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
Deafening, was the sound of silence in the transport making its way back to the shipyards. It was deafening compared to the sound of battle still ringing in Lerti and Vis' ears.
The same transport had only hours before had carried three of Soron's crew members into town. Now only two sat in the silence.
Vis sat curled up in a ball in her seat, her breaths coming out in quick little bursts. She wasn't crying so much as she was hyperventilating. Every part of her was aching with guilt. How had it all happened to fast? Was this what she really wanted? Was this what her guide really wanted for her?
Lerti sat watching her, her mind somewhere else, and her hands still twitching to blast every last one of the stormtroopers they'd watched drag Cenden away.
Soron and Nek had split up and were taking separate routes back to the shipyard. Not knowing how much the stormtroopers had seen of them, they decided it was best to go opposite directions to meet at the same point.
With this in mind, Lerti's leg began bouncing anxiously with the rushing of her thoughts. With the blockade still up, the transport was taking twice as long to weave its way around the perimeter established to nab the black market Tiss'shar called Jinx. Just enough time for Soron to make his way back to the ship before they would reach it, but not enough time for Soron to have calmed down by then.
Lerti knew this was bad. She knew she'd get a good verbal pummelling from their captain regarding their decision-making skills. But there was something about him waiting there for them like they were walking into the nest of a beast they knew was going to eat them alive. At least if they could've gotten there first it would feel like they had some element of advantage…
"Hey, Lerti?" Vis whispered.
"Yeah?"
"Are we going to have to leave Cenden in jail because of me?"
"No." Lerti retorted.
Vis seemed to think over Lerti's 'No.' before responding, "...Okay."
The rest of the trip went on in that same silence filled with echoes of blasters and the quiet buzz of adrenaline.
Lerti and Vis exited the transport. Lerti trying to steer them clear of any troopers who might be looking to ask for identification or travel papers. The last thing they needed was for their illegal off-worlder, who was filled to the brim with old lightsabers, to be searched. As soon as that hurdle was cleared, Lerti and Vis made their approach to the ship, and as expected, Soron stood there waiting for them. His face dark with fury.
"I… Am not. Going to draw. Any more attention to us than you three already have. So before I yell at you for everything you assume I am going to yell at you for. Get. In. The. Ship." Soron fumed as he turned to walk up the Raving Titan's gangplank.
Vis broke into a run, trailing behind him. Lerti followed at a quick pace.
Once inside, Soron slammed his fist onto the control panel to raise the platform and his eyes flew to Lerti.
"WHAT in THE GALAXY were you THINKING!?" Soron suddenly spewed.
"Soron! I know this is bad!" Lerti began.
"Bad?" Soron growled through clenched teeth.
"Fine! Let's bump it up to a really bad! But! We were following orders! We got intel about another informant on Tiss'sharl and we went with it!"
"No. No, no. You brought a child to a black market warehouse THAT WAS RAIDED and if Cenden wasn't arrested I'd be screaming at him too! But NOW our JEDI KNIGHT IS IN THE HANDS OF THE IMPERIALS!"
"AH! Yes! I know this is really REALLY bad! I honestly don't know what happened! One moment we were shopping and the next moment we were being shot at! Everything just kept moving from one thing to the next!" Lerti's normally calm voice began to escalate into a panicked ramble.
"VIS COULD'VE BEEN KILLED! YOU COULD HAVE BEEN KILLED! WE DON'T-"
"-WANT TO GET INVOLVED WITH THE EMPIRE I KNOW BUT-"
Soron and Lerti were now, not so much yelling at each other, but through each other. Their panic bouncing off the anger that had slid into the background of the argument. Chol, BX, Nek, and Vis stood off to the side.
Two observed silently, one wrung their hands and another began shaking before her hands flew to her ears as she crouched into a ball on the ground.
"STOP! TOO LOUD! IT WAS OUR FAULT!" Vis bellowed.
Soron and Lerti cut to silence and looked over at the child. Soron's anger began melting into what looked like guilt, he blinked down at Vis, almost as if he'd forgotten she had been there.
Vis' own eyes suddenly blinked open, stealing a glance up at the two, almost testing to see if there was still too many loud noises. At finding things quiet, Vis uncurled from the floor.
"It was my fault… Well, our fault. I think it was because of these." Vis explained as she opened her trenchcoat pockets and began to dispense lightsaber after lightsaber arranging them one after the other onto the floor.
"WHOA!" Chol exclaimed, the Mon Calamari quickly donned an alertness and took several steps back. "Kid! Where'd you get those!?"
Vis reached down and picked up one that was still mostly intact and began examining it, "I found them in the black marketplace along with this temple guard key," Vis' hand fished the old key from her pocket, "I'm not sure why Cenden got captured, but I'm pretty sure these are important to our mission!"
"What is our mission again?" Nek interjected, as he gnawed at one of his taloned fingers.
"We're figuring it out," Vis mumbled as she quickly twisted the lightsaber, the chamber half unlocking, half snapping apart, and a lone blue kyber crystal came tumbling out. "But this whole day probably has something to do with these."
Vis held the kyber crystal out for those crew around her to examine. It glowed with a pale blue light, and Vis' freckles shifted to match.
Everyone was quiet in the blue glow until Soron calmly took a breath, his whole body slumped forward a little.
