"In my experience, nothing is easy…"
"Right, see you again eventually…"
Atton shuts off the comlink for the time being and proceeds to smack his forehead into his right hand. He could not help himself, well almost not, the woman is undeniably attractive and she sure can keep him off-balance in a conversation. All women look like her to him, not Vina exactly, but damn close he whispers aloud. She had that Jedi posture in her walk, but she had none of the usual trappings or even a lightsaber. He sat down in the nearby chair and kept the comlink on his jacket while keeping something of a close eye on the console displays.
He twitches when several beeps alert him to a containment field failure in the tunnels. He flicks on the comlink and goes to shout into it about the field collapse though she admits she is probably the cause of that after sensor blinding the droids after they had unlocked the sealed bulkheads that set into lock mode by the lock down. He sighs raggedly before telling her to get the hell out of there as soon as possible despite his efforts to contain the breach.
"I am already on my way out…"
He hears a series of explosions echo over the unit before the signal moves from the tunnels to the depot. The signal then vanishes as if a dampening field is blocking it, but he believes she made it out before the explosion got to her. He begins playing pazaak in his head again while separately hoping she will find some way to contact him. His eyes drift around while resuming his mental pazaak.
***
Vina tumbles out of the lift, it seals behind her in an effort to seal the depot off from the tunnels' massive gas leak. She spots a 'protocol' droid nearby and it identifies her as master though she claims to have never owned a droid like him. He further claims that her ownership of is a technical one due to his past service to the Harbinger's captain and that her sedation during the move from the warship to the freighter. She feigns buying his story before recovering a voice imprint recorder, and surprisingly convinces the droid to duplicate the voice of the maintenance officer to get the security code.
"It looks like that did the trick, and now I know that someone definitely poisoned the occupants of the other tanks in the medical wing… the question is who… but for now I need to find what the hell happen to the miners in the dormitories…"
She finds a spare space suit then slips into it during the cycling sequences in the airlock. The exhaust ports on the exterior are venting the gas from the tunnels, which amounts to another oddity in a long list of odd things going on here already. She paces her walk along the mounted catwalk, timing the intervals with gas bursts, and then the suit's comlink crackles as she had set it to link to the comlink Atton had given her earlier. Vina looks towards the viewport that protrudes from the facility's Admin/Ops Sector.
"I was wondering what happen to you, only thing is now I am reading you on the asteroid's exterior…"
"Maybe you should look up…"
"What are you doing out there?"
"I need to reach the dormitories, with the lock down in the depot still in effect, this is the only route there, and it's the only way to reach the other areas, which are stuck in an independent series of lock downs, somebody with a heck of a lot of skill did this…"
"The facility is venting a huge amount of the tunnels' gas into space from your location so you better hurry…"
"I am moving as fast as I can in this thing…"
"What now? There is a ship coming in to dock at the exterior, getting codes, and it's a Republic warship…"
A battered Hammerhead class capital ship initiates docking procedures, and Vina recognizes the vessel almost immediately. She would have to be faster now if what she begins to fear is true about the new owners of the Harbinger. The gantry extends to the warship's airlock, and the fuel lines mount to the ship's engines. Vina passes through the dormitories' airlock and begins the investigation of the surrounding sections. As with the other areas, the droids have gone berserk and all the former occupants are likewise dead. She upgrades her pair of vibroblades using parts she finds in the weapons lockers.
***
Kreia rises to her feet and turns to stare directly at her attackers who think themselves invisible to her thanks to their assassin training, but they forget she was the one who had perfected their methods. The strengths and the weaknesses of training had never left her, but as usual someone always makes the mistake of underestimating someone else. They were both dead before they could even draw their weapons, and she takes their swords for her own.
The other assassins nearby were naturally more cautious after finding their dead comrades. Kreia begins a steady walk towards the location where she expects the Exile to emerge from once she finishes her search of the outpost. She also knows another old student of hers leads this group. His pursuit of her did not bother her, but his desire to kill the Exile would interfere with her plans.
***
"Damn, why the hell did all this happen just because of my coming back, get a hold of yourself already need to keep moving, but who did this, that Coorta is certainly not the mechanic type though why would the maintenance officer have a hand in this…"
She examines the lock down code for the turbolift to Admin/Ops level, and discovers the code that Coorta used was actually reversed by his 'sponsor' who while sounding like the maintenance officer was in fact that 'protocol' droid she met earlier. Something had felt strangely familiar about him as if she had seen someone else that bore a strange resemblance to him years ago. The 'protocol' droid had reprogrammed the droids, and tricked his pawns; obviously the unit had tactical experience. However she too had more than a few tricks up her sleeves, and she enters the code in reverse order unlocking the turbolift. The dormitories' lock down ends and she returns to Admin/Ops level where she is met by Kreia.
"The ones that killed the Harbinger's crew, the ones that attacked us while we were trying to outrun them are here…. we must leave soon…"
"Then let us be on our way…"
Vina and Kreia rejoin Atton at the platform and he spins around with only tiny mining laser pistol for defense. Vina tosses him a couple of different guns she found during the trek through the tunnels and the dormitories. He looks at Vina then Kreia before voicing his next complaint. Kreia is almost ready to cut him off though an expected and unexpected visitor emerges from the turbolift that connects this area to the fuel depot area that is not in lock down mode, but remains cut off from the hangar.
