Thanks to narutodragon for your comment on chapter five, much appreciated.
Kaelan studied the map of Citadel Station shown on the holoprojector fastened to the gauntlet of his armour. His gaze was fixated on module 081, a section listed in the Citadel directory as the primary entertainment area for the station, and the very section his group was currently heading toward in a transport shuttle.
The module was likely to have several cantinas within, places- that the outcast knew from his travels in the Outer Rim- were a good first start in obtaining information. He planned on getting information on both groups involved in the Restoration Project –Czerka Corporation and a herd of Ithorians- then deciding which one to work for. The presence of two separate groups working on the same project was puzzling to the former General. Such splinter groups were inefficient by nature, each often divided by differing opinions, leading to an inability to make decisions. It was more logical to pool resources together and the apparent division in the Restoration Project pointed to different agendas. While Kaelan had no idea what other agendas there could possibly be, he considered it foolish to blindly discount the possibility.
Czerka Corporation was a galaxy spanning group, one motivated exclusively by profit. The enterprise dabbled in a bit of everything, be it small miscellaneous components or starship construction. Motivation and ambition had allowed them to build connections and establish direction operations on hundreds of planets. Their blind pursuit of profit had given them a reputation for questionable activities in the past.
By contrast, the Ithorians were a species known for their pacifistic nature and affinity for nature. This affinity, however, gave the plant tenders a knack for obsession, often leading them to be fiercely protective of their 'charges.' Such behaviour could result in irrational decisions, such as their choice to retreat to orbital cities above their homeplanet, Ithor, in order to preserve the vegetation.
At first impression, none of the two seemed as though they were participating in malcontent, making the exile's trip to the cantina even more important. The automated shuttle docked at the nearest port built into the side of module 081, the airlock doors opening once the external interlocks had the ship firmly in place. The group of four stepped out of the shuttle, finding themselves in a large area.
Where the other modules had twisting mazes of corridors and lifts that ran along the complex, the entertainment station was an open, multi-level chamber for the most part. Doors to separate entertainment areas ran along the walls, towering the entire length of the module; various lifts took users to the higher-up areas. The different levels in the area were filled with crowds moving to the various sections, advertising holoboards showed the more attractive locales in the module.
Kaelan only needed to take one look at the station to know he had to modify his plan. "Let's split up," The exile said as he turned to face his companions. "Atton, take the second level and Kreia, look into the third. Remember, obtain any information you can about Czerka and Ithorian activities on the station."
The designated pair gave nods in acknowledgement before moving off to carry out their instructions. Kaelan watched them depart, heading for one of the advertisement holos. "HK," He called over his shoulder, "You're with me."
"Statement: Yes Master," The assassin droid said as he fell into step behind his owner.
The exile headed toward the cantina one of the holoboards identified as Restoring Thirst. The name itself was what attracted Kaelan, an oxymoron designation for a bar that he couldn't help but think gave the owner's impression on the Restoration Project. Dim blue lighting gave the bar its illumination, just bright enough for the veteran to make his way over to the serving area to the right of the entrance.
"Gizer Ale," Kaelan called to the bartender once he was able to get close enough to the counter to place his order; there were quite a few people milling around the area, either placing orders or retreating to the various tables and booths running along the centre and sides of the large room.
The bartender, a female, green-skinned Duros, left to retrieve his desired beverage. By the time she returned, Kaelan had withdrawn a credit chip worth fifty credits from his armour belt- he had yet to transfer the three thousand credit chips he'd earned on Eriadu to his bank account- and placed it on the table. The Duros looked at him, her large red eyes regarding him intently for a moment. "Gizer Ale doesn't cost that much."
Her wary tone brought the ghost of a smile to Kaelan's lips. "Ten is for the drink, the forty is for a moment of your time."
In response, the Duros delegated the rest of the orders to her serving droid and turned her full attention to the human in front of him. "I'm listening."
"This Restoration of Telos interests me and I'm thinking of lending a hand. Know how I could go about doing that?"
A small whining noise emitted from the alien's mouth, the equivalent of a human sneer. "You're wasting your time, that Restoration Project isn't going to be doing anything significant anytime soon. Czerka Coporation and the Ithorians keep clashing with each other, preventing the project itself from coming to fruition."
"What do they have problems with exactly?" Kaelan asked, intrigued by the Duros' statement.
"Budget distribution, restoration zone control, specifics of managing the zones themselves," The Duros said while counting off their problems on her long, slender fingers. "If this keeps up, I'd bet a single person restoring the planet before those two managed to accomplish anything."
The exile absorbed the information as the Duros spoke. None of this put him any closer to deciding who to work for, but it did make him wonder whether he had been wrong in his initial assessment. Perhaps the two groups had broken away due to something as minor as a conflict of procedure, rather than one of interest. He shook the thought away, however, knowing he needed more information before he would know what to really think. He thanked the Duros for her time, taking a moment to simply enjoy his Gizer Ale, one of the many simple pleasures he had been unable to indulge in for the past few days.
"Ah, so here's the Jedi all the rumours have mentioned," A voice said from Kaelan's left.
The outcast tensed briefly at the word Jedi, though he hoped it was too dark for anyone to notice the slight shift in his movement. He didn't bother responding either, since he couldn't help but believe that whoever was addressing him was taking a wild guess. The alternative was to believe that someone had spread word of his appearance on Citadel, whether it be the Republic itself or simply someone who had recognized him on his arrival.
"No more trouble with the TSF I hope?" When Kaelan still remained silent, the voice sounded again, agitation clear in the tone. "Hey, I'm talking to you!"
"Warning: Tactile contact with the Master is unadvised if you wish to keep your arm, meatbag."
Kaelan glanced to the left of him at that to see HK-47 focusing his red photoreceptors on a human male garbed in a heavy combat suit. The man had been in the process of reaching toward the former General's shoulder, only to freeze half-way with the assassin droid's warning. "Something I can do for you?" Kaelan asked the man once he finally pulled his hand back to his side.
"I see that you don't know who I am."
The newcomer's voice was coated with enough arrogance to make Kaelan roll his eyes as he turned back to his drink. "Someone with a narcissistic quality bigger than this entire station?"
The jab made the man's eyes narrow in response, something Kaelan had to hide his amusement at. "I'm Benok, the man in charge of Loppak Slusk's protection. The two gentlemen with me are Matu and Nahata," Benok said as he pointed to the armoured Rodian and Aqualish at his side. "They are some of Slusk's best men, aside from myself of course."
The sheer arrogance in the man's statements was so powerful it could be felt through the Force. It was enough to make him consider letting HK go at them with no restrictions. "Oh leave the man alone Benok," a feminine voice called from behind both groups. "I bet he'd come out on top if you fought."
The veteran turned his attention towards one of the tables behind them, a woman with short, red hair, garbed in a skin-tight black bodysuit stopping just high of the thighs- an outfit more at home on the Twi'lek dancers in the back of the cantina- made the statement. Her bare legs were propped on the top of the table, while she leaned back in the chair, her pink coloured irises switching between Kaelan and Benok.
