Author's Note:
I don't know who in the flying FUCK "Shaeril McBrown" is. They started bombarding this very story with reviews I have no clue about. It's strange and unwanted and I'd like them to stop. So to "Yoshi"...I'm not defending them at all. I don't KNOW them. If somebody left a guest review under my name, it's not me. I don't leave guest reviews. I always leave signed, "actually logged in" reviews under my name, not anonymous stuff. I don't even know YOUR stories. So I'm sorry if that McBrown jerk's bothering you. They keep doing the same to me. I can show you screencaps of them leaving their weird reviews begging for me to look at their stuff. But I'm not even sure it's the real person, and not just some troll pretending to be them.
Just wanted to let you know. Take care.
Han and Leia were, as it turned out, currently shacked up in a hotel five blocks away from the Dyad's headquarters. With the holographic disguises they had, it was easy for them to get a room, especially because, in general, Nar Shadaa's businessmen didn't ask questions of those that solicited their services. Better for everyone that way.
Now they were in the soft-painted hotel room as Han sat on a chair, looking over a datapad as Leia sat on the bed with Kendall. Both of them were sitting with legs crossed, hands resting on their knees as Leia tried to impart some basic breathing techniques and meditation on to Kendall. Besides feeling calmer though, Kendall didn't appear to be getting anything out of it.
"Be with me...be with me...be with me…"
Nothing. Absolutely nothing.
"Try...I am one with the Force, the Force is with me." Leia offered gently.
Kendall took in another deep breath, in, then breathing out. In, and out. "I am one with the Force, the Force is with me. I am one with the Force, the Force is with me. I am one with the Force, the Force is with me…"
She waited about five minutes, Han watching on as he raised an eyebrow slowly up. Truth be told, he sympathized with the lad. He wasn't exactly a Force sensitive type either, the twenty-something before him was obviously barely connected to the Force and struggling to grab hold of something real. Han had been a bit saddened himself to know that he couldn't really feel the Force the way Luke or Leia did, there were times when it would have been nice, to feel what they felt…
"Ohhh. Doesn't look like its working." Kendall sighed. "Let's try and focus on the Dyad. What have you found out?" He wanted to know.
"We've been going around to people across Nar Shadaa's capital, but it's difficult to get them to talk. People were loath to speak to us about the two when they were younger and more common sights on the streets of Nar Shadaa, but when they became Sith, few, if any, knew what they were doing behind the scenes. I doubt there's anyone who knows as much about them though based on what we have learned...well, except themselves." Leia confessed.
Han held up the datapad, tapping on it, as a holographic display popped up from it, showing off what the contents were as Kendall looked at pictures of Furiosa and Raize. "The army is almost completely their own. There's barely any remnants from the previous one, all of those were mostly older guard who just keep their heads down and don't ask questions. The same goes for the planet's fleet. Frankly, if you did ask questions or objected, unpleasant things tended to happen to them. People found their homes trashed, or their loved ones threatened, and in the worst cases, their bodies would get flung out of the top of the tower and they'd have to call in a cleanup crew. Always, of course, at a...less conspicuous time."
"The average person on Nar Shadaa barely trusts them. They were disappointed that the Republic didn't do enough, so they put their trust in the populist promises of the Dyad, only to find that the Dyad were actively oppressive, as opposed to the indirectly oppressive and red-taped-up Republic." Kendall grumbled. "Look, I'm glad the Republic is DOING something now, but if your government hadn't wet the bed years back, we wouldn't be in this mess."
"It isn't that easy." Leia insisted. "The Republic has to oversee and care for literally hundreds of worlds. Do you have any idea how difficult it is to manage that? It's hard enough for one country's senate to agree on what has to be done, imagine that...but ten times worse for a senate overseeing almost a whole galaxy." She told Kendall. "We have to make sure we absolutely get it right or the consequences turn out catastrophic. We can't move too quickly or it'll be a dumb, knee-jerk reaction that will only exacerbate the problem."
"But if you move too slow, the problem festers and then explodes." Kendall reasoned.
"Look, the Republic should have done more, but it ain't like this is totally their fault. The government represents you, buddy. How many Nar Shadaans actually vote?" Han asked.
Kendall blinked. "...I dunno, 40 percent? 50?" He asked.
Han smirked. "...26."
Kendall gaped. "...NO WAY." He murmured.
"Until the election of the Dyad and the election after that, it was 26%." Han laughed. "We checked. It went up to around 70 percent when the Dyad announced they wanted to be the representatives of Nar Shaddaa, and only dropped about 10 percent the next election. Only one other guy ran against them. He got DESTROYED."
"Yeah, I remember…" Kendall rubbed his chin. He remembered VERY well. Someone had swiped the letterhead of Candidate Kendee, a rather charming, though somewhat stupid, human candidate. The prankster had sent out invitations that promised "free beer, free food, girls, and a good time for all" to homeless shelters. He'd found a few sent to the very clinic he'd worked at, and these fake invitations had hurt Kendee in the polls.
