Hyperspace: III – part one
Bastila Shan:
The late afternoon sun beat down on my head with a vengeance as I walked between the others, an impenetrable silence cloaking us all. The rontos had gone once we cleared the cave. Either the explosion had scared them off, or that degenerate bounty hunter had claimed them. I struggled to show nothing but an outer mask of calm confidence, but inwardly my emotions seethed with frightening intensity.
We had almost reached Anchorhead; as we crested the next dune I saw the large durasteel Czerka gates rise up in my vision. A group of local hunters stood chatting outside them, no doubt passing along wild stories of even wilder hunts whilst they leaned nonchalantly on their respective speeders.
As our steps brought us closer to the settlement, I reached out once more through the cursed bond that linked me to Revan. Again, I met the barricade she had clouded over her thoughts and emotions. How had she learnt that so quickly? Revan had all but ignored my warning of Calo, and I feared what could happen out there in the inhospitable desert.
I glanced over at Canderous striding alongside me; after our escape from that bounty hunter's trap the Mandalorian had been both smug and determined, espousing a violent desire to track down Calo Nord. I only wished that Canderous would leave our party for good, but after today's revelations I no longer believed he would disappear of his own volition.
In fact, after today's revelations I was no longer certain that Revan would remain ignorant of whom she truly was.
At least the Force has given me a small reprieve. I had managed to sway the Mandalorian under my power, but I had my own reservations about whether that would last. If not for his head injury, I am not entirely sure that it would have worked. And then-
And then he may have carried out his threat of attack. He might still, should he ever realize I once more used the Force upon him.
Worries for another day. One step at a time. Yet everything around me seemed to be crumbling like a kassi cracker, bit by bit falling to the floor to break into yet more fragments. We were now heading to Manaan, not the refuge I had hoped to find on Coruscant. Revan grew more violent and careless with each passing hour. Canderous and Juhani appeared to hold loyalty to the former Sith Lord; whilst I could understand the bloodthirsty Mandalorian's regard, Juhani was another matter. I had not missed the wondrous, almost awed, expression in the Cathar's eyes when she had learned of Jen Sahara's true identity. Juhani had quietly agreed to say nothing of it, but her exotic face gave away her desire to follow Revan. I feared for her; she had so recently embraced the Dark Side, and surely an attachment to Revan could only lead her back to that grim, desolate place.
How does Revan do it? I thought sourly as the gates of Anchorhead loomed closer. Everyone in our party follows her lead. Carth, perhaps, was the only one who had sworn to help me in my mission, but even he had mixed feelings over Revan. Why else would he have left with them this morning?
My anger at Revan had been simmering all day long, ever since I had woken to find that she had gone out for yet another ill-advised, treacherous escapade. My fear, too, had expanded with each additional spark of cruelty that had slipped through Revan's emotional walls into the bond. Now that she was blocking me successfully, and showing an ability to pick up on my thoughts, my fear was in danger of blossoming out of control.
I sighed quietly, breath shuddering in my lungs. I ached for a future time when I could seek out the peaceful sanctuary of a Jedi enclave; when I could enjoy an existence that did not include Revan. I still had the power to easily cut Revan off from the Force, but I dared not use it. She shattered my shields when she was fighting Juhani. I need to save this power of mine for when I really need it. No matter how much she infuriated or terrified me in the interim.
Mission! No! Revan's anguished thought stabbed sharply into my mind, jolting me to a standstill. Canderous and Juhani turned and frowned at me in inquiry.
Jen? Are you alright? Is Calo there? I desperately thrust my thoughts through the bond, but received no immediate response.
"Bastila?" Juhani asked quietly. "What is it?"
Jen? "Jen. In trouble," I said shortly, aware that my teeth were clenching as Revan continued to ignore my frantic queries. I opened my mind and tried to reach Revan's, pushing against my instincts which wanted nothing more than to build a thousand Force walls between us. My instincts which screamed with every further mental contact I had with that woman.
Those Gamorrean bastards! I can't use the Force, dammit, I can't risk Mission.
Gamorreans? Additional confusion swamped me; I could not visualize Calo Nord using Gamorreans as lackeys. Especially since he had appeared to be working alone when he confronted us earlier. What is going on, Jen?
Stop interfering! She all but snarled at me, and shoved me out of her mind so fast that I physically reeled.
Curse her. Curse that- that- I breathed in deeply, and forced the words of the Jedi Code to the forefront of my mind.
"Is she okay? Where is she?" Juhani asked again, and I turned to see a look of sharp concern on the Cathar's face. Canderous was looking intently at me also. How does that psychotic woman command such loyalty? How is it possible?
"I do not know where she is, Juhani. I told you, the bond does not work that way," I snapped, my tone more curt than it should have been.
Her intense yellow eyes stared into mine, puzzled and maybe a little annoyed. I noticed then that the local hunters were staring at us avidly, curious at our conversation. I shot them an unimpressed glare, and they turned away to feign interest in their beaten-up speeders.
"Perhaps your bond does not, but the Force itself does," Juhani responded in a soft voice. "If Jen is close enough, surely we should sense her presence through the Force."
I gaped at the Cathar as she closed her eyes. Of course! Has my very proximity to Revan blindsided me to the very basic uses of the Force? Has it addled my wits? That Juhani could come to this conclusion rather than I shamed me somewhat. I closed my eyes hurriedly, and reached out to the tantalizing, living power that surrounded every being.
"I can sense her," Juhani's husky voice lilted past my ears. "She is not far. In the direction of that sandcrawler."
I, too, felt Revan's life force, pulsating and thrumming with the Force, spiking with rage. It was not as clear as detecting Revan's emotions through our mind-link, but that had become more and more difficult for me to achieve as she successfully blocked me out.
I opened my eyes to see Juhani pointing towards a metallic object in the distance that winked at us with the late afternoon sun. It was less than an hour's walk away, if I judged correctly. A movement from the corner of my eye made me aware of Canderous, striding purposefully towards the nearest hunter.
"Canderous?" I called sharply. Oh no. What is he doing?
"You," Canderous stated in his deep gravelly voice, as he stopped in front of a local Duros who had been bantering with his fellow hunters. "I want your speeder."
"What?" The Duros replied in surprise. "Are you kidding?"
"Let me rephrase that," Canderous retorted, swinging up his large repeating blaster to point at the hunter threateningly. The Duros paled, and stepped away from his vehicle hurriedly.
"I must help her. I dislike him, but she spared my life," Juhani muttered incoherently, and ran towards Canderous as he jumped onto the battered speeder.
"Hey!" one of the other hunters called out in sharp surprise. "Stop, you thieving bastard!"
"Wait a minute!" I cried, running after them as Canderous turned the ignition. I felt Juhani embrace the Force; its power lending strength to her almighty leap aimed at the speeder. She landed behind Canderous with a thud, twisting her arms around him as he roared the engine into life.
"Wait for me!" a desperate shriek rose from the depths of my lungs.
One of the locals shouted in surprised anger, and I saw blaster fire ricochet off the speeder as it tore away, Canderous and Juhani disappearing quickly from my sight.
"Get back here!" I yelled furiously, hopelessly, as they vanished over the dunes. How could they just run off without me? I can help!
All of a sudden I was aware of the heated looks thrown my way by the hunters, who were now short two enemies to pick on.