"Now Luxa," Benok spoke in a slightly dismissing statement as he looked at the woman, "I meant nothing by it. You're probably Slusk's strongest….woman."
"It's your skin Benok," The woman spoke lightly, though the hint of reprisal lay beneath. "Just warning you, Slusk could easily replace you."
Finally, Kaelan thought with a small grin, someone who can help peg this guy's ego down to where it belongs.
Luxa looked to the veteran; he didn't need the Force to know she believed he could be the one to provide the means for the very replacement she mentioned. As appealing as it would be to show the armoured thug his place, Kaelan had no desire to start a fight in a cantina– nor did he have any wish to attract the TSF's attention more than he already had. "I'm not looking for trouble," His said, his declaration made more towards the woman than Benok.
The three males only left the cantina in response but not before Benok's snide remark, "I doubt you could cause any."
"Request: Master, may I crush the meatbag's neck?"
Kaelan wasn't sure if the assassin droid intended to be loud enough to scare the thugs, or if he was only speaking loud enough to ensure he heard his statement. Either way, the result was Benok moving just a little bit faster out of the cantina. He chuckled at the retreating form of the three thugs, downing the rest of his drink. "Maybe later HK," He said to the mechanical while he moved toward a nearby group of patrons to continue his hunt for information.
An hour later, Kaelan sat at one of the tables in the back of the cantina. He had questioned multiple patrons on their thoughts about the Ithorians, Czerka, and the Restoration Project in general. None of the responses had been very informative; people who supported one side cited the other as being responsible for the project's standstill state. And even those who had no qualm against either only gave a simplistic overview of the setbacks, none of which helped Kaelan make his decision.
"Doton, please, you've got to let her go! I can get you the credits; it'll just take a while!"
The frantic shouts stirred the former Jedi from his thoughts, his eyes snapping toward the direction of the disturbance; a table at the far end of the Cantina, close to the stage where a Bith band and two Twi'lek girls were. Curious, Kaelan moved closer to see what all the commotion was about. Though the shouts had been loud enough to be heard above the band's music, most of the patrons paid it no mind.
"A deal is a deal Harra," A green-skinned Twi'lek wearing the dark green tunic common among Telosian attire said. "And until you have the agreed upon sum in its entirety, we have nothing more to discuss."
"But it will take me months to get that much, maybe years! Doton, please, you can let her go now and I can still pay you back a bit at a time!"
"You shouldn't bet more than you're willing to lose Harra," Doton spoke with a slight smirk on his face.
The other Twi'lek went livid at the comment and would undoubtedly have made a move against Doton if Kaelan didn't intervene. "What's going on here?"
"Just a simple business deal," Doton replied smoothly, though his hard gaze was fixated on Harra, "Which has been concluded."
"It doesn't seem to be," Kaelan spoke with a faint degree of amusement, a feeling which changed to curiosity. "What is the exact nature of this deal?"
Harra quickly explained the situation to the former Jedi, telling of how he had bet his girlfriend, Ramana, in a pazaak game against Doton, a statement which Kaelan had immediately narrowed his eyes at. An intensive anger boiled within him at the thought of someone willingly selling their own lover into slavery. "I'll get her out of this."
Kaelan had made the comment more to himself than Harra, but the Czerka-employed Twi'lek answered anyway. "I wish you luck then, for no amount of pleading or bargaining has yielded any results for me."
The exile only regarded Harra with a cold gaze for several moments, turning his attention back to Doton only when Harra started to look extremely uncomfortable. "So, how much do you want in exchange for Ramana's freedom?"
"Credits are such a dreary method for conducting business transactions," Doton paused, as though wanting to know if the Force Sensitive had anything else to trade. When Kaelan remained silent, he continued. "But if that is the only way, I would accept no less than two thousand for her."
As far as slave prices went that Kaelan had heard of, two thousand was one of the more reasonable amounts. Still, he wasn't one to needlessly spend currency, particularly not to a slaver- unless he absolutely had to. Stretching out with the Force, Kaelan intended on compelling him to agree to Ramana's immediate release. Guided by his hand, he used the Force to form a barrier around the decision making section of the Twi'lek's brain. Once it was formed all he had to was maintain it while he looked at Doton, the entire process took less than a second. "You will release Ramana."
With his decision-making ability blocked, the Twi'lek saw no reason why he shouldn't give in to the command and he eagerly complied. Moving over to the stage, Doton pulled aside the lithe form of a green-skinned Twi'lek female in a bodysuit quite similar to the one worn by Luxa, save for the fact that it was red. Without a word, the entrepreneur brought Ramana to Kaelan's side. A final command from Kaelan and Doton left the cantina.
"Wait here a moment," Kaelan said, the cold tone he'd used since learning of the incident replaced by a softer one as he spoke to Ramana.
Though the young woman looked intensely confused, she obeyed. The Twi'lek dancer didn't have to wait very long before the former Jedi returned, handing her a thousand credits he'd relieved from Harra, along with five hundred of his own. "Here you go," He said with a smile. "I negotiated your release, you're free now."
Ramana only regarded him in disbelief for a few seconds before she realized that he was telling the truth. Her eyes light up in joy and she briefly wrapped her arms around her liberator in a thankful hug before running out of the establishment. She had moved with such quickness, that even the Force Sensitive was barley able to keep track of her movements.
Kaelan stared at the spot she'd left for a few seconds longer before he started moving toward the cantina's exit himself, believing he had discovered all he could here. "I can see I was right about you, you are a capable sort."
The unmistakable sound of Luxa's voice made him stop in his retreat, HK mirroring his movements. "And what makes you think that?" He asked, stepping toward the table the woman was still at. He'd felt Luxa's gaze on him as soon as the incident with Benok had ended. It was clear she was curious about him, but he felt that there was something more to it than that.
"Being able to easily resolve a dispute in here that's been raging for days is no small feat," The woman replied, a sly grin etched on her features.
A shrug met her statement as he took a seat at the table, "Sometimes you just need the right skills."
Her grin only grew at his words, "And what sort of skills do you have?"
"Enough to do what I need." A feeling of caution started to work its way into him. Part of him felt she had witnessed his unique persuasion abilities. Such a discovery would not bode well for him. "Is there a particular reason for these questions?"
She cocked her head to the side, for a moment, as if assessing the reasons for his question. "So forward," She said with a stern expression, one that melted into a flirtatious smile after a few moments. "I like that." She paused for a moment to simply stare at Kaelan before continuing, "You've already noticed from my encounter with Benok that I'm not particularly fond of some of those I work with."
"Indeed," The exile said with a raised brow at such an understatement." And what exactly do you do in your line of work?"
"I handle the vice of this station. You know, spice, gambling –the good things in life- for the local Exchange boss Loppak Slusk."
"Exchange, huh?" The query had been posed with an almost casual tone, though a subtle movement to the disruptor on his right side gave the indication of what he truly thought on the revelation.
