Disclaimer: We ( zazabelle and draksisreborn) own nothing but our OCs. Star Wars belongs to Lucasfilm and Disney. Please review and enjoy this latest installment.
Rating: T
Footsteps fell fewer and fewer over the city streets as the day began to wind to a close. The sun hung low in the sky and daytime shoppers were slowly being replaced with those wearily searching out their homes among the sky-scraping apartment buildings that towered across the whole city.
By this time Cenden, Lerti, and Vis had made their way to the outskirts of town. The skyscrapers and steady streams of hovercar traffic had grown to a quiet hum in the distance, the buildings now looming over them far more squat, nevertheless far more intimidating in the near darkness.
Vis noticed Cenden and Lerti had their hands near the holsters of their blasters, and as she looked around the steadily slumming surroundings, she could understand why. As the three walked, Cenden sensed a shadow in the corner of an alleyway. He merely glanced over and gave a look to what almost looked to be an empty space with a glare that shot "don't even try". A figure in the shadow seemed to recoil a bit before slinking off further into the darkness.
From in between the two in their marching line, Vis whispered, "This place feels so… desperately sad."
"It is. That's also why everyone's so 'desperately' violent." Lerti said as she stepped over what she assumed to be an old blood stain, "It's better if you just get used to it."
"No. It's not that… It's just I haven't felt this in a long time."
Lerti gave her a quizzical look before Cenden quickly shot up a hand alerting those behind him to stop. "Here we are." Cenden gestured to the shockingly large building looming a few blocks ahead of them.
Cenden sighed, "I still say this is a horrible idea."
The enormous warehouse that now lay in front of them was not the only one out here in the outskirts of one of Tiss'sharl's main trade cities. Standing atop one of the slum houses, more warehouses could be seen dotting the edges of the city and jungle, but this one, in particular, left quite the impression.
The jungle of the planet's surface seemed to be creeping up on this building, several monument sized trees sat atop the establishment.
"Why?" Vis asked as she gazed up at the trees sitting atop the building.
"Vhy? Because we were given this info by stormtroopers." Cenden hissing the last word quieter as he glanced back at the alley they'd just passed by.
"I agree with the old man. The Empire may not be able to prove that these people are smuggling the materials that are in this warehouse, but it's too odd that they'd just tell us about it. We might be being used to set this place up." Lerti said as she stepped up with her hands on her blasters.
"I mean, I don't want to seem naive but I can be very convincing," Vis stated, her voice completely serious.
"Yes, we know," Cenden said.
"We don't have to go here if you guys don't want to! If you think something's up then let's not! I only followed those guys before because it was the only clear path I've sensed the whole time being here! I thought it'd be important!"
Lerti sighed, "Unfortunately, going here actually make a weird kind of sense. Besides our mission from Soron, we actually do deal in a lot of smuggling operations and if we come across anyone we could "partner" with we're to attempt to do so immediately. Credits don't grow on trees."
"It sort of looks like they do in this place." Vis joked as she gestured to the trees on top of the warehouse, "I like this place, it looks like the temple!"
With a few more hesitant steps, the three began their move towards the warehouse. Their footfalls seemed to reverberate around the slums as most people seemed to wither back into their home like a protective shell at the sight of the two heavily armed people strutting through their side of town.
The sounds of machinery met their ears the closer they came to the building. Coming over the bend and walking down the heavily rusted street of the outer Tiss'sharl city, Cenden, Lerti, and Vis were met with the bustling sight of the warehouse's exterior.
The air around them seemed to snap with the sound of barked orders from Tiss'sharl workers, while the area was filled with the constant droning noise pattern of work droids lifting and moving cargo onto transport vehicles. Nearby, the whirling of gears alerted the three to the speeding form of a train passing along a rail system heading back to and into the underworkings of the main city.
Cenden and Vis followed as Lerti confidently approached one of the lizard-like people who seemed to be one of the people in charge.
"Evening." Lerti began.
"Evening and what do you want?" The Tiss'sharl said barely looking away from the droid he was gesturing towards a shipment container.
"We're looking to buy some armor."
"What? The shops in town all closed? Look, this is a private business so unless you have a pass to be here I need you all to leave."
"We sponsor and assist many private businesses, and we're in the market for some armor today but we could be in the market for more." Lerti's words rang with double meaning.
The Tiss'sharl frowned a bit. Looking past Lerti over towards Cenden and Vis, he gave a raised look before giving a shrug.
"Go inside, walk to the back wall and through it. Hold onto these or you'll be electrocuted." The Tiss'sharl handed Lerti three small metal orbs which she turned and passed over to the other two.
"Well, that was suspiciously easy." Lerti pointed out as they entered the warehouse.
Around them stacked up on metal rungs, cargo shipment containers rose like pillars to the ceiling. The atmosphere was dark and dimly lit. The smell of rust permeated the air about them as they walked deeper into the cargo maze.
"It was far too easy and I'm starting to think we should've left Vis outside," Cenden added.
"If something bad's going to happen I'd probably get caught up in it even if I was outside," Vis concluded, looking wide-eyed in what looked to be curious fear. Her freckles a mix of purple and red.