With sinking dread creating a pit in my anger, I turned around slowly to face them.
xXx
Calo Nord:
She lay before me, dead to the world as I knelt in the cooling sand. And this is what has come of the once all-powerful Darth Revan. I could feel a victorious smirk on my face. Not many could say they have successfully neutralized an ex-Sith Lord.
Certainly, it hadn't been easy. Of course I'd known of Bastila's quest from Darth Malak himself, and had ensured that cave was fully lined with explosives. Malak had preferred the Star Map obliterated, and it was a perfect ambush. What I hadn't expected was for their little group to split up.
It was more satisfying this way, I thought smugly to myself as I pulled out the neural disrupter Darth Malak had given me. Bastila and Canderous either died in the explosion, or are busy suffocating. In the case of my former colleague, I hoped for the latter. I knew how much his pathetic race valued an honourable death, and I had no wish to give him one.
I snapped the collar around Revan's neck, and thought idly that she appeared much younger than she had as the Dark Lord. She's over thirty standard years. And yet unconscious, she could be an innocent young woman. I snorted. There was nothing innocent about Darth Revan.
Back to business. I stood up quickly, and surveyed her comatose companions. The sedative I'd used, Foraxyn-4, was fast-acting, but it did not linger in the system for long. The biggest threat appeared to be the Wookiee, and I strolled over to his body.
"Since I can't have you following me," I murmured, pulling out my Men'iki stealth pistol and aiming directly at his unmoving head.
A sharp burning pain stabbed into my arm, and I dropped my weapon in surprise. A loud challenging cry followed by a series of primitive honks slammed into my eardrums as I instinctively dived to the ground, rolling quickly as I drew another blaster.
Cursed Sand People! Just what I didn't need.
Four gaffi-wielding scum were charging right at me; presumably the blaster equipped ones were further behind. I held my weapon steady as I fired from the ground, while my other hand pulled out a thermal detonator from my belt.
I primed the grenade and lobbed it towards the oncoming mob. By the time it detonated, I was already on my feet, spraying blaster fire and sprinting for the nearest cover; one of the many twisted heaps of rubble that littered the desert around the unfortunate sandcrawler.
How did they get here? Were they following me, or Revan? No matter now; being the only outsider awake meant I was their immediate target.
The brief respite behind the twisted metal heap gave me time to pull out a second blaster. The natives were shouting angrily; I cocked my head and heard two survivors approaching.
Plus four behind with blasters. Time to party.
xXx
Canderous Ordo:
The wind stung my eyes as the speeder shot over the sun bleached dunes; I opened the throttle and willed the machine to go faster. The Cathar had surprised me by lurching onto the speeder and grabbing my waist fiercely; I had not expected her to willingly travel with me after the cool reception I'd been receiving all day. No matter. As long as she can fight, she's welcome. I had no idea of Juhani's skills; she came from a proud warrior race, yet she appeared to be one of Bastila's lackeys. Though she did arrive with Jen, gratuitously smeared in blood. No, not Jen. Revan.
"I don't see them!" I turned my head and yelled hoarsely back at her; the sandcrawler ahead appeared both damaged and entirely abandoned.
"Drive around it!" Juhani screamed directly into my ear, and in retaliation I swerved the speeder sharply to the left, causing the Cathar to squawk and grip me even tighter. The sandcrawler was a monstrous machine, looming about ten metres high and at least fifty long. The bodywork had broken off the oversized machine in several places, and as I sped along the length of it, I had to dodge and swerve of numerous piles of metallic rubble. There was a worthy battle here not too long ago.
We neared the end of the sandcrawler and turned to follow around it. I squinted into the environs, but saw nothing of interest until we passed the final bend. Then-
Sand People! Firing blasters at a closer figure lurking behind a twisted metal wall that had once belonged to the sandcrawler. I'd recognize that blue and white exoskeleton anywhere. Calo had his back to us as he concentrated on the threat of the natives; I didn't have long to make my move. I briefly noticed the bodies of Revan and the others, flung further away to the east.
Well, it ain't a basilisk, but it'll do the job. "Get ready to jump!" I yelled back at Juhani, and aimed the speeder directly at Calo's back. I dived off the hurtling speeder at the last minute, just in time to see Calo whirl around and jump aside in shock. The speeder crashed and exploded brightly into the broken metallic wall that Calo had been using as cover, but not before the bounty hunter had managed to leap from its path.
I cursed as I skidded backwards along the sand, yanking my repeating blaster up to my chest and firing rapidly in Calo's general direction. Bits of destroyed speeder flew through the stagnant air, smoke billowing from the wreck. Answering fire spat at me from several directions; I had attracted the attention of the natives.
"Take care of the Sand People!" I yelled at Juhani, who was further behind me, scrabbling to stand. "They're firing at us now!"
The Cathar ran off towards the Sand People as I leapt behind a mound of broken bodywork laying near the sandcrawler. I noted with grim approval that Juhani did not yet activate her glowing lightsaber – a sure homing beacon for anyone with a blaster on the other side of the smoke cloud.
I should get to the crawler. It's the best cover around here. Gaping black holes had been smashed into the side of the monstrous machine, by the looks of it somebody had fired multiple rockets at the Czerka vehicle.
"Mandalorian bastard!" Calo yelled from somewhere behind the burning wreck of the speeder. "You're old and stupid, Ordo, if you think a stunt like that would work on me!"
I leant around the bodywork briefly to fire another barrage of blasts through the explosion. I couldn't see Calo, and the smoky fire was blinding us both. I could hear shouts and challenging cries from the Sand People, entirely occupied now with the Cathar. There's a group of them, at least five. She probably won't last long.
I retreated back behind cover, alert for any noise. The jagged pile of bodywork wasn't quite large enough to hide me adequately, and I eyed up the nearby sandcrawler. "I wasn't the di'kut who lined a cave with mines and expected it to take out two Jedi and a Mando'ade," I growled back at him. "I would have given you an honourable death before, Nord, but not now."
"You weak idiots and your archaic honour code," Calo sneered. I cocked my head and tried to pinpoint his exact location, yanking out a frag grenade and priming it. "Your time is gone! There is no honour in battle!"
I leapt free from the rubble, running and hurling the grenade in the direction of Calo's voice. Just in time to see one hurled right back at my previous position as Calo, too, jumped sideways into view. Damn bastard thinks like me. I landed in a crouch, immediately buffeted by shock waves of Calo's fragmentation grenade, instinctively firing my heavy blaster that was slung conveniently around my shoulder. Calo, standing some distance away, yelped in surprise as the shots hit home.
It's gonna take more than that to drop him, I knew as I turned to sprint towards the sandcrawler, firing blindly over a shoulder as I ran. He's always been fond of energy shields.
The nearest entry into the sandcrawler was a jagged hole in the steel wall, caused by some sort of heavy weaponry. I leapt into the dark interior as I felt Calo return fire, shots landing on either side of me and one thudding into the small of my back. Garish as it is, Davik's armour does hold up well, I thought grimly as I lurched sideways inside. I could make out vague shapes from what little daylight permeated the interior; large box-like shadows suggested I had ventured into a storage area of the machine.
