Vina spins around catching Luxa off guard as she effortlessly disarms the former second while the others handle the Gamorreans. Afterward with a fair amount of appealing to Slusk's sense of greed, he assures her that he will stop leaning on the Ithorians, but this by no means will be her last encounter with the Exchange. The trio returns to the Ithorian Embassy to inform Chodo of the outcome, which he naturally is grateful aside from the fight that was used a bargaining chip to pocket Luppak's promises.
***
Chodo had one further request for Vina.
"One further request is that we bring Czerka's corruption to light, to prove they are not doing what they claim they are doing there or up here," begins Chodo.
"How are we going to accomplish that?" questions Vina
"There is the mainframe in the Czerka's offices here on the station… however gaining access would not be easy especially since it is a separate system from the rest of their terminals…"
"We would need access to one of their droids then… perhaps a disgruntled worker or a droid mechanic…"
"You are certain you wish to risk that at the chance of a double cross?"
"It seems the most likely to work solution…"
"The usual warnings apply because this cannot be traced back to us despite our intentions to have pressure finally on them instead of us after all this time…"
***
The trio sit in a darkened booth in the cantina just off the corridor between the two ferry shuttle stations. The debate is still ongoing as to whether or not to proceed with Chodo's last request yet it seems the most direct path to get the shuttle down to the RZ to begin the surface search for the Hawk.
"Seriously I can't believe we are doing all this…"
"For once, I am almost agreeing with the fool…"
An agreement between these two as Vina had already seen back in the lifeless hallways aboard the Harbinger is rare.
"We have no way down without raising suspicions with Grenn, and as you know someone did hijack our ship…"
"Right…"
Atton's predisposition shifts towards Vina's plan and away from Kreia's concerns.
"I also do not approve of your alliance with Chodo Habat…"
Somehow he had the feeling these two women were not unlikely to agree often either except when they both see the situation similarly.
"He has the shuttle to get us to the surface…he has resources we need right now… I cannot like I said before make everyone an enemy…"
"You best be more careful with alliances in the future…"
Kreia while obvious still had a valid point about caution towards who to ally with given the apathetic and distrustful attitude towards Jedi since the end of the War and their apparent abandonment of the Republic. He had his own suspicions about their disappearance aside from the stories he heard about Katarr and fighting those Sith Assassins struck a nerve because even he had dark secrets to conceal especially from Vina. Kreia remains in the booth as does Atton yet both watch with interest as she drifts away from them towards their opening to infiltrate and extract information from Czerka.
Vina saunters over towards the man identified to her as Corrun Falt, a disgruntled Czerka employee, and so they talk it up awhile. First about his job, second his problems with Lorso, and finally about exposing Czerka for the purpose of making Lorso look bad though not mentioning the real purpose is to make Czerka look bad altogether. She pays him for the information, and leaves him to his next round of drinks. He directs her to Czerka's pay-for-hire droid mechanic, a Duros named Opo Chano.
***
"Who are you? What do you want? I know I am behind…"
"Hold it, I am not Exchange collector, I am just looking to get your droid credentials…"
"Explain your intentions…" asks Opo.
"To 'borrow' Czerka's protocol droid…"
"Why would you do this now?" continues Opo
"To expose Czerka, to break its grip on the Telosian Council and Telos…"
"An honorable intent, but I cannot release the credentials…"
"Why?" questions Vina
"I cannot tell you…"
"She answered all yours buddy!"
"You are right; I have a rather large debt with the Exchange, a few thousand credits…"
"Here the credits for the credentials…"
"I will pay you back…."
"Keep them to pay off your debts and as for the extra use it for yourself…"
***
Translation: "The Czerka protocol droid, how clever…"
The reprogrammed B-4D4 returns to the Czerka office and directly lies to Lorso about why he needs access to the mainframe. T1-N1 interjects, but a bit of droid reverse logic sends the utility droid off on a killing spree of the nearby CzerkaSec guards. B-4 deletes all records pertaining to his purchase, his operations, after downloading the necessary files for the Ithorians' case against Czerka. It is the equivalent of faking demise or eliminating proof of purchase for him. B-4 exits the mainframe section and stops at Lorso's desk.
"I need you to recover the records on T1-N1; he needs to be dealt with because these memory wipes are not enough…"
"I will attend to immediately Mistress Lorso," replies B-4.
The renegade protocol droid makes a steady pace to the exit to the Czerka Offices in East 082 to the Ithorian Embassy in West 082. He assures them that the file theft will not be traced back to them or him since he did his best to cover his tracks and his existence. Chodo allows him to depart and rejoin T1-N1 who is waiting for him at the Docks. Vina returns to the Embassy alone awhile later while Atton decides to tail the droids for a bit before returning to the apartment where Kreia is meditating though well aware of his return.
Translation: "You have done us a great service, and so for our gratitude I will provide the 'healing' I promised you before…" says Chodo.
"Very well, do what you feel you must…" replies Vina.
***
She feels the Force flowing more intensely than before yet the effort to use is also different as she can levitate even a chair with as little as a thought, so like her during the Wars where hurdling a boulder towards a Mandalorian Basilisk took that much effort too. Vina exits to meet the others at the shuttle boarding station in 081, but Kreia and Atton meet her halfway as she is passing between the separate 082 modules. Kreia is about to alert her to Moza's contact, but the Ithorian is quicker than Kreia in that respect.
Translation: "We are under attack by CzerkaSec, we need your help again, alternate access through the ventilation shafts above your location…"
"I can't believe we are still helping them…"
"They need our help still…"
"You cannot stop to help everyone…"
"What would you have me do, pick and choose between every encounter?"