"I believe you did not understand my recommendation to stay put and wait for rescue…"
"I heard you all right, but I am not in the habit of listening to assassin droids…"
"I am an HK-50, not an assassin droid…"
"You were the one who poisoned the kolto tanks, the one that reprogrammed the mining droids, gassed the dormitories, and killed Coorta's gang…"
"Guilty as charged, but they were interfering with my mission, with my bounty…"
"Bounty?" asks Vina
"The Exchange has bounties on Jedi now…" responds Atton.
"Who sent you?" demands Vina
"I am afraid I cannot disclose that information, especially not to a target…"
"I do not have time to waste on you, so either get out of my way or do what you came to do…"
Vina, Kreia, and Atton engage the HK-50, which fights back naturally then self-destructs after it takes too much damage. Vina takes the vocabulator from the remains, and they set off for the Harbinger, which has the only direct access to the fuel depot though it requires going inside the now empty fuel lines. Atton decides to again interrupt the move. Kreia looks to the younger man with annoyance, which is contrary to Vina's frustration, as annoyance signifies actual thought while frustration is more of a momentary twinge.
"We need to keep moving…"
"If we are going to get out here then we need the orbital drift charts…"
"How are we going to get those?"
"This ship's navacomputer must have a functional uplink otherwise it would not been able to get through the fields without several holes in it…"
"This waiting is going to lessen the distance between us and the assassins…"
"Sorry Kreia, we will get the charts from the navacomputer then descend to the lower decks to get to the fuel lines…"
"Sounds like a plan…"
"Then let us be going…"
Kreia instinctively takes point and Vina follows while Atton watches their backs. He realizes that he will never get along with the old 'witch' of a Jedi. Kreia looks back towards with her atypical eyes as if she had heard his thoughts though she looks back towards the bridge again. The charts are put into a data rod to be put into the Hawk's astrogation console later. Bridge logs reveal more about the Harbinger's encounter with the Sith warship and the Ebon Hawk.
Most of Kreia's story rings true at least from a certain point of view. The ship's directory is encrypted preventing them from gaining access to the layout maps, which leads to a dead route near a series of escape pods, which are inactive and locked in place. A trio of Sith assassins ambush them on the turn around, but they make short work of them. The other route takes to the command deck's briefing room where even more logs reveal how much the command crew knew about their 'passenger' or the Exile.
The situation at Onderon is deteriorating if the discussion between the ship's captain and Admiral Onasi is understood correctly, but it however holds further consequences for Telos. The Exile's return is a known state secret, which again poses the question how did an Exchange assassin droid and a Sith warship discover this information is a mystery except if someone intentionally leaked this information.
The race through the capital ship resumes, and they periodically are met by more Sith assassins. Vina searches through crew quarters including hers, and retrieves what scarce belongings she had brought with her to this ship. The Exile armband is put on again, but worn under her modified miner uniform. She rejoins the others and they descend to the engineering level as quick as they can, but then Atton is on about a bad feeling notion. As they advance, a severely scarred man emerges at the juncture they went through after Atton's bad feeling.
"You get her out here, I will deal with him, I am not defenseless and for all his professed strength, he is still blind…"
Kreia brandishes a vibroblade as the scarred man whips out his lightsaber. The doors close behind them. Vina and Atton keep going after she unlocks the doors that seal off the engine's interior platforms. They reach the fuel exhaust pipes and then a flash overcomes Vina. In her mind's eye, she mentally warps into the corridor where Kreia and the scarred man are dueling now.
***
"You still live, I was certain you were finally dead when I could no longer hear you in my head. No longer do your echoes remind me of teachings that are the real weakness to the method, to everything that keeps me alive despite my physical condition…"
"You truly never did learn much from what you did after Revan's 'disappearance'… and even more after my 'departure'…"
"He could have had it all, but no he left the Academy to you then you brought me and that silent one into this mess… since then we have not known cohesion felt under Darth Revan… he instead became a Jedi again…"
"You still misunderstand that while the Council had a hand in that, he however chose to be that kind of a man again, but he had not forgotten the real purpose, the real role, to be what is necessary to wage war without the trappings that the Council or even what you cling to even now… I left mine behind…"
The scarred man's lightsaber severs the blade from the hilt of Kreia's vibroblade then takes off the hand gripping the hilt. She collapses to the floor as her scarred former student stands over her with the opportunity to kill her again. He however takes this moment to taunt her instead. He switches off the blade and assumes a crouched position next to her ear.
"You went in search of the Jedi, you found this one, but one broken Jedi cannot stop the darkness waiting out here in space nor stop it in herself…"
"You still underestimate… your mistake, not mine…"
She force throws him into the bulkhead, which he barely weathers before discovering she is gone again. He snarls in aggravation before calling off the assassins realizing what Kreia's new 'apprentice' is attempting to do now. She is not out of this yet, not by a long shot, but I will enjoy the kill personally is the thought of the moment. He heads back towards the command deck to ready the ship for departure.
***
"Vina, Vina, come back to me…" shouts Atton.
"Atton, what happen?" whispers Vina
"One second you were running along like not even a boma could stop you, next you were struck down with some kind of pain…. you were clutching your wrist…"
"I felt something through the Force, something happen to Kreia…"
"I am sure we will see her again…"
The two continue into the fuel lines and find T3 there along with the missing bulkhead for the hangar bay's blast door controls. Vina kneels and talks to the utility droid for several minutes in droid speak before they fight their way through a group of humanoid looking mining droids. A short detour through the fuel depot allows them to bypass the internal force fields after removing the explosives in the fuel transfer pipes. A gas leak in the tunnel from the hangar bay control to the hangar itself is easily shut down by redirecting the flow into a tertiary pipeline.
