Chapter 5: Targets of Opportunity
"Bounty Hunters? You want me to kill people for money?" I asked incredulously.
"You don't have to kill the target, Torr. We're not assassins. In fact, the Republic prefers these people be brought in alive to stand trial. The people we go after are Imperial officers, pirate bosses, terrorists and generally pretty bad people."
I looked over the list. Most of them were wanted for murder, war crimes, terrorism and other atrocities. Some of the highest valued targets were members of the Imperial Remnant still at large and suspected to be operating around Coruscant. Kyle pointed out some names lower on the list.
"We'll start towards the bottom. Less protected marks will be a good entry point for us. Get you familiar with urban life, and I can teach you how to fly speeders and starships here."
I still felt somewhat uncomfortable with the idea of bounty hunting. Kyle was perceptive of this, and continued to try and convince me.
"Look, there are certain skills you need to pick up out here. Bounty hunting will give us the opportunity to investigate, track and pursue targets. The money we earn will put food on the table, power cells in our blasters and the rest we can give back to the Praxeum to help them grow."
When phrased like that, I saw how bounty hunting would benefit both me and the Jedi as a whole. I bowed to Kyle, still slightly reluctant. He jovially patted my shoulder, happy to have won me over. We returned to the shuttle for transit planetside, descending through the planet's atmosphere and touching down on one of the large landing pads that dotted the planetwide cityscape.
The sheer volume of Force input here was almost overwhelming my senses. Billions upon billions of people, all around me. The sensation and emotions that surrounded us was almost blinding. After a few minutes of getting my bearings, I began to see through the glare. Everything was bright and ghostly, brilliantly illuminated.
We disembarked and I let Torak out as well, the acklay striding out and stretching his cramped limbs. A few of the Coruscant Security Force officers who had been approaching us now shied back in concern. When Kyle and I hopped up on the acklay's back and approached them, they nervously kept a safe distance from Torak's teeth and spiked limbs.
"I am Jedi Master Kyle Katarn, this is my student Torr Advantir and his companion Torak the Acklay. We are expected by Commander Trayk." Kyle called out to them after the din of our shuttle departing had faded.
One of the CSF officers spoke with his superior officer on his comlink, then quickly waved us onward. I urged Torak to carry us forward, towards the processing center. He wouldn't fit inside, so I had him wait outside while we arranged the details of our stay. After being processed by Coruscant officials, we were confirmed to be Jedi and allowed access deeper into the facility. We were led through the building, which extended beyond the range of my sight far below. The whole planet was one enormous city, as I was coming to understand.
Commander Trayk was a teal-skinned Twi'lek woman who stood a little taller than me. Tattoos covered her face and wrapped around her lekku, the tentacles that grew from her head. She was dressed in a smart tan and gray outfit, giving orders to her subordinates over the comlink and handing datapads to couriers. Despite being enormously busy, she was polite to me and Kyle when we requested some of her time. Giving a short and respectful bow, she addressed us first.
"Good day, Master Jedi. We're very glad to see you here. I understand you brought a pet acklay."
Kyle nodded and gestured to me.
"His name is Torak, he belongs to my apprentice. He won't be a problem unless someone provokes him."
"I don't think any of my officers are that stupid, luckily. Let's get down to business."
Kyle nodded, and we sat around her table which was stacked high with documents.
"We're in a tight spot here." Trayk confessed. "We've got more enemies than soldiers, and even with Republic military support it's been difficult to dislodge the enemy from entrenched fortifications. Pirate Cartels and the Imperial Remnant are keeping us busy and we just can't seem to break them. They own many industrial zones, and while they aren't actively building anything, it's stopping us from fully rebuilding and mobilizing a proper army."
Pulling out a map of one of the aforementioned industrial zones, Trayk pointed out several factories that had been inactive for years. Each one was rated based on their estimated threat level, with "High" to "Extreme", indicating moderate to heavy enemy concentrations. Kyle looked them all over and pointed out the firearms factory controlled by a pirate gang. It was the lowest-threat among all of the others, and was fairly close to our current position.