He looked quite old at that moment. His clawed hand raised to pinch the bridge of his nose as his ears gave several frustrated twitches.
"Soron… I am sorry. It wasn't our place to put Vis in the situation we did." Lerti apologized as she slumped against the wall. It had been a long day.
Soron started quietly laughing to himself.
"I should know better than anyone here how one thing can spiral straight into insanity. I'm just glad my crew is safe… ish." Soron looked at the girl holding the bit of kyber and held out his hand. "I've seen many lightsabers in my time, but I guess I never really thought to look that closely at what was powering them. This is what's so important Vis?"
Vis blinked at him a few times before placing the crystal in his open hand. "If you listen, you can hear it singing."
"Singing swords…" He held the crystal aloft with a contemplative smile.
The blue glow had begun fading in his hands, but if anyone were to looking close enough, they could see the spark still left reflected in his eyes.
With a few nods, almost as if he'd come to an agreement with himself, he handed the crystal back to Vis, and turned to Lerti. With a clap on her shoulder, he spoke, "Let's get Cenden back."
Lerti's deep frown quickly switched to a smug smile, and a laugh escaped her lips. "But let's leave the fighting to anyone but Vis this time."
"Hey! I fought AWESOME!" Vis protested.
The others laughed.
With that, Soron ordered everyone to the debriefing room.
Well, "debriefing room" was what Soron was calling it today, but most of the time it was the galley. The ship's spacial capacity didn't allow the crew to have a formal mission debriefing room, so it was either this or BX's closet room, and everyone had long ago agreed that planning smuggling routes and near death missions were more fun with snacks.
Their newest crew member was certainly in agreement with that statement, as everyone piled into the "debriefing room", Nek showed Vis where he stashed sweet-sand cookies.
"BX," Soron called the droid to attention, "Pull up any information you have on the Imperial complex in the main province of Tiss'sharl. A map if we have one."
BX's eyes blinked to life and the city of Tiss'sharl now lay before them. The droid head gave a tilt and the center of the city expanded to reveal the Imperial complex installed near the center of the city.
"Whoa…" Vis whispered with her mouth full of cookie. A clamoring could be heard behind BX as the girl climbed up onto the counter behind the droid.
The holo-map gave a quick jolt and everyone's eyes glanced up to see Vis now leaning her whole body on the droid attempting to either look directly into the blue beams emitting from his eyes or to make shadow puppets over the cityscape, and only the Force could tell for certain.
"So here's the deal." Soron began with a clap, "This is the Imperial building here. But any basic map could tell you that; we only have the map of basic schematics of the building and it's severely outdated. We are extremely… no, pitifully low on ammo, fuel, credits, just everything in general. If we are really going to pull this off and get Cenden out of there without us getting captured or dead, we're going to need some… Creative thinking. And that's an understatement. So, any ideas?"
Everyone was quiet as they weighed the odds. After nearly two full minutes of silence, the odds were added. And after 5 more minutes of half ideas, half-thoughts, and the words 'We could… maybe… and what if,' thrown about it seems the odds were perfectly evened out.
"We could use explosives?"
"Too messy, too risky."
"Maybe infiltrate and extract?"
"Possibly, but we'd have to have a nearly flawless getaway."
"What if we just come back later when we have more resources?"
"They could ship him out and that makes rescue even harder."
The five crew members went back and forth with each other, and each plan just came up with more complications.
That's when Vis crawled down from the counter and under the hologram. Lifting her hand through the image she sent her fingers walking down the city lanes straight up to the Imperial building where her little hand man proceeded to pass right on through.
"Hmmmmm, hey guys?" Vis mumbled as she lay on the floor, now staring up at the floating city, her hand running gently through the bottom of the map's plan.
No one heard her so BX responded, "Yes tiny thing glitching my holo-program?"
With BX's blunt response, the group quieted for a moment and acknowledged the voice below the hologram.
"I don't know much about how jail stuff works and everything, but... can't we just, bail him out?"
The crew went silent.
"Just… bail him out!? Ha! Kid, that's not how it works!" Lerti laughed.
"I know the Empire's evil and stuff, but I've read a lot of stories and doesn't he get his one holo-message call or something? I don't know how much bail costs, but it sounds kinda easier than trying to break him out."
The group of mercenary fighters again went quiet.
"I mean! If you guys wanna fight and blow stuff up, I'm down for that! I don't know how to do that but I'm willing to learn!" Vis rambling as she rolled out from under the hologram and went over for more cookies, "I kinda forgot cookies existed, could never find any in the old food rations at the temple…"
She went silent as Soron moved in on the map, his hand stroking the fur under his chin. His hand went to his comlink as he pulled up what appeared to be the crew's overall funds, what was left over anyway. He frowned discerningly.
"You know what… I don't know why we wouldn't do that." Soron agreed, with voice cut with a 'matter-of-fact' tone.
Lerti's face scrunched into disbelief, "Are you serious? Wouldn't they just arrest us the moment we walk in there?"
"Not if they didn't recognize us." Soron countered, glancing at Chol.
"We don't know how much they saw of us," Lerti argued back, "We might not even get a few steps in the door before they'd be onto us."
"But we wouldn't be doing anything wrong with this plan!" Vis jumped in, "We'd just be paying what we need to, right?"