It saves having to find oxygen masks and packs for herself and Atton. They make a quick search of containers in the bay before moving to board the Ebon Hawk. Atton notices from the cockpit window that Sith Troopers are charging into the bay and firing on the ship. Vina mounts the turbo laser and starts shooting them down, which almost shakes Atton since he had never seen such precision firing even during his wartime service, but her adeptness with the blade certainly points to other probable capabilities that he had not expected from her.
The troopers keep coming though nearly all of them are struck down by the laser shots or exploding barrels that the lasers cut to pieces. A few of them manage to board, but Atton intercepts them on the way in before Vina finishes off the stragglers in the bay with the lasers. He smacks two of them together then shin kicks a third before literally throwing the fourth back down the ramp into Vina's targeting reticules. He turns around point blank blasts the unconscious pair before slamming the third guy into the wall before throwing him down the ramp as well.
Vina goes looking for Atton and notices the dead troopers at his feet. She places a hand on his shoulder and he looks at her with such a mixture of misery and satisfaction. He had not to this moment shown such intensity until killing to protect her. Vina hugs him before T3 interrupts with a series of noises that imply more troopers are coming and so they head straight for the cockpit. It is in that moment that Kreia mysteriously reappears with a bandaged wrist.
"I had no intention of being left behind, so I suggest we really do leave now…"
The Ebon Hawk lifts up then slides out of the bay before turning around to fly through the asteroids with the Harbinger in pursuit while firing at them for a second time in a matter of days. Atton keeps dodging the shots, but realizes that a stray shot would ignite the entire field. A decision at hand again whether to keep evading until they are clear or risk firing on the asteroids to destroy the Harbinger. Vina orders him to dodge until they can clear for the jump.
"We are clear, massive explosions, brace yourselves," shouts Atton.
The Hawk makes the jump as the even further shattered remnants of Peragus II float even further apart. The Harbinger's fate is unknown, but the destruction of the mining facility is liable to have disastrous consequences down the road with Citadel Station's dependency on Peragian fuel. This consequence is immediately apparent to Vina, but she tugs herself back into the moment as Atton voices another complaint. T3 joins his human companions in the cockpit.
"I was not exactly looking to add planetary destruction to my record…"
"You must realize that was not our doing…"
"So where do we head now…"
"Telos is the only lane available on this vector… naturally we end up going the one place they are most likely to clap irons without questions…"
"There are other decisions to be made despite awaiting your prediction about an arrest…"
"How exactly did you find out I was on the Harbinger or that assassin droid for that matter… too many coincidences floating around here…"
"You know as well as I do that while there may be such things, it is more than that, someone else gave you away, all I know is you were unconscious when I found you, and that 'protocol' droid had already been on the ship for an indeterminate amount of time…"
"Those disabled droids on the medical level should have been a dead giveaway… well you were all in such a hurry between decks, I saw a disabled protocol droid and a batch of utility droids in better shape than that trash compactor…"
[T3 beeps and whistles at Atton]
"What did he just say to me…?" retorts Atton
"You are better off not knowing… calling a droid that to his face is offensive…"
"Why are you so touchy about things like that?"
Vina smacks Atton across the face, he moves to smack her in return, but Kreia's stare stops him cold. He resumes manual helm control leaving the two women to retreat to the restored port dormitory. T3 heads off towards the engine room and works on the power couplings. Atton rubs the cheek that Vina hit only seconds before and finds himself even more drawn to her because she held to her convictions, even made a follow up by hitting him.
***
"Your striking him across the face was unexpected, but somehow I think he needs to be put in his place occasionally. Regardless I suspect you have more questions especially about the pain you felt when Sion sliced off my hand."
"Sion?" asks Vina
"He belongs to the trappings of a Sith Lord, the assassins we fought at the facility and on the Harbinger were part of his faction."
"There are factions?"
"Yes, Revan's return to Korriban near the end of the Jedi Civil War broke the Unity he made possible as a Sith Lord. Afterwards others fought to take his place following the death of Malak."
"Who are the others?"
"Another is led by the Lord of Hunger; no doubt someone sent by him will be with us before long, though you cannot truly consider him a man anymore, whereas Sion, the Lord of Pain, thrives on his own pain and others as well, to the point of killing them."
"How do you know all this Kreia?" questions Vina
"This is that important to you I take…"
"If the past means as much as you seem to make it sound then I would know something of yours since you seem to know some of others like Revan, Sion, and this Lord of Hunger…"
"My story begins a long time ago, but I had like Revan found the world you call Malachor V, and on its surface kept one an ancient secret of the True Sith, the ones Revan beheld as the true threat, the ones that prompted the Mandalorian Wars. He had seen that the Council had been half right to object to bringing the Jedi into the Wars, but in his mind they were wrong to allow the Mandalorians to sweep the board. They were pawns yes, but somehow we all are when it comes to a galactic dejarik…"
"I take this story will take some time…"
"Time is something we have for the moment…"
***
Three Years Earlier
Malachor V
'Kreia' meditates in the solitude of the Core, but the other Lords, Darth Sion and Darth Nihlius emerge from the lift that connects the Academy and the Core. She turns to face them, but their attack is an unexpected series of attacks, which she can bring no defense against. Nihlius yanks away her lightsaber and flings it into the void below the Core's platform while Sion slams her into one of curved walls protruding upward from the platform. The two strip away her robes and toss them over into the void too.