"Don't worry, I won't make a move on you."
"Why would I be worried?" Kaelan spoke with genuine confusion. How the woman had been able to tell that was beyond him.
The sly smile was back on her lips, "You've obviously never met a Zeltron before. We can feel emotions, and you are just too tense to be anything but worried."
The veteran instantly slammed his mental shields back in place, cursing himself for both his lack of control with his mind and for his failure to recognize her species. Mental shields were a technique almost implicitly known to Force Sensitives, a barrier that guarded against unwanted attacks- be they subtle attempts at reading the mind or all out aggressive use of the Force. And the Zeltron were a species known as much for their empathic abilities as they were for their extravagant features.
He took some satisfaction in watching Luxa's confident feeling dim once she no longer had the ability to sense his feelings. "Like I said," Luxa continued, "I'm not going to make a move on you, I want to make a deal with you."
"A deal?"
"Mmmm, that squid boss of mine and I don't see eye to eye on a lot of things, you, of course, being one of them."
"What does Exchange business have to do with me?"
A soft sigh escaped the Zeltron's lips, "Look, there have been a lot of rumours going around the Station. This is your chance to set the record straight." She took a brief pause but continued before Kaelan could ask a question. "Are you really a Jedi?"
"No."
The lack of hesitation in his voice brought a flicker of surprise to Luxa's face before she steeled herself and nodded at his answer. "Exactly, this bounty the Exchange has posted for Jedi has nothing to do with you, but the squidhead won't listen to me."
"So you want me to kill your boss for you?" Kaelan asked bluntly, growing weary of the dancing around the issue.
The smile came back to her face, "Precisely."
'Forget it' were the first words to come to Kaelan's mind, but instead he found himself considering her offer. It would give him a chance to get some answers to questions he'd had ever since Atton had revealed the existence of the bounty to him. "What's in it for me?"
"Simple, you help me dispose of Slusk and I'll clear up this bounty matter for you."
It sounded good, far too good. If his excursions throughout the Outer Rim had taught him anything, it was never to take things at face value. Using the Force, he slowly entered the woman's mind. Once inside, he started searching for proof to validate her statement. The outcast's progress was blocked, however, by the natural defences inherit to every Zeltron due to their empathic abilities. While the barriers themselves were insignificant in comparison to the abilities of a Force Sensitive, they were strong enough that Kaelan wasn't sure if he would be able to get what he wanted without alerting Luxa to his subtle probe.
::Letting your perceptions extend to the mind of another is a complicated task, you are to be commended for getting as far as you have::
Kreia's sudden transmission of thought was so unexpected Kaelan almost lost his concentration. It took him a moment to figure out how to maintain his probe within Luxa's mind and simultaneously send his thoughts across the link he shared with the old woman. Once he did, he explained the situation.
::Slowly chiselling away a specific layer to the barriers is the wisest course of action. For those touched with the Force, sometimes, all it takes is a crack::
The former Jedi followed his unofficial mentor's instructions, harnessing just enough power from the Force to pierce the Zeltron's mental shields at a single point. A simple breach, but one that allowed him to slip through Luxa's defences undetected and search for what he sought. The double-meaning in her words was revealed, a finding accompanied by a feeling of deviousness and a strong sense of impending betrayal.
The last find was enough for the veteran to withdraw his probe, having found something he could say he wasn't surprised to discover. Luxa was planning to betray him at some point, that much had been clear. Now he wanted to know why. "Why do you want your boss removed so badly?"
His probe into Luxa's mind hadn't taken more than several seconds. To the Exchange member, he had only been thinking of whether or not to accept her offer, so his question in search of more answers did not surprise her. "Slusk works for Goto, one of the more well known crime bosses of the Exchange who operates out of Nar Shadaa. Now this Goto is ruthless, efficient, and all he sees are numbers. Goto keeps the local squid around since he maintains a consistent flow of credits, more or less. But it is only half of what I know it could be." Luxa's relaxed posture started to fade away, her devious nature starting to seep through while she continued to rant. "I should be Citadel's boss, but Goto doesn't allow breaks in the chain of command unless he himself orders it."
"I see, and how would this work?"
His use of the hypothetical word 'would' didn't go unnoticed by Luxa, her posture returning to her laid-back façade when she believed she had more convincing to do. "I can get you into the centre for Exchange operations in module 043. More than a few of the guards are loyal to me alone so there shouldn't be too much resistance inside. Once Slusk is dead, I'll clear up the bounty. Do we have a deal?"
He hadn't really found the answer to why she would betray him, but he figured he'd find them at some point. Not to mention that this was his only way of obtaining the answers he sought. In response to Luxa's query, he gave a curt nod in agreement, "Deal."
"In that case," The Zeltron spoke with what Kaelan was beginning to think was her signature smile, "We'll be speaking soon. Best of luck, handsome."
Leaving Restoring Thirst and heading back into module 081 itself, Kaelan quickly informed his companions of the change in plans- Atton via his transceiver and Kreia through their bond.
Five minutes later, the reunited group of four were in another shuttle headed for module 043. A look at the map displayed on his armour's holoprojector showed Kaelan that the headquarters of the Exchange was nestled in a part of the station formally listed on the Citadel's directory as a segment of the local swoop track. Such areas had been made in the unoccupied sections of the station, making it a good cover for illicit activities of the intergalactic crime syndicate- as the overly stretched Telos Security Forces had no reason to mount any searches. It also created a good opportunity for the Exchange to collect the bounty on Kaelan's head, a fact that did not escape the exile.
"Query: Now that we are heading toward a meeting of known hostiles, may I now rescind your order to not harm any meatbags?"
Kaelan shot a surprise glance over to his right, where HK-47 was standing, an area close to the front of the transport. "I'm surprised you're following my orders so precisely."
"Irritated Statement: I am bound by my central processor Master. Even I cannot countermand my own programming."
"I see," Kaelan spoke with amusement, deciding not to voice the fact that 'meatbags' had the ability to exceed their 'programming.' "Do you really find my command not to harm civilians so restricting?"
"Definition: Civilian….an individual not on active duty with a military or police organization. My calculations indicate that the term applies to all but forty-five percent of the meatbags on the station. Among the forty-five percent are those working for the Exchange."
"I'll consider it," The outcast responded after a minute of silence.
"Observation: Since I am still disarmed, perhaps you will at least equip me with some form of armament. I do not feel true to myself without a blaster in my grasp."
"I'll consider it," Kaelan repeated once more, a small smile on his face.
"Statement: Oh fine, Master. Reactivate an assassin droid only to treat it like a protocol unit. Even by my standards, this level of torture borders on excessive."
The veteran couldn't help but chuckle at the droid's wounded tone.
"Kaelan, are you sure this is a good idea?"
The former Jedi regarded his companion in silence for a moment, his previous feelings of amusement fading. After several seconds, he turned to look out of the shuttle's forward viewport. "I need answers Atton and they're going to provide them," His expression growing darker, "One way or another."