"Have your weapons ready," Lerti commented as she went to grab her blaster.
"No." The click of a blaster was complemented with a new voice attached. "Have your weapons sheathed."
Lerti and Cenden in one movement cocked their blasters and turned to face the voice.
A Dug woman stood in an underwhelming stature a few meters away from them, but her height was made up for in the enormous rotary blaster she held in her strangely muscular legs.
She smiled.
"I'm not going to shoot you if you don't shoot me. But we have to come to an agreement first." She as she adjusted the blaster in her grip. "If you're here to shop. Then you have to make a deal with Jinx. And if you wanna make a deal with the boss, you need to give me some reassurance you're not going to either kill him or report to the Empire what you've seen here."
"Telling the Empire is the last thing we would do." Lerti half-laughed. "They'd throw us into some cell no matter what we did, even if we delivered the Rebellion to them on a silver platter."
"Don't be so smiley Mandalorian. I find a smiling face to be a guilty one."
"I'm guessing you don't get many dates that way."
"How do you go from being an expert negotiator to this, without being shot?" Cenden suddenly intervened, "We're associates of Beebs Dovrees of Nar'Shadda. She doesn't like her workers to pass up an opportunity to make friends."
"And you…" The Dug tilted her head to see Vis smiling awkwardly from behind the two, "Are her workers? What's with the kid? Are you looking to sell her?"
Vis took a step back.
"Slaves aren't just for work, and I know a buyer that would pay a pretty credit to get to look at the markings on that one's face. A nice addition to the collection."
Lerti put a hand across where Vis stood, "Not for sale. We're just looking to buy armor for this one and it's become a business opportunity. So what do you say? May we shop for what we're looking for?"
The Dug looked them over again, shifting her weight on her arms to lower the blaster held in her legs. Narrowing her eyes at the three of them, she gave a nod. Walking forward on her arms, their group parted to let her through. Walking towards the blank wall behind them, the small metal orb she wore as a necklace began to glow in a strange red light, like a small shield encompassing the item. As her small form met the wall, she disappeared into it.
"Whoa! That was so cool!" Vis spouted off as she immediately ran for the wall. Standing at the seemingly solid object, Vis ran her hand over the front and watched the orb in her hand glow. "Think they can see us on the other side!? Is it like a shield generator or is it more of a hologram? Oh! Maybe it's a combo of both!"
She splashed her hand through the illusion once like she was hitting the surface of water. "That feels so weird." She laughed.
"Please just walk through it already," Cenden said as he stepped through the boundary, Lerti, and Vis closely following.
As they walked through, they were met with the clicking of what sounded like two dozen firearms. Now within the illusion, the trio could see that it wasn't just the back wall that was an illusion, it was the whole warehouse. Behind them stood snipers on hidden platforms that looked to run throughout the majority of the ceiling, the building's walls woven with the false image of a high ceiling.
In front of them stood what looked to be a bevy of hired guards and bounty hunters called over to guard the Tiss'shar who now sat before them.
The creature wore a fine suit like the kind often worn by Senate members on Coruscant. His lizard-like appearance was a deep gray, and the crop of dark feathers on his head was slicked back to match the regal style. The deep yellow eyes watched them and his mouth opened in a mixture of smile and hiss.
"My guide… I feel like a warning might've been nice about this… A bigger warning than that I mean." Cenden heard Vis whispering to herself.
"Welcome to my shop 'workers of Beebs'." He spoke in a deep throaty accent. The hissing causing the sound to almost come out a tentative whisper. He laughed a bit, "I like you three. An odd group is always welcome here but know this," As if that wasn't enough, he took out a blaster pistol from underneath the desk and fired a shot at their feet.
Vis jumped halfway back through the wall. The Tiss'shar they assumed to be Jinx looked amused.
"We will not hesitate to kill you if you try to steal anything. You will not find what I am selling anywhere along the black market this side of the Rim because I OWN the black market from here to Kessel. You pay what you owe me, or you pay with your lives. I will be happy to start trade with this Beebs, been looking to expand towards the Outer Rim anyway." With that, he motioned with his blaster two the second "blank wall" behind him. "Now go."
The three walked past the guards that parted ways for them. Among them smiled the Dug woman they'd just encountered. She gave a wave as they passed through the wall.
"Guys… Is buying armor really this important? I feel like this is stupid." Vis said as the illusion parted and they were met with an enormous outdoor market.
The aisles of shelves seemed to journey up towards the sky. The crater this was all housed in seemed to be a covering over the top with the same illusion the whole foundation of this warehouse was based on. The red shield from within here like a one-way mirror to the sky, probably to watch for incoming ships or surveillance. Droids flew up and along shelves, grabbing and stocking items as requested by the few patrons located below.
"This, Vis, is what's called stupid awesome," Lerti said with a smug smile.
In front of them lay a series of staircases that descended into the true warehouse crater below. As they walked, Vis' steps began to speed up the further they went down. Her freckles adjusting to a bright green as she nearly tripped over the long trench coat trailing behind her.
