"My part had been one I did not see coming, but I had no objections to it, not at first anyway. I became one of the Assassins, something of a misnomer, the current incarnation, the ones we fought on the Harbinger, are different, and no capture intentions, just eliminate the target. Back then, Revan sent Assassins to capture whomever they were told to go after."
Several Years Earlier
A female Jedi is on the run from seemingly invisible operatives led by Atton Rand. They were finally closing in on her as she grows tired of running, but in a final gesture she kills several of the operatives as they uncloak around her. Atton however manages to disarm her before she can get him like the others. She detects a faint sign of why within him, but then he knocks her out and carries her on his back to the unit's vessel. The remaining operatives get the ship up and running as he locks her away.
It would be a long trip back to Malachor V from this side of the galaxy. He had grown to lose interest in the constant hunting of the Jedi. They were rarely a challenge anymore and he had only found this one to be worth the trouble as she had killed several of his comrades before he got to her. He had however used them as distractions, as dispensable, but the fatality rate among the Assassins had variations by target.
Sometimes the count is incredibly low, and at others it raises a few eyebrows though the captures as a whole have been successes. She had little left to her except a weakened connection to the Force. Atton orders the others to handle the ship while he deals personally with the prisoner. He enters to see her wriggling in her restraints, but it is of not use as her powers cannot regenerate due to the concentration of dark auras on the vessel. He removes his mask for the first time in a long while, but for all the dark intensity he seems to exude, she finds an opening that she works on ever so lightly, which escapes his notice for the moment.
"Typical Jedi arrogance…"
"Perhaps, but outnumbering is not the way of the Sith, your kind are different despite the trappings that vaguely resemble the Sith…"
"We are not Sith, not in the way you seem to think of them. The others and I were taught the same melee techniques taught to Jedi, to learn them, to study them, to find weaknesses to exploit…"
"Our reliance on melee has always been a fall back method should the Force prove ineffective against our opponents."
"You seem to not rely much on them, at least not until the others with me had you boxed in with no alternative except to kill or surrender…"
"It is not the Jedi way to kill defenseless opponents or to kill when not necessary…"
"No one is defenseless, no one is beyond killing, just a matter of what it will take to convince someone of why being cunning and ruthless are necessary traits."
"You make much of words not your own…"
"What would you know of my words or thoughts… you are trying to break into my mind, but you find that harder than you expect given the training to prevent such openings."
"There is always a way…"
"You keep telling yourself…"
Atton freezes unable to move then in a tremor grabs his head as if it is on fire and feels unable to drive her out of his thoughts. The shuddering stops leaving him in a dark place with only a faint light in the distance. He begins to run sensing something or someone behind him. The darkness is gaining and the light seems further and further away until a hand reaches out to pull him up from the depths. It is the female Jedi captive who gives him that look of knowing as if some secrets within him would destroy him if they should become known especially to the Dark Masters.
"You know what you must do to save me and more importantly to save yourself…"
He jerks out of the trance after closing his astral hands around her otherworldly throat. She is dead, but a beautiful deathly smile is upon her face as in her last words echo in his mind. She thanks him, tells him he must leave this is all behind, to find his real purpose, and to regain his life through others. He exits the brig and uses his most unfeeling methods to kill the remaining few Assassins quickly. At the next hyperspace exit, he reverts to sub light then plots a new course for Nar Shaddaa.
He returns to the brig to find that she had gone though her robes like her lightsaber were left behind. An act of the Force perhaps, but even he could not be certain. The smuggler's moon had long since become a cold refugee to the displaced survivors of the Mandalorian Wars. He sold the ship to the Hutts who would later regret as the crews were all driven insane by the ghosts that were always seen during hyperspace jumps until finally one pilot drove it into a sun. The miscalculation had been intentional as this unknown pilot knew well enough.
Atton eventually throws her lightsaber into the void that always been a part of the smuggler's moon. Her robes did not get much in the way of the credits, but it had been enough. He spent years living there until one day, her Force ghost appears to him, and moves toward him to kiss him. In those seemingly brief moments before her death he had come to care about her enough to kill her before the Sith could twist her into someone she could not recognize as herself. She had the look of I rather die than become a merciless tool of that brand of leadership.
Years on the moon finally drove him to space again and to a route that made him a black market trader to the Peragus Mining Facility. A stop that had been out of the way, unlikely to be a trouble spot, but then there are no places where people will not go, regardless of their intentions. After awhile, they finally made a call to arrest for various violations of shipping regulations, which got him a cell until Vina had come along not long after that took place. She and Vina had such a resemblance in his mind, but then love is endless or at least he likes to believe so.
Nar Shaddaa (now)
Vina almost cries, and places her hands on his shoulders before pulling him towards her. He slowly wraps his arms around her as he whispers 'I killed her because I loved her, she was willingly to die to keep me from becoming what she could have become if I gave her up to them.' Vina whispers 'I know, but you can still become more like she thought you could.' He says to Vina that he would like to pursue Jedi training through her. She agrees sensing his genuine interest in the pursuit.