Atton could only nod his head in response, a gesture made more to himself, since everyone else's attention was drawn to their approaching destination.
The shuttle docked at module 043 not long after, the group departing once the airlock opened. Rather than the large amount of space, Kaelan expected to find, however, a small hallway led to an entryway guarded by two armoured Rodians. At the group's approach, the aliens trained their blaster rifles on them. "State your business."
The exile let his right hand rest on his holstered disruptor, now was the time to see if Luxa had command of as many guards as she claimed. "Luxa sent me."
Immediately, the weapons were lowered. "I hope you've realized what you've gotten yourself into Human." One of them turned to a COM panel next to the door and spoke a few words that Kaelan couldn't hear, the door to Exchange headquarters opening not long after and the two guards retreating toward the shuttle the group had just arrived in.
Without hesitation, the veteran stepped into the centre of the criminal operations on Citadel Station. An Aqualish, a male and female human, and two male Twi'leks turned around at the sound of approaching steps, their forms clustered near a large door that Kaelan assumed to be the final security door barring access to the rest of the Exchange establishment. Even with the precognitive awareness granted by his limited Force connection, the outcast was barely able to roll to the side as a flurry of blaster bolts riddled the section on the permacrete floor he had stood in only moments ago.
His disruptors were already in his grasp by the time he came to a stop, a quick burst of shots impacting into two of the thugs. The male human was killed but the other, a blue-skinned Twi'lek, was only hit with a glancing blow against his armour's left shoulder plating. Even a slight skim from a disruptor bolt, however, was enough to make the alien cringe in pain, his right hand shooting to his injured limb.
Answering fire from the remaining Exchange members forced the exile to roll away and seek cover amid the small cutaways in the walls of the thirty by ten metre corridor. Kaelan had to resort to blind-firing with his right disruptor to attempt to discourage any possible advance. With all the red bolts swarming his position he couldn't risk moving from his cover without getting shot. He was fairly certain his armour would still be able to absorb the energy projectiles, even from thirty metres, but he saw no reason to test the theory.
Fortunately, he didn't have to.
Two precise bolts from Atton's captured TSF blaster pistol struck the female right in the centre of mass as the pilot moved in. A burst of enemy fire toward his position greeted his arrival, forcing him to move behind Kreia as her green lightsaber snapped to life and deflected the five bolts that would have made short work of Atton. Two of the energy projectiles were only deflected to the side while three were redirected back to their source, the Aqualish thug.
"I want the last one alive!"
Atton shot the former General a surprised and dubious glance in response. He was undoubtedly about to reply with a scathing retort but Kaelan never gave him the chance to say it as he moved out of cover. He paused just long enough to aim his right disruptor at his distracted foe and fire off a single shot. The bolt riddled through the orange-skinned Twi'lek's armour, at a space just at the side of the kneecap. Easily riddling through the joint, the alien was left to collapse with a scream.
Kaelan capitalized on the inflicted wound, swiftly closing the distance between himself and his target. Grapping the Twi'lek's left wrist, the outcast wrenched the blaster pistol from the thug's grasp and tossed it aside. His other hand quickly shot out to grip the Twi'lek at the neck, gaining him the necessary leverage to slam the alien into the nearest wall.
The Exchange member winced in pain at the assault, but Kaelan only regarded him with a cold gaze. "Tell me what I want to know and I'll consider letting you live."
"Kaelan, what are you doing?"
"Observation: The Master is interrogating the Twi'lek, inflicting pain to extract information."
Atton rounded on the assassin droid and shouted, "I know what he's doing, I mean why!"
The former Jedi shot Atton a look that wordlessly commanded him to stand down, an order almost immediately obeyed.
Fear gripped the alien at his interrogator's words, but he was more afraid of his own employer. "I'm…not telling…you any…thing."
An increased pressure on the Twi'lek's windpipe was the only response at first, his breathing coming in short, laborious intakes. "Wrong answer. For your sake, I would advise against it in the future." Kaelan paused for a moment, staring into the alien's eyes with a hard gaze. "Where is Loppak Slusk?"
"M…Middle of…head…quarters." When it looked like the veteran wanted more, the Twi'lek hurriedly continued, "I…I don't know….where ex…exactly...I s…swear."
Kaelan nodded after a moment, sensing his honesty through the Force. "How many more Exchange members are in here?"
"E..en…ough…to…ki...ll…you."
A disruptor bolt to the alien's other leg forestall any more words, a muffled cry of pain escaping his throat. "I'm sorry, I didn't catch that."
"S…S…Sev….enty."
"What do you call seventy dead Exchange thugs?" Whether Kaelan's posed query was directed to the captive or his companions was uncertain. Neither made any attempt to guess, however, so the outcast gave them the answer. A disruptor bolt riddled through the Twi'lek's chest, his corpse ceasing to struggle in his attacker's grasp. "A good start," Kaelan replied to his own question with a slight growl.
Throwing the lifeless body to the ground, Kaelan turned to the wall mounted console and motioned for HK to slice it and open the inner door. The droid obeyed the command, but not before focusing on the corpse of the fallen thug. "Statement: One cannot help but applaud your methodology Master."
No-one bothered to answer the droid, least of all the individual the comment was directed toward. Atton was silent, torn between a sense that Kaelan was right in what he was doing and feeling that he was wrong. The former made up the largest part of the pilot; he felt a sense of justification for what the exile was doing. After all, the man had only recently learned of the Exchange putting a bounty on Jedi, so he was bound to be angry.
For Kaelan's part, rage dominated his senses at the moment. It had sparked once he had learned of the Exchange's presence on Citadel. He had told himself that he would keep it in check, but as soon as the Exchange members inside had opened fire, he had lost whatever control he had managed to create. The emotion coursed through him as strongly as it did during the Mandalorian Wars, his own memories from the conflict kept the inferno of rage within him active.
At first, the former Jedi was surprised by how much the news of the Exchange hunting Jedi had affected him. The Order had abandoned him long ago and he wasn't sure if part of him was unable to return the favour. Now, however, he realized that it wasn't a feeling of misplaced loyalty that was behind it so much as it was the feeling of those he had still considered friends during the Mandalorian Wars- despite the fact that they had not followed Revan as he had- being the targets. The veteran kept imagining bounty hunters coming after those select individuals and, after feeling like he had already lost all the friends he'd ever known, it ignited a fire inside him he just couldn't quell.
He had expected a scolding from Kreia at his actions, either in his mind or spoken aloud. The old woman did neither, however, and, after glancing at her, the veteran wasn't sure if she didn't care or was just waiting until later to voice her opinion. Shaking his head, Kaelan tried to dispel his thoughts, wondering when he had started to become concerned with how others viewed his actions. He'd been numb to such things since Malachor V and his subsequent final encounter with the Jedi Order.
