The Force's Shepherds
Chapter 144
A Blind Heist
The underbelly of Coronet City was as repulsive, scum riddled, and villainous as Ben had expected. If anything, the lower section of the city, hidden beneath the robust, industrial designed towers and multiple places of higher residency were a near mirror image of the Coruscant underworld, only on a much smaller scale. As he, Ahsoka, and Gaius moved along the now soaked street, boots soaked as more rain drizzled down from the gray sky.
The Crimson Dawn had set up their territory in Coronet City within one of the many slums. Because of course they did. Ben had to suppress an eye roll as he followed Ahsoka deeper into this seedy section of the city.
Why are criminals always drawn to the filthiest of places?
This was not only one of the most dilapidated places he had seen in his life but easily one of the most poorly policed. He had witnessed no less than three spice deals take place in broad daylight, two death stick deals go down as a dealer subtly brushed hands with a buyer and at least one mugging that may have resulted in a murder. If this were several years ago, and if the Empire wasn't keeping a very close eye out for Jedi, he would have intervened in the latter.
But time and experience had tempered those urges. He knew that exposing himself in such a way, no matter how well-intentioned, would do more harm than good. The Shepherds needed him. Tharja and Noire needed him. Luke needed him. The Jedi Order and the Code were no longer the only priorities he was worried about. And if anything, as his time as a traditional Jedi fell further into his past, he had become a bit disillusioned with the code. Even more so now that he had been reunited with Ashoka Tano, who was a model Jedi even without clinging to the old code.
A sad smile passed over Ben's features as he followed Ahsoka's hooded and cloaked form down an alley and towards Coronet City's second spaceport. This spaceport was mainly used for hauling major freight and goods, rather than welcoming people to the city.
You would be proud of her, Anakin.
As they drew towards the spaceport entry, Ben noticed a distinct lack of Imperial security in the area. Did the Empire really allow the crime syndicates to run this spaceport? Or was the corruption of Imperial officials on Corellia so blatant that they simply allowed it and swept such activities under the rug?
Two human guards wearing ratty clothes with the crimson dawn's emblem painted on their shoulders stopped Ahsoka, Ben, and Gaius from entering the spaceport. One of the humans, a middle-aged man with a patchy, dark beard and rotting teeth, gave Ahsoka a sickening smile.
"What's your business here, miss?"
Ahsoka raised her eyes and met the guard's, utterly unfazed by his demeanor.
"I wish to speak with whoever is in charge of acquisitions." She replied, "Specifically, recent ones."
"Oh? Interested in buying a ship, are ye?" The man replied, spitting some spice into the rain-soaked street and leaving his lips stained a rust color, "Hope you've got the credits for that."
"Credits are never an issue for me, sir." Ahsoka replied, "Now if you don't mind I'd like to-"
The guard held up a hand while his companion tightened his grip on a blaster rifle.
"Hope you'd submit to a small search. Don't want any contraband passing into our turf."
Oh, now that's beyond irony. Ben thought with a roll of his eyes.
Gaius must've felt the same way, because he gave Ben a look that said 'can you believe the level of bullshit', before shaking his head and waving a hand. Obviously expecting Ahsoka and Ben to do what Jedi do.
And he was not disappointed. Ahsoka waved a hand, and the guards' eyes glazed over.
"You searched us and found nothing."
"We searched you and found nothing." The guard parroted.
"Let us pass."
"You may pass."
Ahsoka nodded and motioned for Ben and Gaius to follow. Wordlessly the guards returned to their initial posts, and the trio entered the buzzing hive of scum and villainy.
As they entered, a cacophony of noise hit Ben's ears. Everything from welding equipment being used, to hammers banging against metal, and a multitude of tools he could not identify through all the white-noise battering his senses. This was not just a spaceport. This place was a damn shipyard. A way for the Crimson Dawn to take stolen ships, refurbish and remodel them, and sell them without ever being caught. Even Gaius uttered a low whistle as he observed the various ships and speeders being worked on around them.
"Quite the operation."
"Don't get any ideas," Ben warned him.
Gaius gave him an offended look, "I'll have you know, that while thievery is a passion of mine, a second is baking, and Whiskers actually likes doing that one with me."
"So you only bake because Panne bakes with you?" Ben replied as they continued following Ahsoka, all three of them having to sidestep a small speeder that was being piloted along the main thoroughfare.
"Well, I like to eat the sweets too. There's that benefit. But if Panne liked petty thievery as much as I do, then I'd happily be the richest thief in all of the Halidom, Plegia, and Regna Ferox."
"I'm glad to hear that confidence." Ahsoka whispered back, "If only because that reassures me that you know exactly what you're doing. Seeing anything out of the ordinary, by the way?"
"You mean beyond the obvious?" Gaius remarked, earning a curious look from Ahsoka and a weary sigh from Ben, "Right, right, forgot that all of this insane nonsense is normal for you two." He cleared his throat, "Distinct lack of guards, which is good. Means they're overconfident in their security. Although, I do notice the guards seem a bit tense."