"We'll start there. Torr and I will infiltrate the factory and rough them up, get them primed for you to send in backup and capture the facility. There are a few things we need for you to do in return, Commander."
Trayk nodded, and Kyle continued. "My apprentice and I came here with very few resources. The Jedi are still rebuilding, and we have just two lightsabers and a blaster rifle between us. We need credits and equipment."
"I can arrange that." Trayk said, with a small smile. "What kind of equipment?"
"Another E-11 blaster rifle, a dozen thermal detonators, and two personal shield generators."
Trayk fished a specific datapad out of the massive pile in front of her and was already putting in the requisition. I was somewhat surprised it had been that easy- I had expected more resistance to the idea of paying a Jedi. In my studies of our history, we hadn't traditionally asked for rewards. Though perhaps that part just wasn't mentioned. We couldn't entirely rely on handouts, and it seemed Trayk had the money and weapons to spare.
"You'll have your gear by the time you leave here. It shall be delivered to a shuttle I've arranged for you two to use. It's fast, quiet and will get you to where you need to go."
Kyle and I stood, hearing our dismissal. We gave a short bow in farewell.
"Thank you, Commander. I'll let you know when we begin our assault of the base. Give us some time, then send in your troops."
We turned and left the Commander's office, and were led back up to our landing pad. I rejoined Torak and waited for our shuttle to arrive. After about an hour it touched down, complete with the weaponry Kyle had requested. Torak fit snugly into the shuttle behind us, and Kyle sat at the controls to pilot it. We lifted off, heading straight for our objective.
"What's the plan, Kyle?" I asked.
"I'm going to drop you and Torak off nearby the factory and you two will make your way in and assault the front. Make as much noise as you can, create a distraction. I'll put the shuttle down nearby and sneak in while you draw their attention forward."
I did not like that plan.
"Kyle, I can't just assault the front door of a heavily defended facility!"
My Master glanced back and chuckled.
"Relax, I'm joking. Do you think Torak will follow my commands?"
' "If I tell him to." I said.
"Good. I'll drop you off around back and then circle around to hit the front with him. You infiltrate the facility, capture their leader and then help me deal with the welcoming party."
I nodded, far more confident in my ability perform that task. We circled around my drop point, already being shot at by small arms fire from below. Passing behind one of the factory's smokestacks, I jumped out of the shuttle and fell ten feet to the balcony. Kyle sped off, leaving me behind and drawing fire.
I landed nearby a door to the interior of the factory and stepped inside. Sensing dozens of pirates nearby, I kept a low profile as I felt my way around the upper level. They were all converging on the main entrance to the factory, away from me. There were a few pirates on my level who weren't moving and seemed to be in a control room. I set off towards them first.
I kept my saberstaff in hand but not active as I approached my targets. I was in the upper scaffolding of the factory and had to drop down ten feet to reach the control room. When I hit the ground, nobody inside gave any indication they heard me but there was still a door between us. When that opened, they were sure to be alerted. With the Force, I could hear what they were saying on the other side.
"Looks like we're under attack by a single Jedi and an acklay. Get the snipers on the roof and heavy weapons to take out the acklay. What's he doing?"
"He's trying to secure the bridge. Probably the first phase of a Republic invasion."
"I don't know, this seems off-"
I didn't give them a chance to continue conversation, as I flung open the door and thrust
my hand out, knocking the three pirates to the ground. Balling my hand into a fist, I pulled their blasters towards me, leaving them disarmed. Igniting my saber, I advanced on them and gave them orders.
"All of you, stay on the ground and do not move your hands."
Stooping down over each of them, I secured their wrists with handcuffs. The pirates were grumbling the whole time, but didn't dispute me while I held a lightsaber. When they were locked up, I finished them off by knocking their heads against the wall. Each of them fell unconscious and I rushed to help Kyle and Torak. I had to stop the snipers and heavy weapons before they were able to set up.