They begin with the basics and advance from there as Bao-Dur observes with concern for his former commander and this enigmatic pilot that is strongly drawn to her. He looks upwards after catching a faint clank above him, but as soon as it had been heard, it is gone. He looks to Vina who notices his hinting upward with a twitch suggestion with his eyes. She stares upward reaching out with the Force and detects a watcher though pretends to not notice for the sake of their tracker or trackers.
The trio asks Aaida to join them as rumors had been passing around of other Telosian refugees outside the zone. She follows them out after hearing that both the Exchange and the Serroco are out of the picture. The four pass through the landing pads and it is then that Atton recalls that the bribed stationmaster had been worrisome about another ship that already had a stake on the Hawk's landing pad. He whispers this to Bao-Dur who notices something is up, but decides to follow his ex-General's lead until she decides to return there.
***
Mira follows the pipes from the Zone to the Docks. She however detects she is not the only one attempting to be discreet above the Jedi. The other tracker is not local, but certainly hides their movements well enough aside from the occasion acoustic echoes. Mira is also certain that the other tracker is not a bounty hunter because no bounty hunter is as close to a shadow as she is unless someone new from outside the system is encroaching on the moon's bounty hunter turf.
As a test Mira tosses a metal bit of flint towards the general direction, but notices it bounces back at her before even getting halfway across. The Jedi is too far ahead and too far down to be doing that so another Force user besides the Jedi is here. Mira side steps the flint as it lodges itself in a pipe behind her. She reverts back to catching up to Jedi as she deals with Vogga's dock master Fassa who agrees to a few different deals and offers made by the Jedi.
"What a girl scout that Jedi is being, but so stupid, she does not realize that the bounty affects not just her… she endangers those idiots foolish enough to follow her… she is in unexpectedly good shape after all these years too though…"
Aaida and Lootra have their reunion while Lassavou's debt is taken care of in short order. The freighter schedule is back on track as well, but there is also a strange trail being left behind by seemingly unrelated incidents involving droids throughout the Refugee Sector. Bao-Dur opts to return to the Hawk saying there are things he needs to take care of aboard ship in terms of repairs. Vina reminds him that it can wait, but the engineer calmly reminds her that not everything can be put off indefinitely. She accepts his logic.
Atton finds his way into the pazaak den for a few rounds after Vina bribes for a password. She heads for the Cantina where she picks up some extra juma juice for later after learning how to break into Vogga's vault. Mira enters the Cantina then sits next to Vina and orders a few drinks, the bounty hunter offers to share, which Vina accepts despite noticing the glint of a wrist mounted launcher underneath Mira's jacket sleeve. The two talk for awhile before Atton comes up behind Vina kissing her on the neck, but Vina taps his face with a closed fist, which sends him toppling over.
The pilot shakes it off after noticing she is a little drunk and the look of this red haired woman alerts him to the possibility that his companion, his would be love is drinking with a bounty hunter. Mira chuckles then takes a quiet exit as Atton takes her seat. Vina blushes and softly apologizes for hitting him like that, but she did not immediately realize it was him despite the familiarity of him through the Force. He politely accepts it then kisses her on the lips, and she does not resist him this time.
They dance for awhile as some bad music plays in the background, but neither seems to entirely notice or care about that until Vina spots someone that might have some connection to Vogga. After multiple dancers prove to be serious disappointments, Vina seems like a miracle send to this Twi'lek majordomo. He hands a box to Atton then instructs them to follow him back to Vogga's dock side residence. He directs Vina to a dressing room where she changes into the dancer's outfit, which meets a grinning approval from Atton.
She smiles at him just as the majordomo hand signals her to follow him leaving Atton to look after Vina's belongings. The dance gig takes awhile to cause Vogga to drift off then Atton enters carrying the juma juice, which she pours in the bowl that a pair of kath hounds drink from then she breaks into the vault with Atton's help. Afterward once back in her regular clothes she negotiates a deal for a new fuel source for Telos, which again cracks a slight smile in Atton as he admires her usual boldness.
The catch however is that she must deal with Goto, which basically means he must be out of the picture so Vogga and the other crime lords, can take back the hold that Goto has held on the criminal underworld here on the smuggler's moon. The pair comes across a wounded Bao-Dur just beyond the corridor to the landing pad. Vina starts treating his wounds as Atton takes a peek around the corner then slips back mouthing something to Vina. She whispers what is it, who do you see, but Bao-Dur interrupts again.
"Another ship, slavers, that Toydarian was right to warn us, you realize what you got us into Rand, Trandoshans have our ship, so how do you propose to fix this one huh?"
"Calm down, we need a plan, not a verbal sparring match, as for what you two have to say to each other, that can wait for the moment, I hope you two can agree there."
"Agreed," reply Atton and Bao-Dur.
Vina hands Bao-Dur another lightsaber piece she found in Vogga's vault and at last he can put them together to make a new lightsaber for Vina. She asks for a double blade, and he constructs it on a workbench in the swoop bike shop nearby. He hands it to her; she holds it then activates her new weapon. The lavender glow shines through the darkness of the shop, and they head towards the pad to clear out the slavers that have taken hold of their ship.