"I noticed that too." Ahsoka nodded.
Ben blinked, "I didn't notice that."
Ahsoka smirked, "Why, Master, have I surpassed you in something?"
"Surpassing me in criminal dealings is not exactly something to be proud of, Ahsoka." Ben bemoaned.
"And yet, my criminal knowledge is the thing saving the day right now." Ahsoka chirped, "Perhaps you have much to learn, my criminal padawan."
"Ha! I really like her." Gaius chortled.
"Of course you do," Ben mumbled.
The trio easily moved through the tide of gangsters, shipyard workers, and droids as they made their way towards an office made out of tin walls, partially broken glass, and with a very bored looking Neimoidian sitting behind a beat-up, metal desk. Datapads were strewn across the desk. None of them were on as the Neimoidian leaned back in a torn up, leather chair, his pupilless red eyes staring up at the makeshift ceiling over his head.
Ahsoka calmly tapped her knuckles against the wall with a light ping, ping, ping. The Neimodian, as all Neimodians do, jumped with fear at the unexpected sound, only to scowl at the sight of the Ahsoka, Ben, and Gaius.
"Do you have an appointment?" He grumbled.
Ben briefly reached out through the force in order to figure out why the Neimoidian seemed so irritable. Turns out, the irritability was born out of fear. Not fear of them. It was fear of another. But who? The list could be quite vast since Neimoidians were well known throughout the galaxy as the greatest of cowards. But, given that the entire operation in this spaceport appeared tense, bordering on fearful, Ben ventured that the Neimoidian clerk was afraid of the same thing the other workers were anxious about.
"No." Ahsoka replied, taking a seat across from the clerk and crossing her legs, "I'm in need of a ship."
"Go to the Imperial shipyard."
"An unlicensed, untraceable ship."
The Neimoidian clerks' eyes narrowed to red slits, "And why would a well put together Togruta want such a thing?"
Ahsoka shrugged, "I'm interested in getting into the smuggling business. I've already got trade runners, but the Empire's taxes are stifling my profits. Besides, you and I both know the amount of credits that can be earned from more… illicit trade practices."
Talking profits with a Neimoidian. Ben thought, resisting the urge to sight, I don't know whether you'd be pleased, or infuriated now, Anakin.
The Clerk nodded, "Ah, no that all too well. But are you prepared for such a risky venture?"
"The great the risk, the greater the reward."
The Neimoidians gray lips twitched, "Very well, what kind of ship? Corvette, cruiser, freighter?
"Something unique. Hard to track and pin down."
"Unique makes you easy to spot."
"Unique makes it easy for someone to contact me for a job." Ahsoka retorted, "Besides, ships come in all shapes and sizes, and I don't plan on acting stupid about my smuggling. Anyways, why do you care?"
That made the Neimoidian shrug, "Something to talk about."
"You seem rather tense," Ben spoke up, earning a sharp glance from Gaius even as he glanced around and sized the spaceport up.
The clerk sighed, "Bosses are in, so everyone is more than a little tense."
Ahsoka tilted her head, "Bosses?"
"Dryden Vos." Ahsoka drew back at that name, "Didn't expect one of the big ones to come here."
"Sounds like a pretty big guy in the operation," Gaius muttered.
The clerk nodded, "He's the biggest guy. Well, not the biggest, but the biggest that any of us know the name of. The-One-With-No-Name is with him, which is why everyone's on edge."
"The-One-With-No-Name?" Ahsoka inquired as the clerk grabbed a datapad, brought up images of ships, and projected them for Ahsoka to see and swipe through.
"Yeah. Not surprising you haven't heard of him. Hardly anyone outside of the upper echelon has." The clerk leaned over his desk, "The rumor is that he's the big funder. The one with all of the money Vos used to start the gang. Might even be some bigtime player within the Empire."
"Interesting." Ahsoka muttered, focusing her attention on the ships until she landed on one that looked more like an old, republic consular ship, but heavily modified and painted pitch black: the Ark. "Tell me about this one."
The clerk raised one of his fleshy brows, "That one? That's an interesting choice…" He rubbed his chin and flicked through the data himself, "Newest acquisition. Restoration and refurbishing has just finished. It doesn't have all the bells and whistles, yet, but those can be added on for an extra fee."
"Not interested, but I would like to see it in person," Ahsoka replied.
The clerk gave Ahsoka a curious look, "Very well."
He rose from his seat, shuffled around his desk, and waved for Ahsoka, Ben, and Gaius to follow him. As they left, the Neimoidian shut the door to his office and locked it. Gaius snorted, conveying that the lock obviously did little good, but he said nothing about it.
It was not a far walk to the docking bay housing the Ark. As they entered, and laid eyes on the ship for the first time in a couple of weeks, Ben marveled at just how fast the Crimson Dawn was able to repair the ship. Crash landings tended to completely wreck even the most well built of starships, and the Ark was certainly not among those. But now, as he watched droids move around it putting on some nice finish touches, Ben couldn't help but feel that it might be able to run with other starships.