"Mandalorian coward!" Calo yelled from outside; as I leaned against the outer wall I saw his blasts fire into the make-do doorway. I'm gonna make you eat your words, honourless scum. In the relative safety of the crawler, I pushed a smaller crate near the opening and crouched behind it, staring directly out at the afternoon desert. The destroyed speeder was now nothing more than a faintly smoking wreck, and certainly wouldn't provide Calo with any more cover. He won't be able to see me in here. He's dead, he just doesn't know it yet. I couldn't spot him, but I was content to wait until he made a move. From here I calculated three particular places Calo could be hiding, still using broken parts of sandcrawler wreckage as cover.
I could spot Juhani in the distance, running towards two firing Sand People. She's still alive? I guess that Jedi is tougher than I gave her credit for.
I hit the trigger as soon as Calo made his move, firing at him as he jumped into view, hurling a grenade directly at me. Instinctively I leapt back inside fully, dragging the crate I had been using in front of me to take whatever impact was coming. Damn Calo and his grenades. No explosion was forthcoming; I waited tensely but nothing happened. Other than my lungs tightening and a dizziness washing through me.
Haar'chak! Poison grenade! The meagre light inside the crawler was turning smoky, hazy. I had to get back out, but Calo would be waiting. If I stay inside, I'm gonna be out cold. My head pounded, and I felt the beginnings of weakness enter my limbs.
With a snarl, I heaved the crate I'd been using back outside, diving recklessly after it into the sand. Blaster fire spat at me, most of it deflecting off the crate. I lay panting in the cooling desert, yanking my gun back up in preparation. I have to think of something. This is gonna last forever.
"I'm not going to spend all day on worthless scum like you!" Calo yelled. He's trying to bait me again. Nothing for it, I had to make a lunge. I sprung out from cover, my finger numb on the trigger as I opened fire once more. Calo had found refuge again, and I spotted another grenade thrown from behind the speeder I'd decorated the desert with.
"You always were fonder of grenades than women," I grated as I rolled back behind my ad-hoc shield.
"This one's for me, not you," Calo retorted. What's he up to? I heard the recognizable 'poof' noise of a smoke grenade, and jumped out in the open again. A thick, billowing white cloud rose ahead of me, and I fired blindly through it. Useful cover, but it's only temporary. Indeed, the smog was already drifting upwards in the almost non-existent breeze. Why did he need it?
"Seems to me I've got the prize, Ordo," Calo's thick voice drawled, and I began to make out a figure through the dissipating smoke cloud. I narrowed my eyes and trained my weapon, but something odd about the outline of Calo's figure made me hold fire. "Unless you don't mind killing the very one you're trying to save."
My spine stiffened as more remnants of fog floated away; Calo held the comatose Jen up with one hand, aiming a small blaster directly at me. No, not Jen. Revan. Calo was a short man, and Revan's limp body was adequate protection; unless I used a sniper rifle I couldn't be assured of hitting only Calo. And he uses shields. I'd need a disruptor rifle, and that ain't something conveniently lying around here.
"I came here to kill you," I said flatly. "And that's a promise."
Calo laughed, and fired at my feet. "Then why aren't you shooting?" he mocked. My eyes flicked on a lone figure some distance behind Calo, a red lightsaber glinting. I took a cautious step back towards the cover I had used.
"This is between you and me, Nord. Are you too weak to fight me head-on, so pathetic you need to resort to sentient shields?" I challenged. Calo laughed again and took a step backward, dragging Revan along. He fired a barrage of shots, and that decided me; I dived back behind the crate.
"I do whatever it takes to get the job done, Ordo! Something you never understood with your useless pride and narrow code. You can hardly call me weak – you're the one too pansy to shoot a woman," he sneered, and gave another low chuckle. I stayed silent, waiting to see what Juhani would do. "I never thought I'd see the day a Mandalorian steps down from a fight because of a hostage. You're a disgrace to your people, Ordo."
A cold, fierce anger burned low in my gut; only the Cathar's potential surprise attack kept me from charging straight out at Calo in a fury. He's trying to get another clear shot at me, trying to lure me out. Bastard.
I heard Calo grunt in surprise and open fire; I leaned around to see Juhani sprinting towards the sandcrawler. "The Force doesn't work on me, does it, kittycat?" Calo mocked triumphantly, still firing after her. I now had a clear shot as Calo had turned to face Juhani; I fired quickly with a more precise mini-blaster I'd readied. Calo screamed as the bolts slammed into his back, but even as he fell he twisted Revan's body around to face me, returning fire and forcing me to resume my cover. His energy shield has worn off. About time.
"Try that again and she dies!"
I shot a quick glance around the side of my cover, and noticed Calo standing upright once more. Damn. I was hoping I'd hurt him more than that. He started to move slowly backwards, away from the scene as he held Revan's body firmly in front of him with one hand. He's using her as his ticket to get out of here. Like I'll let that happen. Calo fired at me, and I ducked back behind the crate.
"You can't kill her," I sneered. "You do, and then you're dead. She's the only reason I'm not gutting you right now, the only reason you don't have the Cathar's lightsaber through your brain."
"True, I don't want to kill her. But it doesn't matter how many pieces she is in."
I heard a blaster shot, and surprise slammed into me as I looked back out at Calo. Sure enough, he had just fired point-blank into Revan's left leg. Good thing she's out cold.
"You monster! That was unnecessary!" the Cathar's growl came from nearby; obviously she had been making her way towards me.
Calo laughed mockingly; his voice was fainter than before. The bastard is getting away. I can't let him take Revan. "It was completely necessary, kittycat," Calo drawled. "The more injured she is, the less trouble she'll be."
I heard a very feline hiss, and suddenly Juhani all but dived into my lap. I stared down at her in surprise as she rolled away. "And here I thought you disliked me," I commented, and sharp yellow eyes glared disgust at me. I looked Juhani over briefly; she appeared to have no injuries. Impressive, against six Sand People. She's not a total wet blanket after all.
"Kittycat!" she hissed again, and I made a mental note not to call her that. Unless I particularly want a fight. Her eyes flashed sparks of battle rage... and something else. "No. I will control this rage. It is not the way," she muttered.
"We need a plan," I said abruptly. "I won't let Calo just walk away. Not with- not with Jen." Something stopped me saying Revan's name out loud; I pushed that odd thought away to think about later. Curious.
"I cannot use the Force on him! I do not understand why."
"Force resistant armour," I bit out. "Calo's exoskeleton, head-to-toe, has been interleaved with something that repels Force powers. He's never divulged details, but I know he paid a king's ransom for it, and it's saved his sorry arse on more than one occasion."
Juhani stared at me steadily, her lips pursed. "So the Force will not work on him. It will, however, work on Jen. Canderous, cover me." With an almost rabid snarl, Juhani lunged back out in the open.
"Mand'alor's balls!" I muttered savagely, and followed her. How am I supposed to cover her? I can't fire on Revan! Juhani had curled into a crouching position, her hands cupped and pointing towards Calo and his hostage. I ran in front of the Cathar as Calo opened fire, placing more faith in Davik's ugly armour than I would have liked. The first shot in the chest slammed me back a pace, and knocked the wind from my lungs. That's gonna bruise something bad.
Calo gave an abrupt yelp of startlement as Revan's limp body was suddenly yanked from his grip, to fall flat a few metres in front of him. So that's Juhani's plan, I thought grimly as I quickly reigned fire down on the surprised Calo, running towards him as my repeating blaster unleashed itself.
Calo fell backwards screaming as my shots tore into his chest armour. The pain must have been intense, but even intense pain didn't prevent him from pulling a second blaster and unleashing a volley of his own. How he keeps so much weaponry on his person is beyond even me.
