Teamwork Part 3

The crew had this down to a science. Two of them unloaded the truck while the other two stood lookout. The drivers of the transport would be in the café for three minutes. It took thirty seconds to hack the door open, one minute for each man to grab an armload and thirty more seconds to close and reseal the door. The hacker almost had the door open when he heard a crash behind him. His unloading partner spun on his heels. "You hear that?" The hacker did not pause for more than a second as his partner continued to scan the alley. Just as the transport door slid open, one of the lookouts came plummeting from his hidden nest. His unconscious body hit the middle of the alley, putting both thieves on alert.

"Is that one or both?" the hacker asked. It did not matter. The unwritten rule was that if anything went wrong, actually nothing had to go wrong, if something just did not feel right, they got out of there. This however, was very wrong.

Before either could react, Ronisha stepped from the shadows, blaster in hand and let loose two stun blasts. She made her way to the open door of the transport before either body could hit the pavement. Before she could hop into the back of the truck, Numa and Myriam descended from the lookouts' posts, hitting the pavement behind the young girl. "Thanks for the assist, kid, but we'll take it from here," Myriam warned the youngling from taking anything from the transport.

Ronisha spun and released two more stun volleys. Numa extended a hand directing the first blast back into the second. Before Ronisha could squeeze off another round, Myriam extended her hand. The blaster was snatched from Ronisha's grip, flying into the Jedi's.

"Nowhere to run, kid. Now where'd you get this thing?" Myriam tried to keep her voice gentle, but firm.

"It fell off the back of a transport…" Ronisha started.

"Like those other goods were about to do, I suppose," Numa corrected.

"I ain't no snitch, Jedi, not like Jenaid. And I ain't scared of you either."

Myriam could not help, but admire the spunk in the child's voice. "And there is no reason to. Now where did you get this?" She held the blaster out again.

The delivery drivers came running back out to their open transport by this time. Before either of them could speak, Numa reassured them, "Everything is fine, gentlemen."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Ronisha shoveled the hot food into her mouth as she sat across the table from the two Jedi. It was delicious and she was starving. She had passed this same café, maybe a hundred times before, but never dreamed she could afford to eat here. She swallowed whole what she stuffed in her mouth. She would never tell the Jedi anything, but she was not going to turn down free food either.

"OK, kid," Myriam set the blaster on the table, "tell us where you got this."

"It's mine. I want it back. I and don't have to tell you anything, Jedi," Ronisha huffed with a full mouth.

"Have it your way, kid," Myriam waved her hand in front of her. "Tell us where you got the blaster."

"No, I said," Ronisha muttered.

Myriam and Numa gave each other a surprised glance. Numa waved her hand. "You will tell us where you acquired the blaster."

"Are you Jedi deaf or stupid? No," Ronisha reiterated firmly.

"Tough kid," Myriam again admired. "Fine. Who's….. what'd you call him? Jenaid?"

"He's a bantha's birth canal," Ronisha mumbled, taking a sip of her drink before resuming her chewing. She glance at both the Jedi. "You know damn well who he is. Those other two took him with them after I caught 'em."?

"Caught who?" Numa leaned in.

"Those other two Jedi," Ronisha clarified.

"You caught two Jedi," Myriam now leaned in. "How?"

"I stunned 'em both real good. Shoulda got a reward too, but Jessie tried to cheat me. Then that idiot Jenaid mixed in. He thinks he can be one a ya."

"Wait, wait, wait," Myriam needed to catch up. "These two Jedi, they were male?"

"Yeah."

"Human?" Numa added.

"Yep."

"One is dark complected, like me. The other is fair-skinned, blonde haired?" Myriam almost smiled.

"That's them."

Numa grinned, "You caught those two and took them to Jessie?"

"Yeah, but he didn't want to give me a reward," anger grew in Ronisha's voice. "He even let 'em go. They took Jenaid with 'em."

"Well," Myriam threw her hands up, "guess Jessie's not completely stupid after all." She refocused on Ronisha, "Tell us the whole story, kid, and you can keep the blaster."

Ronisha paused her chewing again. "There a reward?"

"If you can tell us where you got it, sure."

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Numa and Myriam followed Ronisha through the crowded street. "I disagree with letting her keep the blaster," Numa whispered.

Myriam actually grinned. "She keeps it on stun. She doesn't mean anyone any real harm. Besides….. the story alone was worth it and she's helping us."

"I get that," Numa conceded, "but I also sense a strange affection you have for her. You like this child. I do not want your feelings to cloud your judgement."

Myriam huffed at the idea of something as trivial as emotions clouding her judgement. And yet, she sensed it within herself as well. "I knew plenty of kids like Ronisha when I was growing up."

"In the Jedi temple?" Numa clarified.

"No," Myriam hesitated. "I was older when I came into the Order."

"Hmmmm…." Numa pondered. "You may be the first Jedi I have known that did not begin training as an infant."