Maybe it won't almost break apart from one hyperspace jump. He thought as he passed beneath one of its engines.
As they moved around the ship, the ramp lowered, and the clerk froze.
At first, Ben was unsure why the clerk froze. But then, he saw a group of people exit the ship. The first was a human male with scars on his pale face. His crisp, black outfit would have made any military officer green with envy, and he carried himself with all of the arrogance of one too. However, he was clearly not imperial, as the material of his clothes was much too fine for that. His sharp eyes snapped in their direction, peering past a group of Mandalorian guards with emblems on their shoulder pauldrons that made both Ahsoka and Ben freeze.
The symbol looked like a crudely drawn, crimson pitchfork. An aggressive symbol that, at one point in time, belonged to the clan of this group's founder, Tor Visla.
Death Watch. Ben thought with a grimace, Why would they be-
A wave of cold hit him, and Ben's heart froze in his chest. He saw Ahsoka tense in front of him, but he didn't pay attention to her, as much as he did the hooded figure slowly following Dryden Vos down the ramp of the Ark. He knew that silhouette better than anyone else. He knew this signature in the force better than anyone else, save for perhaps Darth Sidious. And as he recognized it, Ben did everything in his power to bury his own presence in the force.
But it was too late. The figure paused at the bottom of the ramp, drawing a puzzled glance from Dryden Vos as he did so. As a last-second, desperate attempt to avoid the monster's curiosity, Ben took a calming breath and attempted to make his presence feel like it was somewhere else in the spaceport. Meanwhile, Ben grabbed Ahsoka and jerked her behind the Ark's engine, leaving Gaius sputtering.
The figure's head tilted, and Dryden Vos whispered something in his ear. Slowly, the monster's hooded head turned, and he locked eyes with Gaius and the Neimoidian clerk. Gaius gulped as yellow eyes bored into him from beneath the hood. Then, with a sheepish smile, he gave the hooded monster a little wave.
"It uh-" Gaius sniffed, wiped his nose, and put on a more relaxed posture, "You all have done some nice work here." He patted the Ship's hull and winced when he saw Dryden Vos's eyes narrow at him. Slowly, he removed his hand and laughed nervously, "Just taking a look at a possible purchase for- er- smuggling stuff."
"Th-that he is, bosses." The Neimoidian clerk stammered, not noticing both Ben and Ahsoka now hiding in the shadow of the Ark.
Dryden Vos furrowed his brow, looked Gaius up and down, then huffed, "He better have the credits for it."
"Oh, I do," Gaius replied, with just enough gusto to seemingly satisfy the gangster.
However, the monster's gaze did not leave him. Not until Dryden Vos cleared his throat and muttered something to him. With a snarl, the monster turned away from Gaius, waving for the Death Watch to follow him out as he marched at a pace that caught Vos off guard.
Vos rushed to catch up. As soon as he, and the Death Watch, had exited the docking bay, Ben and Ahsoka re-emerged from their hiding spot.
"Apologies for that." The clerk commented, "The boss has taken a keen interest in this ship for some reason. Probably because of its strange internal design."
"Yeah, must be weird," Gaius said, cringing.
Ahsoka cleared her throat, drawing the clerk's attention, "Do you mind giving us a moment Mr-"
"Chiv Sertar."
"Yes, Mr. Sertar, some privacy please," Ben commented.
The clerk gave them a small bow and exited the docking bay. As soon as he was gone, Ahsoka spun around to face Ben.
"Master…"
"Oh, I'm very aware." Ben gulped as he looked to the door where Vos and the Death Watch exited from, "And I cannot guarantee he didn't notice us."
Gaius raised an eyebrow, "You two mind telling me who we're talking about. Do you mean that hooded guy?" He cringed as both Ahsoka and Ben gave him withering looks, "What? He was creepy sure but-"
"Gaius, add a stoop to his posture and a cane to the mental image you have."
Gaius furrowed his brow, confused. Then, his eyes slowly widened, and all of the color drained from his face.
"Shit."
"Exactly." Ben nodded.
"Believe me, Master Kenobi, I had no idea Maul was among the Crimson Dawn." Ahsoka whispered, "And him being here complicates everything."
"You both cannot possibly be people he wants to kill, right?" Gaius asked. Ahsoka and Ben both gave him a look, and his shoulders sagged, "Are Jedi just very good at pissing the worst kind of people off?"
"Unfortunately, yes." Ahsoka nodded, "We can't go about this with the original plan anymore."
"And we definitely can't leave now. He sensed me, I know it." Ben said, "I'm hoping he thinks I'm elsewhere in this spaceport. But that means he, and his men, will be scouring it for me."
"Lucky for us we're under his nose," Ahsoka commented.
"For now." Gaius pointed out, "How do we know that alien helping us out isn't about to tell him who we are?"
Ben and Ahsoka gave Gaius a worried look, then directed an even more anxious look towards each other.