The Trandoshans inevitably fight back yet with it is useless as Vina's blade slice through their weapons as the others gun them down. The trio initiates a staggered assault path towards the ship. Mira watches from the rooftops above their position. The other watcher is nearby, but keeping distance from both the bounty hunter and the exile target. The Trandoshans continue to fall by the wayside as each of three covers each other's advances.
Atton is hit by an unseen Trandoshan, which sends him flying off the side yet there is no scream or shout, not a sound. A loose series of cords provide decent grip as Atton force jumps back up and in mid flight he power blasts his attacker, sending the surprised Trandoshan into the loading ramp. Vina smiles weakly in relief that he is physically okay. She charges straight at the remaining two then does a wide sweep slicing both in the chest then comes two audible thuds as their corpses hit the deck.
Once aboard more the slavers are actively engaging them as they battle their way from the port side to the starboard side. Strangely Kreia is absent in the Force and in body as well. At least until the slavers nearest to the starboard dormitories can be seen smashing into the corridor bulkheads then falling to the deck plates. Kreia emerges flinging more in her path using the handless arm. Vina jabs, parries, and slices her way through to the Security/Communications room just behind the tiny bridge.
The remaining Trandoshans fight to the end, but Vina's lightsaber makes their end quick and short. She exhales then switches off her weapon then orders Atton and Bao-Dur to remove the slaver corpses, which they do in short order awhile later. The pair then returns aboard. Both pass Vina without a word, which seems strange, but it has been a long day, both are tired in appearance. They both head to the aft cargo bay, which is opposite the ship's garage.
She hears the cargo hold doors locking, which she goes to check on only to find she cannot override the lockout then she searches for T3 who is in standby mode in the sec-com room.
She cycles through the cameras, but instinctively stops at the port dormitory after seeing a figure clad in dark clothing with a dark red hood that goes over the eyes. Someone had gotten into the ship without tripping any alarms at all. Vina slowly makes her way to the intruder's location. As she enters, the figure, a woman ends her meditation then activates a lightsaber and proceeds to attack Vina. Vina counters with her own before driving the female intruder back yet holds back after disarming this woman.
"You must kill me… I have failed…if I return without you… I am dead…"
"I will not kill you, you are hurt, let me get you to the medbay…"
The hooded woman passes out as Vina carries her to the medbay where Atton enters minutes later. He grunts then lowly gasps at the hooded woman. During a brief examination, multiple wounds, fractures, scars, and more are found throughout this woman's body. Vina questions him about her as he seems to know something of her species. His response is somewhat astonishing to her considering what he mentions about the fate of her presumed home world.
"I didn't think there were any still alive considering what happen to Katarr or at least what I heard about its destruction, and it took place around the same time that the Jedi Order began vanishing in great numbers than before."
"Katarr became another causality of something more. Something that would come for the Jedi and the Sith. The two have been at for generations, but so seems their fate to be stuck crossing blades no matter whose armies are at their backs or not at all."
"You see why people are reluctant to trust Jedi especially after they seem to abandon the Galaxy following their presumed victory at the end of the Jedi Civil War."
"Yes I am beginning to understand where something of your distrust comes from besides what happen during your service to the Republic and the then Darth Revan."
"Hopefully this one recovers, she will have something to say for herself, it is good that you saved her, not just because we need her help, but because she can now have the chance to break from whoever is responsible for this."
"I believe you maybe right, but I almost fear what will be necessary to accomplish that feat for her. She will have some part in that, she has to, and otherwise it is meaningless for her."
"You know I'm not very good at expressing myself, but lately it has become easier, if that's the word for it, to express myself. I hope that whatever draws us together never fades aside from what happen during the jump to Telos."
"Atton, the fact that I am training you, makes a complication for us in that way."
"I had a very slight feeling or notion you might say that, but hear me, I do have feelings for you, and I suspect you have feelings for me too."
"I do, it has been a long time since I have felt anything unrelentingly positive, something that echoes feelings I thought I would never feel again. This maybe one of the rare opportunities for this so come with me. If something happens with her, we'll know soon enough."
***
Her robes are soon on the floor as is his vest and with each passing moment something more is contributing to the pile of clothes. Atton divides his attention between her and mental pazaak, which is quite a feat for him, as he vaguely worries that Kreia, may be onto him. He pushes it out of mind as Vina kisses him like she had never done before, but then he had only that rough experience in transit to Telos lingering in his mind. Audible chirps and whistles can be heard through the hatch separating the port dormitories from the corridor that connects it to the main hold.
Atton and Vina quickly replace their clothes then Vina exits ahead of him then ducks into the medbay. Atton takes the longer way through the garage workshop that Bao-Dur had been revamping since their departure from Telos. Atton makes it into the main hold before spotting Vina who is talking the newest member of the new crew of the Ebon Hawk. Kreia looks to the almost Sith among them, but realizes that the Miraluka is not useless though hopes her apprentice, the Exile, Vina sees opportunity in this too. The hologram flickers then resolves into a miniaturized image of a Quarren who identifies himself as Visquis.