The former General had been so distracted that he didn't notice right away when HK opened the door. When he did realize that the assassin droid had succeeded, he found himself looking at a vast storage area more at home to a warehouse than a headquarters. Racks of weapons, armour, munitions, and equipment were laid out in rows of shelves in such abundance that it was clear the Exchange considered it impossible for any unwanted visitors to get past the final security door. The room wasn't limited to just the tools of combat however, stacks of storage crates lining the walls looked to hold some of the galaxy's most valuable commodities, whether they be something as simple as medical supplies or the more illegal substances such as spice.
The absence of life in this section of the criminal establishment allowed the infiltrators a moment of reprieve. Three doors permitted access to branching areas of headquarters, each on different sides of the room. Since the Twi'lek had informed him that his target was around the centre of the complex, the outcast opted to use the door straight ahead of him.
He didn't know what lay beyond but he felt it was conceivable to believe that he wouldn't be able to tackle it alone, so he'd bring Atton and Kreia along with him. The rest of the Exchange members still needed to be dealt with, however, so the veteran turned to his mechanical companion. "HK, I have an assignment for you. I want you to comb through this entire complex and terminate anyone you see, so long as they are aggressive."
"Query: What of your restrictions?"
A cruel smile stretched across Kaelan's lips, "Against combatants, consider them levied."
"Statement: The feeling of immense excitement is spreading through my behaviour core at this news Master. I will depart at once."
The assassin droid paused at the racks of stored weapons long enough to select a blaster rifle to his liking, a medium repeater if Kaelan wasn't mistaken, and heading out through the door on the left.
"I guess even assassin droids understand the importance of speed," Atton commented, obviously having thought that HK-47 would have stopped to gleefully browse at every weapon available.
Normally, such a statement would have brought a grin to the former Jedi's expression- for he had been thinking along the same lines- but not now; he only nodded at the statement before pressing forward.
Minutes passed, odd skirmishes between the resident inhabitants occurring as the trio proceeded further into Exchange headquarters. The complex's scenery had turned from one of a secure storage facility to the type of lavish accommodations rivalling that of 500 Republica on Coruscant itself. Rooms designed as lounge areas functioned as barracks for the criminal garrison, each one filled with enough plush couches and chairs to keep a Republic Senator content.
After navigating through twisting hallways and rooms, the group found themselves standing outside of a large door in a long corridor. Unlike most of the doors in this part of the complex, the entryway was locked. Kaelan's slicing skills proved sufficient enough to remove the obstacle from his exploration. With the door now open, the three moved inside to be greeted by a truly spectacular vista.
The room was large, its size more at home in the entrance of a palace. Various gemstones made up the floor, with equally expensive materials used in the forging of the walls and ceiling. Though the room was tall enough for a shuttle to stay at a comfortable hover, there was only one level present in the room. A contingent of twelve Exchange members occupied such a level, all of them turning at the sound of the party's approaching footsteps echoing across the expensive flooring.
Kaelan stopped just twenty metres away, noticing that, while all of them had drawn their weapons, they had yet to take an aggressive stance. The reason for such inaction became clear when the exile noticed a Quarren standing at the group's centre. It was the only individual of the aquatic humanoid species that Kaelan had seen in his entire time in Exchange headquarters. Given that, the current surroundings, and the amount of criminals present, he felt it was safe to venture that the Quarren in front of him was none other than his target, Loppak Slusk.
"If it isn't the very person I've been looking forward to meeting." A guttural laugh emitted from the Quarren, the four tentacle appendages protruding from his squid-like physique twitching rapidly in response. "If I knew you'd have walked in here willingly Jedi, I wouldn't have bothered making arrangements for your capture."
"I want answers Quarren, answers in regards to this bounty." Kaelan spoke with a growl, the aquatic's arrogant statements only serving to fuel his already intense anger.
"You're marked and have a large price on your head, that's all you need to know." Slusk turned to the human male at his left, the man in question was currently glaring at Kaelan, eager for a fight. "I trust you can take care of this fool, Benok?"
The bodyguard glanced at his charge, a grin on his face. "But of course."
With that, Slusk turned and moved inside a heavy security door only a few metres behind him, an entryway similar to the inner security door of the headquarters itself. Both parties waited for the Quarren to leave the battle zone before attacking, the Exchange out of a desire not to have their boss injured in unintended cross-fire and Kaelan out of a desire to preserve his only means of acquiring information. As soon as Slusk was gone, however, both sides engaged the other.
Four Exchange members rushed forward with virboblades drawn, their comrades providing covering fire. Kaelan wasted no time meeting the melee wielding enemies head on with his own blade in his grasp. Kreia moved closer to his left side to deflect incoming fire with her now active lightsaber, while Atton fired on the enemies to the veteran's right. Kaelan himself was mostly protected from blaster fire by his advancing enemies, two of them coming from his right and one from his left, the last seemed to be purposefully hanging back.
The pair of thugs on the exile's right entered attack range first and stepped to either side of him. The one to Kaelan's left made a simple vertical strike that spoke of years of utilizing brute force to achieve victory. The move was easily countered by intercepting the blade mid-stroke and deflecting it to his right. The unexpected deviation caused the man to inadvertently take a step forward, where he found his face struck by Kaelan's extended elbow, enough force behind the blow to send the target stumbling backward. While the man regained his balance the other thug was already making a horizontal swing against Kaelan's right shoulder blade. The veteran brought his vibroblade to the side of his body, bringing it at an angle so that it was perpendicular to the floor below.
With the thug's blade now prevented from striking him, Kaelan quickly pushed the enemy's blade back around to his front, putting it in a position he already knew would deflect the swing of the other Exchange member's attack. As the Force Sensitive's first attacker was left stumbling back again, Kaelan slapped the blade of the other man aside and swiped at his chest, killing him instantly. Before the other one had time to recover, the outcast impaled the man with his blade.
By that time, Kaelan's third attacker entered melee striking range and charged with a horizontal strike. The attack would have hit its mark were it not for the fact that the former Jedi had sensed it coming through the Force, and had already ducked to avoid the strike. Before the aggressor could attempt another attack, the veteran raised himself back into a standing position and brought his blade slashing across the chest of his target twice, using the momentum of his last attack to spin around and bring his vibroblade into a backward stab. The blade easily pierced through the target's protective attire, leaving the receiver of the strike to collapse to the floor, dead.
With the immediate threat to his safety eliminated, Kaelan turned back around to face the final melee wielding opponent, a Rodian with twin vibroblades clutched within his long fingers. The same Rodian, Kaelan realized, he had met in Restoring Thirst, Matu.
"It has been awhile since someone could test me," The Rodian said, issuing a challenge.
Kaelan didn't even bother responding as Matu charged him, his twin blades raining blow after blow. The Rodian's movements were well practised, but they were automatic in nature; a movement rough and barely refined, with sequences unable to directly flow into another set. Years of practise in the Mandalorian Wars and in the Outer Rim, gave Kaelan an advantage a simple Exchange thug could never hope to match. The former General took a moment to scrutinize Matu's actions, not having to wait long before he saw the very thing he could exploit.