"Steal the ship now?" Ben suggested.
"Let's hope it's no longer powered by dragon magic." Ahsoka nodded.
"What else would it be powered by?" Gaius asked as Ben used the force to lower the ship's ramp.
"Science, of course," Ahsoka replied.
Gaius quirked an eyebrow as he rushed after the two Jedi entering the ship, "That sounds like something Miriel would've said."
"I have no idea who Miriel is, but I get the feeling she's a smart person."
"Was." Ben corrected, his voice quiet as they rushed down the lone hall in the Ark and made their way into the engine room.
When they reached the engine room, Ben felt relief flood him. The pedestals that conducted Tiki and Nowi's immense magical power were gone, replaced with a traditional engine and hyperdrive. It was certainly not the fastest or most powerful engine, but it would do for now. All three rushed to the cockpit, and Ben quickly settled into the pilot's chair. Ahsoka meanwhile, moved towards the ship's exit.
"Ahsoka?"
"Can't leave my ship, Master." She replied, "But I wish you and Gaius the best of luck and-" She whipped her head to the docking bay's exit, and breathed a curse in her native tongue, "He knows."
"He does. Better get going before he knows about you too." Ben replied.
Ahsoka nodded. Before she left the ship and disappeared into the spaceport, she said one more thing to Ben.
"May the force be with you, master."
"Oh, I'm going to need it." Ben remarked with a wry smile as he flipped several switches, "Strap in, Gaius."
Gaius didn't protest. He flopped down into the co-pilot's chair, buckled himself in, and clenched the armrests to his chair so tight his knuckles turned white. As he sat, the engine thrummed to life, and both of them spotted Death Watch storming into the docking bay, with a very pissed off Maul at the lead, a red lightsaber ignited in his grasp.
"Benny!"
"I know!"
Ben clenched his jaw and brought the ship to full power. The engines howled, drowning out the shriek of incoming blaster bolts. Thankfully, Ben anticipated it and flicked a switch that he hoped brought deflector shields to life. When he saw faint blue ripples form around the viewscreen from blaster bolts ricocheting off of it, he knew his hunch was correct.
But he wasn't expecting Maul to jump up onto the cockpit, cybernetic legs grabbing hold of the metal that formed the transparisteel windows.
"Gaius, yank back on the controls!"
"Wha-what?"
"Yank, damn it!"
Gaius reached for the co-pilot's controls and gave them a harsh yank just as Ben hit a switch that transferred the controls to the co-pilot's yoke.
The ship shot upwards, throwing Maul off balance and causing him to slide along the cockpit's exterior. Through the transparisteel, Ben saw his hood fly off of his horned head, allowing the Jedi Master to see the furious visage of his old nemesis once again. Ben quickly reached out with the force before Maul could recover from the sudden jolt, and he tossed a powerful push at the Zabrak.
He saw Maul's mouth open in rage as he was flung from the ship, due to the sheer speed of their exit from the spaceport, and Ben's push. However, Ben knew he wasn't dead, and he knew that wasn't the last they would see of Maul. He needed to get the Ark back to the Antilles Fuel Depot fast. The Shepherds were no longer safe on Corellia.
He dashed back into his seat, retook the controls from Gaius, and steered the ship directly towards the city outskirts. Meanwhile, Gaius's uttered harsh, heavy breaths as he stared wide-eyed at the gray storm clouds now surrounding them.
"How many fucking times will have we have to deal with that guy!?" He cried, shaking in his seat.
Ben pressed his lips into a thin line, "More often then we'll want to. I can almost guarantee that. Now, keep an eye on the planetary charts on that screen," He jabbed a finger to the screen on the wall to Gaius's right, "make sure I remain on course."
Gaius blinked, "Uh… how do I-"
Ben sighed, "We're the white dot… and we're trying to keep an eastern course."
"Gotcha!" Gaius said, "Benny."
"What?"
"You're on course."
Ben closed his eyes and resisted the urge to smack his forehead, "Sometimes Gaius."
"Benny."
"What?"
"How bad is the situation now?"
Ben couldn't hide the anxious grimace on his face, "Let's just say, we're not safe here anymore."
Gaius slowly nodded his head and turned to look out the viewscreen, watching as the clouds thinned out as they raced towards the city outskirts.
"Benny?"
"Yes, Gaius?" Ben replied wearily.
"When you fight Ol'Horns again, make sure you put him in the ground."
Ben exhaled, "Trust me, Gaius. If I do fight him again, I will not hold back."
But hopefully, it doesn't come to that. The last thing we need is for two beings with Jedi powers jumping onto the Empire's radar.
Luke knew he should probably be meditating, as a way to clear his mind and center himself in the force. Even if Ben wasn't the one to constantly remind him of it, Yen'fay made sure to drill such a practice into his head. Even in Chon'sin culture, meditation held an important role in maintaining one's physical and mental health. It was a practice he badly neglected in the future, and one he had worked hard to instill as a habit once again.