I rolled to the side; evading his barrage of energy bolts temporarily. I've got to get to him before he grabs Revan again. Even as I began another sprint, opening fire wildly, I knew I was too far away. Calo, twisting to his feet, was already scrabbling back towards Revan.
A whirling, snarling blur shot past me at high speed, lurching into the air. Juhani, moving quicker than I would have thought possible, landed directly before Calo. He aimed both pistols in her direction, but fast as he was, Calo never pulled the trigger.
Her lightsaber cleaved cleanly through his head and into his chest.
I stopped my redundant sprint, and stood still, panting. The surroundings could now almost pass for the Tarisian Lower City, cluttered with multiple bodies and smoking wreckage. My eyes caught on a few Gamorrean corpses, and I frowned, before shrugging the curious sight off.
I noticed then that the light was fading quickly; the last sun a winking jewel on the horizon. Revan lay face-down a few metres away. Juhani was walking back towards me from Calo's bloody corpse. I felt a growing respect for the Cathar; she had surprised me with her warrior skills. We made a good team. I nodded at her in comradeship, and she stared back at me solemnly.
"What do you think knocked them out?" Juhani asked softly as we both knelt down by Revan. Blood trickled through the cracks of the armour sheathing her leg, and threadbare patches on her left arm revealing swollen bruised skin hinted at further damage.
"Some sort of sedative. Won't be life-threatening; Calo wanted her alive," I stated. "I'm gonna check out Calo's corpse."
A few minutes later, I had my answer. "Foraxyn-4," I told Juhani. "Expensive stuff, but Calo always had credits backing him. One of the quickest acting sedatives in the Core Worlds; the fact that it's not deadly means the demand isn't that high for it. It wears off in an hour or two, but adrenastims nicely speed up the recovery."
Now the fight was over, I was feeling rather angry at myself. I'd thrown my last grenade at Calo, and my meagre arsenal of weapons had left me at a disadvantage. Before we get off this rock, I'm gonna suit up.
Happily, stims I had in plentiful supply.
xXx
Mission Vao:
"(No. I absolutely forbid it!)" Zaerdra stormed at me, waggling an admonishing finger. I scowled, but for some reason my heart wasn't in it. I felt positively sad at seeing her again. The fact that she was wearing that dull brown robe Bastila had picked up from some merchant to look like a snooty Jedi was also puzzling.
"I do what I want!" I retorted.
Zaerdra's face flushed with anger, and she opened her mouth to yell once more. "Wakey wakey kid," she said in Basic, and in Canderous' deep, gravelly voice.
I blinked, and Gadon's hall dissolved around me. Huh? Zaerdra gave me an odd pleading look, and then vanished. Hang on, this ain't real.
"I'm not a kid!" I tried to yell, but the words stuck in my throat. There was a derisive male laugh from somewhere, and I became aware of a dull pounding in my head. A dream, this is a dream, I understood, my thoughts sluggish like someone had spiked my fizz-pop with a shot of juma juice.
I sucked in a shuddering breath, realizing that I was lying prone on the warm ground. Hesitantly, I prised open my eyelids to see the fuzzy form of Canderous retreat from me, against the backdrop of a starry night's sky. The dunes… we were out in the dunes. My vision slowly sharpened on the silvery globe of a heavy moon on the horizon. It was early evening, the last whispers of sunset still being chased away.
And to the side was a dark shadow. The sandcrawler we had stopped by earlier.
"Ugh, what happened?" I moaned, struggling to sit up. Someone attacked us! My hand flew to my lekku where a dart had pierced earlier. There was a grunt of pain to my side, and I glanced over to see that crazy Cathar leaning over Jen, who appeared to be waking. Wait, Juhani and Canderous? What's going on? Canderous was crouched down on the sand, something sharp and shiny in his grasp as he reached towards Zaalbar.
"Stop!" I cried in pure reaction. "What are you doing?"
Canderous shot me an unimpressed look, his expression so annoyingly typical of him that I found my alarm dying away. "Waking him up."
"Sithspit," Jen muttered. "Tell me I've got a hangover, and that Calo Nord didn't just succeed in putting a neural disruptor around my neck."
Juhani murmured something from Jen's side. Wait, what? Calo freaking Nord? There was a shiny metal collar in Juhani's hand, and then I remembered how the Vulkars had kept the Jedi snot contained. And Jen can use the Force, too. Oh, sheesh! Suddenly, I understood the big pile of bantha poodoo that we had all almost fallen into. Calo Nord! He kills anyone in his way! How are we all still here? Are we all still here?
"What- what's been going on?" I demanded, desperate now for clear answers.
Jen turned to look at me. Pain was etched in the lines on her face, but worse was the dark look in her gaze. "Calo Nord ambushed us. Juhani and Canderous to the rescue."
"Is he, is he dead?"
"Yes." Jen's voice was black, black as how her eyes looked in the evening light. Her gaze shuttered as I struggled to come to terms with the latest bombshell. Calo Nord, dead. It was as strange as Davik Kang, or Bendak Starkiller, or Zax the Hutt being killed in the Sith bombardment. All of them had seemed undefeatable for so many years.
Juhani was staring at me with her weird golden eyes. She made me uneasy. Jen seemed to trust her, and by the sounds of it she had just saved our lives – but then, I wasn't exactly gonna forget the way she tried to murder us all the other day. With the Force. The freaky Force. Which Jen can now use. It felt like everything had changed, or shifted suddenly under my feet.
There was a loud roar. Big Z! Zaalbar, jerking to his feet with Wookiee-ish speed, and scattering plumes of sand in all directions. Canderous was pretty quick to back away, for all his gruff bluster about not being scared of anything.
"Big Z!" I called, and my best friend whirled around, bounding to my side in an instant.
"(Mission!)" he howled, giant paws grasping around my shoulders as he gently lifted me to my feet. "(Are you alright?)"
"Lemme go," I mumbled, disentangling myself. Big Z meant well, but after a day of hot sun and sand, he wasn't exactly the freshest smelling thing around. "I'm fine."
"Your arm is badly fractured," Juhani said in her soft lilting voice. She was speaking to Jen, and I remembered, then, about Jen's injury from earlier. My only problem was a minor stinging on my legs from the grenades of those piggy Gamorreans, and the stinky gree-bacta salve back in the 'Hawk would soon fix that. "The bone is well out of alignment," Juhani continued, "and there is a lot of swelling around the site. This occurred some hours ago, I suspect."
Jen didn't answer. In fact, she wasn't even looking at Juhani. Her face was closed, as she stared away from us all, and I was reminded of just how distant and angry she had been lately.
There was a faint sigh from Juhani. "The muscle on your leg is damaged from the blaster hit. The armour afforded some protection, but I do not think you will be able to walk on that. You need a doctor. Or- or Bastila."
Jen jerked her head to stare at Juhani. "Bastila. Where is Bastila?"
It was hard to tell in the fading light, but somehow the strange Cathar looked sheepish as her gaze skittered away from Jen's. "Outside the Anchorhead gates. I do hope we did not land her in difficulty."
There was a snort from Canderous, crouching next to Carth's body in the sand. "I'm sure the princess is more than capable of charming those shabuirs."
Well, I didn't particularly care where Bastila was, but... Griff! "Where is he?" I shrieked, spinning around to stare in every direction. "Where's Griff?"
