Epilogue: Consequence of Action...
Ascension Station, Dienzo System, Outskirts of Mid Rim
She felt weightless, or rather, as if she were in a turbolift that was racing down and was coming to a stop. The sensation made her stomach turn and her head hurt, but the nauseous feeling told her one thing: she was alive.
Rika Tymor, fugitive Jedi Padawan and partner in a not-so legal transport business, lightly groaned as she tried to open her eyes, the bright light above her making her shut them instantly. As she forced her eyes shut, and willed them to focus in the blindingly bright light that was beating down even through her eyelids, she tried to get a sense of where she was and what was around her.
Through her natural senses, she could smell, hear, and feel the area around her. She was laying on her back, in a bed of sorts where the back was slightly elevated from the rest. The room, which was what she figured she was in, had a semi-harsh antiseptic smell. She could hear a constant droning murmur coming from a distance, and seeming to be coming from a single point, likely an open doorway. Closer to her, she could hear the rhythmic tonal beating of a medical instrument, likely a heart monitor since the beeps coincided with her heartbeats. She could also hear the sounds of fabric rubbing against itself close to her, likely someone who was sitting in the room.
Her eyes were still adjusting to the light, but she didn't need them to know who it was. Through the Force, she could sense her partner in crime- Randal Sarn, Captain of the Destrier. The feeling she got through the Force wasn't his usual signature, though. Instead of the usual brash and overconfidence that he normally exuded, he was emanating a nervous worry, shadowed by something dark and foreboding, though he was repressing it.
Giving her eyes another chance, she slowly opened them and looked to her right where she could see, though blurrily, Randal leaning back with his arms crossed, his head leaning back on the back of the chair in which he sat.
"W-where am I?" she asked softly, shocking herself at how frail her voice sounded. Randal instantly jumped forward and placed his hand on her shoulder. He gave her his signature smirk, though she could see that he was forcing it through his own anxiety.
"Don't worry, you're all right. We're on Ascension Station in the med bay." Rika blinked her eyes a few times and tried to understand what he had said. How did she end up here? What had happened? The last thing she remembered was walking back to the Destrier, and the thunderstorm that was reigning overhead. But there was something else, a dark shadow that was directed at her. It was an attack!
"The village! They're under attack!" she coughed out as she tried to sit up drastically in bed, but before she even lifted her torso, the dizziness washed over her and she had to lay back down. Randal caught her by the shoulders and helped her back down.
"Don't worry about that. No one in the village was hurt; they were only there for you."
"What?" Rika asked, the dizziness wearing off now that she was back fully on the bed.
"Kaul tried to kidnap you to collect the bounty. He shot you with enough tranquilizers to put down a bull rancor," Randal said quietly as he leaned forward. Rika let out a slow breath through her nose. So she had brought this on herself, then. Randal had warned her about drawing attention to herself, and her brandishing a lightsaber during a fight was a definite way of letting everyone know who and what she was. But that was the past, and it couldn't be helped.
"Wait, you said tried?"
"Yeah. He tried to kidnap you, but me and Geefive got you back." She hadn't known that the diminutive astromech droid was in the room with them, but then droids didn't register themselves in the Force; least not in any way that Rika could sense them. At the mention of his name, the droid whistled and beeped and started to rock impatiently from side to side. Rika smiled at the third member of their operation.
"Well, okay. We had help from Cal and Kayla. But I didn't let them get into the line of fire."
"Well, I guess a thanks is in order. Thank you, Geefive, and thank you, Randal." Rika took Randal's hand off her shoulder and held it in hers for a moment. His eyes briefly met hers before he looked away. Rika looked around the small medical room that they were in, and then looked up at the ceiling.
"What about the village? Do you think Kaul and his gang will try to take it out on them?" Randal smirked, though it was half hearted and forced. Through the Force, Rika got a sudden jolt of that darkness she had sensed in him earlier, and for a brief moment it swirled around him like a vortex. But just as suddenly as it had come, it was pushed back down and out of the way.
"They won't have to worry about Kaul or any of his goons doing anything anymore," he said with a sullen yet firm finality. Rika slowly withdrew her hand from his and turned her head to look directly at him.
"What happened?" she asked. Randal looked back at her, but his eyes were focused on something else in the distance.
"Don't worry about that right now. Just get your rest." Rika would have pressed the issue if she wasn't so physically drained. Instead, she dropped the subject and closed her eyes.
She wasn't sure how much time passed, it could have been a minute or an hour, but she opened her eyes when she heard the sounds of servo motors entering the room.
"And how is my patient?" the female programmed medical droid said as it came along the left side of her bed.
