The shield cuffs hummed with weak energy—the only distinct sound echoing the small room. Sul Koth, Bastila, and Jordo stepped into the interrogation room and I followed. Jordo said that it wouldn't be a good idea to have too many people in the room, so Carth elected to stay behind.
The soldier who had been badgering the witness before saluted then left, brushing past me. Heavy breathing. The Sith's head lulled in our direction. Dark circles encroached his eyes after only a night and day of this interrogation. A silver ring on the man's finger reflected the cold lights. A sneer twisted his face once he eyed the lightsabers at our belts.
"Ah, lap four will be with the Jedis then?" The spy's voice slurred as he spoke. "Was looking forward to it."
Jordo marched up to the IV station and hit a button. The Sith spy hissed as the clear liquid dripped in the bag down the tube. In the bright light, the spy's pupils dilated.
Something wet dripped off my brow. Sweat.
"You have thirty minutes," Jordo said. "We can't leave him on it for longer than that."
With that warning, the soldier left the room.
Sul Koth walked forward, delicately, as if he was approaching a deadly creature. He held a hand out, extended.
"Relax. We do not intend to harm you," he said.
The Sith spy responded by spitting at Koth's feet. "Stop playing coy, Spike. Use your powers. Get it over with."
Bastila walked behind the Sith. "We would rather not resort to forcing the information out of you like that."
The spy sat back and addressed the mirror. "The LC-3 is the slimmest model produced by Lhosan Industries. The swoop bike can reach 500 kilometers per hour with the help of turbothrusters and dives at a 90 degree—"
"Why is he rambling on like that?" I asked.
"It's his conditioning," Koth said. "He's trying to prevent us from looking into his mind." Bastila shot me a look from the corner of the room. The Jedi Master paced around the spy. "You're not a swoop rider. You're a Sith. The Sith won't bother coming to your rescue," he said. "Even if we released you, they wouldn't want you back. They would probably kill you."
The spy narrowed his eyes...which blinked rapidly. "The LC-3 has fifteen hydraulic flaps...to control the direction...of the swoop." Drip. "Only the best...riders can...control the bike—"
"Tell us the code," Koth said, voice darkening. "If you do, we will stop this interrogation."
The IV dripping was the only answer for a long time. Then, when the spy's head drifted to the side, Koth raised a hand over the man's face. A quiet thrumming that matched the speed of the shielded cuffs pulsated from Koth's hand. Through the Force, I sensed it. The spy's conditioned mind.
"What is he doing?" I asked.
Bastila answered. "Master Koth is using Affect Mind. Obviously—"
"That isn't Affect Mind."
"What?" She paused, confused. "Yes, it is."
No. He was using what the Sith used. What Darth Revan used. How could a Jedi use that power? My chest rose and fell. How dare they...after they lectured me over and over and over again about not using the dark side. How dare they—hypocrites.
Images from the vision superseded the present. Creating a memory fragmented by the Force.
mental torture is a far more effective tool
Crack.
Vision blurred. Head pounding. I...can't focus. Why can't I focus?
the mind is a fragile organ
Get out of my head.
knowledge is easy to acquire after using the proper pressure points
Get out! Get the fuck out!
Why did you do it?
Do what?
You crashed your ship over Corellia. You're a Sith terrorist. Confess your crimes. Why did you do it?
Where's my arbiter?
You're a Sith terrorist.
I'm not. I won't say anything else without an arbiter.
You're a Sith.
I'm not a Sith terrorist!
The spy laughed. Sul Koth grunted as he waved his hand again. Strained. Something...was breaking them. His fingers.
No they weren't breaking.
Not yet.
Because I wanted them to break. Along with the rest of his body. First his jaw bone. Then his neck. Take off those horns. Stab each of his jugulars. One. Two. Left. Right. Do Iridonians bleed red? Ha, yeah, they do I think. From what I remember. Do you remember? There was a smuggler. His name was...I don't know. He wasn't a smuggler, was he? He worked for the Exchange. No, he was that guy without an arm. Lost it on a run…no, a battle. No, wait, he's still alive. Is he? He was a...honestly, who cares? There was one that died. Stabbed to death by a Mandalorian. Blood everywhere. It was red. What a mess. And all of that screaming.
A smile curved my lips.
Kriff. I want to hear the Iridonian scream. Music to the ears—
Something hard pushed me back against the wall. Gray, fragile eyes looked up at me. Tender hands had grabbed onto the sides of my face. The cold room and the sweat on my brow returned. Light. Warmth. My eyes rolled back and my body slackened as I felt it touch my mind. The only reason I didn't fall over was because Bastila held me up.
A vision. Had that been a vision? No, that...this was different. That cold, dark, empty feeling. The desire to hurt everyone. Destroy everything. To gain power. My mind had been consumed by it.
The dark side.
Sul Koth sighed. "It's no use. He's not talking. How about you try…" He paused. "Padawan Shan, what are you doing?"