"I take it back! There are still way too many guns here but this place is a scavenger's dream! I want to touch everything!" Vis's eyes shone like stars as she started darting between different shelves and displays.
"Remember those guns because if you pocket anything they WILL SHOOT YOU!" Cenden yelled as Vis reached the ground and headed off in a sprint down the nearest aisle.
"Why wouldn't we just shoot back!?" Vis retorted.
The environment was familiar to the young girl and for the first time on her trip to a new world, she felt comfortable. Among the maze of aisles and shelves, objects reached out and called out to be heard, their stories still lying within. Less audible than the holocrons, but tainted with energy nonetheless. They desired to be used again as they were purposed to be and connected to futures, with a singular past, and it was exuberating to feel so many little pieces connecting to some larger story… And there was something else.
'It sounds like… singing?' Vis thought as she spun slowly in place, weighing her options as to which direction to go first.
A hand grabbed her arm.
Vis gasped as she spun to see Cenden looking sternly behind her. "Don't run off. Our presence here is based on us buying something. We're getting you armor and we're leaving."
"Oh c'mon Cenden! You know that's not how this is going to go! Also, something's singing around here and I want to find it." Vis proclaimed jauntily as she turned to leave, her arm still firmly held in place by Cenden.
"No. Armor. Now." Cenden said as he turned and began dragging her away. Vis fell into line and Lerti joined them soon after.
"So, I'm guessing you never had a, um… student before?" Lerti asked as her eyes scanned the rows of assorted weapons and ammo.
"No. Temple guards aren't normally assigned Padawans as our job was more protecting than fighting." The old Jedi explained as he whispered keywords. Glancing around to make sure no one was listening he continued with a bit of a smile, "Also, let's just say if I had been a teacher I would've given Master Skywalker a run for his money in terms of reckless teaching methods."
"Wait. You mean that guy helping lead the Rebellion?"
"Who?"
"Nevermind."
Rounding the corner, the group came to the welcomed sight of an armor gallery. The same open-air aisles shaped the room into another stretching maze of sorts. Of all the black marketplaces Cenden and Lerti had ever seen, this was the by far the most open about its goods. Nothing was hidden and every armor piece was on display. There seemed to be pieces salvaged from every century of war in the galaxy from every race and culture in existence.
On the raised platforms leading customers to the upper shelving units, a dark-colored Wookie saw them approach and came marching down the metallic steps. The closer the alien got the more it dawned on Cenden that this was the same Wookie they'd seen on the transport ride here… The one Vis had temporarily stolen the badge from.
He glanced down at Vis who winked at Cenden teasingly, looking like she was about to start laughing.
Cenden listened as the Wookie explained through a series of guttural screams and barks that basically "He'd be watching them closely but let him know if they needed anything" before he trudged back up the stairs, bowcaster in hand.
Putting her thumbs in her holster, Lerti pivoted on her heel to face the living color prism about to bolt to the shelves. "Alright kid. I wasn't into all this shopping before but this is pretty great so now I gotta say, this is very important. Armor is a reflection and protection of self, according to Mandalorian standards anyway. And as long as you're shopping with me, we're going by my standards, got it?"
Vis nodded rapidly. And with that, the three set off. The empty heads of the long-gone sat mounted on the walls, their disembodied pieces rising around them, like puppets longing to move once again.
In the end, they procured a hodgepodge of things from eras and cultures across the galaxy. Shoulder guards that looked to be a constructed from the chassis of an old droid, the color a worn to a silver sheen by time and the elements. The knee guards were of some Clonetrooper variant that has been modified and was now coppered colored and deeply scratched. The chest protector and boot coverings were the only new things in the pile, a strange clashing of Mandalorian and Stormtrooper styles. The mixture of armor was atrocious, bordering on heretical, by Lerti's standards; the adults had started with high hopes but soon realized it was a matter of simply finding anything small enough to fit Vis right now yet still big enough for her to grow into.
Plus, Cenden had nearly had a heart attack when he saw an old Clone helmet sitting on the shelf, the old man raising a strange mixture of flight and fight as he stumbled back a moment with an arm twitching to lash out. This took the fun shopping mood away in an instant and it quickly became a grab and bag event.
And after it was all said and done, Vis put her oversized coat back on and concealed half the armor underneath.
"What do you guys think!? This is so cool! I'm a real fighter now!" Vis said with a twirl and a punch.
"Well, now it'll be harder for you to get shot vhich'll be a good change of pace," Cenden replied. Vis stuck her tongue out at the remark.
After paying the burly Wookie, the three walked past the lines of shelves to head down the stairs. Cenden made it a point to avert his gaze from the Clonetrooper helmet, Lerti made the note to Cenden about the small number 5 carved onto the side of the headgear.
"Clones liked to give each other names back in the day. Like all that individuality mattered when they turned hive-mind." Cenden spat.
"...Cendy? Can we get the helmet? I like the story it has. It's sad and unfinished." Vis pleaded as she went and picked up the old head-gear.
Lerti tried without success to cover the spout of laughter that shot out of her mouth at Cenden's new nickname. Cenden's eyes seemed to come alight with rage and Vis didn't need to have her guide to help her feel the waves of anger coming off of the man.