With his twin blades, the Rodian was utilizing swift flurries with the weapons. It was a technique simply designed to confuse opponents, one that capitalized on such confusion to cause disorientation in enemy combatants, effectively making their defences crumble as they attempted to guess which direction the blades were coming from. Even without the precognitive awareness granted by the Force, Kaelan was more than capable of defending himself from the Rodian. When the next set of flurries started, the veteran was ready.
As Matu started to bring his vibroblades in for downward swings, Kaelan stepped to the left. Having expected his weapons to be deflected off his target's own blade, the unexpected absence of such a buffer made the Rodian take a step forward, right into the path of the exile's slashing blade. The upward diagonal strike brought Matu to his knees, his twin weapons clattering to he ground as they fell from his weakened grip. The outcast stepped around the fallen Rodian, adding a final stab to the back for good measure.
"Likewise," He finally spoke in response to the Rodian's challenge, withdrawing the vibroblade from the alien.
In the time it took for Kaelan to eliminate the four targets, Kreia and Atton had eliminated the majority of the other eight. All that was left was Benok and three others. A quick switch to his disruptor pistols ensured that the rest were quickly taken care of. He took an immense amount of satisfaction in watching four of his disruptor bolts shred through Benok's armour and flesh, leaving his lifeless form to collapse on the floor.
The group paused outside Slusk's door, Kaelan activating his transceiver and keying for an encrypted transmission to HK-47's COM array, "HK, status."
A holographic projection of the droid in question appeared on his armour gauntlet as the mechanical acknowledged the transmission, the sight of the droid in an unknown section with blaster fire filling the area becoming apparent. HK paused to fire off an eight round burst from his rifle, enemy fire ceasing to be seen after that. "Statement: This complex is larger than I predicted, but I have already eliminated fifty-two Exchange members. There are only two more sections I have yet to search Master."
"Excellent work HK," Kaelan said, impressed at the droid's speed and efficiency. He paused to upload the group's current location to the mechanical combatant. "Meet us at these coordinates when you're finished, and alert me when you've arrived."
"Acknowledgement: Of course Master."
As the holo faded away, the exile turned to Kreia and motioned to the security door. "If you wouldn't mind making an entrance for us Kreia."
The old woman said nothing in reply, merely doing as the younger Force Sensitive requested. She inserted her green blade into the door and burned through enough of the security entryway to form a large square outline. Opting to make a grand entrance and, after briefly stretching out with the Force to make sure Slusk wasn't too close to the door, Kaelan used the Force to push the door inward. Even with the exile's diminished command over the mystical energy field, he still had enough power behind the movement to propel the cut away section of the entryway flying several feet inside.
The trio moved in slowly, blasters and lightsaber at the ready. Surprisingly, unlike the adjoining chamber, Loppak Slusk's office was what one would expect in any business company, save for the fact it was twice as large as the standard size. A conference table on the left corner by the door, a group of terminals on the right side, and a desk in the centre were the only items of interest.
Kaelan's eyes immediately focused on Slusk once he noticed the Quarren shakily backing up to his desk. "You….You've handled yourself well...getting this far. But, think about this…I can be a valuable ally. Just tell me what you're here for."
The exile's response was to Force Push the Quarren away from his desk, sending Slusk slamming hard against the far wall, the alien falling to his knees shortly after. "Don't try any of your tricks Slusk." He warned, closing the distance between him and his target until he towered over the Exchange boss. "I already told you what I want, information."
"Really? All…All of this…for just that?"
"Well," A new voice spoke up from the doorway, "Not for just that."
All eyes turned to see Luxa, flanked by four Exchange members she had brought with her. Each of the guards had a vibroblade in their grasp, while Luxa herself carried a stun baton. Able to immobilize organic targets with a powerful electrical shock, the weapons were primarily used as riot control devices throughout the galaxy. There were other groups, however, that supplied modified version of the stun batons, versions with upgraded power cells that supplied enough of an electric payload to be lethal to targets.
Kaelan absorbed the information in a handful of seconds. He had expected Luxa to show, just not now. He needed to stall for time, but before he could even think about what to say, Slusk took the initiative, having moved back to a standing position. "Luxa, it is a shame you didn't show up earlier. I'd prepared a welcoming party for you and everything."
"I had expected as much Slusk, that's why I had someone else enter first."
"That bit of information," Kaelan spoke slowly and coldly, "Seemed to have slipped your tongue during our earlier conversation."
Come now," Luxa replied in a gentle tone, clearly realizing that certain events were threatening to come about faster than she predicted. "I did tell you there wouldn't be 'too much' resistance inside. I never said there wouldn't be any at all."
He didn't believe her explanation in the slightest, but his sense of reasoning curbed his anger just enough for him to realize that he needed to stall the impending attack for just a bit longer. So he merely offered a reluctant nod, "True enough, I suppose."
"Well, now." Slusk stated slowly, "I don't suppose it is possible for all of us to be leaving here alive?"
A soft beep from Kaelan's armour gauntlet brought a brief smile to his face. He turned to Slusk, his smile dissipating into a scowl. "No, it's not." The exile keyed for his transceiver, acknowledging the confirmation tag he had received with a command. "Take them down."
Before anyone had time to decipher what was going on, a single blaster bolt impacted into an Exchange thug's head, riddling through the skull in a picosecond. Two more energy projectiles quickly followed the first, both into the neck of the thug standing next to the first. By the time the Exchange members realized they were under attack, a burst of three bolts tore through Luxa's shoulder blades. Before the others could even so much as turn to try and face their attacker, however, they were each hit by bursts of four and five bolts.
The sound of metal striking metal became apparent, a sound quickly accompanied by the sight of a familiar rusty-red framed assassin droid. "Analysis: Blaster accuracy ratio is exceeding estimated operating levels by ten percent, and my shock resistance frame is withstanding higher levels than I had predicted."
"Well," Atton said into the slight silence that followed the droid's declaration, "At least you have good timing."
"Commentary: Wherever there are targets to kill, I will always 'be on time.'"
Kaelan offered his compliments on HK's abilities before turning to Slusk. "It seems Quarren, that it's just you and me now. I want information about this bounty." The veteran made a point of showing his disruptors as he spoke, "And my patience is wearing thin."
The tentacles on Slusk's face twitched involuntarily at the sight of the weapons, the only visible sign of the crime boss' intense fear. "The bounty was posted by my superior, Goto. He operates in Nar Shadaa."
"What does he want with me?"
"You think he tells me?"
A disruptor bolt firing mere centimetres away from the squid's head gave Kaelan's opinion on the matter. "Yes," He said with a snarl, "I do."
The Quarren started to panic, backing himself into the wall. "I don't know why! I just assumed you had angered him greatly!"
The former Jedi nodded slowly at the information, accepting Slusk's words as the truth. "In that case, you're of no further use to me." Before Loppak Slusk could do anything more than quiver in fear at the words, an energy projectile shredded through his skull. "Alright then," Kaelan stated in a casual tone, "HK, slice into the Exchange databanks, look for anything of interest. I want to know what they've been up to recently."
