blessing.
"'There is no ignorance is a guiding principle of our order.'"
"This coming from the guy who proclaimed himself the Jedi Code incarnate," noted Mira.
"I've never let my god complex interfere with performing my duty," said Revan flatly.
"God complex?" asked Meetra.
The door opened, and Vrook entered into a huge market. The ceiling here reached up several stories, and there were windows in the walls. People were yelling and screaming and battering at doors.
"This is the central market," mused Vrook.
"It just looks like a huge room," noted Revan as a bomb was tossed against the glass.
"Yeah, get used to it," said Meetra. "This is the closest you can get to outside in this place."
"Try growing up with it," said Meetra.
"How are we going to stop them?" asked Revan.
And then Vrook drew his lightsaber.
Everyone stopped.
They turned and stared at Vrook, who walked forward with a very stern expression. Someone lowered a blaster they'd been pointing.
"Jedi, it's one of the Jedi!" said one of them.
"Go back to the surface! Take your bribes and get out!" said another.
"I have never accepted bribes of any kind. And your actions are not helping the situation," said Vrook.
"You've been working with the Exchange!" shouted one.
"Wookies are getting skinned alive because of you people!" said another.
"Slaver!"
"Totalitarian!" The crowd was getting worked into a frenzy, and Revan sensed their wills gathering. More were coming forward as if in threat, and he knew this would get out of control soon.
"Everyone, stop!" shouted Meetra.
When she did it, the shout was like a stone that sent ripples throughout the market. Everyone took a step back and was instantly focused on Meetra. But why?
"...How did you do that, Meetra?" asked Revan.
"I'll tell you later," said Meetra. Then she turned her attention back to the rioters. "Don't you people realize that by rioting down here in the undercity, you're only wrecking your home. The politicians up there won't care about what you are doing here at all. They'll just end up using it to smear you as thugs and cover it up."
"And I suppose you want us to sit back and do nothing like good little sheep," said a twilek in his own tongue.
"Of course not!" said Meetra. "You need to make your voices heard. You guys need to paint protest signs and head up to the upper levels of Coruscant. Talk with your friends and organize a peaceful protest that doesn't hurt anyone. Fill up the space lanes and prevent anyone from landing, and all of a sudden, they won't be getting a trade.
"That'll hurt the economy and be perfectly legal."
They shifted and then looked back to Meetra, who moved forward, their attention focused on her. "Why are you telling us this?"
"I think your cause is just, and I want you to succeed without any collateral," said Meetra.
"The kid might be right," said one of them. "Come on, let's head to the upper levels and protest there."
And they headed off, speaking together and abandoning their violent protests.
What was going on here? How was it possible that Meetra had just talked these people into it so quickly. Revan met Vrook's gaze, and he shrugged.
"That was very well done," said Vrook. "Though I wonder if it wouldn't have been preferable if they simply went home."
"What's wrong with peaceful activism?" asked Meetra. "It's what keeps our society honest."
"Perhaps so, but in the present conditions, I fear violence may break out anyway," said Vrook. "Still, we have a great many other riots to quell, I think. Come."
On they walked, led swiftly by Vrook, and Revan realized that he'd known Meetra could do that. What was going on here? Glancing to Meetra, he paused. "So, what was that?"
"Oh, um, Master Vrook has found that I sort of have an ability to influence people," said Meetra. "I've learned to make people pay attention to me, even if they don't have a good reason. It's sort of a talent I have."
Coming into a street, they saw someone breaking open a door. Heading toward it, they found a group of looters entering a warehouse. As they came up, lightsabers were drawn, and the looters halted in fear.
"Stop where you are," said Vrook. "Return the contents to the store and return to your home at once. You will all disperse and get out of this region."
The looters obeyed quickly, putting down their stolen equipment and running away. They didn't even say a word. As they did, Revan sensed a shifting in the Force, as the rage and outbreak changed to calmer action. There were still torrents of rage and anger rushing out, yet something had changed their course. The hammer had become a scalpel.
"Master Vrook, do you think we'll even make a difference here?" asked Mune. "It may be wise to return to the surface before things get truly dangerous."
"We already are," said Vrook. "All life forms are connected through the Force. When one man changes, he changes all those around him and, in turn, all those around them. Jedi merely possess the power to influence the Force directly on a great scale.
"By pacifying one riot, we are sending ripples through the Force that will help to pacify others. Pacifying two will send even more, and three will be even better.
"Even a single act of kindness can influence entire worlds. And through those worlds, the galaxy as a whole. It is no exaggeration that he who hurts a single person hurts the entire universe. And he who heals one heals all."
"That's pretty deep," said Mira, sounding impressed. "But what makes you think Force-sensitives are so much more important?"
"They aren't," said Vrook. "In any case, we should keep moving. I sense a riot forming up ahead."
Vrook moved with fast strides, and they could do nothing but follow behind. Now and then, they'd come to people, who Meetra would convince to head up to the surface for protests. Other times, they found yelling and protests going on. Vrook quelled their fervor before Meetra sent them up to the surface.
Eventually, they came to a large group of people milling around, talking with one another. As soon as Vrook arrived, they looked up. "All of you disperse.
"Rioting will not do anything more than hurt this place."
"We weren't rioting!" said the man.