"It would be more practical!"
"Let's just finish this and get down to the RZ…"
Vina drops down swinging her vibrostaff, which slices through the security droids attacking the hiding Ithorians near her. Atton somersaults over the benches and kicks the nearest CzerkaSec merc who goes flying into the wall as his buddies attempt to crowd Atton. Vina leaps over hitting both attackers; the higher end of the vibrostaff hits the first one in the head hard while the lower end hits the other in the stomach region. Kreia in her usual stealth methods battles through those between Vina and Moza. They drop like flies, but she leaves the last few to Vina who is catching up knowing there are still other to fight here.
Translation: "I knew you would come back Vina."
"I am not in the habit of leaving things undone if I can avoid it, where is Chodo?"
Translation: "The leader and his lieutenants have him in the other room where you first met him…"
"Right, locked I take it, I will need the keys…"
Vina takes the keys from Moza and she races off to safe the Ithorian leader. Atton takes off after her while Kreia deals with remaining lackeys in the tiny embassy's lobby. Vina enters Chodo's inner sanctum as the lead CzerkaSec mercenary is preparing to kill Chodo. She launches herself at the leader with a Force jump, which knocks him down while Atton double shots the lieutenants who did not have the time to switch back to blasters. They drop leaving Vina to persuade the leader to leave with his life, but he pulls out a last grenade to throw at Chodo.
Atton launches himself at the Ithorian to push him out of the way, but then Chodo stands his ground then bellows loud enough to shatter the grenade before it can detonate while throwing Atton backwards. The lead merc takes this opportunity to try charging Chodo, but Vina trips him. Atton still in midair shoots the merc dead before he hits the ground. Kreia rejoins them to report that the stragglers have been dealt with and TSF is sending medical teams to take care of the injured Ithorians. Vina thanks Kreia for calling them in, but she insists someone else did this.
Chodo offers Vina a reward for her service, but she insists giving whatever it is to the project as her donation.
The trio arrives at the Ithorian Bay also called Docking Bay 2, and boards the shuttle that will ferry them to RZ-0031. Atton takes the pilot controls and spins his way through pre-flight, systems, and anything else checks. The engines roar to life, and the shuttle lifts off then back outs before swing around. The port and starboard wings unfold, and then the shuttles enters the regular shuttle traffic patterns until clearing Citadel Station's regular lanes.
The mundane gray painted transport shuttle descends into the atmosphere towards 0031, and from this altitude the bombardment's scars are still visible despite the four years spent so far on the Restoration. It will take much longer than that thinks Vina, which Kreia acknowledges in her own way. As Atton is about to offer his own comments, a string of AA turrets opens fire on the shuttle. He whirls around and tries to get the shuttle to dodge the blasts.
"Brace yourselves ladies this is going to be a rough landing!"
The shuttle takes several hits, but Atton manages to make a level descent until the landscape offers its own resistance so he makes a hasty landing, which fails to account for the slope. They really strap in, but the shuttle hits the ground with a bump then keeps going due to the sluggishness of the reverse engines. Both wings fling up and down as Atton struggles with the controls yet as the damaged vessel slips then flies off the hill into the grasslands below it becomes unlikely that they will stop. Then as sharp it began, it ends as the front of the shuttle crumples on impact with a rock wall that one of the RZ field generators was built into years before.
***
"You might want to be careful General…" says a voice.
"Who are you? Where am I?" she replies to him
"You are probably where you intended to end up aside from the AA shots and the crash though I doubt Chodo would have sent you down in this unless there was nothing else to spare from the project…"
"Bao-Dur?" whispers Vina
"Yes, your old friend Bao-Dur…" he answers
The Iridonian or Zabrak mechanic finally manages to cut the last strap pinning her to the knocked over seat. He helps her out of the ship where Kreia is beginning to come around then she gets to her feet and check on their minimal weapons stash, which is thankfully intact for the most part. Vina shouts at unconscious Atton who awakens to see the burning wreck behind her and an Iridonian standing next to her. Atton again meets interruption when he is about to say something.
"I am the one Chodo told the General about…"
"General?" says Atton
"I was a Jedi General during the Wars…"
"Figures…. Otherwise why call her that…"
"Please, I am not in the mood for dry humor… we need to move soon especially if that was CzerkaSec that shot us down…"
"The old military base's AA guns were the ones that shot you down so it was probably them, but how could they know you had come down unless someone told them?"
"Regardless, we need to move like she said…" reminds Kreia.
Bao-Dur takes the few extra blasters and a sword for himself while the others holster or sheath the ones they have been using for the past few days. The group heads for the CzerkaSec encampment ahead, and one by one picks them off. Each disappearance spooks the remaining numbers more and more before Vina strikes their leader across the face with the butt of one of his cohorts' blaster carbines. There is a minefield beyond the camp, which Bao-Dur deals with it after equipping an Aratech Stealth unit to his waist. He signals the other to advance after he also disables the nearby turrets, which fortunately cannot read through a stealth field.
"Another sentry drone, no doubt reporting our advance, we have to move quicker than before…"
"The control console for accessing the shield network is up on that circular elevated platform over there and the entrance to the old base is done a ramp on the far side, but they are likely to remember me so I am going in stealth to deal with the mines they probably set up by the entrance…" continues Bao-Dur.
"Be careful…" replies Vina.
"Hey, it's me…" answers Bao-Dur.
Vina smiles, then chuckles before hand signaling Atton to follow her, yet Kreia hangs back for a few moments to see how this will unfold without her down there. The Iridonian presents another pawn on this dejarik board though not entirely unexpected, just someone else to account for besides the fool, the droid, and the Exile among this growing party. These CzerkaSec mercenaries are only the surface of enemies beyond this world for the Exile and those that would risk their lives to follow her. She draws them so like him yet they know not this influence she wields over them, but even she herself is not totally aware of it either.