"Better I should think," Rika said with a smile. It wasn't just lip service she was paying the doctor; she actually did feel much better than she did when she first awoke. The medical droid silently looked her over, taking her pulse with its sensor arm and then checking the dilation of her eyes with a lighted fingertip.
"So what's your prognosis, Doc?" Randal asked. The doctor leaned back from its stooping position over Rika and made a motion with its servo-driven chassis components that mimicked a shrug.
"I would say that it was a miracle, if such things were medically possible. You're quite the lucky one, miss. When you came in here, you had such a large amount of fluoperidol in your system, I was amazed that you were even breathing. My best estimate at the time was that you would be lost in a coma for the rest of your life, if you even survived the night. But the fact that you are not only conscious, but fully coherent, defies all logic of my neural processors. If I were a research droid, I would find it highly enjoyable to study your recovery, but since I am merely programmed for medical treatment, I am content with your recovery."
"So is she clear to leave?" Randal asked. The droid again did its version of a shrug and then turned to leave the room.
"If the patient feels that they are capable of walking out of this room, than I see no reason to hold her here any longer. I would advise to avoid any excessive amounts of sedatives in the future. Have a good day."
Rika sat up in the bed, and lightly threw her legs over the side and stood up. She had a slight sense of dizziness, but it passed as she took a deep breath. Randal and Geefive waited outside the room while Rika disrobed from the hospital gown and put her own clothes back on.
When she exited the medical station, she found the two waiting besides the entrance. Randal smiled at her and stepped away from the wall that he was leaning on and started to lead the way down the corridor.
"You know, you really had me worried back there," Randal said.
"I'm just glad you came to get me. Who knows what those thugs, or even the Empire, might have done with me."
"Yea, I'd rather not find that out ever. Oh, here. Kayla found this; I guess you can have it back- if you promise to keep it out of sight, all right?" he said with a semi-seriousness as he handed back her lightsaber stealthily. There was no one around them, but it never hurt to be too careful.
"Thanks, I'll keep that in mind next time you're pinned down and need rescuing." Randal gave her a sideways look, but couldn't help from chuckling. Rika joined in, and they continued to walk down the corridor until they reached the entrance to a cantina.
"How about a drink?" Randal asked as he motioned towards the cantina. Rika smiled and lightly shrugged her shoulders.
"I wouldn't mind a cup of tea." Randal smirked and let her go ahead of him before he walked into the bar. Rika led the way and headed towards an empty table.
The cantina was longer than it was wide, with tables and booths on the left, and the bar on the right. A tall Bothan was behind the counter and walked back and forth serving the patrons seated at the bar.
As Rika took the seat with her back to the door (Randal refused to sit in that spot, and often said that her Force senses would tell her if there was any danger walking in, but he didn't have that luxury, so he preferred to see what was coming) she paused momentarily and turned back to the entrance. Randal took the opposite seat and raised a questioning brow.
"What is it?" he asked as Geefive rolled up to the edge of the table and retracted his third wheel. Rika continued to look towards the door for a moment, then shook her head and sat down.
"Nothing, I guess. For a second I thought I felt something." Randal's cautionary alarm went off, and he quickly scanned the entire cantina. They had travelled together for too long for him to ignore any of her "feelings" about a place. At first, nothing looked out of the ordinary. But the more he looked at the people around him, he could see rather than sense that they were on edge.
"Well something's up. Take a look at everyone in here; they all seem to be on edge."
"Yes, I sense a high level of anxiety in here. What could it be?" Rika wondered as her back went rigidly straight. Randal motioned for the waitress droid to come over, and with his free hand, undid the restraining clip that kept his blaster securely in its holster.
"Hi, what can I get for ya?" the waitress droid asked.
"I'll take an Alderaanian Ale, and she'll have..." he said as he motioned to Rika.
"I'll have a stim-tea, thanks."
"Coming up," the droid said as it started to leave, but Randal reached out and lightly touched its arm to keep it at the table. "Somethin' else?"
"Yea. You know why everyone seems so nervous in this place?" The droid briefly looked around and then lowered its round tray and spoke in a whisper.
"Everyone's on edge 'cause of that Imperial cruiser that's in the system. We usually don't see many of the bigger ships, so it's making everyone nervous. I don't know why, the thing isn't even coming here, it's headed in system."
"Thanks," Randal said as he let go of the droid and leaned back into the booth. After the droid left, he leaned forward and spoke softly.
"It may not be headed here, but I'd rather not be in the same system as the imps. After the drinks I think we should get back to the Destrier." Rika nodded, and Geefive twittered that he would go and get the ship ready for takeoff and then left.
When the waitress returned with the drinks, she placed them on the table and then handed a folded napkin to Rika.
