A Mercenary's Tale – Chapter Eight
Life is nothing but sweet torment
I squinted my eyes as I gazed at the shadowed cell door, awaiting whatever lay behind it to come in. My room was pitch black. Funny. I guess Urna preferred a psychological way of torturing us poor souls who had no option but to bend to her rules. I slowly backed into the corner as I heard the lock on the door snap. Slowly, the door creaked and light ethereally peaked through the ever opening crevice as a hand reached around to push the door even further open. "Who could this be?" I thought to myself.
I watched as a shadowed figure (but very obviously slender) peeped through the door. I strained to catch a glimpse of who my rescuer... Or attacker may be. "Jaro.. Jaro are you in here?" Came a familiar voice.
"Rivu!" I exclaimed, "What are you doing here?"
"I saw what happened, I came to save you-," in desperation, I cut Rivu off.
"Look, there's no time, if Urna's men find you here you'll be thrown in here too! We have to plan our escape." I told her. She came in and hoisted me up from my squatting position, I carefully patted away the dust from my knees as I squinted in the dark room to see Rivu. "Lead the way." I said calmly.
Maria was dead and gone and there was nothing I could have done to save her. It was my fault. I was always the failure... I still am. I followed Rivu down what seemed like an endless maze of monotonous tunnels, "I thought you got through this place to find me, sister!" I exclaimed with a nervous laugh, more in frustration than in nerves, however. Urna's men were sure to become suspicious, oh, especially after they found an empty cell..
"I.. I guess it was luck the first time. But look, brother! At least we're together, the team and all! Freedom's Fate Family, back together again!" Rivu said, staring at me. I watched her carefully then realisation appeared to dawn upon her as she lowered her eyes. "Look.." She muttered softly and somewhat ashamedly. "We.. Should just get going."
I nodded casually at Rivu, in total agreement with her previous statement. I carried on following her trails as my thoughts drifted endlessly into other times...
"How exciting! What are you going to name him?" My mother said jovially to me.
"Me and Morgana had a few names in mind-," I said in reply, but was quickly cut off.
"Do tell!" My mother, Patyria exclaimed.
"Mom!" I exclaimed in excitement, "I know that you're excited, but will you please just let me leave so I can go and visit my wife?" I asked, smiling and laughing softly. I watched as my mother rolled her eyes.
"The laws of physics states that she will still be there, now please, spend five minutes with your mother. Tell me what he is like!" My mother said, making a grand old fuss. I smiled when I remembered this. Ever since my father had died, I'd not seen her so excited about anything.
"I'll be bringing him home soon, but if you must know, he has his mother's looks. He's very beautiful, in other words." I replied, giving a proud grin.
"Oh my! I can't wait to see him. I wish.. I wish your father was here." And suddenly, the conversation was dead. After a long silence, I cleared my throat and began to speak.
"I'm sure he is. He is one with the Force now." I replied.
And then, I knew why I was remembering this.
Maria was also one with the force, along with Morgana and Revan.
And all three of them would never ever leave my mind, or my knowledge of their new existence.
Rivu stopped and gave me a soft grin. "Ok sister," I said, "Why have we stopped here?" My question was left unanswered as Rivu bent down and gently moved aside a Sith issue manhole. "Oh geeze." Came my reply to that.
"Well, I've found how I got in, Jaro!" Rivu exclaimed. I wiggled my eyebrow at her and folded my arms.
"If you think I'm going into sewers you've got another thing coming, sister." I said to her, holding my hands up in a silly gesture.
"You want to get out of here don't you? God, you ungrateful bantha fodder! Besides, the sewers will probably run away from YOU and YOUR stench!" Rivu snapped at me, her head tails flapping around her neck defensively.
"Ouch, sister. At least I was polite. I didn't complain about you smelling of Gammorean puke, did I?" I asked, grinning at Rivu.
"No, because you knew that I would have left you in that cell to rot, and I probably should have!" She exclaimed, laughing as she jumped down the hole. I watched as she motioned her hand towards me, "Come on, Tusken slime worm!" She exclaimed.
All I thought was, what an odd insult.
"Oh man," I muttered, "I really hate these places.." I said trailing off.
"Quiet you! It seems you have been blessed a life of luxury, being a smuggler you have to know how to survive, sewers are often overlooked." She replied, stepping around some rather dodgy looking blue slime.
"Eegh.. I hate sewers." I said, repeating myself.
"You've already said that once!" Rivu exclaimed.
"I'm sorry.." I said softly, Rivu glared at me. "Look! I'm really sorry, okay? Lets just find a way out of here as quickly as possible."