"But they'd ask questions. We'll need a cover story with whoever we send. If I remember correctly, bail for being out past curfew is about 100 credits on Tiss'sharl, that's what they arrested him for right?" Soron asked, and Lerti nodded, so the captain continued, "Though our funds are monumentally low, we do have enough fuel in this bird to get us to Nar'Shaada, so even if the price is raised, we should have enough."
"Wow. I never thought I'd see the day where we, as in us, was planning on following the rules!" Nek laughed.
"Well, it's actually the best bet we got for something worse not to happen. I just wish we could contact Cenden somehow. Our cover stories need to match up best they can. No doubt Cenden's been interrogated by now, so he's already given his version of the story."
Vis, who was now back on the counter with a pile of cookies on her lap, slowly raised her hand, "I think me and my guide can help with that."
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
My guide had been following the words swirling about the room for a while.
With each new suggestion and each new word, I felt the ball of anxiety that had built up in my brain begin to get picked at one string at a time.
Then things began to connect. And I began to realize I was sorely out of my league. The fighting, the shooting, and possible stabbing… This was what I had wanted right? The adventure I'd been waiting for?
But now I sat here in quiet of the kitchen just listening to the others talking while cookie crumbs fell around my mouth… and this weird feeling came back. The one I felt before I left the temple.
It started at my toes and the tips of my fingers, but it felt like it was all pulling towards my heart and head. Like two magnets being attracted to each other, this feeling kept rising further and further up my body. And the more I wanted it to stop, the more I told my heart to stop beating so fast, then the more I thought about the falling and flying and jumping towards a giant Wookie with a gun… The more I realized we could've died.
'I'm being silly. Shut up brain. I was never in any real danger, my guide. I would've sensed it beforehand… right?' I talked in my own head as I felt the Force wrap around me like a blanket.
I felt peace wash over me, but I could still sense the paths where things might've gone horribly wrong. 'Force? I want to calm down. I don't want to be scared. But all they're talking about is more possible death scenarios. You're sense it, right?'
In each mind, it felt like fuses to bombs being lit in their heads.
The idea would strike, the fuse became lit, but at the end of the idea blew up in their faces.
There were possibilities things would work, but they were so small, and to be honest, I could barely keep up with what they were talking about. I hadn't studied these topics as much from the holocrons.
'I wish we could just walk in and get him.' I thought to my guide, 'Blowing up stuff sound really exciting, but there has to be an easier way right?'
That's when I spoke up. And as it turns out, we might be able to just walk in and get him!
My whole body felt like it might melt. I watched as my bright yellow freckles shifted to a deep blue while I let out a breath I didn't realize I was holding. We don't have to fight. This time.
I'm such a wimp.
"Well, it's actually the best bet we got for something worse not to happen. I just wish we could contact Cenden somehow. Our cover stories need to match up best they can. No doubt Cenden's been interrogated by now, so he's already given his version of the story."
At Soron's words, my whole being perked up.
I felt my guide dance around my head and seem to begin smiling and pulling at ideas in my mind. A grin broke out across my face as we chanted together in my mind, 'Play time! Play time!'
Keep it cool.
"I think me and my guide can help with that," I said mysteriously as I set my cookies aside and hopped off the counter.
"You can help out with what?" Lerti voiced.
"Well, I'm glad you asked!" 'They are going to be so impressed!' "I do this ALL the time with my guide when I need to figure out something I don't understand or don't know yet. I sort of place myself in that person's perspective at the moment they're in, and can kind of… Be them? Normally, people are pretty predictable. So if the interrogations already happened, I think we can figure out what Cenden said and did...maybe. It's a sort of tracking ability from what I've read in holocron data." I paused to take a breath.
"Uuuuhhhhhh, like how we pretended to be holocrons back at the temple two days ago?" Nek answered after a moment of pause.
"Exactly! It works with people, objects, ideas, stuff like that. It's just a good way for my guide to get across information. It's not 100% effective, but it worked with you guys pretty well before we met!" I exclaimed as I looked across the faces staring back at me.
I think they're confused.
"Here. I'll just show you."
The holographic map blinked off as I walked through the center of it and over towards the small table and rounded booth seats only a few steps away from the "debriefing space".
"Alright, just don't interrupt," I warned them. Only Soron gave a nod, but that's fine. I took a breath, letting my guide flow into me. Focusing, I let my mind relax, and the room around me fell away. There was only darkness. I was nothingness, and I can be anything.
Now Cenden fell into view.
I looked into his eyes at first and tried to bring my freckles to the same hue as his stern pale green ones.
Next, I put on his face. I put on his scowl that seemed to rest so comfortable there. And with a tilt of my head and a wave of my arms, I could see his mannerisms, sharp and direct.
With the new body I wore, I reached out with my hand and my eyes still closed, feeling for the seat that was once next to me but now was enveloped in the darkness. Locking my wrists together, I took a seat. I could feel the cold metal in my hand as the imagined weight of another chair moved at my touch, and I sat down.
Now time to set up the scene.
I opened my eyes.
My body ached everywhere. Not just from the fall from the building, but from the first stun shock, and then from the second stun, I'd felt before the world had gone completely dark.