Sion beats her for hours, Nihlius drains her to the point of the death, and then the Assassins drag her away from the Academy to one of shuttles left over from the Jedi Civil War. She regains some of her physical strength, enough to fly the shuttle away from this treacherous world, and the remaining Sith Lords convince themselves that she is done with this delusion that she reigns over their short lived Triumvirate. The plan forms in her mind to find someone capable enough to not only survive, but do what needs to be done, to be what she and the other Lords could not be in the absence of Revan.
The Present
En route to Telos
"I tell you to learn from my mistakes, to listen, to truly learn, because no matter how much education that the Jedi gave you or I give you, you will be only thing between them and your death…"
"I will take whatever training you have to offer, it had become clear to me that the Council and perhaps the Order as a whole had become stuck in the past…"
"Perhaps, but remember not to invest too deeply in old theories and dated superstitions. You will learn what you are capable of again in time. I take you are curious about the outcome of the Jedi Civil War…"
"It had gotten my interest…"
"Nobody won, everyone lost is putting it bluntly, but this conception is one of degrees. As for Revan and Malak, Malak learnt the price of depending too heavily on the Force. At the same time, Revan found what exactly it would take to show him this, to show the Jedi what they could be though they were quick to condemn again just the same. The Jedi made him an icon and then dismissed whatever lessons they could have learnt from him."
"What happen to the Council and the Order then…"
"The Order is all, but dead; the survivors' number in the dozens, maybe more, maybe less. The Council is gone; some were killed at Katarr along with the bulk of the Order survivors at the time. The rest are liable to be in hiding, and I know not how much help we could expect from them…"
"Nevertheless, we should at least find out what they know about what happen, what they are doing, and then take it from there…"
"You are right, they do know something, the question is what and how important though like dejarik, the pieces are constantly in play…"
"I never did play that game…"
"In a way you did by being an officer in Revan's forces during the Wars…"
"I see why you might consider that…"
"I am tired, I need to rest, and deal with that idiot in the cockpit…"
"I will… you rest… I can handle it…"
"We shall see…"
***
"So how is she?"
"As cryptic as usual…"
"A Jedi trait if I ever knew one…"
"So we still on course…"
"The only place to go darling…"
"Just make sure you keep your eyes on the controls and not my ass…"
"Autopilot can handle that for a bit…"
Atton grabs Vina by the waist and looks directly into her eyes. She considers what his intention in this bold move could possibly aim to accomplish for him. He lifts her up, his hands are under her legs, she wraps her thighs around his chest, and he kisses her neck. She breathes raggedly as he tugs the zipper on her miner uniform, and she pulls off his vest then throws it over the chair. The zipper is all the way down before she realizes what she is on the edge of doing so she shoves him away before retreating to the starboard dormitory then locks the door.
Atton again smacks his forehead with his hands and goes back to flying the ship through the lane. If this would turn out to be the way of things between them, he did not exactly know how he could get around knowing they had almost done something, but she sure had this look of boxing things easily. In reality, she had kept lids as much as anyone, if not more at times in order to keep going like after Malachor. She strips down in order to use the dormitory's tiny cramped shower. It had been too long since she last did this just for the sake of feeling like she could drain away some of the pain.
***
The Ebon Hawk lurches out of hyperspace almost causing anyone standing to fall over, which she did though she spreads her arms out catching the fall in the doorway. It felt better to get out of that uniform; the last of many things to explain would be her wearing one of facility's uniforms. It had held a conventional purpose at the time, but now it would be a better take to wear some regular clothes, which had belong to one of the previous passengers. The clothes are plain enough to make identifying the present or past wearer unrecognizable unless you already had known the face.
A pair of station security fighters escort the Hawk at the behest of the TSF. The fighters separate from them and the Ebon Hawk lands in Docking Bay One. A TSF unit is there waiting for them. Atton is already heading towards the boarding ramp with modified blasters in hand, T3 follows him, and Vina comes next though she does immediately notice that the TSF patrolmen are oblivious to Kreia. Kreia however to facilitate the visibility illusion to Atton joins Vina and him in the Force Cages down at the TSF station in Module 081.
***
A few hours later, a white hooded figure sneaks pass the TSF guards on duty at Hangar Bay One and into the Ebon Hawk. The ship flies off with T3 aboard, and down towards Telos' polar region. A not so strange twist if not for the fact that anything outside the Restoration is barren and inhospitable to everything, even starship hulls, but a half buried structure in frozen and snow covered polar region draws little attention anyway. The departure logs indicate little about who took it, why it was taken, and where it went except to the surface.
Meanwhile, Atton, Vina, and Kreia settle into their separate cages, but their stay faces an interruption by a man posing as TSF patrolmen. Kreia alerts them to his approach just before he enters the room. A power surge disables all the Force Cages in the station, which releases them and any other criminals being held there for other reasons. Vina looks to this instantly annoying gun man who turns to face her and Atton while equally unaware of Kreia. Atton tells him to buzz off, but this one holds no cause to listen so he punches Rand in the face. The scoundrel of a pilot falls into the back wall of the cage.