"Who?" Canderous snapped.
"My brother!" I gasped. But the gloom was deepening, and it was hard to make out what any of the shadows on the sand were, now. Any of them could be Griff, he could have fallen, be hurt somewhere… "A Twi'lek, just like me! He was with us!"
"Kid, there's dead Sand People, dead Gamorreans, and a dead Human around here," Canderous drawled. "A regular meat market. But I ain't seen no Twi'lek, dead or otherwise."
"He ran," Jen said, her voice flat and emotionless. I whipped around to stare at her. She was hunched over on herself, her good arm clutching a leg, and her eyes pinched closed in pain. "He slipped away when Calo ambushed us. He probably made it to safety."
He ran. The truth of it hit me like a punch to the gut. Despite the blaster Carth'd given him, despite his sister being in danger, despite everyone else sticking together… he still ran.
I could feel my lower lip trembling, and bit down on it hard. "Just like before," I whispered. "He ran, to save himself."
"(I am sorry,)" Zaalbar rumbled softly, placing a furry paw on my arm. I jerked away, suddenly angry. The conversation with Lena ran through my head again, and Griff's weak evasion when I brought it up. Even as a kid, Griff had always been a 'lil self-serving, with the way he looked out for himself first and his own creds-
But I was his sister!
"He's no fighter," Jen stated. She was looking at me again, a frown of concern pinching her forehead. "He's a coward, sure, but that doesn't mean he doesn't care for you, Mission."
There was a faint groan, and I was vaguely aware of Carth jerking up in a seated position, hand resting immediately on the blaster lying next to him.
Yeah, sure, I knew Griff loved me… but in the end, what was that worth? Freaking Canderous had put himself in danger to rescue me, not to mention Juhani, who wasn't much past being a rabid desert cat, really.
"Don't start a fight unless you mean to end it," Canderous snapped, and I saw Carth freeze in response. His hand didn't move away, though.
"Canderous? What happened?"
"I'm getting sick of that question," Canderous growled, as he stood. "We should get out of here before more Sand People arrive."
Griff is a jerk. I've known this for years, haven't I? Sheesh, ever since Gadon refused him entry to the Beks… I'd just never accepted it. Even the times he'd deserted me in the Undercity for a meet or a job, or the time he'd borrowed all my creds to pay off a mark- well, that happened a couple of times. Maybe Griff really did mean to pay me back, in the heat of the moment – but I'd always accepted he'd never get round to it.
"Sand People?" Carth's query rapped out, echoing over the dunes.
"A group of them attacked the bounty hunter as we arrived on the scene," Juhani answered.
Maybe, I was better off without him. I loved my brother, but having Big Z at my side put things in perspective. Travelling with Jen and Carth, and even Bastila and Canderous, changed things. I'd had the vague hope that Griff could join us, but somehow I knew that would never happen, now. Not even if I found him waiting in Anchorhead for me.
He was a liability. It hurt to think it, but it was true.
"Huh," Carth said, in a considering voice. "They were probably following us after the mess we made of their base."
"All the more reason to get back to civilization," Canderous grumbled. "I don't think the rest of you are up to any more action." He was standing next to Jen now, staring down at her. But Jen was still hunched over, seemingly ignoring us all. I worried, then, at just how beaten up she was. "You were lucky those Sand People came when they did. If they hadn't halted Calo, he'd be long gone by now. With you."
"There is no luck," a crisp, annoyed voice floated through the semi-darkness. "There is only the Force."
"Oh great," I complained under my breath. Just about the last person I wanted to see, after my spineless brother.
"So nice of you to join us, princess."
Bastila walked towards us, quick strides over the shifting sand. Even in the dark, I could see the look on her face. It wasn't just cold- it was like she'd spent the last hour traipsing around Hoth. "How considerate of you to leave me there, Canderous."
The Mandalorian shrugged. "I figured you could get your own speeder if you wanted to."
"You figured wrong," she lashed back. "I walked here. It took all my efforts to stop the hunters from attacking me."
"Guys. Enough." Carth's weary voice cut over the two of them, but there was enough steel in it to have them both temporarily subside. "We need to focus on getting back to the ship."
Juhani cleared her throat awkwardly. "I do not think Jen will be able to walk."
There was a deep frown on Bastila's face, and she walked towards Jen – but even in the moonlight I could spot the mistrust tightening Jen's face. Sheesh, I didn't like or trust Bastila either, but she could help with Jen's leg.
I sighed, my thoughts turning away from them as I stared blindly up at the stars. They looked different on the planet. Clearer. I hadn't seen the night-sky often on Taris, but there were more stars here. Griff, how could you? Twice he had left me to die. I guess that proves he cares more about his own skin that looking out for his sister. Why did it hurt so much?
Zaalbar had come to sit next to me; offering no words but a steady, silent comfort. I leaned against him wearily and wondered if I would ever see my brother again. If I ever wanted to.
"Your leg should be alright to walk on now," Bastila's voice was tired as she spoke to Jen. "I shall be able to augment the healing later. I suggest you take some pain medication when we return to the freighter. I can look at resetting your arm then, too, but I shall need Juhani's help."
"Of course," Juhani murmured.
Jen stood with a groan she couldn't hold back, hobbled slightly, and then steadied herself. She nodded briefly at Bastila, before walking towards Calo's corpse, stopping to kick it hard right between the legs. Of course, being armoured, all it did was cause her to spew forth a litany of what sounded suspiciously like curse words in Huttese. Jen could've been a translator, with the languages she knew. Of course, that didn't pay too well, considering protocol droids could totally outperform sents any day of the week.
"Was that entirely necessary?" Carth snapped, and Jen turned, a faint smirk lifting the dark look that had been dogging her expression.
"Yes. Very." She went to fold her arms, and then moaned in discomfort at the movement.
"Wait a minute," Carth ordered, and walked over to kneel down by Calo's body. There was a moment of silence as Carth undid the side-clasps of Calo's armour, before rolling the limp corpse over to remove panels of the exoskeleton. When he began to rip away the shirt from beneath Calo's armour, I felt my curiosity pique.
"I'm not sure if I want to watch this," Jen quipped, her voice dry. Canderous had wandered over, nonchalantly picking up the blue and white sections of Calo's armour. I wasn't sure if Carth didn't notice, or was simply uninterested in the armour. "Didn't know your tastes ran that way, flyboy."
"Ha ha," Carth muttered. He held part of a loose tunic in his hands, which he deftly ripped into a smaller size. "Here. Hold still."
Jen actually held her tongue while Carth tied a makeshift sling around her neck. He did it quickly enough that I wondered if it was something he'd done before.
"Thanks," she muttered.
"Don't mention it."
"We should leave," Bastila interrupted. "It is a short walk to Anchorhead, and everyone is awake and restored now-"
"HK," Jen stated. Her voice had turned low and dark again. "We need to fix HK first."
There was a whistle of air from Bastila. "Can you not just carry it? Or perhaps ask Zaalbar?"
"(I can carry him for you, Jen Sahara,)" Zaalbar rumbled.
"We should find Calo's speeder," Canderous said. "He'll have left one around for a quick getaway."
"It is too dark to find the speeder, and we could not fit everybody on it. We should depart on foot," Bastila said, her voice brisk, motioning us all to start moving. There may have been sense in her words, but it was annoying the way she and Canderous had to disagree on everything. And Bastila always sounded so uptight.