"Greetings, I would hardly expect you to take this message at face value, but you have become a rather reputable character before setting foot on this moon, but your interference in multiple Exchange holdings is raising the stakes…" [Translation]
"… I invite you and you alone to join me in a meeting to deal with the situation. Otherwise your companions will pay the price for your refusal. It's a deal through me or being on the receiving end of the bounty hunters on your trail even now. My boss has made a rather fragile accord with them…" [Further translation]
"I remind you again dealing with me directly will be better for your allies. If you come, come alone Jedi." [Final translation]
Each looks from one to another after the transmission ends. Each knows no matter the decision the whole thing screams trap though the scream is more like a hoarse whisper from shouting across a great distance. Vina bags the environmental suit before heading out and Atton predictably takes off after her leaving the others on the landing pad. Kreia looks to the Miraluka and the Miraluka looks at the older woman through her masking hood.
"Why would a Jedi hide here?" wonders Visas.
"Why not Seer?" queries Kreia.
"You know telepathy?" responds Visas.
"It is hardly difficult to master with an open mind," replies Kreia
"The energy about this moon, there is enough noise to drown out everything unless you were alert of what to look for amidst the chaos of the frenzy that is these people's lives."
"Indeed, I see that you have not forgotten everything your people taught you nor the things that your lord had wrought upon your mind or your body."
"What my lord is something only you or I could grasp when facing him."
Vina heads for the bar with Atton on her tail and Mira following her from above. The three draw nearer to the docks as a fourth joins Mira in the overlook. Vina turns to face Atton as Mira finds a claw gripping her throat as her body grows limp beneath her. The lovers have their moment as the bounty hunters trade verbal blows. Both conversations continue unaware of the other. Atton takes his leave of Vina after taking a spare lightsaber from her while handing off some medical supplies to her.
***
Mira grips Hanharr's massive forearm as he grunts and howls at her. The argument is short, but then he drops her with a parting reminder that this is not over. She knows full well that it will only end with one of them dead. She knows this from the repeated encounters with Hanharr since their first run-in years earlier. The truce between the bounty hunters would only last so long as none went after the target or each other. Only so many could be held to that promise, and Hanharr is decidedly not one of them. Hanharr vanishes before she shakes off the after effects of near asphyxiation.
She drops down straight above Vina, but finds herself stuck in midair thanks to an unexpected catch through the Force. Vina lowers her to the ground as she asks to be let down as they need talk in private. The two women head indoors to Mira's safe house off the docks. Vina had almost felt a surprise discovering the wall in the deceptively small apartment had actually been concealing a larger space in the back. She can feel a trace of others' passages in here including a 'missing' or rather hiding Jedi Master.
"Visquis is cutting the bounty hunters out of the loop as all of us want to bring you in, but with this larger of an ensemble going after you there are inherent rivalries. Visquis is easily using to this advantage particularly in his temporary partnership with Hanharr."
"It seems a typical tactic among criminals and politicians alike to ensure the greatest benefit to them above all else. The fallout amounts to their allies and supporters either remaining as such or finding themselves without anyone to help them."
"It is a trap meant for you Jedi, but you are not going anywhere near him."
"You mind explaining why and what is that smell. Something feels wrong about the air."
"You caught it quicker than most, but most tend to pass out long before now. I have the injection to counteract the effects, which I will administer to you after you are out cold, but it will not kick in automatically."
Vina grabs Mira's ballistic jacket, but her grip is easily undone as Mira knocks her to the floor with a light push. The gas is strong enough to null her Force powers, but then she had not cause to consider anyone trying something without her knowing yet this Mira is far from direct unlike most of her recent opponents. Mira unpacks the environmental suit that Vina had been carrying in a satchel then suit up before heading towards the Jekk'Jekk Tarr. Surveillance outside the bar is likely so putting it on in her safe house made sense to ensure the effectiveness of the disguise.
***
Mira enters the bar and restraints her reactions to cracks about the suit. The fumes in the bar are toxic to humans after awhile and so she passes from the section to section. Each cluster tends to be populated by one segment or another of the Vertical City's alien population. Most would attack on sight if given cause to attack anyone, which would be likely if someone gave away certain details about any patron. The injection should eventually kick in on the Jedi she thinks to herself, but at least I can put a stop to this before then.
She finally reaches Visquis' private lounge where she spots Hanharr waiting alongside the Quarren. Nobody likes working for Goto, but he had proven to be too clever and cunning to be beaten by anyone so the Exchange as a whole leaves him alone in his seclusion on his phantom yacht. Nobody had also ever really seen him either and nobody could really figure out how he got such rapid control of the biggest rackets on the smuggler's moon. She prepares to remove the suit and reveal herself to the off guard pair before her.
Hanharr reacts instantly, but is held back by Visquis' insistence that he hold a moment. Visquis realizes soon enough that this is not the Jedi despite relative physical similarities between the two women. He crosses his arms and prepares to test his new security measures against this interloper whom Hanharr identifies as Mira. Her reputation for delivering live bounties even when the dead pays higher is well known even to the criminals like Visquis and the crime lords such as Goto.