"Corrun Falt warned us about you…"
"He did now, did he?" answers Vina
Vina launches herself at the lead mercenary while Atton switches to a pair of vibroswords then attacks one of the others. Kreia mentally loosens boulders over a group of mercs moving towards Vina from up the ridge. The heavier rocks crush them without much sound aside from groans as the rocks hit them. Atton whirls around expecting them only to see their weapons, and pools of blood streaming out from under the fractured boulders. Kreia flings a lone mercenary away from Atton as he fails to note this one coming from the platform.
***
Vina finds Bao-Dur already working on the console while Atton and Kreia finish off the remaining CzerkaSec mercenaries. The algorithms and sequences scramble across the console's display panels before his eyes widen upon learning the location of the Ebon Hawk. He powers down the console then shorts it out with his cybernetic arm. The mechanic turns to face the other to share the information.
"Your ship is off the grid, more or less, an outpost in the arctic polar region is drawing a barely registering drain to the planetary shield network, but if anyone does notice it reads more like a glitch or an echo. Both instances are quite common in the technology despite my attempts to refine it. The only way to access it is to use this facility's last shuttle…"
"I hope it works and nobody gets the itch to shoot us down again…"
"Let's just keep moving…"
"I am right behind you General…"
Kreia follows unseen though the others behave as if she is there at least to Vina's perception. The subterranean military base resembles ones she remembers visiting sporadically during the Wars, which makes it probably Republic military. The one built on Serroco is what brought the Mandalorians there in the first place, but when the siege began, the targets were civilian cities and settlements that had Republic troops roaming through them daily. On the one side, some would later argue that Mandalorians were cold and vicious in their warfare tactics while on the other side Mandalorians were quite to the point of accusing the Republic of using civilian populations as shields.
A lone survivor of the Czerka salvage teams staggers towards them shouting about the base's defense systems came online recently and shot everyone to pieces. Vina attempts to calm the guy down, but it takes a few slaps before he stops squealing about psychotic droids. Vina tells Atton to get the surviving Twi'lek back to the base's access ramp. He takes off reluctantly with the Twi'lek back the way the group had come. Kreia had thought him a better escort candidate than the Iridonian because the Iridonian had not yet caught on to her ability to mentally cloak her presence.
"It is flyable, but the roof doors are shut, the only way to open them is the launch codes though the entire system is on minimal power. The ion reactors are off-line; the only way is to turn them on."
Kreia trails them after the security measures are offline to prevent the appearance of the droids be seen shooting at nothing. Atton catches up as Vina and Bao-Dur finish off the remaining security droids brought online by the ion reactors activation's sequence. The launch codes are found in a datapad locked away years ago, but one can only hope they did not change them since then. The codes unlock the roof doors, but they are left to battle one remaining obstacle, a behemoth of a battle droid, which takes all their strengths.
It eventually succumbs to the all slashing, shooting, and a little bit of Force powers. Bao-Dur and Atton get to work on readying the shuttle while Vina and Kreia encounter yet another HK-50, the probable cause of another line of renegade droids in this place. However the magnetically sealed doors are confusing to Vina, but Kreia suspects the probable cause of that though says nothing for the moment. The unit however self-destructs after Vina's repair efforts, but Kreia shields them from the explosion.
Atton comes running to find Vina holding up the HK-50 head by the wiring in its equivalent of a neck. He shakes his head while making a slight chuckle than informs her that the shuttle is ready for take off now. She follows as Kreia remains a moment to examine the latest droid assassin, and realizes the unit vaguely resembles Revan's old assassin droid. Someone is making more 'advanced' versions of that one she realizes before appearing on the shuttle and tapping the Iridonian then somehow he recalls there were three, not two in that shuttle crash he found earlier.
***
The shuttle lifts off, the wings unfold, and then the engines fire propelling the craft towards the arctic polar destination. Atton handles the helm controls while Bao-Dur handles the rest leaving the two women to meditate in the cramped aft section. A rocket missile is heading straight for the shuttle after the shoulder mounted weapon is taken off and thrown aside as the shooter rejoins the other HK-50s atop the buried structure. The missile hits the shuttle's port engine, and it falls in a rough descent into the snow drifts that cover the exposed roof and pillars.
Bao-Dur rushes off into the aft to check the damaged engine while Vina and Kreia rush to the cockpit to find Atton struggling with the controls. They strap in as the shuttle hits the drifts and slides on the slick surface while pushing the snow forward with it. The mound of snow eventually slows the drive to a stop, and they climb out to see the trio of assassin droids advancing on them. Vina keeps trying to wake Bao-Dur, but he is unconscious from hitting his head on the bulkhead above the port engine.
"You know I am getting really tired of being shot down or at by people!" shouts Atton
"You fail to remember that by traveling with the target, you invite that possibility."
"Really now, bring it on tin cans!" yells Atton
"Don't be a fool again," retorts Kreia.
Atton targets the leader and somehow manages to hit the right spot to trigger the self-destruct protocol, which only activates in the event of capture probability or too much damage to conduct self-repairs. The other two dodge the explosion and open fire on Atton except their guns jam forcing them to toss them too. Vina smashes the remaining two together with a concentrated effort, and recovers another piece of HK tech from the least damaged unit. Atton and Vina then carry Bao-Dur out of the shuttle wreck.
"You better see this," says Kreia.
"Well what do you know, an elevator door built into the rock face…" murmurs Atton.
"Your level of astuteness is astounding…" remarks Kreia.