However, this time, he could not sit still. Not with the strange feeling he could sense churning through the force. A familiar darkness rippled through the waters, passing by almost completely unseen by everyone except those that were force sensitive. And it had Luke on edge. Far too uneasy to simply sit down, take a few deep breaths, and clear his mind.
So, he decided that the best thing he could do was work in some training. He needed to improve his lightsaber skills. If his defeat at the hands of Lord Vader told Luke anything, it was that he could not be confident in his abilities, not anymore.
Darth Vader pummeled Luke with practiced ease in Ylisstol, and that knowledge made Luke's pride burn. All of his life, the only people who could match him with a blade were Master Kenobi and Maul. Even then, he wound up slaying Maul, ending any mental doubts he had about whether he had grown past that wretched cretin. Dooku provided a startling challenge that he never overcame, but Dooku had also been infused by Grima's power, so Luke did not put much stock in their brief duels.
But Darth Vader, he was bolstered by nothing. He was simply that powerful, that skilled, that vicious. Luke recalled the frozen chill in the air when he fought the Sith Lord, recalled the vibration in his limbs from his lightsaber barely blocking Vader's titanic blows, recalled the pain that washed over his face when Vader broke his jaw with one powerful punch.
Anger swelled in Luke, and his lightsaber ignited. The azure blade hummed through the air as he fought an invisible enemy. He parried, slashed, sidestepped, stabbed, backpedaled; like a fighter shadowboxing. Although, in his mind's eyes, he didn't see his own shadow painted on the grassy ground by Corellia's sun. He saw Vader's grimacing visage. He saw the red glow of Vader's lightsaber dancing in his eyes. He saw Ylisstol burning around him as he fought the Dark Lord again.
And this time, he won as he slashed through Vader's waist, ending the monster's life. Of course, when he fought in his mind and mirrored those images in his training, he always won. It was nothing but practice, an illusion of the real thing, and until he fought Vader again, he would not know if he had grown to match him or not.
As Luke sucked in deep breaths, surprisingly tired from the brief spat of swordplay, he heard someone clapping happily nearby. A small cheer rang out, and he was dragged from his mental battle with Vader. A smile washed over his face as Cynthia meandered towards him, hands clasped behind her back as a cheery grin rested on her lips.
"Did you win?" She asked, giving him a wink.
Luke snorted, "Did I win? What do you think?"
Cynthia hummed, "Well, if you were fighting Ben, probably not."
"Hey!" Luke switched off his lightsaber, smile not wavering as he wagged the hilt at Cynthia, "I'll have you know that the next time he and I spar; I've got more than a few surprises for him."
"Oh really?" Cynthia replied, "Mind sharing."
Luke narrowed his eyes at her, making Cynthia snicker, "Can't. You'd talk."
"Aw, you know me so well." Cynthia smiled wrapped her arms around his waist, but unable to lock her hands around him as her round belly made it difficult for her to hug him, "Now are you going to tell me what's bothering you?"
Luke hugged her back, resting his chin on her head, "Why would you think something is bothering me?"
Cynthia shrugged in his arms, "I know you well. And I know that when you are very anxious about something you tend to get physical instead of sitting down and taking a nap."
Luke chuckled, "Meditating isn't taking a nap."
"Your eyes are closed, your breathing is even, and I've walked in on you snoring more than once y'know." Cynthia teased back, her bright eyes looking up at him, "Is that really the key to force people having level heads: naptime?"
"I- well-" Luke sighed, and Cynthia let out a victorious laugh, "Yes, apparently naptime works."
"But not in this instance." Cynthia continued, "C'mon, tell me what's wrong."
Luke uttered a heavy sigh as he ended their embrace, "I just… I've got an uneasy feeling. There is something, or someone, on this planet. I feel like I've sensed them before, but I can't pinpoint their presence."
Cynthia gave him a concerned look, "Are they bad?"
"If by bad, you mean steeped in the dark side, then yes." Luke nodded, "What I'm worried about, is that Ben and Ahsoka both seemingly haven't noticed."
"Or, maybe they've noticed and just not said anything."
Luke frowned, "Why would they do that?"
Cynthia shrugged, "Keep us from panicking. It's been a rough few weeks, and I'm sure Ben's thinking we could all use a breather. Be honest, it's been kinda nice just to sit around for a little bit."
"You've been sitting around, with Nowi and Nah." Luke countered with a knowing look, "Meanwhile, the rest of us have either been making plans, galavanting around this planet, or helping Jagged with work on the depot."
"Upset about being put to work?" Cynthia asked with a teasing smirk.
Luke shook his head as he wrapped a hand around Cynthia's waist and walked with her back towards the Fuel Depot, which was not far away. Outside of the fuel depot were both Anna and, surprisingly, Aversa. The two were chatting in quiet tones, but judging by the spark in Anna's eyes, they must have been talking about something to do with money. Perhaps they were both trying to scheme a way of getting rich in this new, wide, terrifying galaxy?