Leaving the command center, I leaped back up onto the scaffolding and followed it to he external access doors. Flinging them open, I saw a dozen pirates lining up across the roof with long rifles and rocket launchers. Far below, my Master and my pet had crossed the bridge and were now fighting at the doors to the factory. Torak had bits of pirate stuck to him, and was covered in blaster scorch marks.
In front of me, a Rodian holding a rocket launcher was preparing to fire at him. I used the Force to hold the warhead inside of the weapon, causing it to explode in his hands. The blast killed him and knocked the pirates on either side of him down. I followed up with my lightsaber flashing, finishing the downed pirates. Flinging my hand aside, I launched two more pirates over the waist-high railing and sent them tumbling down. The others were aware of my presence, turning their weapons towards me. Charging them with a single blade active, I held it up in a defensive posture.
One of the snipers fired a round at me, and I knocked it aside. Thrusting my hand out, I grabbed him by the neck with the Force and tossed him over the edge. The next pirate, bearing a rocket launcher, tried to fire it at me but I held the warhead within the chamber and it exploded, killing the wielder and the pirate behind him. They didn't learn quickly.
There were four pirates left up top, now breaking to try and surround me. Two of them had dropped their heavier weapons to heft blaster carbines, and two were brandishing swords at me. Judging by the humming noise they made, they were vibroblades and could resist my lightsaber.
The sword wielders charged, and though they had melee weapons, they didn't have the Force. Thrusting my hand out, lightning sprung from my fingertips, stunning the pirates in their tracks as they screamed in pain. The pirates behind them began shooting, and I used my saber to deflect their shots.
Splitting my saberstaff into two blades, I hurled one at the electrocuted pirates and used the other to continue deflecting blaster shots. The thrown saber arced like a boomerang, cutting down the still twitching pirates before returning to my hand. The pirates who were shooting at me lost their nerve and fled, screaming. I wanted to hunt them down and kill them, but resisted that dark urge. Kyle and Torak were still fighting and needed help.
Before I could reach them, I heard the sound of a large shuttle approaching. A Republic troop transport was setting down on the far side of the bridge, and CSF soldiers were streaming out, helping Kyle by firing on the pirates. My Master jumped up on Torak's back and gave him a command. Immediately the acklay began to scale the side of the factory, climbing straight up towards the first exterior balcony. The pirate above, under heavy fire and faced with a Jedi riding an acklay, panicked and fled.
My comlink beeped, and I pulled the handheld communicator from my belt. It was Kyle.
"Torr, I see you saved us from those heavy guns! Good work. Now secure the pirate leaders and help us clear the interior of the base!"
"You got it, Kyle. See you soon."
Reconnecting my sabers into a staff, I returned to the interior of the factory where CSF troops were breaching and beginning to sweep the area. I felt a strange presence as I entered the factory, and had a brief moment to ignite my saber and whirl around. A dark figure had landed on the balcony behind me and was now charging with his saber out. Meeting his blade, I was shoved back by his strong Force push.
Retaliating with a push of my own, the assassin weathered the attack but my follow-up lightsaber attacks put him on the defensive, and I was gaining ground. Using my saberstaff aggressively, he was inching closer towards the outside balcony. I felt his balance tip and slammed him hard, pushing out with the Force simultaneously. He was shoved back, slamming into the doorframe and being put off-balance.
The figure retaliated swiftly, throwing his hand out and catching me in a barrage of lightning. Pain, more intense than anything I had ever felt, made my mind go blank and a terrible scream was ripped out of my throat. I dropped to my knees, smoke pouring off my body as my skin melted and clothes burned. My lightsaber deactivated and rolled away as I lay in a crumpled heap, being quickly tortured to death.