We carried on, precariously as Rivu led the way in the never ending maze. "We're almost there now!" Rivu said desperately as her pace quickened.
"Rivu! Watch where you're walking!" I shouted. Too late, Rivu had tripped over a sewerage pipe. I sighed and Rivu glared at me rubbing her ankle, "I did warn you." I muttered. If looks could kill, I was already dead. But this was also nothing new either. Women love to give me those looks, the ones that make you know.. Just know that your life will be a living misery. Forever. "Well, get up then." I said to her.
"It's not that easy you oversized chadra-fan's ear!" She yelled at me.
"Why not?" I said, reaching to scratch behind my neck.
"My ankle, I need kolto.." She whispered, pointing to her backpack. I sighed and reached in, pulling out some kolto, also noticing that Rivu had managed to steal two Sith uniforms.
"I don't know what I'll do with you kids." I muttered.
"Hey, enough of that! At least I managed to get them." Rivu exclaimed, as I got down on my knees ready to administer the kolto to her. She groaned and rubbed her foot, "Well what are you waiting for? You're like one of those old fart Jedi Masters, always analysing every little move you make... Ow!" Rivu exclaimed as I shoved the kolto injector into her.
"You had that coming, sister" I muttered. I watched as Rivu suddenly relaxed, the kolto working it's marvellous affects upon her. Her head tails wrapped around her neck comfortingly. "That'll teach you to insult me again." I said, winking at her.
"I'm sorry.." She whispered, sniffing the air gently and wheezing against the stench of the sewers.
"What for?" I asked solemnly.
"For what you went through down in the pit with Maria." She whispered, obviously trying not to get too emotional.
"Lets not talk on it." I replied quickly.
"But-," she asked.
"Rivu, no. Lets get going." I said, immediately bringing myself up onto my feet, repeating my ritual of dusting off my knees. I watched as Rivu stood up and led the way out from the sewer.
Darkness littered the baron, volcanic rock that was etched deep into Korriban, like the scars of an ancient warrior who bore pain so deep that the blood would never seep out from them ever again. I crept along with Rivu, who led the way back to the Freedom's Fate.
"It's open.." Rivu gasped. I instinctively moved my hand towards my holster, but realised I had left my blaster aboard the Freedom's Fate in the first place. Rivu unsheathed her vibroblade and crept inside the Freedom's Fate.
What we saw next would change things forever..
Life is nothing but sweet torment
I squinted my eyes as I gazed at the shadowed cell door, awaiting whatever lay behind it to come in. My room was pitch black. Funny. I guess Urna preferred a psychological way of torturing us poor souls who had no option but to bend to her rules. I slowly backed into the corner as I heard the lock on the door snap. Slowly, the door creaked and light ethereally peaked through the ever opening crevice as a hand reached around to push the door even further open. "Who could this be?" I thought to myself.
I watched as a shadowed figure (but very obviously slender) peeped through the door. I strained to catch a glimpse of who my rescuer... Or attacker may be. "Jaro.. Jaro are you in here?" Came a familiar voice.
"Rivu!" I exclaimed, "What are you doing here?"
"I saw what happened, I came to save you-," in desperation, I cut Rivu off.
"Look, there's no time, if Urna's men find you here you'll be thrown in here too! We have to plan our escape." I told her. She came in and hoisted me up from my squatting position, I carefully patted away the dust from my knees as I squinted in the dark room to see Rivu. "Lead the way." I said calmly.
Maria was dead and gone and there was nothing I could have done to save her. It was my fault. I was always the failure... I still am. I followed Rivu down what seemed like an endless maze of monotonous tunnels, "I thought you got through this place to find me, sister!" I exclaimed with a nervous laugh, more in frustration than in nerves, however. Urna's men were sure to become suspicious, oh, especially after they found an empty cell..
"I.. I guess it was luck the first time. But look, brother! At least we're together, the team and all! Freedom's Fate Family, back together again!" Rivu said, staring at me. I watched her carefully then realisation appeared to dawn upon her as she lowered her eyes. "Look.." She muttered softly and somewhat ashamedly. "We.. Should just get going."
I nodded casually at Rivu, in total agreement with her previous statement. I carried on following her trails as my thoughts drifted endlessly into other times...
"How exciting! What are you going to name him?" My mother said jovially to me.
"Me and Morgana had a few names in mind-," I said in reply, but was quickly cut off.
"Do tell!" My mother, Patyria exclaimed.
"Mom!" I exclaimed in excitement, "I know that you're excited, but will you please just let me leave so I can go and visit my wife?" I asked, smiling and laughing softly. I watched as my mother rolled her eyes.