Bastila removed her hands from my face. She didn't respond to the Master. Instead, she studied me with obvious concern etched in her features. A sharp pain rang within my ears. I blinked, clearing my blurred vision. Feeling completely disoriented. So disoriented I...couldn't speak.
Bastila grabbed my arm and tugged me towards the door. And I didn't protest. Or, well, I didn't have the energy to. Because everything was numb. I felt Koth's confused stare follow us out into the dark observation room. The Ambassador had left long ago. Only Jordo and Carth along with some soldiers remained. Carth, who had been standing and watching the interrogation through the one-way glass, narrowed his eyes at me. Concerned. The rest of the soldiers paid us no mind.
Neither Bastila nor I spoke to him. Not that I could speak when my tongue felt like lead. She led me to the chairs and tapped my shoulders. That had been enough for me to sit. She leaned down and took both of my hands into hers and stared up at me...for a long time. Trying to…help me feel. Yet I felt nothing.
"Bastila, what…what's wrong with him?"
At the sound of Carth's voice, her soft hands slipped away. She was gone. Back into the interrogation room. And finally, I began to feel again. My fists bunched up. It was frustration. At myself.
I'd promised. I'd promised that I wouldn't succumb to the dark side. Yet, I'd broken that promise.
I leaned forward and rubbed my face, trying to recenter. Refocus with...the Force.
How could I let those stupid memories turn me to the dark side like that? It didn't even matter anymore. It was all in the past. I was a Jedi now. They had no reason to ever use the Serum on me again.
Only Bastila had drawn me back to the light. Without Bastila I would have been stuck in a dark side limbo. Without her, who knows what I could have done? I could have really broken Sul Koth's fingers. Or worse. Killed him.
My body shivered at the thought.
Bastila took over from where Sul Koth started. She waved a hand in front of the Sith spy. Using Affect Mind to ask him for the code. Right. Not whatever terrible power Darth Revan had used to enter that Selkath's mind. It had all just been my imagination. Stupid.
Ten minutes passed. I sat up and just…stared at the door to the interrogation room. Deep in thought. Both Jedi weren't any closer to getting the code than they had been when I left the room. The Sith spy was treating this like a game. Even through his distorted mind, even when he had no choice but to bear his real thoughts, he didn't succumb to the Truth Serum. He proclaimed his undying loyalty to the Sith.
As I watched, an idea formed. I glanced over by the door to the interrogation room. There was a comm system in the panel next to it. As they prepared for round five, I got up and pushed the button to the comm.
"We don't need him," I said. "The other one is talking."
The Sith spy flinched at the sound of my voice. "W-What? What other one?"
Both Koth and Bastila eyed the mirror.
I pushed the button again. "Since this one isn't telling us anything, release him back to the Sith."
"No!" He tried to jump out of his chair, but the cuffs forced him back. "They...they will kill me. They'll think I talked."
"No." I pushed myself closer to the comm. "No. They'll kill her first. They'll make you watch as they torture her. Then, as she dies screaming, they'll kill you."
The Sith spy froze. His lip quivered.
"They...they wouldn't…hurt Tela—"
"They would." I snorted. "It's too bad you didn't tell us the code. The Republic might have helped her—"
"It's zeta 245698 alpha." His body sank in his chair. The hand with his wedding ring scrunched into a ball. "Just...please. Don't let them hurt her."
A smile graced my face. I pushed the comm button.
"See? Was that so hard?"
Sul Koth narrowed his eyes at the mirror. Bastila frowned at her reflection. Once again her eyes had become...sad.
I turned and smiled at the soldiers. Carth's eyebrows knit together.
Jordo gaped at me. "That is…one way to get the code I guess." He sighed. "Whatever. I'll go and report this to the Ambassador and the tech engineers."
Bastila and Koth left the interrogation room. A few soldiers bustled in after they opened the door and grabbed the Sith spy from the chair. They took out the IV then dragged him out back towards his cell.
As he passed me, he whispered a plea. A plea for Tela's life…
As we waited for Jordo and his soldiers to return, the four of us settled. The Jedi were on the far side of the room. Sul Koth kept shooting me suspicious looks, though after a few minutes, he meditated in the corner. More than likely he wasn't taking Belaya's kidnapping well. Bastila...she leaned on the wall, staring out into space. As if she was thinking over something too unfathomable for me to understand.
I wanted to speak to her, yet...I still felt ashamed. Shame that I succumbed to the dark side. I'd broken my promise both to myself and to her. Stupid.
She sensed this self-loathing. And because she sensed it, she spoke to me using the bond.
That wasn't your fault. I twisted around and finally met her stare. She didn't look away this time. I shouldn't have listened to you. Shouldn't have brought you in there.
I fell to the dark side. Sure, it was only for a second. But I did. I...I promised I wouldn't. I'm supposed to be better than this. I—
No. Wes. No, you didn't fall. That was... Her stoic face relaxed. A vision. It was just a vision.
I snorted. That wasn't a vision.
It was.