"The last of Jedi, I cannot say I am impressed…"
"You will not accomplish anything by this, we are in a TSF station, and you really think you are going to get away with this…"
"I already have… I'll say I killed you 'accidentally' why you were fleeing the scene…"
"I am quite thoroughly sick of people like you finding an occupation in killing people just because you can…"
"So what are you going to do about it, Jedi are hunted and your vaunted protector garbage does not work anymore… so come on kill me if you can…"
The gun man flops over as Kreia release her grip on his neck, and then he hits the floor. Atton looks over to see a pool of blood under the gun man that just hit him square across the face. Vina is just stepping out of her cell towards Kreia who has that usual calm look even though she just made a kill without so much as a sweat. Vina pulls Atton to his feet as Lieutenant Dol Grenn and a unit of TSF patrolmen enters to account for their presence.
"You three back to the cages and get those things online, and who is that…"
"I would say Batu Rem, but he is on vacation…"
"He said he was an assassin, he tried to kill her…"
"It looks like he failed… though I have never seen a Jedi defend against an attack like this… but then again I have seen quite a boat load of strange things since Czerka got its hands into this project…"
"So what now Lieutenant Grenn?" asks Vina
"We are moving you three to a secured apartment in Residential 082 East…"
"Very well…"
Atton and Vina are visible as usual though Kreia remains hidden from sight again. They arrive at the apartment and a short while later before it is said they will remain here for the duration of the Sojourn's investigation of the Peragian Asteroids. Atton naturally asks for weapons, which Grenn does not answer to except to leave two patrolmen at their doors at all times. Vina climbs into one of the three beds, and finally manages to sleep without paranoia of an attack for the time being. Kreia assumes a standing position by the room's only view port while Atton sits on the table nearby.
"I thought you Jedi were supposed to be tough, be powerful, be many things that people could not understand, but from the way I see it, she is capable though something also feels off about her too…"
"You would be right to notice that as Jedi and Sith suffer from a dependence on the Force and some even out right forget what it means to live without it except for her, she is the rare exception to know life with and without it…"
"Why did that happen to her?" questions Atton
"Something I do not understand myself, but whatever the cause, it haunts her to this day much like Malachor and the Wars yet there is something about you that attracts her attention I know that much…"
"How do you figure that one?" continues Atton
"The way she looks at you, the way she is around you, the fact that she hit you over that machine, and you fantasize about her…at least when you are not counting cards in your head…"
"You read my mind?"
"Yours is not difficult to read at least on the surface, but your emotions do you credit to shield deeper things, hidden memories, and other details."
"You read hers?"
"No, I do not because you do not do that to someone you are training…"
"Why train her, I would think you could have found someone else…"
"There is no one else, at least not anyone that understands what needs to be done even though it hurts her to do it right now, she will discover what she is capable of again and through that perhaps find a way to put the past in context with the present…"
"You know for someone who can be a killer, you really strike me as more of a mothering type albeit a creepy one, but still I would not expect that from you…"
"We do an injustice to her by speaking like this of her…"
"It looks like that communications terminal is blinking… better wake her."
A Lieutenant Yima, Grenn's liaison is on the screen with a message from a Chodo Habat, whose representative is here to see Vina. She asks that this Moza be sent in now. Vina and Moza talk for several minutes in Ithorese before he leaves to inform Chodo of the meeting's outcome. Vina still thoroughly tired from the past several days and still recovering from after effects of prolonged kolto exposure. She falls asleep again yet she 'sees' flashes of Malachor and Telos, both worlds scarred by acts of warfare. The comm. console starts making noises again awhile later.
"Would somebody shut that thing off?" mutters Atton in his sleep
Vina goes over to it, turns it on, and a real protocol droid appears on the screen with a message from Czerka Executive Jana Lorso who is offering a regular hire for her services. She says she will stop when she has the time after finally talking to Lorso, and then goes back to bed. The doorbell rings several hours later while Vina is still in the shower so Atton answers it to find Grenn there asking to see Vina. Vina arrives dressed, but her hair is still rather wet though she is drying it off with a towel.
"The preliminary examination of the scene proves that while your ship was present, it did not however ignite the asteroids, the Sith-controlled Harbinger however was not found in the wreckage so it probably got away somehow. As for facility most of the corpses recovered were determined to have been dead for some time before your arrival and those that did die during your stay were killed during your time spent in the tank. You are cleared, but I would ask you to remain on station until the Sojourn arrives here."
"So is everything being released to us?" asks Atton
"Your equipment is the security lockers down at the station, but you will have to personally sign out on the freighter and the droid…"
"You were only doing your job…"
"I am glad some people still see it that way…"
Grenn gives Atton a rather irritated look, but then Grenn had to deal with all sorts of strange characters in recent years on this station that was meant to be part of a new beginning for Telos after the War. Grenn and his unit leave them to their own devices again. Vina sits down on the bed she slept in last night while Kreia stands nearby and Atton is closer to the viewport. He begins the conversation before Kreia can object or silence him.
"I think we need to get out of here as soon as possible. I rather not have those assassins or that scarred swordsman coming after these people. They already had not enough trouble with the Sith to last them a lifetime. My bet is Nar Shaddaa especially if people know our ID codes, and there are people there with tech that can rewrite our codes so even if someone recognizes the hull configuration at least the codes will throw them."