It is for this reason that she is often given the most lucrative contracts from him to the chagrin of Hanharr and others less so. She is impressive at least as far as fooling him, but then the deception would have been up eventually anyway. He actives the sequence from memory, but holds off on the execute command. Mira senses confusion and hesitation, but she had always been a very perceptive bounty hunter. The latent precognition and atypical sensitivity had been useful tools in this profession.
"Perhaps this setback is to our advantage now the Jedi will come for her and for the others in her company. I have already told the other hunters that the Jedi's companions are open season and you my dear Mira have made your last mistake." [Translation]
Mira felt the jolt too late to dodge it and passes out cursing incoherently as she went down from the shocks sent through the floor beneath her. A pair of Ubese carries her into the tunnels within moments leaving Visquis and Hanharr to wait for the Exile. A delay at best probably on Mira's part had kept the meeting on hold. The Quarren orders a drink to pass the time until the real target gets here.
***
"A friend has gone in your stead and I must go after her. How you found out I was here is something of a mystery, but your questions will have to wait until after I gotten my friend back safely. It means you will have to play a part in this endeavor too."
Vina regains control of her limbs after Zez-Kai Ell's second disappearing act to recover Mira, but somehow she felt he would not get very far, leaving the resolution to the situation on her shoulders. Vina checks her weapons before heading again towards the Jekk'Jekk Tarr. As she enters the chamber between the outside and inside, the air tastes as if the gas is affecting her though she realizes without the environmental suit she is vulnerable in this atmosphere.
"Calm yourself as I will teach you how to breathe without harm in any atmosphere even one toxic like this. It is an older technique one I took years to master, but you always seem to master many techniques as if copying or mirroring whomever you learning the method from… now breathe and get moving time is as always of the essence."
***
Visquis expresses disbelief that the Jedi had gotten through and so he alerts the bar's patrons to her identity and they begin attacking her on sight as he joins Hanharr below in his hideaway. He expresses a stunted admiration for the Jedi's persistence as he knows well from her history that she is a survivor, something many are failing to recognize especially his one time partner Visquis. The Quarren redirects his Wookiee associate's attention to an unconscious Mira in the pit arena below them and tells him here he can kill Mira without breaking the truce.
Hanharr descends below carrying two vibroswords and eager to purge himself of his aberrant life debt to Mira. Her time is nearing soon enough yet he notices she is not without her own weapons or traps likely set in the pit arena too. She is nearly back on her feet as he swings his weapons in her direction. The scraping of the blades spreads sparks throughout yet Mira notes the mines all around them so she tumbles knowing she can dodge them where Hanharr cannot recalling their first encounter.
She also fires a spread of grenades from her wrist mounted launcher. Hanharr takes most of the blasts in stride, but he is getting slower and his wounds are adding up. She directs another round at him then he nearly falls dead on top of her if she had not made one last roll out of the way. Visquis' eyes show signs of surprise, but he unleashes the animals on her though she deals with them in similar precision. Mira rifles around looking for keys to unlock the only point of entry and exit. Visquis' henchmen consist entirely of Ubese, which are far more adept at melee combat than she had thought possible yet she holds her own sensing that the Jedi is not far behind now.
Visquis is on the run with a contingent of his bodyguards, but the alert to the security lockdown being taken offline angers him enough to order the deaths of any and all intruders Jedi or otherwise. They will follow so long as they have no cause to disobey the Quarren, but then he is not the only one they take orders from around here. Mira disables the rest of the security protocols before making her way to the escape elevator that Visquis and his Ubese guards had left in order to find out who broke the lockdown.
As she returns to above ground area, 'Kai' is waiting for her, but someone had been his shadow. A cloaked figure blurs in and out of sight then descends into Visquis' hideaway below the docks. The figure observes Vina cutting her way through the bodyguard contingent told to kill her, but the figure already knows that they will not succeed, not for the lack of trying rather their real boss is a dejarik player. No game can be won without pawns, but each piece is not without use, as there are moves within moves. Never immediately clear even to those that initiate the move as they barely grasp the complexity and the subtlety of what is happening on the board.
Vina finally enters and engages in a verbal standoff with her Quarren caller who reveals that he is not the architect of the Jedi bounty hunt. This mysterious Goto is the one behind it, but like Vina, the figure knows next to nothing about him aside from him rising quickly through the Exchange ranks in a short space of time. He attempts to gas her, but it fails as it had earlier. He is again wearing a face of astonishment as the Ubese survivors rejoin him yet instead of going after the Jedi, they surround him. One advances poisoned staff in hand.
"You never did work for me, you were Goto's men all along, such a fool I am. Goto, I give you the Jedi as a gift, take her and spare me, I have made my mistakes enough."
"You remember my directives regarding the Jedi. You knowingly broke them by consorting and toying with the bounty hunters. You also made efforts to kill the Jedi when capture had become untenable. I am afraid your betrayal warrants death."
"Wait; there is no need for killing now!"
Visquis collapses to the floor besides the corpse of Hanharr and the floor electrifies underneath Vina rendering her unconscious. The Ubese ferry her off to Goto's yacht presumably leaving the figure alone with the corpses.