"Statement: Yes Master," The assassin droid said as he moved over to Slusk's personal selection of terminals.
The exile gazed at the corpse of the local crime boss for a few moments, feeling his anger beginning to recede with every passing moment. Like a beast whose appetite had been sated for the time being, Kaelan felt his sense of calm resurfacing now that the Exchange had been dealt with. The process was one the veteran had grown accustomed to during the Mandalorian Wars, an intense rage that would only be satisfied when whatever triggered it had been dealt with.
A forgotten feeling followed the evaporation of rage, guilt. It was something the Force Sensitive had first experienced during the beginning of the war but one he had ultimately tried to abandon as the galactic conflict dragged on. It hadn't taken long for him to succeed in such a regard, circumstances had demanded a focus that such an emotion only served to hinder. Suppressing the feeling had become so automatic that he had continued to do so, even during his excursions throughout the Outer Rim.
::There is nothing to be guilty of Exile::
Without even turning to acknowledge Kreia, he responded through their bond. ::I know that and, yet, I cannot stop myself from indulging in the feeling::
::You have already achieved a level of control over your emotions that most Force Sensitives could never understand::
::Control?:: Kaelan's disbelief managing to be sent clearly through the link. ::I haven't been in control for the past hour::
::I am not speaking of control as the Jedi would, a way of attempting to forge the illusion of domination over one's emotions. Control is about more than such tenuous delusions. It is about being able to unleash specific feelings at a time, to bring a single emotion to the centre fold and then seamlessly transition to another. That is what you have mastered, and what you should continue to utilize::
Kaelan thought about Kreia's lecture, not finding any reason why he shouldn't take her advice to heart. Still, if anything her words made him wonder what exactly she believed in. ::You're not a Jedi, are you?::
::No, but then I never told you I was::
::Then, what are you? A Sith?::
::Perhaps I am neither and I regard both the Jedi and the Sith as what they are, pieces of a whole. For now, it is sufficient only that you know that I am your teacher::
With that, Kreia closed the connection between the two, cutting off any possible reply from Kaelan. Before the outcast could verbally protest, HK told him he had discovered something important.
"What is it?"
"Answer: I have discovered a logged communication detailing, what appears to be, a conversation between the terminated Quarren and a female meatbag." The droid was silent for a moment, his processors going through the data he'd uploaded into his systems. "Analysis: It seems the system did not fully terminate the file as requested two days ago. File corruption is rated at sixty-seven percent, but I have managed to string several fragments together."
"Play it."
HK-47 followed his Master's command. With his vocabulator utilizing the ability to mimic speech, he was able to reproduce the dialogue in the voices of both parties. Kaelan only stared at the far wall as the message played, the familiar sound of Quarren dialect heard through the light garbles and static associated with restructured transmissions. "These interruptions into my work are getting tiresome, what is it this time?"
"I can't….Received word from the dock supervisor that you delegated two hours of our dock to receive your shipments. Our bays are…Operations on the surface are….Cannot allow the Exchange to make frivolous use…..whenever they please."
"This is…..not a standard shipment." Slusk's tone as angry as the aquatic species' dialogue would permit. "Received word….Nar Shadaa. This is a passenger disclosure, not a shipment request."
"Be that as it may, our operations…..cannot be postponed. Work will continue."
"Our alliance states otherwise, the incoming passengers will be landing at the designated dock. Failure to meet such a simple demand is not recommended."
The rest of the communication dissolved into static, leaving the group to ponder the result. "Well," Atton spoke up first. "I guess we know who we're working for."
Kreia turned to face the pilot, "Do we really?"
Her challenging tone only served to convince Atton more, "Yeah, we do. We already know that the only groups working on the Restoration Project are the Ithorians and Czerka and- sorry to break it to, your Eminence- but the second voice was no Ithorian."
A deep scowl adorned the woman's face at the former prisoner's choice of words, but she chose to ignore it. "Just because it was not an Ithorian that spoke, doesn't mean that they are any less likely to be the ones involved with the Exchange. Even prideful herders require the assistance of others in large projects such as this. We have no way of knowing anything for certain, other than the fact that one of the groups was allied with criminals."
"You're both right," Kaelan interrupted sharply as soon as Kreia was done, knowing Atton well enough to know he was about to retort. "All we know for sure is that one of the groups had an alliance with the Exchange. I find it hard to believe the Ithorians would do something like that, but I'm not taking any chances. Whichever group formed a coalition with a crime syndicate will not be the one I choose to ask a favour from."
"And how," Atton asked lightly, "Are we going to find out which group it was for sure?"
"We'll need to interrogate a Czerka employee, one well placed within the company." Kaelan explained, his gaze finally locking with his companions. "See anyone fitting that description in any of the cantinas?"
When both Atton and Kreia offered negative responses, HK spoke up. "Advisement: The Czerka-affiliated green-skinned Twi'lek male we encountered within the establishment, Restoring Thirst, should be able to lead us to such an individual, Master."
The outcast considered the droid's suggestion. He had purposely chosen to disregard Harra since his situation made it clear he was not receiving a large pay check and, by consequence, not in a high position in Czerka Corporation. Interrogating him, however, could very well lead the veteran to one such person who did hold such a position. "Very well HK, we'll go with your suggestion."
With that said, the group proceeded out of Exchange headquarters and back to module 081. Their search for Harra in Restoring Thirst proved fruitless, however, something Kaelan realized was due to the fact that his sole reason for being there- Ramana's freedom- was now gone. After questioning several patrons, Kaelan was able to track the Twi'lek down to residential module 073.
Two shuttle rides and an intimidating conversation later, found the group standing inside Eye of the Swoop, a spectator gathering for the local swoop track races. The room was twice as large as most of the cantinas in the entertainment module, its size enabling the accommodation of the massive amounts of visual screens displaying live feed of the active tracks, betting terminals, and wall-mounted panels showing the statistics of the individual racers. And, of course, there was a bar present as well.
Based on Harra's description, it didn't take Kaelan long to recognize the individual named Corrun Falt. The man had short brown hair and eyes, but what set him apart from the others was his flashy attire; red and black coloured clothes were a sharp deviation from the dark green and blue worn by other patrons of the establishment. Whether the man's choice of clothing was in line with a desire to be recognized by being different from those around him or not was in question, but the line of thinking would certainly be in keeping with the normal attitude of those holding executive positions in a prestigious company.
Not wanting to intimidate Falt by bringing too many of his companions with him, the exile told Atton and Kreia it would be best for them to mix and mingle amongst the others. Atton had taken to the suggestion without complaint. Not surprising, considering his first destination had been the bar. Kreia had scowled at the pilot before moving into the thick of the crowd.
Both actions had brought a grin to Kaelan's face as he watched them go for a few moments, moving to walk beside the man he'd come all this way to see shortly after, HK lumbering after him. "Corrun Falt?" The veteran asked as he stepped beside the Czerka employee.
"Who wants to know?" Falt asked in a tiresome manner, only sparing Kaelan the briefest of glances before turning back to the screen showing the current racer manoeuvring his vehicle through the Citadel's course.