If that was a vision, I met her stare again, then why were my memories mixed in? That never happens. If it was a vision, what would that mean?
Cold. Terror. Her chest rose and fell. Her lips shivered.
I-I don't know.
No. You know. It wasn't a vision. You can deny it all you want, sunshine. I know what happened. I fell to the dark side. I clenched my fists. It...it felt awful. Terrible. It was like I...wasn't myself. Like some demon had possessed me. I'm not sure if I would have come back without you. I let out a long breath. And that terrifies me. If you didn't stop me, what would have happened? What if I hurt you? I never...never want to fall again. Ever.
Bastila's thoughts were silent. Her gray eyes grew dark, wet. Then...the silence was broken.
You won't. A small strained smile bent her lips—a bitter sensation clawed at my tongue. Because I will always be there to guide you back to the light.
The stress melted away. Replacing it was that warmth I always felt when we kissed. It filled the bond so much so...that the dark I experienced was like a distant memory. A distant, bad memory. I sighed, leaning forward on my knees. For a few minutes, I let myself focus on both the warmth in the bond and the Force. I held onto it tight. Like a life preserver. If I let go, I would only sink into the dark ocean depths...
I jumped when Carth sat in the chair next to me.
"You okay?" he whispered. "You were completely unresponsive for a while there. Then it was like nothing happened—"
"I'm fine," I hissed back, tapping my fingers on my leg.
Fine now, at least. With Bastila's help. He listened to me. For only a moment.
"It was the interrogation, wasn't it?" My tapping stopped. "Something about it bothered you." He paused, waiting for me to reply. When I didn't, he sighed. "Look—whatever you tell me, I won't judge. Promise."
I glanced to the side, at the floor, body tightening. I mean, what was the harm, really?
"Just…bad memories. That's all."
"Okay, of what?"
"Of…" I looked down at my hands. "Of my interrogation."
"Interrogation?" He didn't say anything for a moment. "Wait...who interrogated you?"
"The Republic. I crashed my ship on Corellia, remember? They thought I was some suicidal terrorist or…a Sith. I told them I wasn't but the damn soldiers didn't believe me. So, they used the Truth Serum." My lips pursed. "They kept asking who my contacts were. Why I did it. But I wasn't a Sith. For some reason, the damn serum wasn't convincing enough. If they just kriffing checked my records at the start—" I waved a hand. "Whatever. It's all in the past so it doesn't matter anymore."
More silence. Then, something patted my shoulder. I looked up—surprised. Carth was staring blankly into the empty interrogation room.
"I'm sorry." His face twisted as if he was disgusted. "Don't say that it doesn't matter. Soldiers are really only supposed to interrogate the Sith like that. So, that shouldn't have happened to you." He frowned. "As soldiers, we are supposed to defend the Republic. But we aren't supposed to cause needless suffering to accomplish that. Otherwise, we'd be no better than Darth Malak."
"I mean, I kinda deserved it." I snorted. "I could have...could have killed someone crashing like that. It was a mistake, really."
"Can't believe I'm hearing this." He laughed once. "Wesley Gale? Admitting he made a mistake?"
"I've admitted to making mistakes before! Unlike some people though, I learn from them and move on."
"Sure you do."
I smirked. "Oh, yeah, you're right. I haven't learned that it's a mistake to listen to you."
"Maybe it was a good thing you crashed." He smiled. "It's rare for a criminal to think his crimes were mistakes."
I rolled my eyes. "Thanks."
"You're welcome."
My lips pursed as I scanned his humored…proud expression. And I smiled back.
"You know, you kinda remind me of someone," I said, leaning forward, relaxed.
Carth sighed. "Do I dare ask who?"
"My first mate." I frowned—trying to comb through a haze of memories. "Alen always tried cheering me up, even though it was annoying at times. So stuffy and serious too. Sometimes I wonder why he became a smuggler since he acted more like a soldier with the way he wanted me to run things. Oh, and that asshole never appreciated my jokes."
Carth grimaced. "It sounds like you didn't particularly like him."
"What? No!" I laughed. "No, he was probably the only...only friend I had." Right. He had been, hadn't he? I sighed with nostalgia then frowned. "The thing is, I don't think I ever admitted that to his face. Or to myself." I paused. "Another mistake, I guess. He's probably dead or in prison for life now."
Carth didn't comment or say anything else about that. His response was silence.
Pitying silence.
We would be hitting the Sith Embassy tonight.
The plan sounded simple enough. During negotiations, the Sith had been given exclusive access to a hangar bay fitted with a shuttle that took them directly to their base. Those of us that would be breaking into the Embassy would dress as either Sith agents or dark Jedi and enter this bay using the passcard.
What happened once we were inside was anyone's guess. We would need to gain access to a computer and have T3 gather intel on the stolen data. It was probably in a highly secured server room and guarded by dark Jedi, no doubt. Not only that, but we had to rescue Belaya and Juhani (who we assumed had been captured or manipulated into entering the Embassy).