She put it back.
They began their descent out. Silently.
And in the silence, Vis heard it again and stopped. Staring down one of the aisle, she felt a new question forming in her mind. Her guide began pushing her along the hallways, Cenden and Lerti realizing this time that she'd wandered off. They called for her to come back, but she couldn't really hear them. It was just her and the question now.
Walking up to what looked to be piles of clutter and scrap pieces, Vis gingerly began to pick up and feel each one. Stories forming in her mind, little ideas and purposes of pieces that were once whole. It wasn't until she moved nearly all of it aside that she found what the Force was wanting her to find here. A twin missing it's another half.
"Vis. We're leaving, Soron's probably waiting for us." Lerti told the girl as she watched her stare off into space.
Vis turned to face them now, an old key in her hand.
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
Soron and Nek were looking for three more components for the data table. They'd had been up and down the city sprawling city twice but the materials they were looking for just didn't seem to be on the world, or the kind of item that the Empire would allow to be in general circulation. Which meant they had to begin looking underground which was ineffective work on a planet dependent on trade with Imperial buyers and sellers, not to mention they couldn't explain to any potential informants what it was that they were making out of the parts required.
Soron grabbed the comlink from his belt, "Hey, Chol. How's the ship coming?"
The garbled voice of the Mon Calamari pilot came through, "Going as good as it can. We used up nearly the last of our funds getting fuel and extra medical supplies. Not much left for food, though BX did find some food bars in the new kid's sack of trinkets." Soron sighed as he heard a resounding crunch from the other end of the link.
"Can I ask why we're going through our new crew member's stuff?"
"I dunno know, BX said something about organizing." Another crunch gave static through the link. "What's your status? Have what we need to leave yet?"
"Unfortunately, no. Can't find the last of the supplies Nek needs to build this thing but we can at least get started."
"And the other three? Any word back from them yet?"
"Also a no. Haven't heard from them all day come to think of it, which is a bad sign. Now that we have enough fuel can we make it to Nar'Shaada? Beebs might have work or the last parts we need."
Soron heard Chol rustling around, presumably in the cockpit, "We should have just enough to make the jump and then some."
"Good! I'll contact Cenden and see where they are. I have a bad feeling all the sudden." Soron said as he looked around on the busy street corner he and Nek were occupying. If his bad feeling was correct, he didn't know if he wanted any eavesdroppers listening in.
Soron's clawed finger pushed down the button.
"Cenden. Come in."
Soron's ears perked up as he heard a gargled scream pushed through the static before the com went quiet. "Oh, that's a very bad sign," Soron whispered as he grabbed Nek, who was still buried in some blueprints and pulled him off into an alley.
"What's the problem?"
"Our crewmates are possibly in some trouble because of course they are. We can't have a peaceful trip anywhere."
"Life of the adventurers," Nek said as he began tinkering with his wrist link.
"Are you pirating the Imperial scanners?" Soron asked in a hopeful tone.
"Is that not what you pulled me over here to do?"
"No I was hoping you were just reading my mind."
Nek smiled and tuned into the Imperial's channel. Scanning through multiple sources one, in particular, caught Soron's interest. "Wait! Stop there."
"Rebel activity confirmed Sector 557 warehouse. We're preparing to take the area. Their defenses still appear to be raised but no offensive has been displayed so the black market goods are still inside."
Soron and Nek looked at each other. "Captain, are you thinking what I'm thinking?"
"That a black market warehouse about to be overrun by Imperials is a really bad place to bring a child?"
"Something like that. How do you know they're there?"
"It's a hunch and we need to go."
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
Cenden screamed as his whole body suddenly seized up.
He collapsed to the ground as red sparks flew off his body. Vis let out a silent gasp, her face similarly contorting in pain as she dropped the key she was holding that picked up the electricity dancing off of Cenden's body. Lerti flew to Cenden's side as the sparks died down. His gasping was heaved as he struggled to sit up.
"Vhat. The. Heck!?" Cenden wheezed.
A whirring sound permeated around the three as the metallic orbs they'd been given to enter now flew around them. The micro-droids spoke in unison, "No comlinks may be permitted in Jinx's domain. Thank you for your compliance."
"Tiny death machines. Tiny death machines. Tiny death…" Vis began repeatedly saying as she rocked back and forth as the droid followed her every movement.
Cenden was still gasping for breath as his hand went to his belt to grab his blaster. The droid flew onto his chest and shocked him again. "No weapons are permitted to be drawn or fired in Jinx's domain. Thank you for your compliance."
"I. Didn't. Touch. My comlink!" Cenden argued to no one in particular.
Lerti's eyes went wide as she suddenly threw off her comlink, "Soron probably tried to contact us."
"I feel like they should've told us about that beforehand." Vis said as she continued a staring contest with the droid. The droids responded, "Where's the fun in that?"
As the droids continued their hover, the two Force-sensitives could sense each other's anger and fear. Vis could sense how bad Cenden wanted to lash out at the droids, the Force was already swirling about all of them ready to crush them from the inside. Cenden could sense Vis' connecting the little dots as her mind flooded the area, picking out each of the droids in the area.