The shadowy figure takes to one in particular, the corpse of Hanharr. The figure struggles to resurrect him as he had only been dead a short while. In his rage he tries to grab the figure's neck, but is unable as he collapses into a kneeling posture then begins to beg for death again. The figure will not grant and instructs him to continue his hunt of the huntress while she travels with the Exile.
The strange pair vanishes from this place leaving behind only the dead who can only leave warnings of struggle that confronts the living with the dying. It would not be the last time this figure would wrestle with death, but then dejarik is a game of moves within moves. Dejarik like war depends on the capabilities of the strategist as such players or leaders can triumph where others will always fail, and not because they are better at, rather because they can do what others cannot or will not do in that position. Dejarik is like the Force is not always about training, but other things like the will of the user.
***
Atton encounters Mira after discovering T3's 'disappearance' from the Ebon Hawk. At the same time or nearly simultaneously, the quirky astromech droid found his way into Vogga's warehouse and gains access to the hidden communications section. He also learns someone or something is funneling the transponder codes to Goto, and like other incidents there is always a droid at the scene. T3 returns with the codes for several of Vogga's ships and a blank transponder encoder. Atton in a less subtle way asks Tienn and Bao-Dur to swap the Ebon Hawk's I.D. codes with those of the Silver Zephyr.
The group returns to the ship and preps for takeoff figuring the yacht will fall for the ruse. At least they hope so as it is absolutely necessary to recover Vina personal reasons aside. The freighter barely makes it out of orbit before detecting energy surges all around them then as if appearing from nowhere the yacht overtakes them and locks them into multiple tractor beams. Bao-Dur agrees to remain behind at the controls while Atton and Mira go after Vina. Visas also remains to search Vina out through the Force trying to find Vina yet Kreia's absence goes unnoticed, which is how she prefers it as she is keeping tabs on Zez-Kai Ell back at the Vertical City.
***
Vina comes around to see a floating droid near her, and it resembles models often used for interrogation droids yet this one seems to only be a mechanical guard. A hologram flickers on before her. She figures this must be Goto in some shape or form. He is nothing like she had thought likely of a crime lord as a somewhat older looking man yet he had seemingly unlimited resources at his disposable. Vina nearly opens her mouth, but Goto interrupts her.
However at that moment he too faces an interruption in the form of intruder alert alarms going off. The security cameras in the room reveal that Mira and Atton are fighting their way through Goto's security droids and doing rather well. The hologram dissolves to devote the yacht's full power supply to its defensive capabilities. Mira's wrist launcher is highly effective with maximum spread and yield per explosion whereas Atton is turning from a marksman to a swordsman. After all, the weapon is mere an extension of will and intensity of mind as both overcome the opponent from within.
No droid, no programming for that matter is as adapting as the human mind or as resilient as the human body. The various programs make it simpler to disable, overload, or shut down the defense mainframe's subsystems. As if by the both the numbers, a scoundrel turn Jedi and a bounty hunter could actually cripple a crime lord's organization at the source while saving Vina too. Vina had seen many things in her travels, but nothing quite like the company she had around her now. Whatever had drawn this unique band together, it could never be more apparent then when their numbers seem to act as a single being.
Kreia had spoken of her ability to direct others, to lead the way, but it had often been said to her in the past that such an ability is dangerous especially at her trial by the Council. The exact circumstances of her depowered state following the Wars had been a source of speculation, but Atris' records of her trial had proven one thing at least, that neither side could exist without the other. It drove at an age old question of what could any of this mean not only for Jedi and Sith, but everyone else too. Answers like the future is elsewhere and elusive, but as experience had taught her, she must be mindful of the present alone for the moment.
One by one, the defensive protocols are taken offline or taken out. They finally breach the audience chamber where Vina floats in a zero gravity field. Mira notes the annoyance in Atton's demeanor as if he had strong emotional ties to the woman he had initially only would paint as a leading woman. A bounty hunter does not exactly earn their keep without learning habitual qualities of their targets. Mira then hacks the control console to disable the zero gravity field generators.
Atton catches Vina as she drops yet he had not known her exact weight so the drop sent both dropping to the floor. Mira smirks then chuckles as Vina moves to get up, but Atton steals a kiss in plain view of Mira. Vina almost blushes before grabbing her gear and her lightsaber. The trio head for the bridge in order to disable the tractor beams holding the Hawk in the yacht's moorings. The security droids and the mines are in the way however, but Mira rigs the mines to blow then lures the droids towards them.
Nearly all are caught in the blast leaving the stragglers clearly at a disadvantage, and Vina mops them up with ease. Mira realizes that while the Jedi maybe the last of her kind, she is not about to go down without a fight or whatever it is she is doing with herself now. The attempt to deactivate the tractor beams also took down the cloaking device, which garners the attention of the nearby Republic forces and the bounty hunters eager to clock Goto out permanently. The trio makes haste for a quick exit, but the Twin Suns intercept them along the way with the Zhugs not far behind them.
"Nobody stays dead around here anymore!" shouts Atton
"You would expect anything less from us?" retort the Twin Suns.