Oh, and we had to rescue HK-47 too. I made sure to remind everyone about him, but for some reason they weren't as enthusiastic about getting him out. Fortunately, once we broke into the base, HK could help himself.
Roland Wann insisted that once we found their data, it was to be destroyed. Immediately. Trying to re-upload it on a datapad would take time. Time we didn't have. So, it was a reasonable request…
Ambassador Wann sat back in his chair. We were in what used to be Sunry's office—a very cold room. It had been recently cleaned out since both the Ambassador and General roles had been consolidated. Which meant it looked more like a prison cell than an office.
"We can't send any soldiers with you because it'll draw attention," Wann continued. "Also, many of the soldiers stationed here are trainees or recruits anyway. I will have to rely on you Jedi to complete this mission."
"Just us?" I asked, leaning back in the chair. "Really?"
"Just you."
Huh, guess we were the fall guys.
Carth crossed his arms. "But how do we escape? Assuming everything goes to plan."
"The same way you entered." Wann shrugged. "If you go unnoticed in the base, it'll make your escape easier, but I'm not optimistic about that possibility. The Sith will spot you even after you take down their cameras. Fortunately, both of our Embassies are ruled by our own laws. Any 'crimes' committed in the Embassy could only be dealt with by the Sith. The SSF are not allowed to enter either our base or theirs. The only Selkath law you would be breaking would be the one outlined by the treaty. We are not allowed to attack or invade the Sith while on Manaan. Which is why we needed that passcard for plausible deniability."
The Ambassador waved at the computer screens and typed something within the module. "I'm sending you the location of the hanger. The Sith won't be expecting you at all due to our poor relations with the Selkath. That is why it's imperative that you succeed. The rest will be up to you."
Bastila nodded with a salute. "Of course, Ambassador."
Wann nodded back. "You should probably attack at midnight—there will be fewer patrols and you'll be able to take them by surprise."
With all of the information given to us and a plan prepared for our attack tonight, Carth, Bastila, and Sul Koth stood and made to leave. Yet, I stayed seated.
"You go on ahead," I said, glancing at them. "We have some things to discuss."
"Discuss?" Koth shot me a suspicious eye.
"About Sunry's case."
With that answer, Koth left the room with a swish of his robe. Bastila and Carth both hung back, but when I waved them away with a pointed smile, they shuffled out as well. Wann sat back with a frown.
"What did you want to discuss, Jedi?" he asked, cocking an eyebrow. "Ah, wait, you're Sunry's arbiter, aren't you?"
I crossed my fingers. "The old man told me you'd be able to help prove his innocence."
"Why would I do that?"
"Why…" I shifted after the Ambassador clammed up. "Why would you—so that people won't die due to the lack of kolto. Maybe?"
"You don't have to worry about that."
My chest raised and lowered—growing hot. "What do you mean? So, you don't want to help?"
Ambassador Wann stared at me for a long time. Contemplating something. Eventually, he stood and walked towards the window overlooking the Republic's district.
"Sunry is a cowardly fool."
I raised a brow. "What?"
"I could provide an alibi." He laughed once. "Lie and say that he was here all night. But the Selkath on the panel of judges would not listen to me. Most of them side with the Sith." He looked at me over his shoulder. "Do you know why that is, Jedi?"
My face tightened. "No."
"There have been rumors." Wann shook his head. "Rumors that the Sith kidnap and brainwash the Selkath youth. Some of those youths happen to be related to the Selkath judges. The Sith know that if they gain influence this way, the judges will always side with them." He turned around fully to face me. "I'm sorry to say, Jedi, but your case was lost from the very start. The Selkath will side with the Sith no matter what evidence you present during trial because they are holding their children hostage."
No.
I stood, almost kicking the chair to the ground.
"So, you're saying it's hopeless?"
"Yes. I am. Which is why Sunry is a fool." Wann's face wrinkled. "He should never have gotten involved with that woman. He of all people should have known the delicate situation we are in."
"But what about the people!" I shouted. "The wounded, the refugees from Uyter…you're just going to let them die?"
Ambassador Wann's face softened. "Their deaths won't be on my head." He walked over and sat once more. "They are on Sunry's. They are on the Sith."
Horrified, I stepped back. That's what he cared about? Who was to blame? Wann should be doing something. Anything. Anything in his power to fix this. Since he had that power. Right?
"Why are you not alarmed by this?" I asked. "Do you care about the refugees at all? Or your soldiers? Because they'll die too if Sunry is proclaimed guilty."
"What? Of course I care. I just know a hopeless cause when I see one."
Shocked, I stood there—frozen. I tightened my fist. "If I give up…if I don't even try, then an innocent man will be executed. I'd rather say I tried to save someone than to not try saving them at all."
"Then you're setting yourself up for disappointment." Wann sat back with a sigh. "Look, Jedi, do whatever you want. Play hero. Just don't be surprised by the verdict."
I scoffed, twisting on my heel. More motivated than ever to prove Sunry innocent if only to prove the Ambassador wrong. However, before I stormed out of the room, I realized I had one more pressure point to use.