I stuck my tongue out at her.
Canderous laughed. "Y'know, princess, you're almost cute when you try to be leader."
"Very funny," Bastila snapped.
Carth, finally, called an end to the bickering by sighing and starting the journey back. Zaalbar picked up the dead robot with a grunt, and then waited for me to begin walking. The sand shifted under my feet, and I felt the temperature begin to drop as night truly set in.
We trudged slowly through the desert. In front, Canderous fired off a few verbal shots at Bastila, but she had retreated into silence. There was a quiet murmur of conversation between Juhani and Jen, but otherwise all I could hear was the chirping of Tatooine insects. The gloom of night felt eerie and a bit creepy. I've never been out in the wilderness at night before, that's why. It's different to the Undercity. More… open. Part of me hoped that Griff was wandering aimlessly somewhere, desperately wishing he'd remained, desperately praying for my survival.
No. No, I don't want him lost. I don't… when it came to Griff Vao, I didn't know what I wanted.
"I'm sorry," Carth said awkwardly; I hadn't noticed him slow down to walk abreast of me and Zaalbar. I scowled and bowed my head.
"It doesn't matter," I muttered. "I always knew he was slime."
"I-I guess he was just scared," Carth's response sounded weak, even to my ears.
"Yeah. Scared enough to leave his sister to die. Twice in one day." My mouth felt dry, like I'd just downed a glass of sour-pop. "What does it matter? I've still got Big Z. And- and Jen, I guess."
"It still does matter. Betrayal," Carth's voice was quiet, but there was a harsh tone in it I hadn't noticed before. "Stays with you for a lifetime." He gave a bitter chuckle, and I turned to look at him curiously.
He sounds like he's been burnt. "What happened?" I asked, frowning.
There was an uncomfortable look on his face, and I could tell he wished he hadn't started this conversation. "My father died when I was very young," he said flatly. "There was a man who mentored me when I joined the Republic. He was everything my father was not; intelligent, strong, charismatic. He moulded me into the officer I am today. I grew to care for him more than I ever did my father," Carth trailed off, as if that was the end of his story.
"And?" I asked, interested to know more. Carth didn't usually open up like this, but maybe he was trying to make me feel better. He'd done that earlier, back on the 'Hawk. I got so mad at him afterwards for his mistrust of Jen, but he meant well. And maybe he did understand.
"He turned traitor and joined the Sith army. Spilled the secrets of the Republic, and commandeered attacks that killed millions of innocent people. All for his own ambition." Carth's tone turned dark, and I knew, somehow, that this was the end of the conversation. I glanced over my shoulder, and saw Jen trailing us. Her eyes had been intent on Carth's back, but flickered to mine at the movement. She grimaced.
We walked the rest of the way without conversation. The quiet of night seemed to reach out with a many-fingered hand and grip us all with an ominous silence. By the time we reached the looming gates of Anchorhead, I was more than ready to get back to the Ebon Hawk.
I just want to curl up, and pretend today never happened.
Our only interruption was on the empty dirt road of Anchorhead, when a lone stranger approached Jen and slipped something into her hand. Carth, followed by Bastila, immediately demanded to know what it was, but Jen just shrugged them off and walked away.
I grinned slightly as she strode off. She'll tell me. I'll bug her tomorrow about it... for now I just want some sleep.
xXx
Overseer Eridius Talav:
Shadows flickered like fleeing ghosts across the walls as one candle spluttered its dying breath. I always preferred working in this archaic light; it somehow increased the mystery and darkness that my job entailed. Not one of my minions could enter this room - my master study - without feeling at a loss as I faced them behind an imposing mahogany desk littered with burning candles.
I wrenched my concentration back to the latest report; from a current agent high in the ranks of the Republic Navy. Soon I was consumed, but a brief knock interrupted my reverie.
"Enter," I intoned in as deep a voice as manageable. First impressions of any encounter were always crucial; I had learned long ago what a powerful tool intimidation could be.
Spymaster Gaalin, one of our most intelligent agents, entered silently. His skills were not of the ordinary assassin employed within our organization; rather his sharp mind and ability to interpret patterns of behaviour and make sense of seemingly irrational politics made him an invaluable asset.
He inclined his head slightly, a measure of respect. "We've had a job offer I think you should look over, Eridius," he said softly, his grey eyes meeting mine steadily in the dim light.
I raised my eyebrows; most assassination requests went no further than the spymasters. I had not personally approved one in almost half a year. I motioned for him to continue.
"This comes directly from Darth Malak," he stated.
My brow shot up further. That the Sith knew of our existence did not surprise me; that they knew how to approach us was not startling. That their lord contacted us directly was... unsettling. From the depths of the shadows was where the GenoHaradan worked best; direct communication from a person as powerful and destructive as Darth Malak was not in our best interests. Particularly seeing as our web of information and agents was more firmly planted in the Republic; it was in the GenoHaradan's best interest to see them win the war, not the Sith.
"And what is his... request?" From what I knew of Darth Malak, he preferred commands to requests.
"He wants us to hit two targets. With an additional bonus if we capture either of them. Eridius, the price… perhaps you should look for yourself."
I took the proffered datapad. The first sum of credits was enough for me to do a double-take, as I checked it out again. Surely this is incorrect... how can the Sith have this sort of money? Their fleet had expanded immeasurably in the last year; although we had not successfully concluded how their army had grown so strong, I could only assume that their pool of material resources must be wearing thin by now.
The name of the hit was unfamiliar; another surprise. I would have presumed that someone commanding this sort of price would be well known. I scrolled over to the next contract. The same gross figure glared at me baldly, but this time I recognized the name.
I stayed silent for a few minutes, possibilities whirring through my mind. Our coffers have been running emptier than usual lately. War was generally good for the GenoHaradan, but not when we had a vested interest in seeing the weaker side win. We are too well set up with the Republic to walk away without a fight. But we fight from the shadows - so if the Sith do win, we can still prevail.
Eventually I sighed, and placed the datapad down. "We cannot take the contract up on Bastila Shan, Gaalin. As tempting as it is, it would put our organization in jeopardy."
He tilted his head. "Targeting a Jedi hero is too risky."
I nodded. "It's more than that, Gaalin. We have managed to stay relatively unknown from the Jedi Order, though I doubt they are unaware of our existence. If we showed our hand like this..."
"They would be forced to act," Gaalin finished. "Not to mention the reaction of the Senate, should the Republic's rising star fall to our hand."
"Yes," I concluded. We were grudgingly tolerated by the few high-ranking Republic officials who knew of our existence. It was not unheard-of from them to engage our services. But should we move against their hero - the young Jedi involved in Darth Revan's downfall, and whose Battle Meditation was one of their few remaining advantages - then our place in the shadows might be compromised. If anyone suspected our involvement, then I doubt they would remain silent. And secrecy was our greatest weapon.
"If we could succeed while casting blame on the Sith..." I mused softly. "But even then, the continued life and freedom of Jedi Shan is to the Republic's advantage, and hence ours. No, despite the remuneration involved, I am afraid we must refuse. Politely, of course."
"As to the other?" Gaalin inquired.
I frowned, picking up the datapad to peruse it once more. "Who is this Jen Sahara?"
"She is a current companion of Jedi Shan, one of the few survivors from the Sith attack upon the Endar Spire. There are many strange things about her, though; many inconsistencies..."