"Not upset by it at all." Luke replied to Cynthia as they neared the bunkhouse, "Turns out, I'm not half bad at this whole mechanical stuff."
Cynthia blinked, "Really?"
Luke shrugged, "It's not hard once you figure out what everything is. Then it's like putting together a puzzle."
"Oh, puzzles! I loved doing those when I was little. I remember you being pretty good at them too." Cynthia smiled, jabbing Luke's shoulder with a finger.
"Well, working on Jagged's speeder is like a really big, complex puzzle. It's kinda relaxing."
"Good to hear. Maybe you should try doing that when you get all anxious like this, instead of going off to brood."
"I wasn't brooding."
Cynthia patted his chest, "Sure you weren't."
Luke was about to tease her back when he sensed something in the force. A warning, not a cry, but a slow buildup. Like war drums beating on the wind. His steps ground to a halt, and his eyes turned towards the sky, before descending down to the treeline just beyond the fuel depot.
Cynthia's smile wavered as she saw Luke's face don a serious mask, "Luke?"
"Get inside." He flicked his eyes to Anna and Aversa, both noticing his worried expression, "All of you. Tell Tiki that something's coming."
"What is-"
Before Cynthia could finish her question, a black shard of a ship shot through the air. It circled the fuel depot for a moment, drawing Jagged out from the main building, curiosity and concern etched on his face. Both his wife and son were by his side as they watched the slender ship circle the depot before landing at the edge of the compound.
As soon as the ship landed, a sleek ramp descended. Six men clad in armor similar to the Deadlord known as Draco marched out of the ship, all of them shouldering blaster rifles. While Luke was mildly surprised by them, he was not alarmed. Blasters, while potent weapons, were nothing to a lightsaber or the force. He could handle six heavily armed thugs easily.
But when the hooded monster with metal legs emerged from the ship, any confidence Luke had evaporated, quickly replaced by overwhelming fury.
"Luke?" Cynthia gulped, her eyes glued to the figure marching powerfully towards the heart of the fuel depot.
Maul.
"Get inside," Luke growled.
Anna shot towards Cynthia, snagged her by the wrist, and yanked her towards the door. As they rushed inside, both Chrom and Tiki emerged from the bunkhouse. Tiki hardly reacted to the new arrivals, her emerald eyes regarding them with wary curiosity rather than worry. Chrom however, recognized the hooded figure just as much as Luke did, and Falchion was drawn within an instant.
"You!" Chrom roared, making Maul turn his hooded gaze to the Prince.
A yellow smile spread wide within the hood's shadow, "Yes… me. Although, I do not know you. And regardless of whatever issue you have, I'm not here for you, boy." Maul drew in a deep breath, "I have other prey to catch."
"Excuse me." Jagged piped up, placing his son behind him as he took a step forward, "Can I help you?"
"Jagged, I suggest staying back." Luke spoke up, keeping Maul's attention away from the mostly helpless family, "This isn't someone that can be reasoned with."
When he was younger, Luke would've shrunk beneath the scrutinizing glare Maul gave him. But now that he was older, stronger, more experienced, he matched Maul's glare, earning a low hum from the monster.
"And you happen to be one of them," Maul growled, just loud enough for Luke to hear him.
He stepped towards Luke, but now Tiki made her presence known. A bright pulse in the force signaled her displeasure with Maul's arrival, making the creature hesitate a moment. Luke meanwhile, gave Tiki a stunned look. He knew Manaketes had some force sensitivity, but Tiki felt like a damned beacon of light, easily drowning out his and Maul's signature in the force. Was she trying to intimidate him into backing down before a fight could break out? From what Luke remembered of Maul, that would not work. Maul never backed down from a challenge, so long as he knew that he could win.
However, this younger Maul reacted differently than Luke expected. His sharp, yellow eyes glowered at Tiki. This Maul appeared restrained, calculating, and far more dangerous.
Luke's grip tightened on his lightsaber, and the Dark Side whispered sweet, seductive temptations into his ear. He could do it. Strike! End this cretin's life before he could destroy his own. Those soldiers with him were nothing. If Luke did not kill them, Tiki would.
Oh, the temptation was great. And Luke found his hand trembling around the activation button of his lightsaber, drawing Maul's attention.
A smile appeared beneath Maul's hood once more, "I have no idea how you know me, boy, but I know hatred when I sense it. You loathe me, don't you? I wonder why?"
Luke grit his teeth. He wanted to scream back at Maul. Tell him about how he ruined his life, ruined his friendships, ruined his chance at happiness. Instead, Luke took a powerful step forward.
"If you don't leave now, you'll regret coming here."
An amused chuckle left Maul's lips, "A threat? No… no not a threat, too much venom behind it. You're making a promise. However, can you keep it."
Maul waved a hand, and the soldiers advanced. Luke ignited his lightsaber right as the first salvo of blaster fire shrieked towards him. Tiki dashed to the side, tackling Jagged, his wife, and Wedge out of the way.