Kendee had managed to bounce back though, at the debates. You could only do one on one, so first Darth Raize had tried to take him down, but Kendee had actually outsmarted her. It had been shortly after Nar Shadaa had endured an attack from Mandalorian extremists who had not gotten the memo that the war was over and they'd lost. Darth Raize and Furiosa had said it was the Republic's fault because it hadn't been NAR SHADAA that had been keeping the Mandalorian people down on their planet, it was the Republic, and Nar Shadaa was just an easy target because it was closer to Mandalore than Coruscant was, and less well-protected. So they'd used the attack as an excuse to further increase their military power, AND they'd spent months and months railing at how the Republic poisoned everything it touched.
And so when the debate happened, Raize put a hand over her chest, speaking solemnly and calmly. "I would never want to commit troops to military action. I never dreamed I'd be doing such a thing. But the enemy attacked us, and I have a solemn duty to protect Nar Shadaa, to do ALL I can. That's why I've committed more troops to bases on Nar Shadaa's moons to act as a bulwark."
Kendee saw an opening.
"Mrs. Raize just said something frankly extraordinary." He said in his response, his grey eyes looking right into her own. "And something very revealing. The enemy attacked us? The Republic didn't attack us. Mandalorians attacked us, and even then, Mandalorian extremists, not the Mandalorian people. But I've read through all of your speeches in the past months since that attack happened, you mentioned the Republic and Coruscant 1214 times, you mentioned Mandalorians or Mandalore...102 times. You've spent more time attacking the Republic than actually attacking the people who blew up 4000 people three months ago."
He began to dissect her arguments, methodically and quickly, cutting into her like a knife. Raize looked stunned, her mouth slightly agape. When it was finally time for her to respond, she let out an irritated, peevish "First of all, I know Mandalorian extremists attacked us. I KNOW that!"
It made her look bad. Really bad. It also didn't help that in the next debate, Furiosa tried to connect with the audience by invoking her relationship with Raize, and how close they were. But this had been overplayed in the ads, the people of Nar Shadaa didn't really find it adorable and cute anymore. It was just a normal relationship they'd seen again and again in the media, so what?
Perhaps they should have spent less money hyping up human interest stories about themselves, and more money devoted to basic needs like ensuring the staff who ran such stories at the media companies had their pensions. Kendee, meanwhile, touted his work as a judge. He'd served on the bench as a juvenile and family court judge, developing a strong interest in aiding abused children. He'd helped to start the "Nar Shadaa Trust Fund", a private, nonprofit organization dedicated to providing money for kids who had nothing, along with being president of Nar Shadaa's National Committee to Prevent Child Abuse and Neglect.
Kendall had been impressed. He'd actually thought Kendee would be able to win by trumpeting his heroic work advocating on behalf of the powerless. In fact, some of his campaign commercials showed him at his volunteer work, including one showing him shaking and holding hands with children.
That's when the bad thought entered Kendall's mind as he saw those images. "Wait. They WOULDN'T."
They would. They initiated a whisper campaign that Kendee was a pedophile. They would use the local universities and colleges of Nar Shadaa to disseminate whisper campaign information. The students would go to the classes, hear the info, then return home, and word would get out. That way the lie would come across as common knowledge. It didn't help that Kendee could barely stomach such an assault. He wasn't the sort of person where this was water off a duck's back, he had his own family to think of, and the somewhat small, well-groomed family man had seen his poll numbers plummeting, and ultimately decided to drop out to spare his family more shame.
So the Dyad had taken his greatest strength, touching the lives of kids, and turned it against him, saying he was touching kids.
Kendall knew about this because the clinic was a frequent stop not merely for the average worker on the street who couldn't afford a better physician, but also for college students, and Kendall was a good listener to the patients. They'd found it surprisingly easy to get stuff off their chest, and to talk about things they'd heard whispered through the halls. Including the stuff about poor Candidate Kendee.
"What we really need to do is to encourage more people to openly revolt and rebel against the Dyad." Han said. "AND we need eyes and ears inside their building as well. If we ever want to break in, that's what we need above all else, and luckily, we do have someone who can help with that."
"We've found several sympathetic electricians who specifically do work only for the tower. I was able to read their minds easily when Han and I were at a bar, they were practically screaming inside on how much they hated working for the two. Evidently they watched them force choke a captain of the guard for falling asleep at his post and they'd been terrified of their employers ever since." Leia admitted.
"Well if you're the sort of person who'll casually kill your employees for minor offenses…" Kendall reasoned. "So they agreed to help?"
"They set up a way for us to hack into the tower's camera system. We can't get into the security system, that's too well protected at the moment, but its a start. The next task would be to try and approach their boots on the ground, to see if we can gain allies there."
Kendall cleared his throat. "Actually, I may be able to help with that." He confessed. "Because a lot of protestors AND soldiers went to the clinic I worked at, and I know where they enjoyed going after. They'd invite me there for drinks and the like as thanks." The logosian told Han and Leia. "I may be able to get some of them to open up."
