Chapter 15
You get what you give
It was a new day; another fight to survive. Having gathered all of her most vital belongings on her bed, Iris quickly piled them into a large shoulder bag. Once she was done, she did a quick search of the room to make sure she wasn't leaving behind anything important.
Moving on to the kitchen, she grabbed some leftover food from the cooling unit and then went on to the main living room. She had barely even used the cooking utensils prior to their use the previous day. Besides, she practically lived off of bar food anyway.
In the living room she found her blaster and packed that on the top of her bag. Then, with a cursory glance around the apartment, she put her bag down beside the couch and then bent down next to it on her knees in front of the main door. Reaching into the corner, she tugged back the sorry excuse for a carpet to reveal a steel foundation. Etched into the steel were four fine lines that met together to form a square.
With a wave of her hand, the square rose up from the ground. Working quickly, she removed the top of the box, reached in, and pulled out a dusty looking sack with a cylindrical object inside. Still bent down, she pulled up her loose pants and tied the small bag to her leg. Normally, she only took the object with her on particularly tough jobs, but since today was moving day, she would need every defense and negotiation tool she could use.
A knock at the door brought her gaze up.
Pulling down her pant leg, she waived her hand over the box and let it fall into place before placing the carpet back over it. She had had the box put in the day she had moved into this apartment. Georn didn't know it was there; the fewer people who did, the better.
Once the task was done, she stood up, brushed herself off, and took a deep breath. There was another knock on the door. Quickly, she undid the locks and opened the door.
It was Georn.
"Finally," Iris muttered at him.
"You only called an hour ago," Georn said annoyed, stepping into the apartment and crossing his arms across his chest. "You're lucky I didn't just ignore you completely."
"Then you wouldn't have gotten your money," Iris said reaching down and picking up her bag. Slinging it over her shoulder, she then reached over to the couch and picked up a stack of credits.
"Here's the rent I owe you plus a little extra for your silence about my little departure."
The man unlocked his arms and greedily took the credits, quickly counting them.
"This is quite a bit extra," he remarked, "Someone after you?"
Iris rolled her eyes, ignoring his question, "You can keep whatever I've left behind." She made to move around the man, but he blocked her path.
"Is that a crack on my wall?!" he exclaimed.
"Live with it," she said, an edge to her voice.
Georn looked like he was about to object further but instead he stepped backwards out the door.
"Good choice," Iris said as she joined him outside.
"Iris," Georn said his voice less hostile. "Whatever it is that has got you leaving so fast, don't let it get you ok?"
Iris nodded. For all the gruff he gave her, he was as good a man you could have at these depths on Coruscant.
"Just remember our little deal," Iris said looking at the credits in Georn's hands.
"But of course," Georn said with a tip of his head.
With sigh, Iris turned away and started walking. Operation 'find a new place to stay' was in full gear
It had only been two days since he had been hurt, but with his abilities and the money to buy the most advanced medical help out there, he was up and about in no time.
"My lord," one of his guards said from the edge of the room. "Are you sure you are up for this?"
The man turned from the weapons he was pulling off of the wall rack and raised his hand. The guard was sent flying into the opposite wall from where he was previously standing. Upon impact, the man slid down the wall in an unconscious heap. The mood in the room seemed to go a few shades darker after that outburst. The other guards hastily looked away from their colleague and firmly shut their mouths.
The man went on picking up numerous weapons and throwing them to the guards that surrounded him. Before addressing the gathered men, he pulled a cylindrical tube off of the wall and tucked it into his coat.
"Our lookout says he's been spotted," he began. "He's approaching the senate, he's up to something important," he checked out the blaster he was holding, "He will no doubt be expecting us to show up and I don't want to disappoint him. He's getting too cocky for his own good."
"This is our chance to show everyone that he isn't the only power in this galaxy. He may have the senate in the palm of his hands, but we are the underworld at its best. We will defeat him."
One brave guard spoke out.
"But, my lord, what if this is another trap?" by the end of his sentence the man was trembling.
"Good point."
At this, the man relaxed visibly.
"He could very well be a decoy out to get us in the open," he paused, "But think of this, he hasn't appeared so publicly ever since his appearance in the senate a year ago. He always sends the boy in his place."
He put the blaster on his belt.
"While he may not be our main target, he will provide a good warm up," he said. "The boy is what we want. As you all know, he is deadly." He looked into the eyes of the men around him. "He has many powers and if it was him we were facing then many of you wouldn't be returning from this mission. Be glad this is just his master. We sever the boy of this man and we will weaken the boy."
He allowed his words to sink in before he motioned his men to move out. Everyone was silent as they followed him out of the apartment, destination: the senate building.
The young man looked up at the grand senate building, with its crisp lines and hope inducing appearance, in awe. He couldn't remember having seen something so…so…grand. As he walked, he noticed that the people around him seemed to avoid him with fear in their eyes. He looked down at himself. Other than needing a good bath and a change of clothes he didn't look like someone to fear. He walked on.
He couldn't explain it but he felt that he had been here before; many times before in fact. He hated that feeling. It had been happening ever since he had woken up at that girl's apartment; now, how he had gotten there was another issue entirely for his mind.
When he thought of going inside that massive building in front of him, the thought did not seem like fun. He wondered, if he had been here before, what he had done there. It must not have been that pleasant.
Moving on, he walked past the entrance and onto a pedestrian bridge that lead to the next line of buildings. Curious he looked over the edge. Numerous vehicles of all sizes passed below.
Suddenly a strange feeling came across him. It was yet another thing he couldn't explain; yet another thing that frustrated him. He felt like he was being watched. Quickly he moved across the bridge and into the crowd. Soon enough the feeling dissipated.