"Why thank you so ever much…" chuckles Atton.
"We need to get Bao-Dur shelter and ourselves, the storm out there is getting worse despite that shield that appears to be active around this location…" continues Vina.
The descent takes awhile though there are no indications about levels or location except for the humming of the repulsorlifts. Bao-Dur comes around to see five women in white aiming their staffs at his prone form. Four of them proceed to lift while the fifth signals that the fourth visitor is coming down with them. The trio in lift experiences slowness in the descent, but it resumes the starting pace before a clunk indicates the lift is at the bottom of the shaft.
***
"You will surrender your weapons now!" commands the woman
"Very well I did not come here to fight…" answers Vina.
"Wait when we will be getting them back?" questions Atton
"It is not up to us…"
Two hooded women take their weapons before they lead Atton and Kreia away from Vina as she is being taken to see someone that has been expecting her for some time now. Atton steps inside the Force Cage as does Kreia and both then spot an unconscious Bao-Dur in one of the other cells. Atton starts fidgeting and muttering numbers again. Kreia mentally shouts at him, which spooks him thus allowing her access to his mind. He grabs his skull while in a painful voice demands that she get out of his head. His struggling ends when he falls to his knees and she gains access to his memories.
"I see why you were so eager to bury your thoughts when we were put in here, you think these women are Jedi, that they will kill you, because you were a Sith assassin… my and you were all high riding about things Jedi did… more importantly you are torn about being judgmental about the Exile and about Jedi in general…"
"Promise me you will let me tell her…"
"Afraid she will think less of you because either she will kill you or forgive you though best be ready for the consequences of both…"
"You tore into my head with a vengeance yet you treat her like she is the one for something that I am not privy to know…"
"It will stay that way because even I am not sure what I am trying to accomplish through her except to teach that the real battles are not entirely about huge armies rather about lone combatants…"
"Revan said similar things at least the way I heard it…"
"Silence a decision point is coming…"
Atton loses consciousness and drops to the floor. Kreia realizes who is the leader of this gathering, and finds a slight surprise wondering how she got around the Purge. It certainly does not bode well considering she was of the few Masters strangely absent from the Katarr Gathering, but others also were missing unlike Vandar or Zhar. Those two at least had the dignity to dare meeting in numbers. Their deaths would not be without meaning, but Atris' survival alters the board again.
***
"A Council chamber?" whispers Vina
"This place is modeled after a combination of Jedi Council chambers, but it has yet to have any besides Mistress Atris using it…" says the woman.
"Who are you anyway?" questions Vina
"I am…"
"Their names are not yours to know, as for you sisters, you are dismissed for the time being, as she and I have things to discuss in private…"
"As you command mistress," says the woman.
Vina and Atris watch the handmaiden escorts depart from the chambers leaving them to exchange stares for several minutes before Atris takes a seat in the chair closest to the upward ramp. Vina sits opposite, which is closer to the downward ramp. Vina pays no mind to Atris carrying her old lightsaber, but Atris detects recognition of the weapon in her eyes. Atris begins to speak about it.
"You all did what you thought you had to do in those times, and so did I, whether we were right or wrong, that is for others to decide should and when the Order makes an amicable return to the scene…"
"Yes, you have come to some understanding during your travels, but you were given that arm band for a reason…"
"I know, but the Sith are back, they were after me on the Harbinger and again at Peragus as well…"
"You speak honestly about that, but there are still further ripples especially for Telos without Peragian fuel, Citadel Station will fall out of the sky in time, the reserves will only last so long, so if the Project fails then there is scarce hope for other worlds seeking similar recovery efforts… a test if you will…"
"I told the TSF, I would seek out a new fuel source…"
"Curious that you should to help that which you already hurt…"
"I make mistakes Atris, but I take responsibility for it… can you say the same?"
"I thought you were not debating old decisions…"
"I did not mean that decision, I meant what you are doing here… especially after all the deaths during the Purge and what about the other Masters… are any still alive besides you?" asks Vina
"They are in hiding like me, but as for others, they have gone more than just hiding in plain sight like the Masters…"
"You will need my help if we are to gather whatever is left to deal with this Sith reemergence…"
"You are right, so as proof of your claims that you are being responsible, you will have to find them, bring or direct them to Dantooine… I trust you can handle that without igniting any registering disruptions…"
"I cannot promise that, but if they happen, they happen, so I must accept the possibility of dealing with that too…"
"The Ebon Hawk is in the hangar, your droid is in control room above it, and your allies are in the cells not far from here…"
"Why detain them?"
"I rarely grant trust to anyone these days, especially you…"
"I will leave you to your musings…Master…"
"You no longer possess that rite with me…"
Vina leaves the room under the watchful eyes of the Handmaidens, but the woman from earlier speaks briefly to Atris before departing from the room as well. The only handmaiden with her hood down trails Vina into the hallway leading to the training area. Vina spins around, which almost catches the younger woman off-guard. She drops into a traditional Echani stance then moves to attack, but Vina counters by flipping over her then seizes her by the neck.