"Why are you hedging on the smuggler's moon?" questions Vina
"The crowds there are from all over the place plus if you need to get lost in a crowd what better place is there than that…" answers Atton.
"He has a point, a minor one, but our work here is not quite done yet…"
"We still need to get our stuff and the ship back…"
The trip to 081 Station meets an impasse when a Sullustan is being held up by a trio of humans in mercenary garbs. The Sullustan pleads with Vina about the spill being an accident while the mercenaries try to dissuade her to take herself into the Cantina and leave the alien to them. She grips the leader's forearm as he moves to strike the Sullustan than twists it in an effort to convince his 'friends' to back down. They however have other ideas so again Kreia effortlessly kills one while Atton body slams the other into the nearby bulkhead.
"Let's try that again shall we?" suggests Vina
"I am not letting myself being led around by a woman…"
"I really think you have no choice in this, rather a decision let him go or I send you on your way…"
"What is to stop me from getting others and finishing off the lot of you…?"
"Then we will we be doing all over again another time…"
"You would really try to get in my way again…"
"If it comes to that then I will…"
The merc tries to flip her over him, but she squeezes his windpipe with her free arm before he passes out. The Sullustan leaves after Vina informs him no reward is necessary, but as he is walking off the merc rises to his feet to chase him down though Kreia mentally intercepts him though passes it off as him losing his balance along one of gangways connecting the nearby module. The merc falls to his death and they continue to the 081 Station.
"I am afraid your vessel is no longer here… the only reference on file is that an unregistered departure was made several hours ago… your belongings however are still in the lockers…" states the TSF protocol droid.
"I knew that trash compactor could not be trusted…"
"A utility droid is incapable of flying a ship on its own, even with autopilot the odds of successful navigation are…"
"Never tell…"
"Thank you for your help… we will have to find another method of transport…"
They gather the collected belongings and recycle unnecessary into useable items that Atton naturally ends up carrying, not out of any particular reason, but because Kreia gives him that look again. They enter Grenn's office where he is busy with paper work, and barely notices them. Vina sits down in a rather loose posture knowing that men like Grenn did formality when necessary, but have deference to casual. He looks to her and asks what she is doing here if she has her stuff.
"My ship is missing…"
"What do you mean" responds Grenn.
"Your protocol droid told me this, so it seems even if I am able to leave eventually I have not the means to do so. A somewhat related yet unrelated note, I have had messengers from both the Ithorians and Czerka since you put me up in that apartment in Residential 082 East."
"Rather incidental…."
"Perhaps, do you have anything I can do outside this potentially interplanetary situation?"
"I have 'bounties', well not exactly, a witness of ours that works for Czerka has gone missing, he is crucial to a case that we are moving to put before the Telosian Council to erode Czerka's grip on the Restoration Project. There is also the matter of Batu Rem and the assassin that impersonated him to get to you here. Finally, two criminals have been missing since the assassin's sabotage of the power systems here."
"Any leads on them?" queries Vina
"Batono is or was an overseer on the Docks for Czerka so start there. The assassin also had to gotten here through there. As for the criminals there are only means of escape is through there either with the help of the Exchange or Czerka…"
"It seems Czerka has a lot to do with the station's criminality…"
"You can understand why I want them out, they are like parasites disrupting the order I spent years trying to secure here… so as far as the planetary situation goes… I trust you know what it means for us up here and those trying to rebuild down there…"
"I have no intention of helping Czerka; they do however represent information and obstacles in this situation…"
"Good luck Miss… I expect to be kept informed on your investigations…"
The trio visits the Docks and learns that the assassin had come from Nar Shaddaa while the new Overseer directs them to Lorso. An encounter with Lorso seems inevitable at this stage. The next stop is the Czerka office, which incidentally occupies the same module as their apartment. As they enter, the protocol droid greets them and directs them towards Lorso's office where the escaped criminals are in a meeting with Lorso. Vina directs Atton and Kreia to wait outside for the criminals while she goes on to see Lorso alone.
"Gentlemen you just head to the Czerka Bay and they will ferry you to the surface to join our security forces at the outpost in the designated Restoration Zone…"
The criminals, a Rodian and a Devaronian, depart without a word to either Lorso or Vina. Vina questions Lorso about Batono though takes great care to not mention Grenn or the TSF investigation of her. The criminals discretely board the service elevator after evading Atton's clumsy attempt at stealth yet are unaware that Kreia is riding the elevator with them. She reads the Rodian's mind and learns exactly where he is going then returns to find Atton getting out of a minor argument with Vina about losing the criminals.
"He did his best, but they were likely expecting someone to be following them. I do however know where they are heading. There are tricks that minds like theirs have no defense against, but reading minds is not something I highly advise to anyone unless you are ready to breach the purported sanctity of mental privacy."
"I am sorry Atton, but at least I have a lead on Batono and naturally it leads us to Chodo's Ithorians…"
"The incidental 'coincidences' are mounting my Jedi friends…"
Vina jokingly jabs Atton in the ribs before they continue towards the Ithorian Embassy. Kreia informs her that the criminals are heading to a restoration zone, which is one of many parcels of barren landscape undergoing environmental reclamation so that it can support a full ecosystem again. The desk attendant directs them towards Chodo's inner chambers where he is meeting with Moza, the representative they met only hours ago. Chodo and Moza look towards the trio then they step closer together.
