The Way of a Siluan

by heatherxenia

Three AgriCorps Jedi survive Order 66. One is shipwrecked in a remote forest and begins to learn the ways of a quiet sect of Lightsiders known as the Siluans. Another tries to run a farm but is nearly thwarted by the Imperial Agriculture Program. A third takes the path of a Dark Jedi, masterminds Imperial agriculture policy...and sets out to destroy the Siluans. Part I complete.

8. Captured

The Way of a Siluan

Chapter 8: Captured

From the Moosachu Plains of Nechako, Garth pulled off into hyperspace, but when he came out at his next destination, his little freighter simply refused to respond any further. All controls were overridden. He couldn't properly see the ship that had him caught in it's tractor beam; it was on his dorsal side and already too close. Garth muttered every profanity he knew, and then remembered the clone trooper who noted down his presence at the Temple on Coruscant. Taking his blaster, he destroyed the computer containing the ship's log.

Before long, Garth could hear the whzzz of being sucked into the larger ship, the clang of being locked in place and the bang of the larger starship's portal closing. Then there was the sound of many footsteps outside.

"Open up in there!" someone called.

"Not on your life!" he shouted back.

"Set for stun," the voice said to another, and the passenger door of his beautiful little freighter disintegrated in a thousand sparks. The white head of a clone trooper appeared at the opening.

Garth opened fire. The first, the second, the third clone trooper fell, and then his blaster ran out of power and he could shoot no more. A fourth clone trooper pushed through the door, and Garth felt a sickening pulse of energy ride through his body: he'd been stunned.

Next thing Garth knew, he was in handcuffs, being wrestled by two clone troopers into a little room off a metallic hallway. Inside, a tall woman sat at a desk. Wide, dark eyes, high cheekbones and dark, wavy hair pulled back from her olive face gave her a rather dramatic look. She was in fact quite good-looking, but Garth simply glared at her as he was thrust into her office.

She looked up from her work with a sarcastic smile. "Why, Garth Jetty!" she said with mock pleasantry, "I was hoping to see you."

Garth kept on glaring at her. "And who are you?"

"Ry Kyver, director of IMAg."

"I what?"

"IMAg. Imperial Ministry of Agriculture."

Garth's eyes flew wide open in a moment of recognition. "Wait, I remember you. You're a Jedi. You were with the AgriCorps. Why weren't you there when the reactor blew?"

Ry shrugged. "I guess I'm a lucky girl," she said, "lucky to have tracked you down, anyways. IMAg now has jurisdiction over what remains of the AgriCorps. We asked for all staff to report in. Why didn't you respond to our messages?"

"Well, I'm actually a contractor..." Garth drawled sardonically.

"A contractor whose clientele is composed almost entirely of AgriCorps Jedi and support staff."

"So?"

"You were specifically summoned by an Imperial body and did not respond."

"Yeah, well, it's kind of fishy when the Republic's own clones attack unarmed Jedi agronomists and then public radio reports it as a reactor malfunction."

"Oh, so you were there. I thought so." Ry gave Garth a pointed look, and allowed an uncomfortable pause before she continued. "So I suppose there's nothing you'd like to tell me about the hundred or so other AgriCorps members currently unaccounted for?"

"You're damn right there's nothing I want to tell you."

"I know you know where we might find some of the remaining AgriCorps personnel. Your friend Devin Strong, for instance?"

"He was at the Symposium."

"I see," Ry said. "You have my condolences. And where were you headed when we caught you?"

"Ask my computer."

"You destroyed that."

"Exactly."

Ry Kyver pursed her lips and folded her hands on her desk. "In that case," she said, "we have a rather excellent opportunity ahead of us. You see, I've been developing some advanced tranquilizers to enhance livestock handling, but I think they may have an application with human detainees as well. I'm sure they will enhance your questioning experience rather greatly."

"Over my dead body."

"I have not ruled out that option," Ry said, and turned to the clone troopers. "Escort this prisoner to Area 2 and begin treatment immediately." To Garth she said sarcastically, "I'd love to join you, but I have a meeting to attend."

As Garth was shoved back out into the hall, he tried one last trick: flicking his leg out to the side, he hooked one the clone troopers just behind the knee, and they both went down. The other clone trooper simply stunned Garth again, and he blacked out.