"If you are going to sneak up on someone, you are going to need more stealth, but not felt through any sensory ability, whether it is intuitive or Force influenced…"
"Quite right, it is good to see you have not lost your physical prowess, but then again Atris is constantly objecting to my deference to physical abilities…"
"There is a time for words and a time for fighting…"
"It is curious why Atris had been so insistent on your exile yet so thrown by your return at least in her words; body language is more evident in melee combat…"
"I also wonder what is here in the way of artifacts…"
"Nothing worth noting, but a great deal of it feels wrong despite her conviction that answers to the why so many 'fell' during the Wars and during the Civil War lies within them yet she is not the same woman that took us in after father's death. His death changed me too, but the Wars had taken my mother from him or so it is told…"
"Your father is…"
"Yes, you would know him well if you ever met my mother during the Wars…"
"I am sorry for your loss as none ever really understood Revan's intentions after the Wars, but it would seem any of us who went to war did not come back… someone else like us in body did, but not in mind…"
"You speak honestly… your fighting skills are remarkable and convey this honesty…"
The other sisters here were in reality half-sisters, but they encounter the Exile and the Last Handmaiden talking as if they are friends now. Vina offers to duel with them and they accept her offer. The basic forms are meant to be simple to build the fighter's understanding of the Echani tier progression. Vina almost effortlessly triumphs in the first two rounds, but the third involves fighting two simultaneously so she engages one then the other before switching back and forth. The fourth fight involves three before the last one involves her taking on all five, not six.
"You are dangerous, far too easily do you learn then utilize combat forms, but it will be liable to serve you well out there though know this next time we fight if that day ever comes we are likely to be opponents in real combat not these melee testing matches."
"Then I believe its time for me to take my leave of this place…"
"One more thing that human male you travel with he knows Echani forms…"
"Surely you must be joking…"
"No humor, none of that, but I would be wary asking about its origins for he is carrying secrets of his own… your weapons are aboard your ship…"
***
"I take it you found more than just the ship or these Echani Handmaidens…"
"Atris, one of my teachers, my master from before the Wars, runs this place, though I doubt she could truly make a new Order from this place despite the force potential in the only Handmaiden that I did not spar with in the training area…"
"There is more going on here than you know, but I believe it is time to go…"
"What happen to Atton?"
"I am awake, man, I really am sick of these cages, and why is he still lying down?"
"Forgive me, General…"
"It is alright Bao-Dur; let me get you three out of there…"
Kreia returns alone to the ship after catching glances from the five daughters of Yusanis, but the sixth daughter, the Last Handmaiden holds the Force sensitivity, from her mother most likely thinks Kreia. Another lost to the Wars is this one's mother, but many would consider her parentage improper given his status in Echani society and her history with the Jedi. Vina meanwhile releases T3 from the dampening field and his noises indicate that he had access to the outpost's databases despite his archives being copied by Atris.
T3 zips off to the ship with Bao-Dur jogging to catch up leaving Vina alone with Atton for the moment. He looks to her and she looks to him. He decides to keep moving before she grips his arm. He swings around dropping into the stance that she had seen the Last Handmaiden use during their scuffle in the corridor outside the Training Area. She smiles knowing that the combat had given him away like she said it would if she ever made a feint at him.
"What was that all about?" questions Atton
"I thought you were not much of a melee fighter…" answers Vina.
"You would be surprised how much appearance can end a brawl in a pazaak den…"
"I felt such ability would be useful…"
"Right, Let's just get out of here, I am little tired of being thrown in cells wherever we go, so as I said earlier, we should make for Nar Shadaa…"
***
The Ebon Hawk lifts up then flies in reverse out of the hangar before swinging around then leaves the place behind them or at least Atton wants to believe that he pilots the ship towards the lane for Nar Shaddaa. He makes the jump and then they are off to the Smuggler's Moon. He heads back towards the Main Hold where the utility droid is plugging into the rebuilt central console. He is about to ask what is going on, but the holo-recording cuts him off.
"I think we found what we were looking for then…" says Kreia.
***
Ten Years Earlier
The short lived 'peace' between the wars is coming to an end yet Vina felt a strong compulsion to face the Council, to explain herself, while others remain with Revan and Malak, at least those who could walk away from Malachor V. The intensity of the deaths was too much for her, and afterward somehow her Force connection had become something else, unlike the way it had been before yet also seem to be fading too somehow. She could feel them through the walls just barely as she nears the Council chambers atop the Jedi Temple on Coruscant. No matter how this went at least she had made the effort to defend herself and listen to their intentions towards her.
"You know why we have summoned you?" questions Vrook
"For the Wars, for my part in it, for what I did at Malachor…" answers Vina.
"The deaths especially those at Malachor are on your generation of Jedi, more so on you," continues Atris.
"You were not there, you did not see what they have done to those people out there, it is one thing for you to sit there on your appointed seats and judge me, but what about them, what good does inaction serve them?" retorts Vina
"Our decision and action in that matter is not for you to question," responds Vrook.
"You will not listen and I cannot believe that you do not hear anymore…" responds Vina.
"You are hereby exiled from the Order, surrender your lightsaber…" replies Atris.
Vina activates her lightsaber one last time then slams the active double blade into the stone pillar at the center of the chamber before walking away with exile armband on her upper arm. The other masters do not speak for several minutes, but when they do, the exchange is a revelation of sorts for some. The dark haired male interrupts attempt to rant further about the Exile's fall. Atris tries to counter him before the other woman on the Council interjects on the male's behalf.
"Her journey is not at end though she did survive Malachor, more battles still in store for her though not at his side, she made her decision, she unlike so many others chose to face us… though she does not understand all of our intentions for casting her out… and I also find the two of you to be a bit heartless in all this…" says Kavar.
"I agree with Kavar, we do not cast blame, we take responsibility, but in this case, we have no prior experience to fall back on so again at another time, we will have to speak to her again…"
"No more talk, she is already gone, she might as well be dead…"
"You are wrong Atris, she holds scars and wounds, but it has changed her, not for any way better or worse, she had that look… a look you will never understand…"
"Nevertheless, we have a larger threat to contend with from Revan and Malak…"
***
The Present en route to Nar Shaddaa
"Now there is a bit of history…" remarks Atton.