The figure was advancing on me with his saber out. I could barely detect him above the overriding agony. As he drew nearer, I felt the hunger. It roared to life, ravenous and consuming. With my screams of pain turning into a roar of rage, I leaped to my feet as I drank in the Force energies he was turning against me. A black cord connected us as I forced him to his knees with a powerful push. The figure was cloaked and hooded, but I felt his sudden fear radiating off him. Pulling my saber into my hand, I chopped off the arm that had been electrocuting me.
Sparks still crackled across my body and I continued to smolder as I advanced on him, planting my hands on the side of his head, ripping away the mask that covered his face. It was an older man, light skinned and wrinkled, his expression dazed but still afraid. His mouth constantly moved in a silent "no, no, no, no". His energy continued to flow into me, revitalizing my tortured body and energizing my spirit. The effect was aging him, causing his skin to turn a pale yellow and the wrinkles to deepen. When he was totally drained, he collapsed to the side, an empty husk.
I stripped off my robes, having to peel it off in some places as my raw skin was sticking to the fabric. My wounds would have been worse, but draining my opponent had healed me somewhat. During my duel up here, the battle below seemed to be wrapping up. Most of the pirates were routed or dead, and the leaders were still unconscious and subdued in the control room. My comlink was completely fried by the Force lightning, so I was unable to reach Kyle. I could feel him below, making his way up to me.
My Master leaped up, having ignored the stairs and simply jumped up through the factory's many obstacles to reach me. Rushing to my side, he examined my wounds and channeled healing energy into me.
"Torr! Oh, I'm glad you're alive. I didn't detect that anything was wrong until he let out that lightning."
I tore off scraps of black, charred cloth and dropped them on the ground. A quiet, bubbling anger threatened to make me snap at Kyle, but I held it back. I knew he couldn't have gotten here in time to protect me from the assassin, and even I couldn't see him coming until he was on top of me. Still, there was that part of me that lost some faith in Kyle and told me to be more independent.
"I'm alright, Kyle. Though I did use the dark side to win."
"Don't worry about that, Torr. Like I told you in the Praxeum- the Force is not good or evil, it's how you use it. You used the dark side to protect yourself, and as long as you don't lose yourself in it then you are no more evil than you were before."
I stooped to examine the corpse. He had no obvious markings or identification on his body, though his lightsaber was weathered and well-used. Symbols were carved on the hilt that I didn't recognize. I handed the weapon to Kyle, who looked it over.
"Hmm. I don't recognize these markings, but they might not mean anything. I don't know what this dark Jedi was doing here, but he might not be alone. We should stick together for the time being, I don't want us split up in case another one comes."
I nodded. The memory of the pain that this one foe inflicted on me made my stomach turn. My skin felt hot and cracked, making every movement sting. Moving the conversation back to our task here, I gestured towards the captured pirates which were now being hauled away by CSF officers.
"Did I do alright on our first mission?" I asked.
Kyle gave a short laugh. "More than alright, Torr! We took the factory without a single casualty. It might not seem like much, taking this one building, but it's a solid step towards fully liberating Coruscant."
My Master knelt down on the ground and motioned for me to join him. We started to meditate and I heard his voice within my own mind.
"The Force echoes with every action you perform. With every act of kindness or cruelty, the effects ripple out far further than you can imagine. Seemingly insignificant events can have far-reaching effects. Consider every possible outcome before making an action. You have affected many lives today, though you haven't met most of them face-to-face. Wisdom is the ability to evaluate and predict outcomes of events before they happen. The Force touches every living thing, be aware of how you affect it."
When we rose from our meditation, my emotions had calmed. Merely being nearby Kyle was comforting, though I found myself missing Jona and Master Korgan. If I focused, I could still feel them through the Force, but very faintly. Being able to feel Jona was somewhat reassuring, as I knew that she wasn't invisibly stalking me.
Kyle's comlink beeped, and while he answered it I pulled out my datapad to check the status of the bounties. Commander Trayk's voice came through Kyle's communicator.