"Someone with a proposition for you," Kaelan responded lightly. Harra had said that it was no secret that Falt had a personal rivalry with Jana Lorso, Czerka's current administrator in charge of Citadel operations. With that in mind, the former General planned to use the animosity between the two to his advantage.
'And what could someone like you offer me?"
The man's tone wasn't so much dismissive as it was curious, a feeling Kaelan planned to soothe. "Lorso's position."
The statement, spoken so simply, threw Corrun off guard, he froze for several moments before fully turning to face the Force Sensitive. "I'm listening."
"I've heard of some interesting transactions that Lorso has made recently. If I can prove it, she'll be gone for good."
Falt eyed him for several seconds, "What do you get out of this?"
Kaelan gave a shrug, "I just want to see her gone."
"Alright," The Czerka executive replied after a few seconds with a nod. "There's only one way to gain access to that information though, and it is not going to be easy." Corrun paused for a moment, looking Kaelan over as if determining his abilities. "The problem is that all of the highly sensitive information is stored in the company's central database inside Czerka headquarters itself. Not only is it severely encrypted but it's a closed system."
Kaelan scowled at that information, closed systems were as protected as systems went when it came to databases. Fortunately, the very thing that made them so secure also made them impractical for most situations. Under closed systems, no remotes or transceivers were linked to the database, any information had to be uploaded or downloaded directly from the interface itself. It was a feature that slowed down electronic transactions a great deal. "So, how do I get in?"
"Only Jana Lorso and her personal assistant droid, B4-D4, have access rights to the mainframe."
"So I'd need to reprogram the protocol droid," Kaelan said more to himself than Falt.
"Right, and there's only one technician still on station who'd be qualified to help you with that, Opo Chano."
"Where can I find him?"
Falt paused for a few seconds, frowning slightly as he racked his brain for the desired memory. "He's set up a droid shop in the trade centre of the station, module 092."
Kaelan nodded his thanks and, after finding the others, left- despite Atton's protests that he was just about to make the bet of a lifetime.
()()()
"This station is way too big!"
Kaelan simply nodded at Atton's observation and complaint while he let his gaze wander around what was considered the hub for trade transactions in Citadel. Its design was similar to that of the entertainment module; a vast open area dominated the entire section. The difference between the two, however, was that there were no closed up areas for shops like there were for the individual cantinas.
Merchants stood behind stock listings of the various items they sold, a few sample items in the customer's line of sight gave the indication of what they sold, while the rest of their merchandise was stored in shelves and racks behind them, with large gaps in-between the different vendors. "Split up," Kaelan said, his command directed to Atton and Kreia. "Search the upper levels for Opo Chano."
"I'll get right on that Exile Master Kaelan," Atton spoke, a bow used in such exaggeration that Kaelan couldn't help but roll his eyes. Atton flashed a wide grin in response before he departed for the second level.
Kreia followed some time after, her face seeming to be permanently twisted into a sneer as she watched Atton's departing form. "Complete and utter fool," The old woman muttered, heading for the third level soon after.
The ex-General moved through the various trading posts on the ground level, with HK-47 in tow, spotting vendors selling everything from clothing to personal weaponry. Kaelan moved through the various displayed merchandise, quickly scouring through the displayed items to see if any droid were on sale. After several minutes of weaving through the trading centre, Kaelan's eyes caught sight of something he'd never imagined finding. His brown irises stared, as if transfixed by the object.
"Welcome Sentient, how can I help you?"
The voice jerked the Force Sensitive's gaze away from what he'd been staring at, to see a blue-skinned Duros regarding him with large red eyes. The veteran turned his eyes back to the displayed component, quickly realizing he must've started to move toward it without consciously realizing. Sparing the trader another glance, Kaelan pointed to the object he'd been staring at, "How much for this?"
The merchant thought for a moment, slender fingers stroking his chin. "Unique object, possibly rare…have yet to find a use for it though. An acceptable market price would be about…three hundred credits."
The veteran easily pulled out the requested credit chips from his belt, tossing them to the seller before picking up the component. Even with it in the palm of his right hand, he still found it hard to believe it was real. He had located a lightsaber crystal, one that glowed a fierce green.
After he bought the first piece used in making a lightsaber, thoughts of tracking down Opo Chano went out of his head as he moved throughout the trading posts, purchasing related parts. Before he knew it, he had all the components required to build a lightsaber and, after paying a trader for the private use of his workbench, had assembled the weapon- the knowledge of constructing the weapons still fresh in his mind, even after four years. Now, Kaelan simply stared at the exotic device, finding himself unable to pick it up.
Catering to the refined melee fighting style he'd developed during his exile, he had designed the hilt to be slim with the outer casing flattened inward at the middle, just enough to allow for the placement of multiple black handle grooves. The material enabled a superior grip, its colour a sharp contrast to the worn gray plating of the hilt itself.
Simply locking his eyes with the weapon left him feeling as though his memories of the last time he wielded a lightsaber were filtering back to the forefront of his mind; memories he knew all too well that he was not ready to confront. Despite how involved the outcast had become in galactic affairs in less than a week, despite all the surprising turnabouts in his life recently, he knew that using a lightsaber was not a step he was currently willing to take. Stowing the lightsaber in the right side of his cloak, in a section where a few pieces of cloth had been cutaway to form makeshift pockets, Kaelan stepped back into the trading area and resumed his search for Opo Chano.
HK-47, who had been waiting for his owner to move back into the market, fell into step behind Kaelan at his exit. It did not escape the assassin's droid observant gaze that the very weapon his Master had been collecting the pieces for was not on his person, a fact that baffled the mechanical. "Confused Query: Did you not finish constructing your project Master?"
"I did," Kaelan replied distantly, feeling the hilt weighing down the cloak on his right flank just a bit. "I'm just not about to display it."
Misunderstanding the statement as a desire to not attract attention, HK spoke with a tone of disappointment. "Very well Master, if you do not wish for countless meatbags to fall to my blaster in their attempts to capture you, I shall not argue the point."
"Didn't you just do that?" The former Jedi asked, the ghost of a smile on his face.
"Objection: I would never dispute the claims of my Master!" A slightly amused look from Kaelan made the mechanical reconsider, "Reassessment: I would never dispute the logical claims of my Master."
"Just so long as they fit with your views?"
HK was silent for a few seconds, "Statement: This form of circular argumentation is having a negative impact on my central control cluster. I recommend ceasing with this current line of inquiry."
A smirk played across the exile's lips, "I'll take that as a yes." A beep on his armoured gauntlet made him turn his attention away from HK, "What is it?" He spoke into his transceiver, having identified the origin of the transmission as Atton's COM-link.
"Kaelan, I've found him."
This is where the deviation can really be seen.
'Kaelan has a lightsaber but he isn't willing to use it?' I know that's what some of you are thinking, but don't worry, that'll come.
So far, I have to say that I think this was one of the better chapters. But I'm more interested to know what you think.