"Yes, but after that brief encounter, they were literally having it out over my reluctantly agreed upon sentence…" responds Vina.
"Indeed, Atris seemed quite adamant to be done with you, but such disappointment fixation is unbecoming of a Master though she hardly seems one anymore. As for Vrook, I truly despised the man for the kind of attitude he showed in that recording. The most perceptive of the group seemed to be Vash and probably Kavar," remarks Kreia.
"What else did you find T3?" queries Vina.
[T3 responds in beeps and whistles]
"He said he had access to a range of Atris files, but most were dated or irrevelant except for the locations of the other Jedi Masters that are still out there…"
[T3 sounds off the locations]
"It looks like your search for the purported Lost Jedi is underway General…"
"It will take days to reach Nar Shaddaa, even at top speeds; somebody really needs to take a look at the engines… I nominate our new Iridonian mechanic…" chuckles Atton.
"Your confidence is so reassuring…" replies Bao-Dur.
He heads off to inspect what he later terms crude repairs that have kept the ship going, but it is need of an immediate overhaul. The mechanic and T3 set to work after the droid agrees to undergo maintenance and upgrades at the request of Vina. She returns to the medbay to sleep instead of bunking in the starboard dormitory for now. Atton remains in the cockpit counting cards in his head. Kreia meditates in port dormitory and she finds it curious that Atris did not send someone to infiltrate the group, but then again why would she need to if she really 'trusts' the Exile.
***
Goto's Yacht, Location: Unknown
The bounty hunters are separately brought aboard somewhere in the Y'Toub System. Word has come that the one of the targets is coming to the Smuggler's Moon after learning that the assassins sent after her aboard the Harbinger and at Citadel Station. A trio of HK-50s enters first then enters a group of Duros and after them are the Twin Suns. Others that attend include the Gand, the Ubese, and Vogga's infiltrator, a Wookiee named Hanharr. The only one absent on purpose and for reasons known to all is she never kills her targets, that she always collect live bounties, not dead ones.
"Word has come to me that a Jedi is coming here, specifically this one…"
The hologram switches to one of Vina alternately referred to as the Exile or the Jedi Exile. Goto's disembodied voice provides a cursory background history on her, her ship, and her traveling companions at present. There are unconfirmed reports about an older woman in her company, but this is report is not taken too seriously. The hologram flicks to Atton Rand, his history, and then to Bao-Dur. The Iridonian/Zabrak has a wartime history with the Exile back when she had been a General in the Wars. As for the utility droid, he is a known former servant/companion of Revan.
"The bounty for her is that she is brought to me alive, as for the others, you can do as you will, but again I remind you, she must survive any encounter with any of you…"
The hologram winks off then all depart grudgingly to their ships, and all evidence of their encounter with the yacht is already gone. The bounty hunters vessels detach, then the yacht cloaks, and afterward another of Vogga's freighters is taken over by Goto's agents. Goto is notoriously unpopular with the Hutts since his rise to power among the criminal underworld in the Y'Toub System. Hanharr reports back to Vogga on the meeting, and he reports another of his ships taken after that encounter.
***
Elsewhere the only bounty hunter that reports to none except whoever pays her the most for live bounties settles in for another night alone. Her past is not unlike most who have called this moon home since the Mandalorian Wars. She had her share of regrets, of pain, of misery, of many things more that she could rarely summon the words. They had all taught her too well, but in this trade one learns the tricks quick or one is out of the hunt quickly enough. She again examines the forearm that she wears her wrist mounted rocket launcher on. She then removes the unit, takes it apart, then puts it back together, and gulps down some water.
She strips off her leather jacket and notes that the old guy she had given refuge to is looking more troubled than usual. She had known the look, but never thought it likely to see it on him. She sits down next to him and looks straight at him while brushing aside some loose strands in her auburn and orange hair. The eyes held the most intensity in her expression as he looks to her.
"Something is taking its course…"
"What does that mean?"
"The frenzy on this moon is topping out…"
"Goto summoned the entire lineup except me, but I can figure why he would not want me there, besides the Jedi bounty does not exactly exclude you…"
"I am grateful for your kindness…"
"You saved my life… I am just returning the favor…"
"You don't have to stay a bounty hunter forever…"
"This is the only thing I have had that has lasted me through the years on this moon…"
"You know what I mean, but whatever you decide, you are going to have to live with it."
"I know that Kai…"
"Sorry, I am just a tired old man most days…"
"You just rest now…"
She checks the locks that secure this secret inner chamber compartment, from the room that appears to be her apartment on the Docks, and then slips out to give the appearance of being at home when Fassa comes knocking for the keep. She pays the Twi'lek landlord, and he leaves to go heckle the other residents. Afterward she returns to find 'Kai' asleep in his bunk and she examines his belongings yet again finding knowing among the bits and pieces about his real past. She goes back to her bunk to sleep off the next few hours.
***
The Ravager
A wound in the force, a pain that echoes across the galaxy, a whisper for a healing, and more than even these fragmented thoughts can tell me thinks the cloaked woman.
She rises and leaves the darkened sanctum that her master had put her in not long after their first encounter after the culling of Katarr. She had been the only survivor, a curiosity that had gotten his attention. He took her for his own like so many others, but her abilities made her useful for now. He summons her to the observatory chamber set slightly above the command deck of his command ship. It manages to keep flying despite the amount of damage it took from falling out of orbit during the Battle of Malachor V at the end of the Wars.
His speech is garbled to all who do not hear like she does, but she is not the only who hears this way. She begins speaking of the faint echoes she has heard, but he grips her by the throat with little more than a thought. She gasps for air, she begs for mercy, and he grants it before turning around to stare out into space. She offers to find the source of this emanation, he nods, she agrees to bring the source to him, he nods again, and she prepares to leave the ship. All that matters is the mission is the moment's thought.