"And what about Madam Takaon?"
When I turned my head, I noticed a...frightened expression on Wann's face. He returned to his lazy, apathetic appearance, but his face didn't lie.
"What about her?" he asked.
"Well, you seem to listen to her orders. For example, she told you to put us into her hotel. Did she order you to give up on Sunry too?"
The Ambassador took a moment to process what I said. His lips curled back into a deep sneer.
"She's a friend. An ally. Nothing more. She didn't order me to do anything."
"A friend with power, credits, and influence over Ahto City," I snorted. "Funny. You'd think with an ally like that, the Selkath situation wouldn't have gotten so dier. It's almost like you're...incompitent or something."
Wann, who had grown angrier as I spoke, shot out of his seat. "Watch your damn tongue, Jedi."
"So, you're not denying it? Because you'd have to be utterly incompitent for things to get this out of hand. What will the senate say, I wonder—?"
He slammed the desk. "Do you know who you're speaking to?"
"You're the Ambassador. For now. Since, I mean, I doubt you'll have a damn career if the Sith win the war."
Wann's tight face watched me for a long time. A long time contemplating a way to continue to be a damn coward.
"Fine." He sat back down. "I will request to be a witness in Sunry's case. It'll be a waste of time, but I'll do it if you stop...just stop."
I smiled. "Knew you'd see reason."
And with that, I finally left.
Even though I'd successfully convinced Wann to be a witness, if what he said was true about the Selkath judges' children being held hostage, we had another issue to deal with. As if this trial wasn't enough of a headache.
The walk to the shuttles had been quiet without the others. I left past the security gates back in the Selkath monitored zones. Before I stepped into a shuttle, a hand gripped my shoulder. I flinched, grabbing my lightsaber.
"Keep walking."
I recognized the voice immediately. Jordo. I wanted to ask what this was about, but I didn't want to miss the shuttle. So, I listened to the soldier.
He released my shoulder as we walked past the shuttle booth seats. After passing numerous chatty soldiers, we stopped near an empty corner. He sat in one of the booths and with his eyes, he glanced at the seat behind him then back up at the cameras. Right. Guess he didn't want to look like we were making conversation.
I sat in the booth behind him and stared toward the aisle. The shuttle rushed off towards the Ring after another second of waiting.
"I didn't want to say this at the embassy," Jordo started with a low voice, "too many people were watching."
I frowned. "What is it now?"
"Don't delete the data," he said. "Copy it to a datapad or a droid then delete it off the Sith's network. When you see everything, confront the Ambassador. Don't mention that you heard this from me."
I twisted in my seat. "Why? What did the Sith steal?"
Silence. Jordo didn't speak for a long time. "I have a wife now. A daughter. This job is all I have to make ends meet. But I owe Carth my life after he saved mine on Telos. And...I know this mission is important for the Republic. Too important." He sighed. "I can't tell you anything else. Ambassador Wann will know it was me if I told you anything. He'd have me court marshaled for sure. But...he'll believe you got a bit too curious for your own good."
I sank into the booth. Tired already of all of this...political intrigue. Could we go back to running away from insane bounty hunters? Or terrifying beasts? Or Wookiees?
"You really can't tell me what the hell is going on?"
"Sorry, Jedi." The shuttle stopped. Jordo got up. "I did all that I could."
He didn't look back at me as he left.
We had the rest of the day to kill before we put our plan in action. In the meantime, there was some evidence I needed to scrounge up and a trial to prepare for.
The entryway to Takaon Hotel was bustling with tourists as usual. When I arrived, I approached the front desk. The same old man from the other day was there. He obviously recognized me since he sneered as I leaned into the desk.
"What do you want?" the receptionist asked.
"Evidence," I said with a smile. "Camera footage from Sunry's party yesterday to be more specific. You'll actually be able to give me that this time, right?"
He sighed. "Right. You're that arbiter, aren't you?" The receptionist returned to helping some incoming guests. "Why do you need to look at the security footage anyway? No crime was committed here."
"Yes, but Sunry was here. I need to retrace his steps. Map his alibi."
And discover who exactly stole his pin. Whether it was one of the witnesses or...someone else that I could interrogate.
The old receptionist sighed and began to type. "Fine. I'll put in a request."
"Okay. And how long will it take to fulfill my request?"
He rolled his eyes—acting like I was some frustrated customer. "Who knows? Maybe an hour." Then he pointed to the set of silk couches by the desks. "Wait there."
And I had no choice but to do what he said and wait. I sank into the couch and closed my eyes, drifting off...finally resting…
The spy was dragged away, pleading for them to save Tela. The Selkath scientist shivered—pleading for them to spare Shasa. The body of an unknown woman bled at his feet. Shaelas wept at the cold, small form of a dead Selkath child.
I flinched at the sound of a lightsaber hissing awake. I was back again on that Sith ship. Lights from a space battle rained outside the window. A red mask. Revan. He stormed forward, hand raised, moving not to me, but to…
Bastila.