My vision swam still as I sat in the interrogation room. I'd been awake for a while, but they'd kept me waiting for half an hour at least, a scare tactic.
Now, I tried to keep my heart from racing out of my chest, I tried to keep myself from using every bit of power I had to Force-choke the Imperial officer, who I could now sense approaching from the other side of the locked door… But not yet.
Maybe not at all.
'As far as they're concerned,' I thought carefully, 'I'm an Imperial nurse. Have been for years. Just been off the clock for a few months catching up on some long desired travel in my old age.'
That's what the records said, that's what I have to say.
The officer walked into the room.
I greeted the man with an impatient scowl.
Now I let my freckles shift to the deep brown of this other human man's eyes. His arm was in a sling from where Nek had shot him. He was low ranking and had been looking forward to meeting a quota, but instead had been met with a blaster shot to the arm. Now, this was personal.
The interrogator looked at a datapad he held in his other hand, looking intrigued at what was written there.
"Cenden Sondron, is it?"
"Yes," I answered with a slight roll of my eyes.
"It says here that you're an Imperial medic, ranked as a nurse, is that correct?"
"Right again," At his second question, I straightened my back and sat up a bit straighter in my seat. "Which means I could probably take a look at your arm if you want."
"No that's quite alright, I already have my own medical team working on it."
"Right...Well. Why am I here then?" I questioned as slouched back into my seat. "I mean honestly, don't you have anything better to do than interrogate me? I heard the blockade warning, shouldn't you be out dealing with zhat?"
The interrogator igored my jab and continued, "Cenden Sondron, born on Ambria, currently 55 in human cycles, and has been affiliated with the Empire since it's early conception as a medical assistant on the field, and currently on leave. And not much information beyond that."
"What exactly is it that you're wanting to know?" I donned an impatient tone.
"I want to know who it is I have in custody."
"You just read my report."
The officer placed the data pad behind his back and began to stalk slowly around the table.
"No. You misunderstand. I want to know why it is that a medical officer who has been on leave for the past several months for no reason other than 'you wanted to', just happens to show up on Tiss'sharl. Spotted leaping from rooftop to rooftop after a black market raid just went down. Rebellious activity had been spotted in the area, and upon arrest, the officer in charge of the arrest was assaulted and nearly killed. That's what I want to know."
"Listen, I…"
"I've heard of your kind before Mr. Sondron. The Imperial freeloaders, ones who pledge their loyalty just to give the law the slip. And, what's more I know a veteran of the Clone Wars when I see one, so, tell me. Whose side are you on?"
'My own.' I meditated on those words but forced them back down my throat.
"The Empire's."
"Oh really?" He began again, "Then how did all of this happen?"
"Zhat's honestly what I'm still trying to figure out." I started, trying to sound sincere, "One minute, I'm on Tiss'sharl for a routine freelance check-up I have in zhe area, and the next thing I know I hear the blockade warning over the Imperial channel, so I decided to leave..."
"By running along the rooftops?" The Imperial mocked.
"Call it what you will but blockades slow down traffic. I thought the roofs would be faster to get out of zhe area."
"And what about this?" He pointed to his blaster-singed arm.
I closed my eyes with a sigh, trying to look empathetic, 'I'm going to kill that Devaronian if I get out of this.'
"I don't know who did that, I just know how to treat it."
The Imperial laughed in disbelief. I needed to say something more if this was going to work, if I was going to get out of here.
"Look, if you're so keen on accusing me of something, then please accuse me already. Otherwise, can I leave?" I feigned the tone of my voice's growing concern
The officer grew quiet as he scanned over his datapad several more times before sighing and looking up at the one way glass where no doubt the officer's superiors were observing the interrogation. The officer made a motion with his hand towards his ear, a sign someone had given instructions over an earpiece.
With a silent glance back my way, the officer turned and left the interrogation room.
I groaned in frustration and glared up at the ceiling. The silent leave meant they couldn't get anything on me. But they also weren't going to let me leave anytime soon, and if they wanted to drag this out for days, OR if they forgot why they'd arrested me, I could be deported for nothing.
'Zhe better have a plan to get me out of here soon.'
Taking a breath, I closed my eyes and slid further down in my seat.
Then, I opened my eyes.
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
Cenden sat up in his chair as he heard the sound of the interrogation door slide open. His vision was foggy for a moment, he must've dozed off in the time he'd been waiting.
Two stormtroopers stood waiting for him at the door. One gave a nod and a slight wave for him to follow.
"Cenden Sondron, you are free to go. Your bail has been paid." The trooper explained.
Cenden stood hesitantly. This wasn't right.
"Uh huh, sure. And is 'free to go' code for 'we're taking you to your cell now?'" Cenden replied spitefully.
The Jedi almost jumped when from somewhere down the hall he heard a gruff voice call out to him, "No! They mean you're free to go Cenden!"
Cenden now walked curiously towards the door, "Chol?"
The two stormtroopers positioned themselves along each side of the "Imperial nurse" as they escorted him down the hall. Blinking in surprise, Cenden saw at the end of the cold metal hallway of the Imperial holding cells stood on the opposite side of a ray shielded door was the Mon Calamari pilot.
Paralleling Cenden's situation, Cholmon had an Imperial officer flanking each side of the old fish, who stood looking rather pleased at himself as Cenden was brought ever closer.