"Good idea. We're going to go out and get some dinner, we'll bring it back here. You'd best lay low. You're still recovering...and you can practice your mantras." Leia suggested as Kendall smiled slightly back, though inwardly, he groaned. As Han and Leia left the room, he flopped onto the nearby couch, covering his face.
He couldn't connect to the Force through mantas. He couldn't just reach out through the ether and touch it. None of those methods were working. But...he had faintly felt SOMETHING before. When he'd just openly tried to speak to it out loud. He had to try and approach the Force in a different way.
So Kendall headed to the bathroom, closing the door, getting out his lightsaber as he held it up, focusing, taking in some deep breaths. "Okay. I'm listening. I know I'm not the best Force user this planet has. But I really want to try to talk to you. Tell me what I'm missing. Tell me how I can become better. I'll try anything."
"Do or do not. There is no try." Kendall turned, seeing Leia standing there in the bathroom doorway, chuckling a bit as Kendall sighed, hanging his head.
"I must look stupid."
"You don't look stupid. You are simply not used to any of this, so you're floundering and confused." Leia told him. "Just think about exactly what you want, and open your mind to the possibility that it can happen."
Kendall took in another deep breath. He tried to picture what the Force would look like if it could speak to him, but he kept seeing Leia over and over. Every time he tried to make a new face for the Force, it just became Leia. He couldn't focus.
"Sorry, its just you over and over. I guess because you're the Jedi here." Kendall admitted as Leia walked back to the bed with him as he looked down at the lightsaber, turning it on as the red light hummed softly. "Sometimes though, I almost feel like the lightsaber talks to me."
"A Jedi weapon has its own connection to the Force." Leia said softly. "Maybe that's how you can connect better to it. This weapon is your first, your first step towards becoming a Force user, it unlocked the potential within. It has a power all its own. But above all, you must remember a lightsaber should always be used in defense, either of yourself, or others."
Kendall nodded. "You're right, you're right. But why can't I "hear" the Force or "sense" it the way you can? The way the legends all say Jedi or Sith can? I can't move rocks, I can't get into people's minds, normal Jedi and Sith can, why can't I?"
"Everyone's connection with the Force is different. All you need to do is find a way to make your connection work for you. But in truth, you don't need to get into people's minds. You have a way of getting into people's hearts. It is your empathy and concern for others that is your greatest strength, and that, above all, is what makes a Jedi. Compassion." Leia explained.
"That's a nice idea." Kendall said with a small smile growing on his face. "That actually sounds really beautiful."
"I know you would like to speak to your Father. Maybe in time, as your connection grows, you'll find the answers you desire." Leia said. "But you must open the door and walk through it. Others won't do it for you. They can only show you the right door, nothing more."
Kendall suddenly felt something tingle his spine, and he sat up, blinking slowly before his blue, deep eyes gazed at Leia.
"I'm not speaking to Leia, am I?" He inquired.
"Leia" smiled. "No. No you are not."
"...is this form you're taking...so I'm more comfortable with you?"
"You're only able to comprehend me as something you know. So...yes." The Force told him. "Not everyone believes in me the same way. It is not such a difficult thing at all for me to take this form."
"Are...are you actually God?"
The Force chuckled. "You don't really think I am, and I won't tell you I am, Kendall. But I understand why you'd ask that, I am, after all, immensely powerful, and connected to all living things. Probably as close to God as you can believe in."
"Where did I come from? Could my Dad tell me? Was I...was I created by him? From you?"
"We can't really answer, Kendall. It isn't our answer to give, it is his. And you aren't ready to speak to him." The Force admitted. "Your mind is reaching out to me. It wants to understand. Your goal is clear. But you can't focus on your Father without immense pain and sorrow filling you. If you tried to speak to him as you are now, you wouldn't see your Father. You'd see not even a pale imitation, not an echo. Just a twisted shard of what he was. You don't want that."
For the brief flicker of a moment, he was not looking at Leia, but at something horrifying, terrible and enormous that only wore his Father's face like a cheap dollar store mask and Kendall shuddered, shaking his head back and forth. "I get it. I get it."
"Perhaps, soon, you will be ready. But you must be at true peace. For now...help the people of Nar Shadaa. And discover the truth of what Furiosa and Raize have done. Doing this will benefit you as well, Kendall. You will find they've opened a door...a door your Father also opened."
And with that, it was gone, just as a knock came at the door. "We're back. Hope you like noodles!" Han's voice rang out from the other end as Kendall rose up to let them in.
"We've got a lot of work to do." He told them as they all sat down to eat. "Hopefully I can reach some of the Dyad's people. Maybe there's others like those electricians that are scared off them too, and just looking for a chance to escape…" He mused aloud as he, Leia and Han began to heartily house down their noodles. Tomorrow would be a big day indeed...there was much to do, and so little time...