He lifted her into the air with the Force and squeezed his hand into a fist. She choked. In pain.
"Stop!"
I unleashed my own lightsaber and rushed him. Revan dropped Bastila in order to block my blue blade with his red one. Shocked at the raw power, I didn't even notice when he'd released the hold on the block and cut off my hand. I screamed. Pain erupted both in my arm and my chest. Heat from a lightsaber cooked my insides. I coughed blood.
Pain.
I fell to the ground and watched Revan's drumming boots as he approached Bastila's unconscious body. Lightsaber dragging on the floor. I reached out with my left hand to her blood matted face. Hands shaking. Trying desperately to call on the Force. But I couldn't breathe. Couldn't breathe. Couldn't—
"Mission!"
I gasped awake at the sound of Carth shouting. Sweat dripped off my brow after waking up from a nightmare that I remembered for once.
Carth ran after a blue figure towards the doors outside. I rubbed my eyes, trying to parse what was happening. Bastila stood near the elevators, watching the ground as if willing her feet to either stay put or move.
Instead of going after the pilot, I stumbled up to the Jedi.
"Bondy?" I brushed a hand through my mussed hair. "What happened?"
She flinched at the sound of my voice before relaxing. "We were informing everyone about the plan. And I…" She looked away. "I told Mission it would be too dangerous for her to come along."
"Ah." I rubbed the back of my head. "Why did you say that?"
She narrowed her eyes. "What do you mean? She's way too young to break into a Sith military base!"
"What? She broke into one with us on Taris! What makes this one any different?"
Bastila huffed. "That had been a mistake! She could have died because of our foolishness." She held her hips, looking away from me, focusing on the ground again. "I...I do not wish to see her harmed."
Oh, I see.
"So, wait, are you...attached to Mission?"
A small smile curved her lips. "Well. Maybe I am. A little." She looked back up at me with a tired expression. "This...with what has been happening recently, I've not been myself. I know she was trying so hard to cheer me up. And now…" She frowned. "I shouldn't have been so selfishly consumed by my emotions. My pain. Distracted. This is my fault."
"Bastila." I stepped forward and grabbed her shoulders. Trying to shake this guilt out of her. "Don't. It's not your fault. Mission is just..." I dropped my hands. "I'll talk to her."
Before she could insist that it was her fault again, I rushed out of the hotel.
Carth sat on the edge of one of the fountains in front of Takaon Hotel, staring down at his feet. Back facing me. I smirked and decided to play a little prank…
"Orangy!"
I tugged him with the Force by the back of his collar. He cursed, waving his arms, almost falling into the fountain. I caught him just in time with the Force and pulled him back.
He narrowed his eyes, standing, and fixed his jacket. I snorted, stuffing my hands in my pockets to hide my involvement. "Careful there. You almost fell in."
"No thanks to you, you—" He groaned. "Look, I'm really not in the mood, okay?"
"I heard what happened."
He looked into the fountain then rubbed his cheek. "Mission, she...she slapped me then ran off into the gardens over there. I would go after her, but I'm not her favorite person at the moment."
I nodded and made for said gardens.
A blossoming tree rained purple petals with the wind over the entrance of a hedge maze. In the distance were faint sniffles...and in the Force, pain. I frowned, bunching up my fists, and entered the maze.
Twisting and turning through the green, I finally arrived at the source of that pain. The center of the maze had another one of those artsy fountains. Mission sat by it on a marble bench, lekku touching the ground as she bent forward. Rubbing her eyes of tears. She must have noticed when I arrived since she sat up like a pop-up toy. Her eyes had been shot red. Anger filled her expression.
"Go away!" She waved her hand then looked down at the ground. "You were wrong."
I stepped towards her with a sigh. "Mission—"
"No." She shook her head. "No, you won't convince me this time! It doesn't matter if you think I can do it—the others don't. They'll abandon me like...like…" Another tear fell down her cheek. She scrubbed it away violently. "Go away. I just want to be alone."
I didn't listen to her. Of course. I sat beside her on the bench and she turned to look away from me.
"What is this really about?"
Mission's shoulders tensed. "N-Nothing." She shook her head. "It's like they said. I'm just a...a stupid kid."
"Okay, now I know for a fact something else is going on here. Because Mission would never say that unless she was a clawdite or something."
"Well, a stupid clawdite would be better than me."
"Why are you saying things like that?"
"Because it's true. I'm worthless."
I clenched my teeth and shoved my hands into my pockets out of frustration. Cold metal brushed my fingers—hot terror and memories I wanted to forget flashed in my mind. I pulled out the coin then stared at the back of Mission's head.
And I made up my mind.
I stood and then knelt in front of Mission. Before she could ask what I was doing, I dropped my lucky coin into her open palm.