"Greetings, Master Jedi. I'm hearing back from my Sergeants that the operation was a complete success and the factory is ours again. We also captured a dozen of them alive, including the three ringleaders of this region. I'll have a thousand credits wired to you, Master Katarn. I hope this is the start of a long partnership."
"I'm sure it will be, Commander. We ran into a dark Jedi, do you know anything about him?" Kyle asked.
"The Imperial Remnant still has a few dark Jedi in their ranks, and I have received reports of dark Jedi attacks sporadically across that sector. I'm not sure if it was a lone agent you killed, or a member of an organization." Trayk answered.
"Keep us up on what you find. I'm taking my apprentice to the old Jedi Temple."
"Understood. May the Force be with you."
Kyle stashed his communicator on his belt and gestured forme to follow him.
"Come on, Torr. We're heading back to the shuttle"
As we were leaving, Kyle handed me the assassin's lightsaber. I stashed it on my belt in case we found some way to translate its markings. I met up with Torak outside, and he was very happy to see me again. His exterior was covered with blast marks, but he didn't seem to be in much pain. The three of us returned to the shuttle, and traveled halfway across Coruscant to reach the ancient Jedi Temple.
The building was old and dilapidated, in just a few decades it had fallen from what must have been glorious splendor. I felt a lot of history here- and a lot of death. As Kyle and I approached the crumbling entrance, I could feel the ghosts of thousands of Jedi. Many had died on these grounds, some in battle and some naturally.
"I wanted you to see this place while we're on Coruscant," Kyle said, "it's an important building to the Jedi. It's been destroyed and rebuilt, lost and won many times over our Order's history."
I stooped to pick up a loose stone that had once been a part of the massive building. Even this piece of rock thrummed with the Force. Everything here did, glowing perpetually with residual energy. I noted signs of battle that had never been repaired all around- pockmarks in the stone where a blaster bolt had struck, and in some places, lightsaber scoring. I of course knew about the chilling final days in the Temple, when the Jedi Purge laid low the Order.
"We'll rebuild this place, eventually." Kyle said. It won't be easy. It will take millions of credits and many years to see this Temple restored, but I wanted you to see it now. Never forget that no matter how low you fall, you are never lost. Hope is never lost."
We explored the exterior of the Temple and ventured inside. The Force was even stronger in here, and I could hear faint whispers, memories preserved in the Force. The voices weren't audible, hundreds of overlapping conversations running over each other. It was a melancholy place, and I wondered if it was worth rebuilding again with so much history already present.
"Luke wants to move us here when there are more Jedi. You're the first of his new generation of students to see it. I get the feeling you'll be here when the final stone is laid and the doors open again for students."
We spent a few more hours exploring the time-worn structure before heading to our apartment. Taking the time to explore the quiet ruins of the Old Jedi Temple was the perfect way to calm my spirit after the battle at the factory. We were provided with housing courtesy of the CSF, a home base between assignments. Coruscant was such a massive city, it almost seemed impossible to me to decide what to do next. Kyle and I took a break from our more interesting duties to attend to mundane tasks: how each day would be scheduled.
Pilot training was high on Kyle's priority list, along with lightsaber and Force practice. Continuing to study history and modern politics was also very important to him. Finally, we would only take a new bounty assignment when we were low on credits. With all of the conflict on Coruscant, I asked Kyle why we weren't more committed to helping the CSF reclaim the planet.
"We're not here as soldiers, Torr." He said. "We're here to further your training. A job every twenty or thirty days should cover our expenses and give you a chance to test yourself. I'm more concerned with sifting through the dark Force techniques you learned in Exar Kun's library. I'm sure there's more than the Force absorption technique you've been using. I'm not telling you not to use your abilities, but I at least want to know about them so I can counsel you on their use."
I nodded, and sighed. Though I yearned for more action, I knew that I had to continue my training in self-control. Being cooped up in my area seemed stifling, but my life was already far busier and more exciting than when I had been in the Academy. There was no doubt in my mind that greater things, for good or evil, were in store for me.