"The laws of physics states that she will still be there, now please, spend five minutes with your mother. Tell me what he is like!" My mother said, making a grand old fuss. I smiled when I remembered this. Ever since my father had died, I'd not seen her so excited about anything.
"I'll be bringing him home soon, but if you must know, he has his mother's looks. He's very beautiful, in other words." I replied, giving a proud grin.
"Oh my! I can't wait to see him. I wish.. I wish your father was here." And suddenly, the conversation was dead. After a long silence, I cleared my throat and began to speak.
"I'm sure he is. He is one with the Force now." I replied.
And then, I knew why I was remembering this.
Maria was also one with the force, along with Morgana and Revan.
And all three of them would never ever leave my mind, or my knowledge of their new existence.
Rivu stopped and gave me a soft grin. "Ok sister," I said, "Why have we stopped here?" My question was left unanswered as Rivu bent down and gently moved aside a Sith issue manhole. "Oh geeze." Came my reply to that.
"Well, I've found how I got in, Jaro!" Rivu exclaimed. I wiggled my eyebrow at her and folded my arms.
"If you think I'm going into sewers you've got another thing coming, sister." I said to her, holding my hands up in a silly gesture.
"You want to get out of here don't you? God, you ungrateful bantha fodder! Besides, the sewers will probably run away from YOU and YOUR stench!" Rivu snapped at me, her head tails flapping around her neck defensively.
"Ouch, sister. At least I was polite. I didn't complain about you smelling of Gammorean puke, did I?" I asked, grinning at Rivu.
"No, because you knew that I would have left you in that cell to rot, and I probably should have!" She exclaimed, laughing as she jumped down the hole. I watched as she motioned her hand towards me, "Come on, Tusken slime worm!" She exclaimed.
All I thought was, what an odd insult.
"Oh man," I muttered, "I really hate these places.." I said trailing off.
"Quiet you! It seems you have been blessed a life of luxury, being a smuggler you have to know how to survive, sewers are often overlooked." She replied, stepping around some rather dodgy looking blue slime.
"Eegh.. I hate sewers." I said, repeating myself.
"You've already said that once!" Rivu exclaimed.
"I'm sorry.." I said softly, Rivu glared at me. "Look! I'm really sorry, okay? Lets just find a way out of here as quickly as possible."
We carried on, precariously as Rivu led the way in the never ending maze. "We're almost there now!" Rivu said desperately as her pace quickened.
"Rivu! Watch where you're walking!" I shouted. Too late, Rivu had tripped over a sewerage pipe. I sighed and Rivu glared at me rubbing her ankle, "I did warn you." I muttered. If looks could kill, I was already dead. But this was also nothing new either. Women love to give me those looks, the ones that make you know.. Just know that your life will be a living misery. Forever. "Well, get up then." I said to her.
"It's not that easy you oversized chadra-fan's ear!" She yelled at me.
"Why not?" I said, reaching to scratch behind my neck.
"My ankle, I need kolto.." She whispered, pointing to her backpack. I sighed and reached in, pulling out some kolto, also noticing that Rivu had managed to steal two Sith uniforms.
"I don't know what I'll do with you kids." I muttered.
"Hey, enough of that! At least I managed to get them." Rivu exclaimed, as I got down on my knees ready to administer the kolto to her. She groaned and rubbed her foot, "Well what are you waiting for? You're like one of those old fart Jedi Masters, always analysing every little move you make... Ow!" Rivu exclaimed as I shoved the kolto injector into her.
"You had that coming, sister" I muttered. I watched as Rivu suddenly relaxed, the kolto working it's marvellous affects upon her. Her head tails wrapped around her neck comfortingly. "That'll teach you to insult me again." I said, winking at her.
"I'm sorry.." She whispered, sniffing the air gently and wheezing against the stench of the sewers.
"What for?" I asked solemnly.
"For what you went through down in the pit with Maria." She whispered, obviously trying not to get too emotional.
"Lets not talk on it." I replied quickly.
"But-," she asked.
"Rivu, no. Lets get going." I said, immediately bringing myself up onto my feet, repeating my ritual of dusting off my knees. I watched as Rivu stood up and led the way out from the sewer.
Darkness littered the baron, volcanic rock that was etched deep into Korriban, like the scars of an ancient warrior who bore pain so deep that the blood would never seep out from them ever again. I crept along with Rivu, who led the way back to the Freedom's Fate.
"It's open.." Rivu gasped. I instinctively moved my hand towards my holster, but realised I had left my blaster aboard the Freedom's Fate in the first place. Rivu unsheathed her vibroblade and crept inside the Freedom's Fate.
What we saw next would change things forever..