"Your actions were sewing chaos in the streets and drawing others to you," said Vrook. "In a few moments, you would have attracted great violence."
"Just who are you to tell us what to do, Jedi?" asked the man, hostility brewing.
"Um, we're interested parties," said Meetra, coming forward. "Listen, there are a bunch of peaceful protests going on up on the upper levels of Coruscant. If you were to go up there and stand with them, it would force the Senate to take notice.
"That'll put a lot more pressure on us than yelling at Vrook."
"Why are you making suggestions to us?" asked the man.
"We're Jedi," said Meetra with a shrug. "We're here to help you."
"What about the ones working with the Exchange?" asked another.
"We only just found out about them," said Meetra quickly. "They are..."
"They are not Jedi," said Revan flatly. "They might have the title, but they are a disgrace to the order. We're as frustrated with the situation as you are and planning our own move against them.
"You'll be helping both of us by creating a peaceful protest."
"Enough, Revan," said Vrook. "For now, you should make sure any assembly you make is peaceful. I suggest you also organize water bottles and supplies so that no one is harmed. It would be good to avoid dehydration."
"Yes, Master Jedi," they said.
Then they moved off.
Moving on, they soon came to a cantina, directing people upwards. As they did, Revan sensed the course of events changing. He could feel the people surging up into the light, many of them for the first time. Their presence sent a wave of panic through the elites who had relied on their complacency. The new reported on events, and Revan could feel the wave influencing other worlds.
More protests were growing, and more and more of them were peaceful. Politicians on a dozen worlds had already taken notice. When they acted to comply with a few demands, it set a precedent that led to others feeling the need to act. Already, the Senate feared what was happening. They feared the world turning against them.
"What are you looking at, Revan?" asked Mira.
"The future," said Revan. "Or the present."
Revan looked into the cantina and felt a far darker feeling. There was genuine rage and hatred within it, and it was growing to a murderous level. Vrook entered it, and they walked into the cantina silently. It was a bar that seemed more like a cafeteria, but it was packed with men speaking. All of them were armed.
"Who do those Jedi and Senators think they are?" muttered one. "They shove us down here, look down on us, ignore us, and they're working with the Exchange. I've got friends who got life sentences for dealing.
"And now we find out that those bastards were on the take this whole time."
"I heard they're skinning Wookies alive," said another.
"Not to mention kidnapping children and brainwashing em," said another. "Someone's gotta stop these slime. I say we show those pigs at the police station a thing or two."
"Excuse me!" said Mira, running forward.
"Who are you, kid?" asked one. "Aren't you young for this kind of place?"
"I'm on the run from the Jedi," said Mira. "They actually tried to have me killed because I knew too much. Some of my friends have been organizing a peaceful protest is going on at the top levels of Coruscant."
"So what?" asked one. "That's not gonna help."
"Actually, I think it is," said Mira. "The Senate is terrified of having their true colors show. But I'm afraid that they'll do something like try to provoke the crowd into a riot. All they'd have to do is pay someone to start shooting, and then they could crackdown."
"That actually makes sense," said the man. "What do you want us to do, kid?"
"Well, I think you guys could act as security," said Mira. "Nobody would try anything if you were providing security there."
"It might actually work," noted one. "And it's not like we've got anything to do with these riots going on."
And they headed out.
Revan looked to Meetra as the men filed out and realized she was influencing these men. But she'd been doing it through Mira. How had Meetra done all this? Where was Vrook? He didn't see him anywhere around, but he sensed him outside.
Vrook glanced up as they came out. "Is it done, Mira?"
"Yep, they're heading out," said Mira.
"Good," said Vrook. "I've just made contact with Master Stellan Gios of the Jedi Council. It seems that Master Kreia placed Avar Kriss under arrest."
"Why?" asked Meetra.
"She claimed she was a Sith," said Vrook. "From there, she invoked the Sentinel Act. Though apparently, Avar shot first. There was a fight between them in the Senatorial Guard's HQ, and Avar and her guards were defeated. They are presently holed up with Senator Yusanis in the Echani Compound."
"What do you think happened?" asked Meetra.
Vrook considered it. "I think that Senator Yusanis released the information as a means to discredit his rivals. I do not believe Master Kreia would have done such a thing."
"Wouldn't that put Yusanis head on the chopping block?" asked Mira.
"Not necessarily," said Vrook. "Yusanis was establishing a power base with Telos and several other worlds. It may be that this was a deliberate tactic to discredit his opposition. Traditionally, Senators serve at the pleasure of their home systems. They may be impeached at any time by a vote of no confidence.
"Yusanis and his allies have not had any incriminating information revealed about them."
"Speaking as an associate of Yusanis," said Mune. "I do not think it is the man's character. While he is a reformer, he does not want to disrupt the system any more than necessary.
"The Trade Federation has been acting as one of his allies, actually. We were en route to him when we were shot down."
"It is of no consequence at the moment," said Vrook. "Our priority is to quell the unrest. What we faced here was only the beginning. We have work to do. Follow me to the speeder lines; we have to head to other buildings."
This was going to be a long day.
And yet, Revan could sense the Force responding to these small actions they had taken. It was as though they had set off a row of dominos. A single push was causing a reaction that was stretching far and wide across the galaxy.
Whatever they were doing, Revan just hoped the Dark Side didn't have the same influence.