"Such as?" I prompted impatiently. Gaalin had an irritating tendency to trail off into deep thought; a trait I shared but did not tolerate in others.
"We have traced her as a scholar from Deralia, taken captive when Darth Revan invaded the planet. You know of the trap there that Revan narrowly avoided; and the ensuing counter strike lead by Jedi and Deralian troops. Jen Sahara was rescued during that offensive, but our reports suggest she was too badly wounded to recover."
"Yet she obviously did. Jedi healing techniques are unarguably the most effective in the galaxy."
"True," Gaalin conceded, but he did not look entirely convinced.
"You believe Jen Sahara died then? That this is an impostor?" I had learnt to not doubt Gaalin's hunches; they were more often accurate than not.
Gaalin shifted uneasily. "I am uncertain, Eridius. Our intelligence informs us that Jen Sahara was employed by the Jedi Council to help investigate archaic Force ruins." He sighed. "If only we had a Jedi spy."
I smiled briefly at his annoyance; Gaalin's pet peeve was his inability to infiltrate the ranks of the Jedi. "One would think the Jedi would not need any help with Force-sensitive ruins."
"Exactly," Gaalin agreed. "I have also heard disturbing reports – not from our more reliable sources, mind you – that this Jen Sahara can use the Force herself."
"Another Jedi," I said flatly. I wasn't surprised; I doubted Darth Malak would offer such a sum for someone who wasn't powerful.
"No," he contradicted me. "She does not appear at all in any of the Jedi annals; she is not registered as a Jedi under that name. She is attached to the Jedi due to her scholarly background, so perhaps our information is incorrect. Or perhaps she is one of those who came late to the Force, and it has only been discovered now."
I pondered for a moment. Force sensitivity usually materialized before puberty, but there were notable exceptions. Nomi Sunrider, a powerful Jedi Knight who fought in the Exar Kun conflict, immediately sprang to mind. I tapped a finger, looking back to Gaalin. "If she was onboard the Endar Spire... do you think this Jen Sahara could have been involved with the Sith attack?"
"Nothing to suggest it, although I have looked. The only connection I have made with the Sith attack so far is the defection of Jedi Knight Kylah Aramai to the Sith."
I nodded briskly and handed the datapad back to Gaalin. "Well, we need the credits. If this Jen Sahara is not a well-known asset to the Republic, then take her out. I'd be inclined to go for the quick kill, rather than the capture, but I shall leave that to you."
I waved Gaalin out, but he hesitated at the door. "Yes?" I snapped, eager to get back to my original work.
"There is one more thing... which may work in our favour. Jen Sahara has recently been approached by one of our agents. To work for us."
I blinked in surprise. "Oh? Why?"
"She has been watched since Taris, and her abilities have been... admirable. She has also evaded assassination by Calo Nord twice, and either her or her companions have finally ended the bounty hunter's life."
I paused briefly. "That is impressive. Though if she is a Force-user, it may not be all too surprising. What is her point of contact?"
"Foxtrot-17."
I grimaced. Keeping track of the GenoHaradan recruitment point agents was not something required of me, but if memory served correct then that directive listed Corellia, Manaan and Sleheyron. Standard procedure was to offer a potential candidate three locations within a twelve day period, and if they were interested and found the agent in the required timeframe, then negotiations for an employment contract would begin. And once we hired an assassin, it became their lifelong occupation. People did not leave the GenoHaradan alive.
But we weren't looking to employ this Jen Sahara.
If she made it to Sleheyron or Corellia, then taking her out was be easy. Manaan was trickier at the best of times - which this wasn't. Our last two contracts there had been uncovered by the extensive network of surveillance the Selkath had implemented, both in their cities and their nearby resource planets. Cursed pacifistic planet. Ahto City was becoming a popular hideout for targets who knew they were being hunted - whether by us of some other, more amateurish organization.
But the place was too hot right now. Selkath politicians were probing for answers from some of their more puzzling court cases. If this Jen Sahara came to Manaan, it would be better to somehow lure her off-world. Or arrange matters so it looked like the handiwork of some other organization.
Or both, if the lead agent was clever enough.
"Refresh my memory, Gaalin," I ordered. "Who are our pickup agents there?"
"Ja'taya on Corellia. Hulas on Manaan. Terrian on Sleheyron."
I nodded slowly. They were all established recruiters. Hulas was cleverer than the other two, but he had to be, in Ahto City. "Contact them so they are aware. Be prepared to organize an ambush on any of the three locations. If she lands on Manaan, get her away from that planet first if at all possible. Or make it look like a heavy-handed ambush by the Exchange or similar. We can't afford another failure there, Gaalin. The last one was too costly, and the Selkath surveillance is too damn extensive."
I wasn't sure we'd be able to bribe our way out of another mess on Manaan. Those walking fish weren't the easiest to corrupt.
"I will see to it."
I waved him away in dismissal, and Gaalin left me to my reading.
xXx
Zaalbar:
I escaped the Ebon Hawk quickly, trying not to look eager. The tension between the Bastila Shan and Jen Sahara was making me uneasy; their arguments last night were only overshadowed by the heated conflict this morning. They are like two cubs vying for status, both trying to be the alpha. Bastila Shan attempted to lead the crew, but was constantly undermined by Jen's cheek, mistrust, or flat-out refusal to follow her.
Earlier this morning, Bastila Shan tried to depart Tatooine, but Jen had other ideas. And I follow her, worrisome though that may be. She limped ahead of me now, talking to that Mandalorian warrior, the early morning sun glinting off her dark curls. Her cries last night as Bastila and the Cathar Juhani fixed her arm had set my teeth on edge.
I sighed; I did not understand Humans. They act like cubs, the both of them. Bastila had informed Jen, in a tone dripping with disapproval and ice, that she needed to rest. That her arm needed the reprieve, and that kolto and Force healing could only do so much. Jen had promptly turned her back and strode off the ship. They act like ill-disciplined cubs. Not a thought I would dare say out loud.
Mission skipped next to me as I followed both Jen and Canderous Ordo to the Ithorian's droid repair shop. Jen wished to fix that ill-humoured robot of hers; I was hoping to find something a little more sustaining to eat than the comestible dispenser onboard the Ebon Hawk.
The sand sank underneath my feet as I walked through the small settlement; a merchant nearby was busily saddling his pack of rontos ready for the day's customers. To the right a group of swoop bike mechanics were tinkering with their bikes. Mission looked their way longingly.
"Aww, Komad said there were only illegal races here. I woulda liked to have a go. I wonder if there's a track on Manaan."
"Of course there is, kid," Canderous Ordo drawled, throwing the remark carelessly over his shoulder.
"Stop calling me a kid, you old geezer!" Mission snapped. Canderous stopped and turned around. I tensed, wary as I looked at him.
"You'd think you guys had enough fighting yesterday," Jen said dryly as she turned around. "Play nice, okay?"
"Play?" Canderous cocked an eyebrow at her, folding his arms.
"Look, you hurt Mission and you'll have a ten ton Wookiee after you." She paused, and then added, "and me, too. You both have names. Try using them?"
"Geez, you're a fine one to talk, Jen. I've lost count of different names you have for Carth," Mission interjected. "Flyboy, Onasi, Republic, that one HK uses, Blaster Boy-"
"Blaster Boy?" Canderous guffawed. "I'll have to remember that one."
"(Shall we get going?)" I suggested impatiently, a growl of hunger echoing loudly from my stomach.