Atton twirls into action blocking blows from both then sharply jabs both simultaneously then Mira double shots both as well. They cannot dodge completely from any attack on two fronts. The Suns are out of the picture as they fight their way through the Zhugs now blocking the way. After all that then comes the Gand who are eager for payback on Vina in particular for what happen in Jekk'Jekk Tarr, but again not much a match for a well armed shooter and finely honed swordsmanship.
***
Once back aboard the freighter, Atton quickly floors away as the ship to ship barrage overwhelms the hull of the yacht incinerating it. The word of Goto's untimely 'demise' is sure to rattle the criminal underworld for years to come given the iron grip he had on certain elements of it and the moon as a whole. As they again descend to the landing pad, one of Goto's droids floats out of the darkness of the cargo bay. Mira, Bao-Dur, Visas, and Atton simultaneously aim at the machine before Vina raises her hand to wave them off for the moment.
"At least you have not taken the quick path to defeating me, but the loss of the yacht is not a terrible loss for me. My resources while not unlimited are still considerable, and as an agent of my agenda, this unit is now yours though it is merely a formality to ensure that things go as I prefer them to go wherever you are heading next."
"I'll tolerate this unit's presence so long as it does not interfere with my mission to find the Jedi Council survivors. I also had come to the conclusion that your extensive use of droids implies you rarely trust organics, and by organics, I mean you are a droid albeit a very intelligent one."
"A first to be certain that only you perhaps could have seen through it, but the clues that are obvious yet too simple to everyone are the ones they ignore at their convenience. I made it seem random enough that nobody would suspect my rackets or more so my actual identity. My name is G0-T0, not Goto, but the latter made a more convincing moniker especially to the Exchange who did not exactly care who is sector boss so long as they get the job done as they put it."
"They are going to have to find someone else, unless you are active in more than just the unit floating in front of me."
"The core essence of my programming exists elsewhere, and as for the yacht it merely fulfilled a purpose within a purpose. However you are not the only the Force user in this room I would gather, but they are not the cause for your visit here. The older male hidden by Mira is your cause."
"I'm late for my meeting with him, so the rest of you stand down, we will deal with this later."
***
"I have been expecting you especially after the destruction of Goto's yacht."
"The reason why no one senses him especially not us Force users is the background noise floods everything until you block everything out except droids. He is a droid, but more to point his operations are not so smooth anymore."
"You did things both to the benefit and the hindrance of the Exchange more so to the hinder side of things. The refugees no longer have gangs on their backs for slaves for the moment. Those seeking to leave this place now can because nothing is stopping the freighters for the moment. You have done mixed things as usual Exile."
"Master, I need to know why you and the others exiled me."
"It felt like the only thing to do as a civil war had come for us, for the Jedi."
"You are evading the real answer."
"After Malachor V, we found that the Jedi were not all falling to their deaths, rather a mass conversion had its origins in the Wars, but only gotten worse since. You were alone in the call for a return, but I began to think not long after that we were too quick to punish you for our own failings."
"Both sides made mistakes, I realize that much now, but I went before you to explain myself, to atone, to do something yet all of you especially Atris only saw that final decision as evil."
"A device of that power had a hand in ending countless lives in a heartbeat except a very few including you, but for a Jedi to survive that much death in the Force seems impossible. It was something we could never entirely decipher even after seeing you."
"You mean the Council had nothing to do with cutting me off from the Force?"
"No something or someone else did that for you. Kavar and Vash thought as much while Atris thought it a fitting blow to you, but then she always took your leaving for the Wars the hardest as you had been one of her best students. Kavar understood best of all Council members why you went to war, but then he had been your weapons master a lifetime ago too."
"I know where the others are too, and I will need to find them before long as well."
"How could you learn of our locations that easily?"
"Not through the Force, these places have too much energy, too much desperation, too much all around, but knowing a location helps to start the search. Atris' archives have been helpful in a few ways, but then she did not look happy to see me again nor had I made a point of going for an encounter. This mission to find the Council was her idea and she is on Telos."
"You do not lie, but most of us thought her dead since Katarr."
"She is very much alive; she intends to rebuild the Order on Telos."
"I see, so do you have a rendezvous point in mind for when you find the others."
"I think Dantooine at the Enclave would be suitable."
"Good luck Exile… you are going to need it, but first I need to teach you something."
***
After Master Ell and Vina depart towards their next destinations as each leaves the Smugglers' Moon behind them. Mira drops down to find Vina's lightsaber again drawn at her. The bounty hunter offers her service to the Jedi, and so Vina accepts another into her already growing company. It is also again to the irritation of Kreia, but the older woman rationalizes it as another pawn to the game. The redhead would provide a curious add, but this one had knowledge of the other bounty hunters after the Exile, at least from this decadent moon.
"I told her everything Kreia so your deal is off; she is far more forgiving than you know."
"You think you were truly under my control, not really, I merely made use of your self-loathing, all the feelings you had over all the deaths you were responsible for, but you'll never match hers. She'll never entirely forgive herself for Malachor, but she might think what you did is forgivable; I never will share that sentiment."
"You really are bitter for more than what I did in my past; I think it has something to do with that guy that nearly got you back on Peragus."