"Ok...I guess that's why they let us keep our weapons." Lerti pointed out. "Let's get out of here, we paid for what we needed."
"No. We can't leave yet." Vis said as she picked up the key off the ground. "If they have just one of these things they may have more stuff here!"
From on the ground Cenden looked at the key in Vis' hand, "Is that… A temple key?"
"Come on! Let's keep looking!" Vis answered.
Lerti and Cenden both yelled in frustration as Vis ran off. Again. The young child had been alone for so long that waiting for anything never occurred in her thoughts. Her guide swirled around so many objects throughout the underground market. Some, like the old Clone helmet, were painful memories, others were unfinished, useful. There was so much to be found here, like a new temple for the girl to explore.
"Ok, besides the things you want me to find, there's something happening. Right? Aaahhhhh how does anyone concentrate with so many people and paths everywhere!?" Vis spoke and listened as she ran forwards and backward along the aisles, testing paths and outcome feelings as she went. All the while the little droid followed close over her shoulder, observing.
"They have to have holocron or lightsabers here. If they have temple guard keys then they have to have those." Vis breathed to herself as she slowed down from her sprint and looked back.
She hadn't totally lost them. It wouldn't take Cenden too long to find her and as long as she didn't pocket anything, the little droid probably wouldn't zap her. She was safe for the time being… Maybe. There was something stirring in the Force, something was going to happen. But the girl couldn't sense what.
Waiting for the adults to catch up, Vis examined the key in her hand. It had a golden sheen to it, the flat of the key swirling in delicate little ripples of laced metal, "Who lost you, fella?" Vis asked the Force flowing through the key. "Ok, time to play pretend."
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
I felt my guide flowing through my being. I concentrated on them and on myself. The energy moved rapidly and the push and pull of my heartbeat in time with my thoughts.
Then I felt the weight in my hand. The key sat eagerly waiting to be what it once was.
"I'm… A temple guard. A powerful and loyal Jedi knight. I'm… Terrelian." In my mind, I felt my form become light and agile, ready to leap through the air, one of the beings closest feelings of flight. Combine with the Force's assistance, I may as well have been able to fly.
And that's why my muscles felt cramped standing here. Endless time spent guarding nothing. No one would be crazy enough to attack a Jedi temple, no one. But this is where I'd been assigned to spend the rest of my life. Standing at wait for an attack that would never come. I hadn't been good enough to become a Jedi Knight, so here I'd stand. Forever.
My hand ran over the keys on my belt.
It felt wrong that I'd stand here and guard what I may never be allowed to see, especially when I had the keys.
I opened my eyes as my hand rose up. Walking forwards, I shifted my weight trying to walk like what I imagined a Terrelian Jango Jumper would walk like. The key pulled me forward to what it desired to unlock and I followed. I heard Cenden and Lerti come up behind me, they said something but I sort of tuned them out. I swore I could hear Cenden mumbling, "Oh great." under his breath.
Surprisingly, they both followed. Maybe they were just as curious as I was?
Making our way to the very back of the warehouse, the key drew us to a shelf in the massive warehouse… Covered in lightsabers.
I wanted to be excited, I really did… But the waves of pain coming off the metallic casings was too much. Each one was so unique in its design, it was like looking at a grave on display. I could feel my guide run up and caress the weapons as if I was being introduced to old friends. The sadness reflecting off Cenden was bringing tears to my eyes, but my hand was still pulled forward and placed on one of the laser sword hilts.
They were all lined up in rows on display cases like toothbrushes. It was so morbidly normal.
The one the key had landed on was more broken than the one I'd found back at my temple home. But it was undoubtedly familiar, it was a temple guard hilt. Well, half of one anyway. Like Cenden's yellow-bladed saber, this one was cut straight down the middle but not as cleanly as he had been. From what I could tell, Cenden did that himself. However it was damaged, he'd shaven it down to function on it own. But this one was all burned and cracked.
'Will it explode if I turn it on?' I wondered.
"Guys, we have to take these along. At least this one anyway."
"We can't afford any of these. Why would we take that one anyway? It doesn't even have a crystal in it anymore." Cenden argued, he'd backed a considerable distance from the rack but he was right. There was no song coming from this one.
"So where'd it go?" I asked.
"Maybe… You just need the hilt?" I could hear the uncertainty in Lerti's voice. She wasn't sure of her words, but she was right! Maybe just knowing of the hilt's existence was important…
"Hold on! I have to write this down! Cenden! Go look for holocrons!" I said as I fished a piece of old parchment out of my holster as well as a piece of chalk and started writing and sketching each of the lightsabers. If we couldn't bring them with, then at least I could record them for later! Maybe there was data back at the temple in one of the holocrons about temple guards… Maybe I could meet this Terrelian.
The lightsabers took shape on the page as I gave a description and feeling. I was here my guide! My mission was being followed and directed! This is exactly how I'd always imagined it! Black markets, mystical callings, mysterious keys! All that was missing was a daring escape. It was too perfect.
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
Lerti honest to goodness had no idea what was going on.