A memory, a scar, a flash, but this one does not take the weight of it like others have had like the Master yet they were both there when it happen, as unlike as two can be now.
***
Nar Shaddaa, High Orbit
Several Days Later…
The Ebon Hawk lurches less when it exits hyperspace, which relieves everyone especially Bao-Dur having spent the better part of the jump working on the engines. The patchwork by the Peragian engineers held it together, but it could not keep flying on those crude fixes in his mind. The utility droid's capabilities were impressive especially after this many years in service and without memory wipes. The droid's personality proved difficult at times, but he took some sense of hope from the general's confidence in his abilities to maintain the mechanics of the ship, especially the droid.
He did not however feel terribly fond of the pilot that had been flying her ship, but then he saw that this Atton character had grown fond of his former commanding officer. The old crone that was in also in their company had her reasons for staying and probably had something to do with this situation though he could not say what for certain right now. Rand reports that they are descending to the Refugee Landing Pad. There was a look of familiarity on his face as he finally sets the ship down.
Kreia opts to stay behind this time instead of risking the strain of convincing this many people that she is not there. Someone else besides the pad manager notes their arrival, and Kreia's expected newcomer is that particular watcher. She would wait this one out too, but the watcher is equally cautious about approaching the ship. A wise reaction on her part thinks Kreia, but she will act sooner or later. T3 continues repairs as Vina, Atton, and Bao-Dur suit up for the trip into the fray of this section of Nar Shaddaa.
Vina persuades and bribes the Toydarian pad manager, but he warns her that another ship is expecting to find this pad empty. She says she will keep it in mind and the trio continues until they happen upon a Weequay and a Trandoshan harassing a human. The thugs quickly alert them to their status as Exchange enforcers, which do not exactly dissuade Vina's intervention. Bao-Dur wraps his bio-electric arm around the Trandoshan and Atton punches the Weequay right in the face.
"So can I persuade you to quit bugging these people or not?" asks Vina.
The Trandoshan is about to spit in her face, but Bao-Dur squeezes his throat too hard for the larger alien to release the spit. He chokes on it then Bao-Dur slams him into the nearby wall. Vina directs their former target to get out of here, he thanks her, but she refuses the reward. Another human refugee offers his service as an information source, and Vina pays him a couple of credits for whatever he can tell her down the line. A third man asks for some credits to keep him and his friends from starving for a couple of days.
"Here take the credits, a little extra for the rest of the week," answers Vina.
"Thanks so much Miss, you are a kind soul," replies the man.
Atton looks down with a slight smile admiring her generosity, but Bao-Dur beats the pilot in the comment department this time. Vina disconnects again as Kreia flashes her vision to a location not far from here with the man she just lent all those credits to and another man approaches knowing of her generosity. He demands that credits be given to him otherwise there would be consequences. The recipient of her credits is beaten within an inch of his life for refusing this bully. He loses the credits to other man and left to die alone.
"You with us General?" asks Bao-Dur
"Sorry, I was a little surprised by the positive reactions I have gotten in less than five minutes off the ship," answers Vina.
"The people are desperate, but they are not stupid or stubborn enough to turn away generosities from anyone, even a disguised Jedi…" remarks Atton.
"It felt good to help… something is wrong… quickly this way…"
The trio spots the wounded refugee who lost the credits Vina had given moments ago to an attacker that had already fled the scene. She tends to his injuries as he on the one hand is grateful to her, but still angry about losing the money as he is the financial provider to his family. They get him back to his family and Vina handles more credits yet hoping Kreia is not paying too close attention as before.
"You are very generous to even the most impoverished people, the very same left without much from the Wars that you fought in, but these people are not so hateful, so angry to turn away help even from an ex-Jedi General…"
"I would appreciate if you kept that sort of insinuation to yourself Rand!"
"Sorry Bao-Dur"
***
Atton retreats to a corner to play mental pazaak as usual while Vina chats with other refugees as the situation becomes clear that not only is the Exchange on the verge of enslaving the refugee population, but another faction is leaning on them too. The Serroco survivors have turn into a fledgling mercenary organization, and so had been dominating a substantial territory within the Refugee Zone. The Exchange also had its designs on the refugees.
Vina speaks to the Exchange overseer regarding a little girl about to be sold into slavery. It is simple enough to reason with him, but a touch of the Force tugs him in the right direction to release the girl back to her mother. However getting them to back off the refugees is not working leading them towards open combat with the Overseer and his bodyguards, a band of Weequays. Bao-Dur slams one with his cybernetic arm, which stuns the Weequay temporarily. Atton knocks two together knocking them out while Vina tosses the fourth into a nearby wall.
The Overseer alerts the rest of his forces nearby of the situation before he is facing Vina holding a heavily modified blade to his throat. Saquesh is indifferent as it is not the first time someone made threats against him. The remaining Exchange numbers are Gamorreans whom have little else in mind, but their deaths for threatening their boss. A battle is upon them again, which does not surprise Atton as they seem to find themselves fighting everyone else as of late.
Atton fires head shots at the Weequay bodyguards then whips out two swords to counter the Gamorreans with their axes. Bao-Dur arms himself with a pair of upgraded blasters, and displays a second to none mastery of firearms. Vina directs her attention to the unseen movements of the Gamorreans, and all Saquesh can do is watch until the rest of his men are dead leaving him alone with a trio of exhausted aliens.
"Now would you care to renegotiate this situation with the refugees or not?"