"What's this?" she asked as she looked at the napkin. The droid shrugged and then made a motion back towards the entrance.
"Someone sitting at the bar wanted me to bring it to you." With that, the droid left to tend to another table. Randal leaned forward and waited for Rika to open it to see if there was anything there. Rika hesitated for a moment and then unfolded it. She stared at it for what seemed like an eternity in silence, her eyes wide with surprise. Rika quickly turned around to the bar, but there was no one there. Randal couldn't see what was on the napkin, and couldn't take the suspense any longer.
"Well, what is it?" Rika turned back around smiling widely, her dimples beaming in pure delight. She turned it to him and he looked at it. He cocked an eyebrow at the crudely drawn image and wondered just how a six legged beast of burden with a long tail and sloping head could make Rika so happy. Below the image, there was a number scribbled; 24b.
"I don't get it. What's that supposed to be? And why are you so excited about it?" Rika rolled her eyes and leaned forward, talking so fast that Randal wondered if her body was now having a reverse effect from the tranquilizers.
"This is a suubatar. It's a riding animal from Ansion. But that's only part of it. You see, when younglings are brought to the Temple and are first trained how to use the Force, they're put into groups, or clans as we called them. Each one is named after an animal. The one I was in was the suubatar clan! Don't you see? One of my clan mates is here! I've finally found another one!" Randal nodded his head and tried to calm her down.
"Okay, so it's a suubatar. But how do you know it's another Jedi? You sure it's not someone who just happened to draw a six legged thing and gave it to you because he drunkenly thought you'd like it?"
"Oh come on! That's just ridiculous."
"Okay, maybe. But what if it's an Imperial agent? Someone who recognizes you as a fugitive and is laying a trap for you?" Rika stood from the table and shook her head, her lekku swinging back and forth.
"It's what I've been searching for all this time, I know it. I'm going to meet them." Randal quickly counted out a few credit chips and left them on the table as he jumped up and ran after Rika.
"Hold on! Where're you going to meet them at?" Rika stopped and pointed at the number below the pictogram.
"24b, that has to be a docking bay, right?" Randal was about to say it could be anything, but the Bothan bartender spoke up from behind the bar.
"24b? That's down the corridor, opposite end of the station from here. Just keep walking that way and you can't miss it."
"Thank you," Rika said and then started off at a brisk walk, nearly breaking into a run in her excitement.
"Okay, okay. We'll go and see who this is, but don't get your hopes up. For all we know, it could just be an animal salesman trying to unload some of these things." Rika gave Randal a sideways look, but gently nodded her head.
"Okay, but when I'm right, you're buying the first round." Randal smirked and nodded, and together they headed towards docking bay 24b.
Rika walked at a brisk pace, and several times Randal had to either catch her by the arm or clear his throat to make her realize that she was almost running. When they reached docking bay 24b, she took in a deep breath and walked through the doors.
The bay was a large one, much larger than the berth that the Destrier was in. This one must have been designed for large heavy freighters or ore haulers; all multi-person crews at the minimum. Several massive loading droids were placing plasteel containers into the hold of a long ship that Randal recognized, and was sure that Rika did as well.
"Wow, a Charger C70. You don't see those too often in civvie hands." Rika wasn't paying any attention to the ship, but was focused on the figure speaking with a protocol droid with their back to her, wearing a hooded dark green cloak. Whoever the mysterious person who had given her the note was, it had to be this one. Rika reached out through the Force to see if she could get a sense of the person's identity, but was puzzled by what she sensed; or rather, what she didn't sense. Everything gave off some sort of emission that could be detectable through the Force if a Jedi focused enough, but for whatever reason, this person wasn't emanating any resonance in the Force. It was as if there was a blank spot that revolved around this one single person.
The figure must have sensed her puzzlement and turned around from the droid to face both Randal and Rika. Two slender hands reached out from up under the cover of the green cloak and pushed back the hood, revealing a human female, about Rika's age, with long blonde hair and gray eyes. She smiled at Rika and ran to her, grabbing both of Rika's arms and shaking her gently, like old friends seeing each other after a long time apart.
"Rika! I thought that was you in the cantina! You don't know how happy I am to see that you've survived! How did you do it? So many others didn't make it," she said as she trailed off with a slight frown.
"I was lucky, I guess. I've been searching for other Jedi ever since that day, and I was almost about to give up hope. I'm so relieved to find you alive and well, Orena." Randal didn't want to break up their reunion moment, but he felt left out. Rika must have sensed his uneasiness and smiled back at him and motioned to Randal.
"Orena, I'd like you to meet Randal Sarn. If it wasn't for him, I'd likely be dead or captured by the Empire by now."