"You know where I found this?" Her blurry eyes misted as she shook her head again. I continued. "When my planet was destroyed by Mandalorians, they took me. Wanted to sell me. And others. I felt...completely helpless. Worthless. And when I was rescued by a bounty hunter, my mentor, I wanted to repay her any way I could. I wanted to stop feeling worthless. So, like a stupid kid, I grabbed that coin." I pointed at her open palm. "And tried to pay her back. But you know what she did? She laughed. She laughed at me and told me to keep it."
Mission rubbed her eyes and stared down at the coin.
"Why?"
"Simple. She didn't need me to pay her back. Protecting me was enough. It made her stronger. That is when I realized that I wasn't worthless. Because it wasn't true." I smirked. "Oh, and she didn't need a worthless coin like that. Actually...neither do I, really." I closed her open hand. "You can keep it."
Mission's blue fingers clenched into a fist around the coin. "I…" She sniffed again then stuffed it into her pocket. "Wessy, you…"
I stood up. "The fact that Bastila and Carth want to protect you doesn't mean they think you're worthless. Okay?"
A tear dripped onto her fist. "Y-Yeah, I know." Her body shook. "I'm sorry, I—just, when I saw Griff at that party the other day...it was a terrible reminder, you know? I saw him—right there—serving wine to that Sunry guy and he didn't even notice me. I took two glasses from him and he didn't say anything."
My mouth dried. "Griff?"
Mission rubbed her eyes again. "I know I should have told you. I should have. But…I didn't want to get in the way of the mission again."
He was dead. So dead.
My own anger flooded my chest. Anger that I was sure Bastila could sense. Griff had been there. At the party. No. He served wine to Sunry. Who supposedly had his pin stolen that night. He planted it. Griff planted the pin to frame Sunry. He was working with the Sith. Again.
Mission, who had finally stopped crying, sighed as she unwinded. "I really want to go give that jerk a piece of my mind."
"Yeah, well, you can."
She raised a brow. "But I have no idea where he is."
"Oh, I do."
Mission flinched. "Um...you do?"
I cracked my knuckles with a smirk. Or was it a sneer?
"Let's pay him a visit, shall we?"
I told Mission the full story about how we ran into Griff (along with the Sunry situation). Of course, I left out the...revelation I'd unearthed that Griff still remained a sleeze. I'd leave that for when we actually confronted the bastard. We'd have to go when we had time aka after we dealt with this Sith nonsense. The young Twi'lek shivered, nervous about having to speak to Griff. But, oh, I was ready. I was ready to kriffing kill that asshole.
Carth stood, looking relieved as Mission and I exited the garden. Bastila was also waiting with the pilot and once again watched the ground as we approached. Mission chuckled nervously, rubbing the back of her head.
"Sorry, guys, sorry!" She rocked back on her feet. "You're right, Bas. It'll be safer if I stay here."
Those words caused Bastila to finally look up from her staring contest with the ground. It also caused Carth to step forward. They both spoke simultaneously.
"Mission, you aren't—"
"No, Mission, I didn't—"
"You both just want to protect me, right?" She brushed a lekku over her shoulder. "You'll have T3 there to break into their network anyway. A stupid kid would whine and complain about not going." She winked. "And I'm not a kid."
Both pilot and Jedi looked at me as if I'd just worked a miracle. I shrugged, stuffing my hands into my pockets, feeling strange now that they were a coin lighter.
The cool sea wind almost knocked the dark hood that was shadowing my face off my head. In front of me, Bastila, Jolee, and Koth wore the same getup complete with a dark robe. Behind me, Canderous and Carth wore merc-like garb with old helmets to disguise their faces.
We stopped before a tall, wide door and Koth took out the passcard, swiping it. Within the Sith's hanger, numerous dark ships had been parked on the landing platforms. A single shuttle sat at our left. Koth also had to swipe the passcard in order for the shuttle to let us in. Canderous and Carth held their blaster pistols and rifles close as they led the way inside.
Once the doors to the shuttle closed behind us, the vehicle sprang to life and started driving itself to its destination. The Sith Embassy.
Phase One of the Infiltration had begun.
Earlier that afternoon, we traveled to the Ebon Hawk to sort through our supplies. Bastila and Carth searched the front storage bins while Canderous, Jolee, Master Koth, and I searched the cargo hold.
The gizka had all been taken away (much to everyone's disappointment), so there was no intermittent slap from the cute yet annoying creatures. Sul Koth watched us with worried eyes as we searched the containers. As Jolee and Canderous bantered about "the war with Exar Khun," I slid up to Koth's side with a raised brow.
"You going to help?"
He flinched. "Oh, uh, yes...of course."
Before the Master Jedi opened one of those containers, I decided to ask something that had been bothering me for a while.
"You said you lost a padawan," I said. "What did you mean by that?"
Koth's body rose then fell as he sighed. "That is none of your business."
I raised my hands. "Fine, just curious." I opened the container Koth had almost chosen and almost gagged at the mess within. Pile after pile of grenades, mines, thermal detonators. Force, if HK let a stream of fire blow in this direction once… Well, they were useful, at least.