Atton is thrown into the bulkhead outside Kreia's room and the doors close behind it. He shakes off the head pain before heading for the medbay to treat his new head injury. Vina rejoins him in the cockpit with Mira and the two of them share a mutual stare of dislike. A decision is made that their next destination should be Onderon since it is where Master Kavar is said to be hiding according to the files taken from Atris' mainframe. The Ebon Hawk again takes off still emitting their new transponder code, which hopefully should prevent identification except nobody knows how many of this freighter class are still in service if any.
***
"Strange I did not think I was only one still awake, but after what we have been through already it seems hardly surprising," murmurs Vina.
"I always felt you were more than capable General, but even I have had doubts at times. I know you feel endlessly responsible for those deaths, but to be the inventor of such a weapon lies with me for building it. Revan's delay out of system had made for possibility of its use."
"I always thought it would never come to that, but it did, the only problem or the killer in it is that made a truly indiscriminate weapon. It got everyone outside the operations area, on the surface, in the air, and especially in orbit within all those hulls. Anyone lucky to be out of the edge of the shock wave made it out alive."
"I wonder what brings us to talking about this now."
"It happened to both of us, and we are going near to a place I did not want to see again among other places. The Onderon System, more precisely Dxun is where the Wars really took over for me, it had not been my first fight, but it put me towards the path that made me want to get away from everyone."
"It seems the past will always be with us, like our own shadow."
"You have certainly grown a little poetic over the years."
"It helps pass the time especially when you are trying to atone for your moral crimes that no puts on your head other than yourself."
"You need not carry this burden forever, you must forgive yourself as must I forgive myself, and we made decisions we have had to live with for over a decade now. We will never forget, but we must forgive if we are to do some good in the name of those that are dead and those that still may live if we have anything to do with it."
The jump to Onderon as with any hyperspace jump leaves them plenty of time to talk or rest.
***
Onderon, High Orbit
The Ebon Hawk or rather the Silver Zephyr emerges from hyperspace to witness an array of ships having a showdown in orbit above Onderon. Atton summons everyone to the cockpit. Mira heads back towards the gun turrets after seeing the fighters launching on a course to intercept them. A voice begins speaking over the speakers and it seems that even different codes cannot hide them from these new enemies of a kind. Vina joins Mira in the other gunner seat as they fire to defend against attacking fighters.
"We need to find a place to land otherwise we are going to be shot down!"
"I'm doing the best I can here!"
The freighter takes a few direct hits, but not too much damage as they finally descend towards Dxun. The storm winds rough up the ship as everyone else struggles to strap in if they can while Vina and Mira remain in the gunner seats in case the fighters try to follow them down. However no one comes, but several other ships can be seen falling through the atmosphere towards the surface. The freighter eases its way to the ground in an open clearing. The rain is considerable, but enough to erode any chance of passage for now.
"For once I would like to go somewhere without being shot at, locked up, or any combination of things that could kill me," remarks Atton.
"It seems inevitable as many factions have their sights either out for this ship or for its passengers," responds Kreia.
"She is right, but even so, we do have enemies here, not on this ship, everywhere else for certain," continues Vina.
"How long will the repairs take?" asks Mira.
"Hard to tell, I'll need to inspect the outside and check the interiors thoroughly. It'll be a learning experience so come along Mr. Rand; we have our work to do as do the others. You heard me, move already!" chuckles Bao-Dur.
"Easy man, I am coming already."
Mira grabs a spare cloak as she and Visas join up Vina who is heading out to scout the area. All three sense watchers for different reasons. Mira as a bounty hunter always detects other trackers or suspects them despite their attempts at stealth. Visas Marr mentally feels their fear, their anxiety, and anything else that emanates emotions that give them away. Vina given her past experiences on Dxun wonders and considers a Mandalorian return to this battlefield.
"We are not unseen, either to the predators or to the trackers."
"It is not surprising, but we must press on, there is no way we can get the ship to the planet, so we need another route to Onderon."
"The only places to find any ships would be camps that might still be around from the Wars, but I would hardly count on that… those banners ahead look new."
"I see them too… they are Mandalorian."
A/N 1: Atton's flashback expands mostly on the incident involving the unnamed female Jedi that was captured by him while he was a Sith Assassin, he's crafted more into a quasi-leader role in this take, and of course the interrogation with her triggers in him what she's afraid the Sith will find in him eventually. He agrees to help her die in order to spare her the conversion or the death that might happen during the conversion.
A/N 2: I had Mira following Vina from above on the pipes, relates back to Mira's tales about NS in-game. Visas recovers and begins to learn from both the Exile and from the enigmatic Kreia. Hanharr as seen is not quite as dead as he appears after losing to Mira if you play the LS path.
A/N 3: The intrigues of the criminal underworld lead to Goto's Yacht and of course the seemingly unrelated incidents in side quests all contribute to the eventual realization of Goto's true identity, that was one of the more unexpected plot developments for me.
A/N 4: I made the turret again similar to the one on the Millenium Falcon even though the design of this freighter shares little in common with the YT-1300 that won't be built or in production for millenia. The alteration is merely made so the Vina and Mira can operate the guns together.