Luke's lightsaber was a blur of blue in front of him. Blaster bolts ricocheted off the blade, with three of them screaming back at their source, ending the lives of the soldiers that fired them. The other three soldiers raced for cover, only to be pounced on by Panne, Chrom, Tharja, and Severa, who all emerged from the bunkhouse with weapons and spells ready to go.
Once the soldiers were either dead or incapacitated, that left Luke alone to contend with Maul. The young Sith pointed his lightsaber at Maul, teeth barred as he allowed the dark side to swell to life within him.
Maul sneered back, a long scowl passing over his shadowy features as the other Shepherds moved to encircle him. Tiki rose from where she was shielding the Antilles as well, her eyes narrowed dangerously on Maul. Of all the opponents he had, Luke was surprised when Maul showed some hesitation when Tiki moved to Luke's side.
"Still planning on fighting?" Tiki taunted, small white flames licking her fingertips.
Maul's eyes darted from Tiki, to Luke, to Chrom and the Shepherds, then up to the sky as the dull roar of two ships neared. Ahsoka's ship shot through the air, buzzing low to the ground as a turret mounted on the bottom burst to life.
"Scatter!" Luke cried.
Red blaster bolts peppered the ground near Maul. Maul snarled and drew his lightsaber, igniting only one end as he deflected the flurry of blaster fire.
Luke felt the urged to surge forward and strike at Maul as he was distracted, but he also knew if he did that, he risked being shot as well. Or worse, ending Maul's pinned down position and freeing him up to strike another Shepherd. No, Luke had to be patient. His time to dance with Maul would come, just not now.
As he extinguished his lightsaber, a second, more familiar ship emerged from the treetops. The Ark made a rough landing near the bunkhouse, and the ramp quickly lowered. Gaius rushed to the bottom of the ramp.
"Come on!" Gaius cried, as more Shepherds rushed out of the bunkhouse.
We're leaving? Luke blinked, some relief filling him as he saw Brady and Anna guide Noire, Cynthia, Nowi, and little Nah into the Ark, About damn time.
A furious roar erupted from Maul. Luke's heart pounded as he watched the monster reach out with a hand and clench a fist. A loud pop rang out, and Ahsoka's turret exploded.
He's not taking another one!
Luke gathered the force around him, then sent a powerful push at Maul. A surprised cry left Maul's lips as he was flung back by the force, colliding against his own ship with a harsh crack.
Stay down.
Luke turned and rushed for the ark. Once he was aboard, the ramp drew up, and the ship lifted off of the ground once more. Luke didn't waste time looking back at Maul. He dashed for the cockpit and found Ben, Jagged, Cordelia, and Tiki inside.
"Leaving?" He asked.
Ben glanced over his shoulder, "I think the further away we are from Maul the better, don't you agree?"
Luke nodded, "Absolutely." He blinked and glanced at Tiki, "Shouldn't you be-"
"Not anymore." Tiki interrupted, tremendous relief in her voice, "I'm quite happy my power will no longer be used to power this vessel. Now, Ben, we should fly before Maul regains his bearings."
"Right." Ben nodded pointing the ship to the atmosphere, "Let's see how well the Crimson Dawn repaired our ship."
He shoved the thrusters forward, and the Ark rocketed out of Corellia's orbit. Through the force, Luke sensed Ahsoka close behind. However, a new threat emerged. Two Imperial Star Destroyers were converging on their location.
A buzz rang through the cockpit, and Ben hit a switch.
"Ahsoka?"
"They've marked my ship, Master." Ahsoka commented, "We need to do a mini-jump to avoid tracking, then we need to get to Alderaan."
Ben furrowed his brow, "Alder- I thought the plan was Dagobah."
"I need a new ship, and you all need training. We'll go to Dagobah immediately after, but first mini-jump. Sending you coordinates."
Luke furrowed his brow as the crackling comm cut off.
"Jagged, get the hyperdrive ready," Ben ordered.
As the Antilles patriarch got to work, Luke leaned closer to Ben, eyes studying the space outside of the cockpit as the Star Destroyers drew closer.
"Marked ship?" Luke asked.
"The Empire has obviously identified Ahsoka after she did whatever stupid thing happened on Kuat." Ben muttered, "We definitely cannot stay nearby."
"And Alderaan?"
Ben shook his head, "Nice place. No idea why we're going there though. Either way, strap in and prepare for lightspeed."
Luke nodded, turned, and left the cockpit. He rushed towards the cramped living quarters on the ship. When he got there, he sat down in a seat, buckled a belt over his lap, and quickly took count of the Shepherds.
All of them were accounted for, and when he saw Cynthia sitting beside Chrom, face awash with worry, relief filled him. He gave her a small smile, one she returned as the ship lurched. A deep whine filled the living quarters; the sound of the hyperdrive engine activating. It was followed by a sharp boom, a harsh jolt, and suddenly all of the fluctuation in the force evaporated, replaced by small points of uncertainty.