I grabbed a bag and started shoving the more dangerous-looking explosives into it. Carefully, of course. Meanwhile, Koth had gone still once again. Was he really going to just watch me work and do nothing?
I opened my mouth to point this out, but Koth spoke before I did. "Andon was my first Padawan." I stopped putting grenades in the bag. He continued once he had my attention. "I trained him alongside Belaya back before the Sith War when the Council permitted multiple pupils." The Iridonian leaned against the explosive container. "Andon...he'd always been so eager to prove himself. You see, he was old for a Padawan. He was never able to complete his trials to become a true Jedi Knight."
His rough, wrinkled face wrinkled further. "It didn't help that Belaya had begun to show promise. When the Sith War began, I was chosen to serve in the Republic Navy. However, I could only bring one student with me. I didn't know what else I could do to help Andon. So, before I left, I told him to put in an application for the Service Corps."
I tilted my head at the unfamiliar name.
"Service Corps?"
"It's an organization for Padawans and Apprentices that could not finish their trials. It isn't supposed to be shameful—the Corps would have allowed him to use the Force for good in the war even if he couldn't battle the Sith face to face." Koth gazed into the ether of the Ebon Hawk. "But Andon saw the Service Corps as a punishment. He became enraged. Blamed me for his failures. Blamed the Jedi. He attacked me with his lightsaber then fled Dantooine. He'd fallen to the dark side. I...I failed him."
I stared at the old Jedi Master for a long time. For once, I actually felt sorry for the stuck-up old Iridonian.
"What happened after that?"
"What do you think? He wanted power so he joined the Sith." Koth sneered. "I wasn't the only one who lost a Padawan to Revan's war. It was the same story all over. I failed him like many other masters failed their pupils." His pained, dark eyes met mine. A deep sense of guilt and shame wavered through the Force. "I killed Andon that day. And Darth Bandon was born."
A sharp whistle brought me back to the present on the cold Sith shuttle. Carth gave me an impatient wave. I sighed then stood, following the pilot out.
Our trip to the Sith Base had ended. Our infiltration had begun.
We all stepped into the fortified entryway, acting as normal as possible. Well, as normal as dark Jedi could act at least. The shuttle hovered behind us. The camera lights flickered in the corners of the room, watching our every move. We had to get to T3 in that cleaning droid cupboard without gaining any unwanted attention. Should be easy since we had enough experience doing that.
That and I'd given T3 some instructions.
I flicked the comm on.
"T3?"
An eruption of beeping followed in confirmation.
"You mapped out the base like I told you to, right?" He whirled another confirmation. "Okay, we're at the shuttle docking port. Where do we go from here?"
T3 instructed me to turn right then follow the hall until I reached the elevators. Then, we had to go up a floor to find his location. Easy. When Koth opened the next door into the base itself, I took the lead, going off of T3's instructions.
The Sith base was...cold. Stoic. The same kolto smell of salt hung in the air. A few service droids rolled past us as we walked right and down the hall. A few black armored Sith turned the corner. When they noticed we were "dark Jedi," they stopped and saluted as we passed them. The old Sith base we'd broken into before had been taken from the Republic. This one had been built from the ground up by the Sith. And nothing was out of place. All the generators hummed without a crackle, the white floors waxed till I could almost see my reflections, no wires out of panels. The Sith's base gave off the aura of extreme efficiency and perfection along with technological advancement.
And that made me worried.
I stopped. We arrived. Koth once again swiped the passcard at the panel beside the elevator. Unfortunately, it didn't open immediately. Which meant someone was using it. Carth and Canderous held their blasters tight. Bastila, Koth, Jolee, and I stood straight as we sensed something dark approaching from above.
When the doors to the elevator opened, I almost unleashed my lightsaber out of habit.
Darth Bandon's tall figure stepped out of the elevator along with an entire troop of Sith. He paid us no mind like we were kinrath spiders under his boot. His sickly pale skin and the yellowed whites of his eyes was stark in the bright, cold lights above. Not only that...but I noticed a mechanical limp in his stride. His failure at Uyter hadn't gone unpunished, it seemed. The dark side had paid a heavy toll on the Dark Lord's apprentice.
And Sul Koth's old Padawan.
We stood there, in shock, for maybe a minute then rushed into the elevator. When we were inside, Jolee let out a nervous chuckle.
"Well, that was a close one, I'll say."
"Shh!"
Bastila glared back over her shoulder at the old man. Jolee responded by letting out more choked chuckles.
It was just our luck that Bandon was here. Now. Walking around. Why was he on Manaan anyway? Oh, right, Bastila. Malak had sicced him on us again. Well, we would have to do our best to avoid him. Even though he failed as a Padawan, I doubt he failed as a Sith given he was Darth Malak's kriffing apprentice.
I gave Bastila a nervous eye as the elevator started moving.
This wasn't going to end well, was it?
Phew, there was a lot more to this chapter than I originally thought there would be! Apologies for the wait!
Next time, the gang continue their infiltration into the Sith base.