And Cenden was sure as blazes not doing what Vis told him to, but the kid was still sitting there doodling…
'Was this how Jedi did anything? Just connecting some random dots and going with it?' And Lerti had thought Soron's planning strategies were nuts.
As Lerti watched Cenden begin to slink off somewhere, Lerti decided to focus on the micro-droids following them around. This explains why they'd let them keep their weapons, and why it had been so easy for them to find this place. With these things following them… but what would stop them from blabbing once they left the vicinity? Was the illusion over this place really that good that Imperials wouldn't come for a closer look?
"EEEEEOOOOOUUUUUUU."
In near perfect harmony with her thought, an alarm went shrieking through the warehouse. The lights suddenly cut off and the eerie red glow of a backup generator switched on. The hands of the trio simultaneously flew to their ears under the impact of the noise.
Barely audible above the noise, Vis could be heard screaming a similar screech in return.
Shock suddenly flew through Lerti's body and she watched as Cenden and Vis went down with her. The micro-droids sending off a paralyzing shock. Barely audible through the pain, a voice on the intercom above could be heard,
"Imperial attack underway. Merchandise being prepped for relocation. Thank you for shopping with us."
"cccCCEEENNDDEENNN." Vis screeched.
Sounding off around the three paralyzed bodies, the selves suddenly came free from the ground as panels opened below the units and began a descent into the ground below, more panels now sliding up and over to stabilize the merchandise within.
Lerti felt what could only be described as a rush of pressure pass over her as she looked over to see Cenden struggling to straighten his hand before it plunged into a shaking fist.
Lerti's whole body went limp as the shock instantly left her with the feeling of released pressure and the sound of crushed metal. Still on the ground, Lerti watched as metal bits came falling to the ground, the droids crushed. Shaking herself up, her and Cenden stood to see Vis still laying face first on the ground.
"Hey. Are you out?" Lerti said as she poked Vis' shoulder with her foot.
After a moment, Vis' voice replied in a garbled whisper, "Yes. I'm unconscious and you need to move my body."
Her head lifted up off the ground as the sound of transport ships flew overhead, their shadow passing over the energy shield-illusion.
"It's a full-scale invasion! They knew about zhis place! This is what we get from taking direction from STORMTROOPERS!" Cenden screamed as he and Lerti pulled out their blasters.
"Judging by the moving shelves, I'm guessing they find this place often! Let's go!" Lerti commanded and without a moment's hesitation, jumped into the opening panels and disappeared below the floor.
Vis, who was not even off the floor yet, watched as Cenden swiftly followed suit. "Okokokok… Adventure. Fun. Danger. LET'S DO THIS VIS." She yelled as she rolled along the floor. Grabbing hold of the sides of the drop as her body dangled in the empty space.
Below, both Lerti and Cenden had jumped down into, what was essentially, an underground rail cart. The shelves above were being automatically stationed into the train cars below, where they could be moved all across the city. And above, Cenden and Lerti could see Vis, silhouetted against the light above.
"KID! JUST LET GO AND SLIDE ALONG THE PANELS!" Lerti yelled.
"OK."
Vis dropped straight down, her body too far from the shelves to go sliding.
"OH FOITO." Cenden cursed as the Force suddenly collated around the falling girl, becoming like woven nets being torn over and over again until her fall came to a crawl.
She landed wide-eyed, shaking, and nearly falling over. Her face coated in bright purple dots, "D-d-didn't r-r-realize there was a precursor to that instruction."
Above, the sound of blaster fire began as the creak of the train below their feet shook to a start. Lerti grabbed Vis by the wrist, "Come on, we need to hide. This train won't be unguarded or un-attacked."
"We should grab some of those lightsabers," Vis suggested as the shelf that had previously been stood upright came into a settled horizontal position in the train car.
Before either of them could comply, Vis hopped up on the glass panel. Rolling up her trench coat sleeve, the girl began pounding at the glass with her elbow. Cenden noticed the spinal ridges that ran across the girl's freckled face also ran across the back of her arms and hands, unseeable under the trench-coat sleeves. Whatever type of half-breed she was, the spinal ridges were tough enough to begin cracking the glass.
Lerti nodded in surprise and jumped up to finish the job with a sure-footed kick from her heel. Vis raided the newly formed glass hole for sabers, grabbing five or six and shoving them in various coat pockets before settling for one and throwing another towards Cenden.
She tried handing one to Lerti but the Mandalorian quickly declined, "No thanks kid, I'll stick to what I know for now." She waved her dual blasters a bit.
"Alright, here's the plan," Lerti told the two. "We don't want to be caught here, so at the first moment this thing is out of these tunnels, we make a jump for it. Don't get shot. Don't get caught." Lerti gave the commands.
"Guess it's good I have armor now." Vis shrugged as she proceeded to pull out a second saber.
With that, the train lurched forward, picking up speed as Lerti, Cenden, and Vis took positions of cover long the secured cargo. A feeling of panic began to take hold of Vis as she senses the growing tensions in the adults besides her, she knew she wasn't combat ready. Unlike how she was when she fought Cenden and Soron, this time was unpredictable and annoyingly unexpected. She'd have to make sure she took care of herself because they wouldn't be able to. She lived alone on a planet for 5 years on her own, she could survive anything.