"I am afraid I have to refuse because it is not the Exchange's policy to deal with interlopers…. So you will just have to kill me, which seems about right with the rest of them dead at my feet. Any deal whatsoever ends in my death, not from you necessarily, but the Exchange most definitely."
"You would be a dead man to them, especially a deal with a bounty marked Jedi."
"I believe we have an understanding… so one of you have the nerve to shoot or slice."
Atton kills Saquesh with a head shot and the last gasp from Saquesh is one of thanks for a quick death. There still remains the matter of the Serroco mercenaries on the other side of the quad. They head that way well aware of another gang battle awaiting them there. Vina occasionally looks over her shoulder, not for her companions, but something else, nearby watching them, not just one something, rather two. The Serroco mercenaries allow them entrance after she hints at helping them against the Exchange.
However like before the boss is not apt to trust her, and so they fight the mercenaries to the last man. One of the two watchers notes she is drawing too much attention to herself. The other reads more to the flow of energy between her and her companions as if she had been a catalyst to their actions after two failed negotiations. The second notices the first despite the fact that the first is well hidden from visual sighting methods, but not all sight is based on visuals as the second understood all too well.
The trio returns to the refugees' de facto leader Hussef who is talking to another refugee, a woman. Vina apologizes for further interruptions, she informs him of the fate of her attempted negotiations, and their failures leading to battling both sides to the death. Hussef thanks her for the assistance despite the violent outcomes. She offers up spare medical supplies to the refugees before turning to leave the quad behind them. A pair of male Twi'leks intercepts them on the way out.
They call out to Vina in Huttese, and she responds in kind to them. After a terse chat, the pair leaves them to the darkened pathway back to the Landing Pad. Vina runs her hands through her hair before telling Bao-Dur to take point as she hangs the middle leaving Atton behind her. The walk back to the pad is an uneventful one. Bao-Dur returns to the Hawk alone to swap out his weapons. Vina turns to Atton wondering if that is his real name and what the Twi'leks meant about his dark past.
"Those Twi'leks seem to know you Rand…"
"I don't remember knowing any male Twi'leks…"
"They said you were here after the Jedi Civil War mixing in with the mercenaries, ex-soldiers, refugees, and all the rest here on the smuggler's moon…"
"You are taking the word of strange Twi'leks over mine?"
"I think you start being honest for a change!"
"Why the hell should I tell you anything?"
"We are in this together Atton…"
"You Jedi, so full of yourself, and you of all people, the charismatic Jedi General, heck even the Mandalorians never did anything as brutal as what happen at Malachor V."
"I did what I thought what was right, but even then, I had been dead wrong and all the dead of that battle can echo my decision. The very one that got me exiled from the Jedi Order, but then I was the only one to go back to face the Council and their judgment."
"The Jedi don't kill prisoners though some might think you, Malak, and Revan could have been exceptions. At the least with Sith you know what you are getting from them even when its summarily dealt as unrepentant evil by the Jedi."
"The Sith were after me on Peragus, and you by extension have become a target as have the others with us. Now the Exchange, the list will grow longer, and they will not stop with my death."
"I'm not afraid of dying, the whole thing with living is that you are always paying for it, not with just credits, but with pieces of yourself, little by little until you cannot recognize the person in the mirror anymore…"
"What are you talking about?"
"I served the Republic during the Wars, but when Revan and his armies came back, we like that the later turncoats did not make much of turning on the Republic. I saw Revan had a plan to the campaigns, a plan, which was later abandoned by Malak. Revan only took out impediments to a civilization that could hold against the real threat."
"Malak's attempt to seize the mantle later failed as Revan and the first crew of the Ebon Hawk'sstruggle to defeat him. Whatever outcome had been after Revan's defeat of Malak, it had been a hollow victory if the current state of things is proof enough."
"They were hailed as heroes, but the aftermath of had shown the Republic to be too busy with the fallout of the Civil War's end."
"Things have been unraveling for a long time, I went away as I was told, but now I am back, and I will do what I must…"
"What you must? Who made you the next savior of the galaxy lady?"
"I regret what happen during the Wars, what took place during the Civil War, but now I or rather we have a chance to make some kind of difference…"
"These people never made a call for Jedi help, then or now…"
"I set things in motion wherever I go, but they will have to push its course…"
"I can see there is no derailing you…"
"You might as well tell me your story…"
"It begins more or less during the Mandalorian Wars. I was a soldier, a pilot, but that is not the worst of it. Those who made it through the wars under Revan's banner were different afterward. People would disappear; come back different or not come back at all. After the Wars, Malachor V became the crucible of Revan's conversion methods."
"What was your part in this conversion?"
A/N 1: Despite the three character limit in-game, all participate in some fashion in this story. Bao-Dur is more talkative then in-game plus a little warmer in speak too. His repairs to the ship seem perpetually incomplete though eventually in this story he does finish.
A/N 2: Atris and Vina have history, the Mandalorian Wars divided the Jedi especially masters and apprentices. It didn't sound too clear in-game just how close they were, but most of this is based on the later holo-recording of the trial. Vina also has something of a chat with the Last Handmaiden in regards to her parents as well as the Force.
A/N 3: the bounty hunters of Nar Shaddaa making a brief appearance aboard Goto's Yacht except for Mira. Mira and 'Kai' have been sharing a living space in secrecy for some time now, there are hints to his identity. Visas makes an appearance as well setting the stage for her encounter with Vina.
A/N 4: Atton's past is discovered by Kreia when ripping into his memories that he has been trying to conceal from the old 'witch' and once found out he prefers as many know that Kreia say nothing, that he should be left to handle telling Vina on his own terms. Her reaction next chapter.