I can deal with uncertainty. Luke thought as he drew in a deep breath, Uncertainty is at least not Maul.
With that in mind, he closed his eyes and let his head fall back against the wall. Through the force, he sensed Ahsoka also out of harm's way. They had all successfully escaped Corellia. Although, they probably drew the eye of the Empire in the process. Things were going to get more difficult after all of this, but Luke did not care. The Shepherds had faced difficult situations before, and they would face any new ones the same as they always had, with tenacity and determination.
For now, they were all safe, and that is all that mattered.
Maul seethed. No, he didn't just seethe, he internally raged as he stood in this putrid excuse of a Fuel Depot on the outskirts of Coronet City. That rage led to him letting out a feral scream, followed by a massive pulse in the force that caused his ship to break apart at the seams. Sharp breaths rushed in and out of the Zabrak's lungs as he stalked back and forth at the now empty depot.
Was he angry that his ship was now destroyed? No, he was rich. He could easily obtain a newer, better model. Hell, he could even arrange for a top of the line ship to be stolen for him. Was he angry about the few Death Watch that still followed him now lying dead on the ground? Force no, he could care less about them. They were useful tools; effective instruments to demonstrate his power, nothing more.
No, his fury was directed purely at two people: himself, and Kenobi. Oh, how his hatred burned hot for Kenobi. The damnable Jedi Master had once again eluded him, despite him being right under Maul's nose.
How!? Maul thought as he quickly remembered that reinforcements were on their way, and he couldn't afford for his Crimson Dawn to see their leader in such a state. His breathing began to slow as he quelled the beast that was the dark side within him.
But still, that question burned in his mind. How? Not just regarding Kenobi's frequent, improbable escapes, but regarding this new group of adversaries. Specifically the two force sensitives; the boy and that strange woman.
He had sensed the boy before and could feel the power he wielded. The potential that brat had was enormous, and he was already so familiar with the dark side. Maul sensed the force roil in fury when the boy looked at him. The boy would be rather easy to deal with, although he didn't expect the boy to restrain himself the way he did. There must be other factors at play for that reaction.
Then there was the woman with the green hair and pointy ears. She was the variable Maul did not see coming. The amount of power that woman commanded boggled Maul's mind. It also confused him. The power she had was not traditional for a force wielder by any stretch of the imagination. It reminded him more of the Nightsisters' abilities rather than a Jedi or Sith's powers. But he could not make an accurate comparison, since he did not witness the woman do anything other than give off quite the intimidating presence.
And the fact that the woman managed to intimidate him made Maul even more furious. Only the low hum of a ship full of reinforcements approaching prevented him from unleashing his rage once more. With a low growl, he restrained his baser instincts, folded his arms, and waited for the ship to land. Aboard the ship, he sensed the presence of Dryden Vos, which only made him scowl.
He took his time.
The ship landed, and Dryden Vos was the first one out of it, and that caused Maul's scowl to deepen. The only reason Vos exited first was because he was certain the danger had passed. Perhaps it was time to remind him of who he served and that he should move to carry out his orders swiftly?
"Master, I-"
Maul grasped Vos by his ankles with the force and dragged him towards him. Alarmed cries flew from Vos's lips as he scraped along the dirty ground, grasping at tufts of grass in order to try and slow his slide.
When he was right in front of Maul, the leader of the Crimson Dawn lifted Vos off the ground. The human's feet dangled in the air as he stared fearfully in Maul's burning gaze.
"If I order you to follow," Maul growled, "You follow."
The force let go of Vos, and he fell to a heap on the ground. Maul marched by his still recoiling form. Before Maul could board Vos's ship, Vos rose to his feet.
"Master, what will you have us do now?"
Maul paused at the base of the ship and glowered over his shoulder at Vos, "Kenobi thinks he can run, but he cannot do so forever. Especially not when the full might of the Crimson Dawn is brought to bear against him. Continue our normal operations, but I want every bounty hunter under our employ, and even those not under our employ, to be hunting down that Jedi his companions." His eyes narrowed on Vos, "Make sure Kenobi, the boy, and the green-haired woman are brought to me alive. Put a kill order on the others for all I care."
Dryden Vos bowed his head, "As you will, Master."
Maul didn't acknowledge Dryden Vos's groveling. While that aspect of their working relationship disgusted him, Vos was still his most useful operative. It's why he wasn't dead, yet. However, if Vos failed to help him capture Kenobi, his death would come sooner than even Maul expected. For when it came to Obi-Wan Kenobi, Maul could not guarantee that he would remain merciful.
And chapter! We are FINALLY off of Corellia! That concludes this small section of the story, and this certainly will not be the last we see of Maul. He's going to be a bit of a thorn in the Shepherd's side for a while to come. Now, it's on to Alderaan for what is likely going to be a very interesting reunion, but only after we touch base with some other characters littering the galaxy. We'll see how this goes.
Anyways, let me know what you all think of this chapter! As always, I hope you all enjoyed it! Have a nice day!
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