"I take it that you have been expecting me," remarks Vina.
A lengthy conversation in Ithorese baffles Atton yet Kreia never lost the subtlety of reciprocal bargaining regardless of language used to make the deal. Vina also gains access to Batono's location, which turns out to be an apartment in same unit as theirs. There is also an agreement made to escort a replacement droid systems manager, but dealing with Batono's predicament is an immediate priority for Vina. They are again on the move back to Residential 082 East from the Embassy in 082 West.
***
"Who are you?" quivers Batono
"Grenn sent me, Chodo told me you were here, and Lorso is obviously looking for you, so I really do not think you can afford to enforce a hiding out method…"
"What makes you think I am giving myself away on the chance that you one of hers or that leaving this room will not get me shot before I can divulge anything…"
"You heard the lady, Lieutenant Dol Green TSF sent us out of concern for your safety and for your testimony in the trial against Czerka… she was a Jedi…"
"A Jedi?" remarks Batono
"Yes I was… besides the TSF can safeguard you better… you need allies… friends…"
"I am with you, take the lead Miss…"
The four move to head out only to meet head on with Two CzerkaSec agents. They insist that Batono is coming with them while Vina countermands by saying Lorso is not getting him. A brawl ensues and they naturally lose to Vina's remarkable swordsmanship. The four resume the trip back to the 081 Station while the TSF's CIU takes care of the CzerkaSec bodies.
"Batono…"
"Grenn…"
"You did something rather remarkable… I was not sure what happen to him, but you not only found him, you got him to come out to testify against Czerka…"
"I did what I could, but for now I have other business to attend to with the Ithorians, and also those criminals got away to one of Czerka's outposts in the Restoration Zones…"
"I am grateful for Batono, but I cannot just take you at your word about the criminals… if you should encounter them again… do what is necessary… I would like their capture, but if that is not possible then you know what to do…"
"You are sanctioning something like that…"
"If it comes to that only…"
The trio returns to the Docks, to the Ithorian Hangar where a lone TSF patrolman waits with an Ithorian and the new droid systems manager. They cross the bay only to hear the droid remark about unexpected arrivals. Vina whirls around whipping out her vibroblades and attacks the leader of the five while Atton shoots at the others from a distance. Kreia is again not visible though she plays her part in dealing with the attackers by making their weapons jam or move away from them when they are down. A modified blaster is retrieved from one of the corpses, and its design alterations are particularly noticeable to the Ithorian.
"It appears we are making enemies rather frequently… first the Scarface, next that dead assassin, then CzerkaSec, and now these guys…"
"This weapon has been heavily modified, and these guys are definitely CzerkaSec, so nothing new. We need to get the droid to the Ithorians right away…"
***
"Our alliance with the Ithorians is a danger…"
"Nevertheless, we need a way to the surface to recover the ship…"
"Your distrust has served you well; I would hope your predispositions are not being thrown away…"
"I have not, but I cannot make a trust issue out of everyone I deal with…"
"Naturally so what is our next task for Chodo?"
"Exchange boss is leaning on him, we are to 'negotiate' a settlement, which means this will not end well, but to get the Exchange off his back would help the project considerably…"
"We won't get to this boss by just stepping in as Chodo's representatives…"
"You think we need another opening…"
"It's the only way to get through to these criminal organization types…"
"You appeal to their sense of greed, vanity, or both…"
Vina buys some different sets of clothes for her, for Atton, but Kreia waves off a different look. Vina dons a Light Combat Suit, which at this stage will not hamper her returning Force abilities by much whereas Atton trades his usual Ribbed Jacket look for a standard Light Battle Armor. Both were bought through Samhan Dobo, a suspected black market weapons dealer on Citadel Station. Vina questions him about the modified blaster, which he admits is sold through him yet made by Czerka though they will outright deny dealing with the black market here or elsewhere.
"I take that we are telling Grenn about this too…"
"We might as well before we get ourselves into that likely firefight with the Exchange."
Grenn's CIU techs examine it and confirm that it is an unregistered Czerka made weapon, but they cannot pin on it on them since it came through a weapons dealer so confirming that they sold it to him. The absence of tags on the weapon also make it impossible track too. Vina also states that Dobo made a contract offer to her to obtain certain items to be sold through his next shipment in Docking Bay 3, the Czerka Bay, which again merits another link in the chain to Czerka.
"What do you need?" asks Grenn
"A rare Bachani plant from the Ithorian Embassy's atrium, a prototype shield kept in Docking Bay 2 and medical supplies from the Hospice in Residential 082 West."
"It'll take some time and maneuvering, but I'll get the items…"
"Thanks, we will be back…"
***
Atton despite his sparse amount of credits manages to rake a substantial pile during several rounds of pazaak. Vina turns her attention to the swoop track, which she had not run since the Wars as Revan thought it an effective training method as far as honing reflexes and learning an old Mandalorian deference to mobile warriors. Kreia chose to recluse herself to their place in Residential 082 East. Vina naturally manages to win out several rounds drawing the attention of Luxa who presents herself as the local Exchange boss' second, which she vocally resents thinking that the Quarren, Luppak Slusk, is holding her back by being a favorite of the Nar Shaddaa kingpin Goto.
"I take you intend to replace him," remarks Vina.
"Damn right I do, but so long as he sits behind the desk, there is no way to get him out of the way, and I would welcome your help…" continues Luxa.