As Cenden neared the threshold, the stormtrooper on his left leaned in close and through the visor heard a somewhat familiar voice quickly whisper, "Nice to see you again. We didn't know the raid was on for today. Tell Vis that 'the twins' say hi."
With that, Cenden's escort had reached its end. They turned him and removed the restrainers on his wrists before closing the ray shield keeping him from freedom.
"So you're sure this is the man who's been giving treatments to your…?" The Imperial officer directed at Chol.
"Daughter." Cholmon finished, "We've had nurse Sondron in our services for routine check-ups for a while. He does it on freelance, and he came just in time this year to treat our daughter. He left early last night when we heard the blockade going up, I tried contacting him so he could come back and finishing treating her for the week only to learn he'd been arrested. As you can imagine me and my wife were quite…"
"That's enough, thank you." The other officer cut him short.
Chol cleared his throat. Cenden noted that this was the most he had ever heard Chol speak at one time.
"Do you have proof of his employment?" The officer questioned.
"Yes sir." Chol said as he pulled a datapad out of his pocket displaying what Cenden could only assume was some of Nek's work.
The same officer with the blasted shoulder, another token of Nek's work, looked at the data pad, eyeing it with an upturned nose, seemingly angry that everything seemed to be in place.
"Right, well. Sorry for the misunderstanding medical officer Sondron. Everything seems to be in order and your bail has been paid." The officer said in disdain.
"My bail has been paid?" Cenden eyed Chol in subtle surprise.
"Yes, you are free to go." The officers stepped aside and Chol clapped Cenden on the back as the two made their way out of the holding cell and into the civilian waiting room.
All manner of life colliated amongst the civilian waiting room of the Imperial detention center in the main city of Tiss'sharl. Glancing about the space, Cenden could see among the crowds many worried faces. Looking up at the detainee board, it seemed many had been arrested in the blockade. Family's of those being interrogated waited to hear news if they could pay the bail, or if their loved one would ever be seen again. Cenden could see how Chol had been able to pull off the lie, but how had he known about…
"How did you know what I told the interrogation officer about being in the area for routine check-ups?" Cenden leaned in and whispered into what served as Chol's ear.
"Quiet." He mumbled as they walked and little further past the receptionist's service desk, "I'll explain once we're out of here and on our way to Nar'Shaada… and let's just say the kid does a pretty good impression of you."
With that, the Jedi and the pilot began to make their way back.
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
"The Force is dark. The Force is deep. The Force is mysterious. It's depths unreachable, it's vastness great. To those who are born above, they sail atop it's waters to find the end is an endless search for nothing, and those who dive to the clouded darkness from above to reach what lies below only ends in death in the pitch of night. But, to those born within, surrounded by it's waters, they look up from where they float, and see only the light of day to raise to, the light their only guide. The Force is light."
"I like that sis, did you write that?"
"Nope. It's an old Jedi proverb, so… It doesn't say an author name."
"Well, it sounds like you to me."
"Really?"
"Yeah! How you talk about the world and how the Force makes you feel things… I wish I could feel stuff like that. "
"Well, you're my brother, I'm sure you have it in you! Maybe you just need a different perspective. That's what the proverbs talking about in first place, Soron."
Soron felt a cold nail press into his forehead, pressure began to build in his mind, threatening to cause his head to split.
"Soron…?" A voice called out to him.
"SORON! HELP!"
Soron awoke with a choked scream.
His hand flew to his forehead to massage his aching head as he got a sense of his surroundings. He was still in his room on his ship making it's way to Nar'Shaada. Soron looked about, recalling moment for moment the dream he'd just had, it was more like a memory or two mashed together… He must've been napping for only about an hour in hyper-space time, but that last cry for help in his dream had sounded so real. Had that been only in his dream or had that been…?
"SSOOORRROOONNN!" Vis' high pitched voice suddenly rang around the ship.
"COME BACK HERE YOU LITTLE-!" Cenden's voice chorused in response.
Within moments Soron was out of bed and in the hallway just in time to see Vis come skidding around the corner, panic-ridden and red freckled. The girl was also completely barefoot and sans oversized trench coat, making her already tiny stature even more wiry and small.
"SORON HELP HE'S TRYING TO STAB ME!" Vis yelled at the top of her lungs as she skillfully slid past Soron's wide-shouldered stature just as Cenden came rushing from the same direction holding what looked to be a hypo-syringe.
"FOR THE LOVE OF BANTHA, VIS. IF YOU ARE STAYING ON THIS SHIP YOU ARE GETTING VACCINATED OR YOU. WILL. DIE. WE DIDN'T SPEND NEARLY THE LAST OF OUR MONEY BUYING THESE MEDICAL SUPPLIES TO NOT USE THEM!"
"No the last of our money was actually used to bail you out of jail." Soron pointed out smugly as crossed his arms and smiled in amusement.
Cenden stopped to catch his breath and shoot Soron a stink eye, "I've been running diagnostics on her, but the moment a needle comes into play she takes off. You'd think a person WANTING TO SWORD FIGHT WOULDN'T BE SCARED OF NEEDLES!" Cenden heaved as he directed his last point to wherever Vis ran off to.