Mission laughed, nudging me in the side. "You just want us to hurry up so you can get something to eat."
"(I only had a small breakfast, Mission,)" I said plaintively.
"Yeah, yeah, I know. If you don't get your eight square meals a day you get grumpy." Mission poked me harder, and I let out a small growl. A local walking next to us jumped at the sound and walked away hurriedly; I felt somewhat abashed. There were not many people here, it was true, but still more than I was wholly comfortable with. And that was despite all my years on Taris and it's overpopulated, decaying ecumenopolis. Tatooine was not a bad sort of planet, but it was barren. I missed the living, comforting presence of century-old trees, and the array of life that lived around them. I supposed I always would.
"What was that thing you got last night, Jen?" Mission piped up.
"Thing? What thing?" Jen slowed down, and Mission skipped to catch up to her.
"Y'know, that man who stopped you last night. What did he give you?"
"Oh! A datapad. It was broken, though, and it wasn't mine. Guess the guy was confused," Jen said smoothly, but her posture tensed while answering. She smells uneasy. But why would she lie? Perhaps I was just being suspicious.
"Oh." Mission's headtails drooped in disappointment. "I was hoping it'd be something interesting, like- I dunno, some adventure or something."
"Adventure? Haven't you already had enough of that?" Jen asked, raising an eyebrow.
"No, I mean a real adventure. Where you get to go visit strange places..." Mission looked around herself, in a foreign land, and bit her lip suddenly. "Well, one where no one dies, anyway."
Jen grinned, and grabbed Mission's hand impulsively as we stopped outside a smaller clay building. "Well, here's Yuka Laka's shop. Let's see what adventure we can find in here."
"Don't make fun of me!" Mission snapped.
"Mission?"
The hesitant voice had us all turning. And walking toward us, surrounded by the smell of his own uncertainty, was the Czerka-clad figure of Mission's hapless brother.
His smile at her was both tentative and shaky.
The hum of a lightsaber powering on was preceded by a swift, whirring sound; I blinked, and Jen was two metres in front of me, that sickly red weapon of the Sith resting dead centre at the shaking Twi'lek's neck.
"One word from your sister-" Jen growled, voice low and raspy. There were murmurs and exclamations nearby; people stopped to watch, to step back, to get away. "-and this will be your last breath, Griff Vao."
Next to me, Canderous Ordo straightened to attention. His repeating blaster was held firm in his grasp, but his attention was as much on our surroundings as on the cowering blue Twi'lek.
"(Jen!)" I called out, a clench of unease tightening my gut. I could not see Jen's face from here, but I knew the expression that would be owning her. The rage. The madness. The evil. "(This is not the way. He is harmless!)"
"Harmless?" Jen mocked. Her voice had twisted to a scathing, derisive imitation of what it should be. "There are many types of harm, Wookiee. Cowardice is but one."
"I-I thought you'd all try to escape!" Griff blurted out, his eyes rounded and wild. The sickly smell of his fear was acrid and unpleasant. "And then- then- then I thought he'd kill you! What was I meant to do, die along with you all?"
"You left your sister, young and unguarded, alone on Taris. You left your sister to die out in the desert," Jen whispered.
"Jen." Mission's quiet voice was the strength of a wroshyr beneath Jen's wild hurricane of wrath. The Human turned to face Mission; narrowed, dark gaze staring down at my young friend who had placed a gentle hand on her upraised forearm.
I was holding my breath. Griff Vao's fate concerned me not, other than the impact it would have on Mission. And the scars it might place on her and Jen Sahara both.
And my worry for the soul of the Human I followed grew more every day.
Jen's head tilted in acceptance at Mission's unspoken plea. She stepped backward; her lightsaber deactivating with a hiss as she left the siblings to face each other.
My shoulders eased, just the smallest amount.
"Far out, Mission!" Griff exclaimed, blue eyes blinking at her in relief. "You could do with some more laid-back friends, y'know? Sheesh, here I am, overjoyed to find out y'all managed to escape-"
"Goodbye, Griff." Mission's words were quiet, but they scythed through the babble of her older brother nonetheless.
"What?" Griff was frowning, and I realized, then, that he had no comprehension of just how badly he had failed her. "What d'ya mean by that?"
"I'm leaving Tatooine, Griff. I don't reckon we'll ever see each other again."
Griff's blue headtails curved tight around his neck at he stared at his sister in askance. He'd had the time, since he had returned to Anchorhead, to clean himself up. The white Czerka uniform sat crisp upon his frame, making his appear a well-dressed, civilized contrast to his sister's tattered attire. Mission... with the mesh suit she adorned, and covered in the desert dust she hadn't bothered cleaning off, Mission looked like the rogue space explorer that circumstances were slowly turning her into.
"But we just- we only just reunited!" Griff spluttered. "You can't be serious, sis- look, we need to have a couple of drinks- I've got my old job back, but I'll be off shift in a few hours-"
"No. I have my own life to follow. Bit like Lena does, too. Maybe one day if you can figure how to stop failing sents, they'll stop leaving you."
The words were harsh, and wholly unlike the generous spirit I knew my friend to be.
Griff's eyes widened in shock. "Hey, that's not fair! I did all I could by you sis! I-I tried. I always planned to make it big and come back for you, y'know. I just needed- I just needed enough of a start up." His words were wheedling, pleading, but he trailed off as a speculative expression crossed his face. "Y'know, you've done better than I thought you would, sis. Ever thought-"
"Don't," Mission snapped. "Don't you dare ask me for creds or some stupid stake in another hotsa-chuba scheme. Or I really will let Jen go nuts with her glow-stick. Just- just go, Griff!" She expelled a pent-up sigh, and I saw the anger in her face transform into a grimness that saddened me. Her expression firmed. "I got nothing left to say to you."
Griff stepped back once, twice, but I could see the reluctance in his face. It wasn't just greed, I hoped – not just the thought of his sister having resources he could pilfer like the odious, selfish sentient he was. No- there was something deeper there. For all of his flaws, Griff Vao did care for his sister – but not enough.
Not enough to be a worthy brother.
"Stay in touch, alright?" Griff muttered, stepping back again, his gaze roving warily between the twin threats of Jen and Canderous. There was defeat in the lines of his shoulders, and I was glad to see him retreat. "I've still got the same holonet account-"
"Go back to your job, Griff," Mission cut in. She sounded older than she was. Serious and sad and strong all at the same time. "They'll be missing you."
"Okay." He swallowed. "Okay. Take care of yourself, sis. I- I love you, y'know?"
Griff Vao turned, and slowly walked away.
"I know." The whisper from my young friend was soft, so soft that her brother would not have heard it.
I loped to her side, placing a paw on her shoulder. "(Mission)," I said, trying to keep my voice gentle. "(Are you okay?)"
"No," she murmured, turning to me with a tremulous smile. "But I think I will be." She sniffed, loudly, before turning to stare at Jen with almost the same amount of sass she normally did. "Shall we go fix your stupid droid then, Jen?"
Jen raised an eyebrow, shot one look of scathing derision in the direction of Griff Vao, and then strode into the droid shop. The Mandalorian grunted before following.
"Come on, Big Z, don't dawdle," Mission teased, tugging on my arm. I could see her blinking back tears, and understood her desire to act like everything was normal.
"(Okay)," I rumbled my assent. "(Let's move on then)."
xXx