"Chodo Habat sent me to 'negotiate' with Luppak, and my ship was also stolen from the Docks while I was being held in lockup for something I did not do at least not directly, I was there, but they shot at me… set off the deposits in the Peragian Asteroids…"
"You out ran exploding fuel rocks?" remarks Luxa
"Yep, that's me or rather that guy over there flies my ship…"
"Not that bad looking for a human, but you impress me more though I take you will need help especially if Slusk's bodyguards catch wind of what we are doing… you kill Slusk and I will get the Exchange off their backs then get you to the surface, to your ship…"
Vina leaves Luxa while she contacts her people inside the Exchange office in 082 East modules. Vina hand signals Atton who gracefully ends his winning streak, bags the credits, and takes off after her. Kreia is unexpectedly waiting for them in the waiting area for the shuttle to the Docks after the pair comes back from Grenn's office with their 'stolen' contraband. Atton stays with Kreia while Vina escorts Samhan to the shuttle waiting area. Samhan like others before him seems completely oblivious to Kreia, but he makes no mention of how many are with them since Kreia made sure of that possibility too when briefly probing his thoughts.
***
"I haven't all day Samhan…"
"It would go faster if you or your lackeys would help with the loading…"
Several units emerge from different entry points including the maintenance shafts, hatches, and the main entry point to the Czerka Bay, which also unofficially functions as an Exchange Bay transporting individuals like the assassin that impersonated Batu Rem. The TSF officers arrest all the individuals in the bay, which includes Vina, Atton, and Samhan. Kreia goes unseen, which only Vina notes later despite the fact that Atton thinks he sees Kreia in the cell with them though says nothing as Kreia is a good silencer in that way.
"Well Samhan it seems we finally got you…"
"You got nothing on me Grenn…" [A protocol droid translates for Samhan]
"We got you at the scene; we got stolen contraband, a number of Exchange people, some Czerka dock hands, and your 'new suppliers'…"
"Her, she did not strike me as the easy to capture type…" [Droid translation resumes]
"She made no efforts to resist being taken…"
"Smart or stupid, not sure which, but she will get her due once they know you are holding me…" [Translation resumes]
"You mean the Exchange, the loss of one black market sector will not do much damage, besides you were ratted out, not saying who for confidentiality…"
"Either my brother or her…" [Translation continues]
"Your arraignment and trial are in the future, but they will happen, I am sick of your kind rotting my station from the inside out…"
"Others will take my place, it is inevitability…" [Translation resumes]
"They will be taken out of the picture too…"
"Endless struggle then…" [Translation ends]
***
"It had to appear as if you were being busted along with them…"
"I understand, but I have other business unless you got more…"
"Our fuel situation is desperate…"
"I realize my screw up at Peragus II will be stuck on your heads in particular, but I will try to find you another source eventually…"
"I am holding you to that, but I hardly expect results…"
"I am still going to do it…"
Vina rejoins a pacing Atton and a meditating Kreia at their apartment in 082 East, as they consider how to approach dealing with Slusk despite the feigned allegiance to Luxa. The trio arms themselves for the coming close quarters combat at the Exchange offices down the promenade from here. Vina immediately draws the attention of the receptionist who is about to alert security to their presence, but she manages to persuade her otherwise to make it seem as if her visit is on the schedule. The receptionist leaves shortly after with the notion that is time for lunch, which is secretly Kreia's doing, reduce the witness factor is the method here.
Vina agrees to find a way to release a captive Ithorian after dealing with Luppak and Luxa. The right-hand man, the security detail man Benok glares at them as they cross into the lounge outside Luppak's offices. The others including Luppak look to them as well before the boss speaks about their intrusion. Vina's insists she is here on behalf of Chodo, which earns an irritated remark from Luppak about allowing Chodo's stooges in here. The boss leaves the handling to Benok, and the three engage Benok and his men in short order.
Atton recovers Benok's personal firearm, and holsters into one of the open slots in his combat belt. They continue further into the offices only to have to defeat Luppak's droid defense units. The units are easily taken out by using Force push to hurl them into the bulkheads, and Luppak's inner sanctum is open to them now. They enter and Luppak pleas to be spared whatever fate they have in store for him. However Luxa and her Gamorreans enter at that moment.
"I knew you had a hand in this Luxa… I offer you a deal, which requires Luxa's death as an act of 'faith'…"
"Remember our deal Vina; do not let him persuade you otherwise…"
"You must decide quickly, one way or the other; there are consequences beyond this move…"
A/N 1: Kreia's abilities include a range of things like being invisible visually and in the Force, knowing ancient techniques, telepathy, death trances, and so I added one of my own or rather just the idea she could kill without so much as a sweat like she does with the Assassins. As for the Kreia-Sion scene, I modified the dialogue and how she facilitates getting away from him.
A/N 2: I condense some events on Citadel into this part. Usually I side with the Ithorians mainly because I dislike Czerka and the dark side story feels increasingly incomplete the further along you go on in the game and I just don't have the do evil stuff inclination. Early references to Goto and the Smuggler's Moon.
A/N 3: I had the most fun at times with the Kreia scenes because she is my favorite character in the game after in tandem with myself. There just seems a far more concealed history to everyone that joins you in the search for the Masters. Segment ends on kind of a cliffhanger having to decide between Luppak and Luxa.