From somewhere in the ship a voice could be heard in reply, "I AM NO COWARD, I AM A SURVIVOR!"
Cenden growled under his breath in frustration.
"You two seem to be getting along well." Soron observed sarcastically before talking into his intercom, "BX, could you grab Vis for me?"
"I will never understand how Jedi ever put up with this." Cenden shook his head in disbelief.
"Have a little optimism. You haven't even started training with her yet."
"Yeah, about that…" Cenden said as he turned and gestured for Soron to follow. Cenden lead the captain over to the small room the crew called the medical bay.
Soron suppressed a laugh as he saw the result of Vis' daring vaccination escape with a lot of Cenden's smaller pieces of medical equipment strewn around the room. On the screen, Soron observed that Cenden had begun making a medical record for Vis just like he had his first week with the rest of the crew.
"As you can see here, I managed to draw a bit of blood before the kid decided needles were 'not for her' and made a run for it." On the screen, a sample of blood came into view, "After running a few tests, she is part human and some other sort of speciez I don't have on file, not much of a surprise there. But, I ran one other test and I found she has an average number of midichlorians." Cenden concluded, looking at Soron for some kind of reaction.
"And…?"
"Aaannnddd, Soron, she technically can't be classified as Force-sensitive."
"What? That makes no sense."
"I know, but generally Jedi would be guided to Force-sensitives and Jedi-potentials have a midichlorian count way above this. "
"So would Jedi be guided to Force-sensitive children by the Force or by midichlorians?" Soron inquired.
"The Force and the midichlorians are a symbiotic relationship so both I suppose…"
"Then are midichlorians what cause someone to be Force-sensitive?" Soron rebutted.
"...Well, it was actually still being researched in my day but it seems all things have midichlorians just not everyone can 'use them' so-to-speak." Cenden said as he shrugged and ran his hand over the back of his neck.
"Then maybe there's different kinds of Force-sensitivity and there IS a possibility that midichlorian counts don't matter?" Soron pressed.
"That's definitely a possibility." Cenden sighed with an exaggerated tone.
"Good! Glad to hear you're still on for training her then and you weren't using this as an elaborate excuse not to! I'm also glad you're not going to mention this to the kid!" Soron established with a forced smile.
Cenden rolled his eyes, "Uh huh."
Just as Cenden's eyes finished their rotation, the clanking sound of BX's footsteps could be heard from down the hall, along with the sound of struggling.
"Unhand me, villain!" Vis commanded as BX came into sight in the doorway, holding Vis aloft by her underarms.
"I grabbed Vis for you." BX announced.
"Thanks. Could you set that right over there?" Soron pointed to the small bed on the opposite side of the small medical bay.
BX nodded as Vis began to struggle even harder.
"BX, stay in here and make sure Vis gets all her needed shots so she can continue her Force mission with us and our crew and not carry the plague with her like a scavenger's backpack." Soron said as he looked directly at Vis.
She frowned, but stopped struggling as hard, seeming to catch his drift but not wanting to give up the illusion that she was still fighting.
Soron nodded and turned to leave, "We'll be landing on Nar'Shaddaa soon," He turned his head to face them in the doorway and laughed, "And trust me, if you're going to need a vaccination anywhere, it's there."
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
"Wow! This place is... massive!" Vis said, face pressed against the one glass window of Soron's quarters.
Taking in the sprawling expanse of Nar Shaddaa, choked with buildings and in perpetual blackness kept at bay by the sickly lights of the crime world.
"It is, and you're not going to set foot out there." Soron said as he stood behind her.
"Oh come on! I'm used to the noise now! And I won't go wandering off unless I need to." She whined, but Soron's tone made it clear he wasn't gonna budge.
"Vis, I know your joining us was rather sudden and you haven't exactly had time to settle into this, but you're a part of a crew now. And the crew has to work together. So for now, your job is to stay here and work on this."
Vis turned her attention away from the window just in time to see Soron produce the shining white orb they'd received from within Vis' temple home. Vis' freckles turned a deep purple as a serious tone crossed her face.
"Nar'Shaddaa is a dangerous place, and if you're able to draw danger on a place like Tiss'sharl, then peril will most definitely find you here. You're very used to going where ever you need to, whenever you feel to, but is there any chance you could focus on simply figuring out what we're supposed to be doing with this while I take some jobs?" Soron explained as he held out the orb to Vis.
The girl nodded, "Can do."
The orb in Soron's grasp felt as if another hand suddenly grabbed hold of the orb, and Soron watched as the kyber crystal sphere was removed from his hand by thin air and floated into Vis' open palm.
As the two walked out of the room, Vis began apologetically running her hand over the orb, "I'm sorry this is all so vague. It seemed pretty clear what we were supposed to do when we left the temple. 'Find some holocrons with certain messages inside', and I knew that wouldn't be easy, but I've lived alongside holocrons for so long, I figured they were a bit more abundant than they are… I think I forgot how big the galaxy is."
"My friend, you have no idea." Soron responded wistfully, "Our journey has only begun, we don't have to have all the answers right away. And mission or not, I'm glad to have you aboard."
"Really?" Vis responded, obvious she didn't know how to respond to the kindness.
"Really. I've seen you do some amazing things in the short time we've know you, and I have a feeling we could learn a thing or two." Soron and Vis stopped at the intersection of one of the ship's hallways.