A blaster bolt suddenly shot over her head. Vis screamed.
Cenden's eyes narrowed as he waited for a beat before untucking his body to shoot back. They heard a scream followed by silence as Cenden quickly took cover again.
The ground was zooming by them now and the sounds of the raid by the Empire above was growing distant. Yet, another blaster bolt flew past their hiding spot. Lerti cursed as she stood and shot off in the opposite direction.
Cenden signaled for them to listen while still on alert, "We don't know what kind of security this transport ship has but we can guess if they have the money for micro-droids then they have the money to defend this thing with more than low-grade thugs."
"If it's the Jinx guy's thugs then why are they shooting at us!? We just bought stuff from him!" Vis screamed as another blaster flew overhead.
"Because we're not supposed to be on here, and technically we stole from him now," Cenden explained as he stood and ended the source of the last blaster bolt.
"So we're just going to kill everyone!?" Vis protested. The blaster fire was coming in more rapid succession now. Cenden and Lerti were firing back, but their position was severely given away.
"We're doing this in self-defense and in YOUR defense, Vis. For someone who wants to carry a laser sword so bad, you're awfully pacifistic!" Lerti said in reply. "We have to move. Now. There's more of them coming. More from the back than from the front, we'll make a person sandwich. Cenden covers our rear and I'll carve through the front. DO NOT let a bolt get to Vis or Soron will kill us."
"Yeah like we're already not in trouble," Cenden grumbled compliantly as they got into position to move. The familiar sound of a lightsaber ignited in an unfamiliar blue light.
The trio jumped up and Cenden immediately began deflecting blaster bolts from assailants hidden in the darkness of the tunnel behind them. Vis gapped in wonder at the sight. She'd practiced the movements, but with no one to shoot at her, she was sorely lacking any experience. The feeling through the Force of the heat being reflected with the light in the blade was mesmerizing like the bolt was bouncing between two mirrors.
Vis suddenly felt fear run through her legs and wonder what that was, just as she heard Lerti yell in anger. The dark Wookie loomed in front of them as his fist swung out to hit.
Lerti and Vis ducked. The Mandalorian sprung back up and launched her weight into the beast's stomach, knocking him onto his back with the force of the blow. Elbowing him in the throat, Lerti then began throwing a flurry of furious swings, mouthing off as she went, "You! Have! Terrible! Customer! Service! Here!"
The thing grabbed the scruff of her neck and threw her off. Lerti nearly went skidding over the train but caught herself on the side of the car.
Vis ignited one of the sabers as she felt the Force gathering within her, suddenly feeling the movement of something she'd used on Cenden and she lunged forward before the old Jedi had time to grab hold of her.
She spun with an exhilarated laugh, using the saber's blade like a blazing shield about her body, causing the Wookie to stumble back from the smaller figure rushing him. A blaster bolt suddenly shot through the Wookie's side and he fell to the ground.
"Ha! Got him!" Lerti cheered, still dangling off the side of the cart. A plume of smoke still rose off the blaster's tip as she climbed back on the cart. Cenden still stood his ground, defending again blaster bolts.
"Kid that was stupid," Cenden spoke with his head turned and focus.
"No, it was stupid awesome." Vis returned with a wild smile.
Lerti shook her head a bit before grabbing the back of Vis' coat, "Let's move it hotshot." Up ahead, light could be seen at the end of the train's path. "Our stop might be coming up."
Cenden gasped, "Lerti! Get down now!"
The train car exited the tunnel just as the three slid back out of sight. The darkened night sky was now illuminated by an Imperial shuttle hovering near the opening of the railway.
"Huh, I sorta forgot it was night." Vis mumbled from their hiding place on the side of the car's shelves.
The shuttle was not engaging the moving cars, it seemed to have orders to follow the train to its end destination. Lerti groaned in frustration, "Great! Now if we jump off they'll be watching!"
"Better than jumping off at the Imperial blockade waiting at the end!" Cenden argued as his comlink suddenly began beeping. Cenden sighed and pressed the button.
Soron's voice came huffing through, "Where, are, you guys?"
"Uuuhhhh we're on a transport…"
"Yeah, I guessed that, we watched it leave the warehouse. I mean WHERE ON THE BLASTED TRANSPORT ARE YOU!?"
"HI SORON! I FOUGHT A WOOKIE!" Vis shouted at the comlink.
The sound of the shuttle made a pass over their heads and began its descent on the train cars. "Soron, we're alive, be right back," Lerti spoke into Cenden's wrist before ending the call with a beep.
Below them, the city was speeding by, but the shuttle had kept itself on the outskirts of town. Buildings much like the ones that had been surrounding the warehouse sailed by in the darkness, flickering in and out of the shuttle's spotlight.
"Let's make a run for those buildings. Do you have your jetpack Lerti?" Cenden asked as he squared up to run.
Lerti twisted to show the jetpack sitting on her shoulders, "I got Vis. Let's go."