He looked around himself. There were so many people; people with responsibilities and things to get done. What about himself? What was his purpose? What was he here to do? He supposed he must have had something to do in the past having remembered the senate building. Why couldn't he remember what exactly he had done before?
Up ahead the crowds were getting smaller. Still he walked on. He didn't know where to go; what to do.
Frustrated he stopped. It was another feeling. This time it wasn't because someone was watching him. This feeling was urging him forward. This was getting out of hand. What normal person got "feelings" that told them what to do?
But then again, how did he even know what normal was?
Up ahead, in the distance, there was another building more glorious than the senate building behind him. It was bathed in light, like a shining beacon of hope. However at the same time, he could tell that there was a cloud hanging over it. Not literally, of course, there never were clouds on Coruscant (yet another random fact he knew without knowing why). It was just another one of those feeling he had.
His feelings were pulling him there. But before he could further reflect on how he should proceed, he was knocked to the ground.
Quickly he got up but before he could make a run for it he realized that he was surrounded. Ominous looking men, dressed in head to toe black surrounded him. They had come out of nowhere. In contrast, the crowds of people that had been teaming the streets seemingly became sparse.
"Tempting fate are we?" a voice from behind said.
He turned to face the voice. It was another man dressed in black. He had short brown hair, a strong jaw line, and eyes filled with hatred.
"This is the best you can do after our little tussle in the skies Xanatos?"
He stayed silent. This seemed to anger the man who walked up to him and slapped his face forcefully.
"Speak to me you ingrate!" he ordered. "I have you surrounded, you can't go anywhere."
It was true. There wasn't much hope of an easy escape. But he didn't want to give up yet. He glanced around himself and caught sight of the shining building in the distance once more. He needed to get there.
"Where's your overconfidence now? Where is your clever wit?"
He didn't have a clue of what this man was talking about.
"Are you scared because you do not have your lapdog here to save you?" the man taunted. "Where is he now?"
"He could be anywhere," he suddenly blurted out. "Surely you remember the awesome power he commands at the tip of his fingers."
He was surprised at his outburst. It had come without his will behind it. It was as if someone else was speaking those words.
The other man seemed reassured.
"I see you haven't forgotten how to speak." The man stepped forward. "Do you have any last words before I end your miserable excuse of an existence?"
He had to agree with the man. So far, from what he could remember, his life was pretty miserable. He thought of what he could say.
"Who are you?" he asked. It was a fair question. "I have the right to know who my executioner is."
The other man scoffed. He walked around in a circle talking to his men. "Who am I?" he asked them. "Who am I?" They all seemed to get a kick out of the question.
"I see no reason for you of all people to forget who I am," the other man replied. "You're the one who has taken a permanent vendetta against me for killing your father."
That didn't sound right to him. He couldn't remember ever having a father. But then again he couldn't remember much after all.
The other man watched him, his eyes scrutinizing his every movement. Suddenly the other man reached out and grabbed a handful of his hair, taking a good look at the uncovered face beneath.
The other man seemed to come to a realization.
"You are not him," he said slowly. "Yet you have his qualities about you." The man turned his head into the light. "Yes, the slight hook in your nose, the pale complexion, the slight up turn of your left eye, the greasy long hair," he let go of the hair and rubbed his hands against his pants as if they had grease on them.
"Like grandfather…like father…like son," he muttered.
All was silent as the man seemed to consider his accusation. Then he looked up and spoke again.
"I'm feeling generous today," he began. "My issue is not with you, but your father," he started circling the young man before him. "You see, he took something very precious from me, very much like you should be to him, and destroyed it," he took a deep breath. "I want him to feel that pain." He looked at his guards,
"Kill him."
He had little time to react before the guards came down hard on him. Their fists were merciless as they hit every part of him they could reach, pushing him into the ground.
He walked away; his job was done. But the sudden cry of one his guards forced him to stop and turn around. The sight before him caused his jaw to drop.
His guards were literally flying through the air away from the boy. Next to him, one of his guards landed with a sickly snap, unconscious, and most likely, already dead.
Within seconds, all of his guards had been similarly dispatched. It was just him and the boy. Said boy was staring at the scene around him in confusion.
This caused the other man to think. Such a display of power…it couldn't be. His heart started to beat faster. He was so close but he didn't have the backup he needed anymore. It had been years since he had to rely on himself and only himself to get something done. Before he could react any further, the boy bolted from the scene.
He yelled and threw his hands up in the air in frustration before angrily giving chase. He was not going to let the boy go so easily this time, not when he was so close.
The now busy walkways proved to be detrimental to his efforts to reach the boy, but not altogether impossible to overcome. Soon he resorted to using the force to push people aside.
Up ahead, the boy ran as if he was running for his life.
Why didn't he just turn around and face him? He certainly had the power to back such a stance. There was something different about the boy. Something had changed in him. He didn't dare hope that it was for the better. The boy was pure evil. Nothing could change that. He had given up on the boy a long long time ago.
"Got you!" he yelled in triumph, grabbing the top of the boy's shirt from behind. They were on another pedestrian walkway high above the traffic below. His triumph was short lived, however, as the boy twisted in his grasp and shoved his hand into the other man's neck causing the man to reflectively gag and let go.
The boy then ran to the edge of the walk way, jumped the railing, and broke through the shields protecting the walkway, falling into the traffic below. That was a feat in itself. The shields had been erected to keep the people and the traffic separate. They had never been known to let any object through, much less a normal looking young man.
He rushed to the edge of the platform where other onlookers had suddenly gathered. As soon as the boy disappeared from sight, he backed away and started walking. The boy would live, of that he was sure. He had seen the boy survive much worse before.
Now it was time to regroup and rethink.
He had been defeated and fooled by the boy. The walk back to his hideout alone was a solemn reminder of that fact.
Never again would that happen.