Vis scoffed and slouched where she stood, "Well that's annoying considering I'M supposed to be the padawan around here."
Soron laughed, "It's rare we get to pick our roles, Vis. And on the topic," Soron turned his head and cupped his clawed hand near his mouth before shouting, "CENDEN! ARE YOU READY TO GO!?"
"I'm right here." Cenden said as he rounded a corner, "I'm old, I'm not deaf." The former temple-guard wore his usual scowl along with some extra gear that suggested he was expecting a fight. His normally plain, pale yellow tunic was overlapped with a chest guard the ran along his chest and over his shoulders, connecting around the base of his neck.
In fact, both men sported extra armor and weapon utilities that made them look like Lerti's casual on steroids. Vis noticed and frowned.
"So what exactly are you guys doing for jobs here?" Vis questioned.
"That's the problem," Soron exhaled as he adjusted one of his shoulder guards, "Our employer doesn't exactly hire us in advance, so it's just best to be prepared for anything and everything."
Footsteps quickly rounded the corner to reveal Nek. The Devorian huffed, out of breath, and held out his hand to Soron, "Here's the thermal detonators you wanted, it was the only pair I could find on the ship that weren't potential duds."
"Thanks Nek. I actually have another favor to ask of you." Soron said as he tucked the detonators away in a pouch on his belt.
"Sure, as long as it doesn't involve more running around the ship." Nek's response emanated exaggerated exhaustion.
"I'd like you to help Vis with the orb. You two seemed to work well together back at the temple with experimental theories so maybe you can figure out more about our next possible steps?" Soron entreated.
"Sure! Jedi stuff is really interestingly designed so I'd be happy to help her prod some answers out of that thing." Nek agreed as he moved to lean his elbow on Vis' shoulder, only for Vis' hollow form to be off balanced by the weight.
The two went tumbling to the ground only for Nek to quickly shoot back up off the floor, while Vis still lay on the ground nearly crying from a sudden giggle fit. Nek looked at her before giving a hasty thumbs up.
"Oh ja, I'm sure you two will be very productive." Cenden observed sarcastically.
"Don't worry we'll have the rest of the crew to keep us boring." The statement from Nek made Vis' laughter only grow in snorts. Nek continued, "We'll be fine, we'll keep you guys updated on what we find, just get out of here!" Nek said as he began pushing the two towards the ship's exit.
"Please stay out of trouble." Soron added as the two made their final leave.
"Oh I'm sure we won't." Vis exhaled, wiping a tear from her eye as she sat up from the floor.
On that note, Soron and Cenden left the Raving Titan and made their way into the crowded streets of Nar'Shadda. As usual, the city wafted with the scents of garbage and sewer fumes. It was night when they arrived on this section of the planet's surface, the lights of buildings that towered around them ate up any semblance of the sky that there might've been in such a place.
Soron always liked having the luxury of viewing the stars, it was a comforting thought that no matter what kind of trouble he got himself into, that there was always some possibility of somewhere else he needed to be.
Soron and Cenden didn't have to walk far, Beeb's main base of operation was stationed purposefully close to that section of the city's air field. This way if she had to make a hasty escape she wouldn't have to go far, but then again, if someone else attempted to make a hasty escape… It wouldn't be hard for Beebs' people to get to them first.
The familiar pulsing light and sounds that emanated from The Incubus called to Soron. After the past couple of weeks he'd be having, it was nice to hear something familiar. Even if that something was horribly loud and smelled like a highly concentrated version of Nar Shadda's streets.
Bracing themselves against the overwhelming atmosphere of the bar, the two shouldered their way through and around the large crowd that had gathered to riot-about on the dance floor. Heading up the dimly lit stairs towards the upper rooms, Soron and Cenden were greeted by Ando. The heavily scared human bodyguard seemed to be competing with Cenden for best scowl as he eyed the two suspiciously.
"Hey Ando." Soron greeted with an efforted wave, "It's been a while."
To Soron's surprise, the bodyguard entered the code to open the door without a word and gave them nothing more than an annoyed sniff as they moved to pass.
"What? Don't tell me you went and got nice while I was gone!" Soron humored as Ando moved to shove Soron into the room. The captain ducked the assault with a quiet sneer.
Entering Beeb's lavish apartment living room, the melodious voice of the Falleen crime boss swept into the room. Beeb crossed the threshold of one of her own back rooms, she seemed to be on a call as her hand held the hidden long range communication device hidden in her ear. Upon seeing Soron she smiled surprisedly and mouthed, 'Hi! Hold on one moment, on a call!' She turned her head as she listened, again attentive to the voice on the other end.
"Yes I'm still here." Beebs responded as she waved her hand towards the couches, motioning for them to sit, "Ralnar, I can hear you just fine, but as you know there's nothing else that can be done. You promised me the shipment and I expect you to get it for me…" Beebs cupped her other hand over her ear and hissed, "Do you want something to drink?"
Soron and Cenden quietly shook their heads as a no. Beebs gave a thumbs up before returning to her conversation,
"Ralnar, I don't care what it takes for you to get that shipment off of Odessen, just get it done… Oh?" An oddly cruel smile stretched across Beebs' face, "Is that so? Well, I suppose there's nothing else that can be done. Bye-bye Ralnar." Beebs hung up and looked over to her Tiss'shar secretary, "Xa-Sin-Ruk? Send someone to break his knees or whatever it is Rakata's use to walk with."
