Chapter VI - Kindness Of Strangers

Author's Note: While I imagine this scene would not make the final cut in a movie script, it felt pertinent to include in this text-based fanfiction novel for the purpose of world building and context. I'd love to hear any thoughts my readers might have on this. Best regards.

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"Why!?" Porchu shouts in distress from across the large living area she, her husband and Cello now occupied. A glowing crimson blade illuminated the spacious room, a grand entertaining room etched in gold and silver for the rich and elite of the newly famous Glistening City.

Because Tatooine had become one of the major epicenters for gambling and Outer Rim trade, prominent families who did more than vacationing in the system would often host large gatherings in their parlors during the pod races and for those interested in the Grand Republic's Coruscant market exchange. As a show of wealth and class, these wealthy families outfitted these rooms with items and accent pieces demonstrating their wealth. We showed you kindness and strength.

"We showed you nothing but kindness, and, and hospitality!" She belted out in frustrated and largely fearful tone. Her husband, whom had gotten up to grab himself an alcoholic drink, turned his back to the cloaked individual, and, in that split second, had suddenly been impaled in the stomach with the intentional ignition of Cello's laser blade. In shock, Porchu had gotten up to aid her husband, though a quick warning from Cello had halted her in her place as the body of the man fell to the ground.

"Thou shalt not live in gluttony." Cello responds in calm, emotionless tone. In that moment, the cloaked man completed the execution of Porchu's husband, Rehu, with a quick twist and slash of his lightsaber. He decapitated his victim with easy, and then, promptly disengaged his blade. "Why did you call me here? Did you not intend to display your contemptuous greed."

The woman gave Cello a puzzled and concerned look, unsure of how to respond to him. On one hand, she had in fact thought garnering the good graces of what she believed was a Grand Republic officer would be valuable to the work she and her husband did on Tatooine. But on the other hand, as her husband had pointed out in the pantry only moments ago, this 'Skywalker,' character, a clear alias even she had not given much credence in, was not a member of such military, and was in fact just a cloaked stranger. And to boot, he didn't seem keen on the lifestyle she lived either.

"I did what any such sociable woman would do in my position!" She retorted, a strike of arrogance filling her voice. "You can do whatever you-" And with a quick strike of his lightsaber, Cello ended the conversation. Porchu's fate becoming the same as her husband's.

"I already have the location of this 'crash-landed ship,' you gave me on our way here. I have no need to engage in your frivolous politics. Soon, a new order will be invoked across the galaxy. It's a shame you will not be there to see it." Cello adds as he rescinds his lightsaber and clips it onto his belt.

As the masked individual storms through large halls of the residence, the tiny girl from before the bar, Porchu's young daughter, remained hidden under a large table. She was visibly shaking, scared from the acts Cello had just committed on her parents. The man paused for a moment, deciding to approach her.

"Do not fear, my child. I will not harm you today." The visibly startled girl releases a bit of tension as the cloaked individual turned to her and spoke. His kind words were little consolation, but she no longer feared him as she had.

"I have done you a great service." He adds, a hint of content flowing within his voice.

"I have now unshackled you from the chains of blasphemy. Soon, the Divine Order will be rise. And on that day, your heart will be spared from damnation."

In the moments following, Kin Cello excited out onto the busy city streets of Mos Eisley. He walked toward a nearby land speeder he had observed and made a mental note of on his way into Porchu's residence, and hopped onto it, the black cloaks of his rope creating a matching and stylistic cover to the bottom half of the vehicle. Using the force, the dark side user ignited the speeder and sped away toward the great vacuums of sand that inhabit the outskirts of the city.

The journey didn't feel long, but by the time the cloaked individual had arrived at the crash sight, it was nearing dusk. Without words, the masked warrior hopped off the speeder and retreated his hands beneath the garments of his cape. He observed the same shuttle he watched blast into the atmosphere, and bitterly recalled the face of the girl he allowed to escape. The anger he felt began to stir from within him, when suddenly a glimmer of hope flashed across the lens filtering his view of the world. A intense surge of energy was concentrated not far from her, at a residency he relished to see, but knew all too well.

"Oh, I do hope it's you!" A voice whispered from a faraway, far enough that Cello could feel the presence of its narrator, but not hear the sounds themselves. With a newly lit vigor, the man hopped back onto his speedier and blasted off toward the nearest dwelling with living individuals, which only happen to be just kilometers away. It appears this refugee was not as clever as he had feared.

Finally, the man had discovered the location of his missing witness. And with little effort, he thought to add. With her death, he could finally complete this mission and report back to the High Priestess. As he descended from the land speedier, following the indicators on his helmet, and walked about a half a kilometer or so forward, those same scanners indicated a large passenger ship, cloaked, the device added, lay docked between him and the entrance.

But this time, she would not escape so easily. Coming to a complete halt, he positioned himself firmly into the sand on ground and held up his left hand. With concentration, and a call upon the force, the warrior was able to clench his open hand shut, causing the passenger vessel to reveal itself and explode right before his very eyes. The indicators on his helmet alerted him to the presence of three humanoid organisms that were approaching from the entrance of the mostly underground dwelling before him.

This was it. Behind two unknown individuals, the woman he'd spent the better part of a day trying to track down had finally revealed herself to him.

"You know, it's quite convenient that this settlement happens to be the only one within kilometers of the crash site with any signs of living, humanoid organisms within it." The smug, masked voice of the cloaked individual from the earlier freight ship attack proclaims as he walks toward them, appearing from behind the exploding ship. "You really must tell me how one manages to be such an easy target when we're through here. Oh, wait, you won't be able to, because you'll be dead." The hooded individual ignites his crimson blade with a vigor for death as he marches toward his prey in a bout of fury.