Cenden popped up and pushed himself over the corner of the shelf, running towards the other end of the train car as Imperial troopers poured out of the open transport hovering near the train. Seeing the moving target, blaster fire erupted from it's newest source at Cenden. The Jedi gathered the Force around him, the power flowing through his body as the energy plotted its course. Lerti and Vis followed closely behind. The Mandalorian gathered the kid by her underarms and watched as Cenden gunned it into the air, falling towards the nearest rooftop.
Lerti's jetpack sparked to life and she had to fight to keep Vis locked in her arms as the drag weighed on them. Vis shouted as her feet left the ground, blaster bolts littering the air around them.
Cenden rolled onto the roof, keeping the momentum going as he stood and kept going towards the next. He was looking now for signs of the blockade, for he didn't know how far the trooper's lines went back. They had to get out of the area before any of the Imperials got a good look at their faces. Pressing the comlink on his wrist, Cenden contacted Soron.
"Captain, we've evaded the train and are moving on the rooftops now. Where are you both?"
"We see the train, rendezvous at the entertainment district fifteen minutes from you due east." Came his captain's voice.
Nodding the Jedi took off running along the rooftops. Lerti and Vis sailing over him on jetpack. After several minutes of jumping and running, he felt a projectile impact his midsection. Pain erupted through him as the stun blast sent electricity searing through every nerve ending. He froze mid-air and fell to the ground, thudding hard against the unyielding metal of the street.
Pushing through his dimming vision, Cenden saw several figures clad in white moving above him.
"Well, well, well, what do we have here?" Cenden was barely able to crane his neck to the left to see an Imperial officer in uniform with them. "This area is under blockaded restrictions due to criminal activity in the area, old timer. You do know you've broken about a dozen trespassing, disturbance, and hooliganism laws by now?" The officer sneered as he looked down at the old man while several stormtroopers patted him down. "And no transcripts after curfew? My, my, we'll have to do something about that!"
"Don't… You have anything better to… do?" Cenden was barely able to whisper.
With what little movement he could manage as he was dragged to a standing position by two stormtroopers, Cenden kicked the lightsaber near his foot into a side alley. Glancing up he saw Lerti and Vis stop to see him go down, and had landed on the rooftop he'd failed to reach. Cenden could sense Lerti's face contorting with concern from under her helmet as she drew a pistol.
"Anything to say for yourself?" The stormtrooper asked him. Still dazed and confused, he gave a subtle shake of his head towards Lerti, but stayed silent, hoping the Mandalorian had enough sense to stay out for now.
He reached deep within himself, focusing his energy on the Imperial officer in front of him. They didn't know he was involved in the train… yet. He could get out of this.
Unable to move his arms, he wove and pulled the connection of thoughts from the Imperial's mind into his own his a small shake of his head, "You don't need to take me in."
The Imperial, suddenly entranced, repeated Cenden's words "I don't need to ta-"
"HEY!" A familiar voice suddenly called from around a corner.
A blaster bolt ripped into the back of the Imperial's shoulder. The man crumbled to the ground out of shock to reveal Nek standing in the darkness nearly a block away, gun still smoking.
Rushing about in panic, the troopers gathered Cenden and the downed Imperial, the next in charge shouting orders while other began to return fire. Cenden pushed out of their arms only to be hit instantly with a stun ray.
On the roof, Lerti smothered Vis to the ground as the girl tried to jump down from the roof while Cenden was quickly placed into a nearby transport.
"STOP! There's an Imperial blockade a block away! If we make more of a scene, there won't be any escaping this!" Lerti hissed as she reached for her comlink, "Soron we NEED to get out of here NOW."
"I KNOW." Was Soron's only response as the sound of Nek being dragged away could be heard in the background. "Rendezvous at the ship now! NEK FOR THE LOVE OF BANTHA SHUT UP-." The audio cut.
Lerti and Vis now watched as the trooper transport sped out of sight. The old Jedi locked inside.
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
Darkness swirled about a lithe figure cloaked in a dark hood. The figure had been watching with apathy as an incoming transmission blinked on. After several minutes of making the blinking wait, the figure knelt, as was accustomed in the Empire.
"You summoned me, my lord?"
"Yes. Something...unusual has emerged in the Force."
"I felt it as well my lord. Perhaps another Jedi emerging from hiding?"
"No. This is no Jedi."
"Bridger? Or…" The voice paused. "The Padawan?"
"No. This is an unknown power… A child of the Force. An opportunity."
"And what shall you do about it?"
"You will find the source, and capture them. They could become an invaluable tool for the Empire and an opportunity to continue rebuilding your division's strength. Your mission must continue on despite the lack of competency your assassins have shown."
"With all due respect, Darth, shouldn't our remaining efforts be on capturing the acclaimed Jedi Master Lu-"
"Do not test my authority. You know your place and you will trust the Emperor has everything under control."
A frustrated sigh came from the Inquisitor. "I'll send Aemay, this will be a test for her."
"You deem yourself incapable of doing a simple task, Ninth Sister?"
"No, I wish to determine whether it was foolish to ascend her so soon."
"Do not speak on matters you do not understand. You are dismissed."
"As you wish my lord."
The transmission ended.