Beebs let out a frustrated sigh with a smile before taking a seat on the couch across from Soron and Cenden. "Ah! Sorry about that, good help is so hard to find these days yatta-yatta, any-who! Soron! Where have you been? It feels like it's been ages! And bringing your newest crew member without again? Huh, well aren't you Soron's favorite!?" Beebs exclaimed as if she was talking with a couple of friend over lunch.
Cenden scoffed as he crossed his arms, "I doubt I'm anyone's favorite anything."
"Well aren't you modest." She retorted slyly, "SO, what brings you by these parts here again? Galaxy got too big for you?" She inquired as she motioned for her secretary to make her a drink.
"You could say that." Soron responded with a forced laugh, "The long and short of it Beebs is that we're very broke."
"Say no more my friend, as you probably overheard I need someone on route to Odessen and the pay will be worth the hassle I'm sure."
Soron held up a hand, "That would be great Beebs and we'd be willing to go check the situation out there, but we honestly only had enough fuel to get from Tiss'sharl to here." Soron looked over at the secretary, "Lovely place by the way, great weather this time of year."
The Tiss'shar hardly glanced up from his screen at Soron's comment. Soron continued, "Beebs, we're basically wearing all the ammo we have left. We were hoping for something a little more local so bring us back up to our normal standard of equipment."
"Huh." Beebs was quiet for a moment, she seemed to be contemplating something as she looked the two of them over, "That doesn't sound like you Soron, you're normally so careful to come to me before you're desperate. You know that's how you get the… less desirable jobs."
"Like you said," Soron shifted slightly in his seat, "We're desperate."
Beebs noticed the moment of discomfort in Soron's demeanor and raised an eyebrow ever so gently with a knowing look on her face, "Oh Soron, please don't tell me you're on another one of your… personal missions again, are you?"
Cenden said nothing at this but gave Soron a look that spoke volumes for him:
'What's she mean by that?'
"Of course not, Beebs." Soron tried to say reassuredly, "You know very well I haven't been on about that in a good long while, and I won't be starting up again on that anytime soon."
Beebs shrugged and seemed to drop the topic, pulling up a holomap on the stimcaf table she kept between them. Listing off a few different jobs she had in the area, they took the one with the best pay but as warned, was the messiest option.
Soron had a grimace locked on his face as the rose to leave the seemingly cozy apartment Beebs used as her home. Cenden noticed his captain picking at the underside of his claws as Soron worriedly prepared to speak.
Cenden began to gather the Force around Soron, willing him in his mind, 'Don't say anything. Don't say anything. Don't-'
"Beebs?" Soron turned before they left, "Don't you have any information on… holocrons, in the area?"
'Blast it.' Cenden sighed to himself in defeat.
Beebs blinked in surprise before the sly smile they'd seen come over her face earlier spread longingly across her lips. Wrapping an arm around her own waist and slowly raising a finger up to her face in feigned curiosity, she smiled, "Why the sudden interest, Soron?"
Soron shrugged unconvincingly, "We met a buyer in Tiss'sharl who mentioned something about being interested in buying one."
"Are you sure that interested buyer wasn't you, Soron?" Beebs inquired nonchalantly.
"No, it was a gentlemen named-"
"Soron? Shut up." Beebs commanded sweetly, and surprisingly the captain obeyed. The Falleen crime lord stalked up to Soron slowly, "Soron Mekusa. I've known you for long enough to know when you're about to start doing something stupid. Something particularly… Jedi involved. And because I like you, I'm going to tell you this. Do not go looking for holocrons here on Nar Shadda. This planet has a rich history with the topic, and if this means you're off on another one of your little pilgrimages that's going to probably affect my business with you negatively, then I suggest you stop again, now, before this planet's rich history bleeds you dry."
With that, Beebs turned swiftly with a wave of a hand. Suddenly, Ando who had opened the door for them, stepped into the room to usher them out. Soron and Cenden followed him out without resistance.
"Thanks for the warning Beebs!" Soron said voice dripping with fake jovialness, "It was nice catching up!"
Beebs laughed, "And the same to you, you fool of a captain!" She returned with the same tone.
Cenden and Soron made their way out back onto the streets outside of The Incubus, and the coordinates to their 'desperate mission' were sent to their comlinks on their wrists. Cenden, looking up towards where he knew Beebs room was located on the second floor, raised an eyebrow before looking at Soron,
"What was zhat about?" The old Jedi questioned.
"Eeeehhhhh, I'll tell you on the way to our job." Soron replied as he ran his hand over the back of his neck, "Let's just say this whole thing with Vis isn't the first time I've had run-ins with the Force. This just happens to be the first time I'm directly involved for once. Let's get a move on and hope Beebs' warning won't find its way back to our crew… I have a bad feeling about all of that."
A/N: We're back at all of you with another chapter! This one took a very long time to make, partially cause of real life events and partially as we needed this and the next chapter to begin out other arcs that we have planned for this story. We hope you all enjoy, and if you want head over to our official Twitter page ( FreeReign4) for updates, art, and much more!