"It's Captain Randal Sarn. I keep having to remind her of that," Randal said as he offered his right hand. Orena took it and shook back firmly.
"Well, Captain Randal Sarn, I'm General Orena Melar, Jedi Knight of the former Republic." As she shook Randal's hand, Rika took a moment to look over her old clan mate. Orena wasn't garbed in the old Jedi robes that they both used to wear, but was instead wearing a pale green shirt with a conforming black vest over it. She wore dark blue pants that were also tight and were tucked into her tall black boots. Draped over her shoulders, and clasped together around her neck was her dark green hooded cloak, that now hung off of the edges of her shoulders. Around her waist she wore a typical gun belt with a blaster on her left in a cross-draw holster. But what shocked Rika the most was the fact that Orena still wore her lightsaber on her belt, out in the open on her right side.
"So the two of you know each other then, right?" Randal asked.
"Yes, we were in the same youngling clan as children." Orena turned back to Rika and smiled as she lightly shook her head. "I still can't believe that we ran into each other like this."
"Nothing happens by accident, or at least that was what the masters always told us." Both Rika and Orena shared a light laugh, while Randal rocked back and forth on his boots, still feeling like a third wheel. Their conversation was interrupted by the protocol droid, who was painted in an old military scheme.
"Sir! Tower control says that the Imperial cruiser is leaving orbit of Dienzo III and is heading to this station," the droid said in a stiff military sounding voice. Orena nodded firmly and turned back to Rika.
"I'd like to be able to catch up and see what you're up to, but I make it a habit of not sticking around when Imperials show up. If you'd like, we can set a rendezvous point up and meet there. Then we can talk more leisurely," Orena said with a hoping smile. Rika nodded and Orena reached into her vest and pulled out a notebook and tore out a flimsi page. She quickly wrote down a set of coordinates and handed them to Rika.
"We'll meet you there," Rika said and they both nodded their farewells; Orena headed back to her light frigate, and Rika heading towards the exit.
Randal fell in step besides Rika and looked over the flimsi. "I guess we're headed there, then?"
"Yes, if you don't mind," Rika said with a smile. Randal shrugged and put his hands in his pockets.
"No, I don't mind. Haven't got anything else to do." As the two headed back towards the Destrier's docking bay, Randal started to notice that everyone in the station seemed to be wanting to leave in a hurry. Obviously they all heard that the cruiser was headed this way.
As they passed the cantina that they had gone into before, Randal stopped when he saw the Bothan bartender closing the security fence and locking the place up.
"You don't think the Imps are going to want a drink?" Randal said jokingly. The Bothan turned around and gave Randal a serious look.
"Those bastards can go burn in the core after what they just did." Randal's smirk was replaced with a frown as he caught the Bothan by the sleeve as he started to leave.
"What do you mean?"
"You haven't heard? Those stormtroopers went down to some small mining village, demanding that they give up a fugitive or something. When they refused, they opened fire. Killed every last one of them. Women and children, from what the report said."
"What was the name of the village?" Rika asked concernedly.
"Oh, it had some funny name. New Beginning, or something like that. Poor bastards, I guess it wasn't after all." Randal let the Bothan's sleeve go, and the bartender left. Randal didn't see or hear him go. He didn't hear much of anything at all. His knees felt weak, and his stomach churned violently. Rika touched him on the arm and drew him out of his trance.
"I can't believe it. They killed everyone there because of us; because of what we did. Giles, Otzz, even Cal and Kayla," Randal said quietly. Rika lightly nodded her head, and took Randal by the arm.
"Come on, we've got to get off of this station before they get here. Don't blame yourself. We didn't kill them, the Empire did." Randal lightly nodded and began to start walking again.
As they walked, Randal realized that he had been wrong. Before, he always felt that not getting involved and minding his own business was the best policy, but not after today, not after Dienzo III. Those people had every right to live as any other. No one in the galaxy would be safe from the Empire's tyranny as long as they existed. But if everyone felt the way that Randal had, then more people would die under the Empire's boot heel and freedom would be just a footnote in history. Someone had to stand up against them, and Randal swore to himself that he would do just that.
A/N: Well, there it is, the end of Way of the Blaster, Part 2 in my series. A darker ending, to be sure, but they weren't called the Dark Times for nothing. This story was fun to write, and honestly went very quickly (though the updates to this site certainly weren't, and I apologize for that.) I'm currently finishing up the rough draft of Part 3, and will likely be posting that some time in mid-late May. It takes place immediately after this one, and should be an interesting ride! Thanks for reading, and leave a review if you liked it! Keep an eye out for the next installment in the upcoming month!