"We are a rare breed it seems," Myriam agreed.

After a long pause, Numa pushed for more information. "So you were a street child like this one?"

Myriam hesitated. Very few Jedi knew the details of her past and they only know because it was required, or in Master Yoda's case sensed it. She was not sure if she was ready to willingly divulge the details. The memories were now distant, but still painful. "Not exactly. I did spend a little time on the streets, but….mostly not. I just crossed paths with many like her." Unconsciously, she reached down to stroke the medallion on the chain which hung from her neck.

The chain was one of the first things that Numa had noticed about Myriam. It was rare, but not unheard of for a Jedi to wear such a thing. Myriam did not strike Numa (or anyone else) as the sentimental type so the older Jedi had assumed it was symbolic of Myriam's people. "That medallion you wear, what does it mean?"

Myriam rubbed the trinket one last time between her thumb and forefinger. "Sisterhood," she accidently mumbled. Seeming to snap to her senses, Myriam let go of the chain. "It was a gift… from a long time ago."

"It sort of looks like the symbol of the Maker," Numa mused. "Half of it, anyway. Is it broken?"

A soft, "Yeah," was all that Myriam offered. They continued their walk in silence.

Ronisha slowed her pace, "This is the place."

Myriam and Numa peered from around the corner. The scene looked like a typical warehouse. Transports pulled in, were quickly unloaded and on their way. The only thing that made this one stand out was that it was undocumented.

"You're sure this is where you acquired the blaster, kid?" Myriam clarified and glanced at Numa.

"Yeah, now how about my reward?" Ronisha was ready to part company with the likes of the Jedi.

"It does not make sense," Numa pondered out loud. "We know for a fact that most illegal trade on Syllian has been shut down. We know that because the legitimate businesses have been running unhindered.

The Jedi rolled the possibilities around in their minds for a moment. Myriam's eyes fell again to the blaster in Ronisha's hands. "I think I get it. Instead of Vespucio's people running illegal activities on Syllian itself, they are just using it as a pipeline into the rest of Republic space."

"Hmmmmm…." Numa processed the idea. "That may be even worse. We will have to pay Zeakwon another visit soon."

"Oh, we will, but let's clean this up first….." Myriam rose to step into the clearing.

"My reward," Ronisha spoke up again, firmer this time.

Myriam glanced back as she pulled her lightsaber. "When we get back, kid. Wait here."

"Oh, OK," Ronisha rolled her eyes. Figuring she was getting screwed again, she plotted to escape as soon as the Jedi were distracted.

Before Numa and Myriam could approach the loading docks, there was a commotion from inside. Many of the loaders either rushed in through the doors or hopped onto their transports to make a quick exit from the scene.

Myriam and Numa rushed into the loading dock door. Their pace quickened as they heard blaster fire ahead of them, but the commotion seemed to die down before they could reach it. They entered a large warehouse to find Hector and Hannibal standing in the middle of several fallen bodies. Hector beamed with pride, "Beat ya." He then turned back to a child stepping out from behind the cover of a stack of crates. "Good tip, kid."

"This must be Jenaid," Myriam offered.

Hannibal closed his saber, "How could you possibly….." he gave a worried look to Hector. "Oh poodoo…."

Numa grinned, "We made the acquaintance of one young Ronisha. That's right, we heard the whole story."

After an extended awkward pause, Jenaid piped up, "Can I get my own laser sword now?"

XXXXXXXXXXXXXX

It always seemed to happen this way. A couple of tourists wonder off the beaten path and down some dark alley way. Tourism was just beginning to pick back up with organized crime on the decline. Still the small time criminals had to make ends-meat. This particular couple seemed so enamored by their surroundings that Ronisha had to clear her throat before they noticed her standing in front of them with the blaster. "Oh how sweet," the wife smiled and snapped a picture.

"This ain't no toy, lady," Ronisha snapped back letting go of a stun blast. Her plan was to stun the woman and have the husband hand over the valuables. However, if that did not work, she would stun them both and take what she wanted anyway. That was her plan, but as the stun pattern rippled out, a blue beam of light appeared seemingly from nowhere, deflecting the stun ray back into the girl's own body.

When light returned to Ronisha's world, she could feel the ground beneath her and see blurry rooftops above the alley. "Poodoo," she felt around frantically for her blaster.

"Looking for this?" Ronisha's eyes were finally able to focus on Myriam squatting with the blaster laying across her knees in front of her as she sat up.

The young girl rubbed her eyes. "Not enough you cheat me out of my reward, now you steal my only means of making credits too?"

Myriam stood up followed quickly by Ronisha before she tossed the blaster to the younger girl. "I said you can keep it and you can, but I'm keeping this," the Jedi bounced a smaller device in her hand.

"What's that?" Ronisha almost did not care as she inspected her precious blaster.

"The firing mechanism," a thin smile spread across Myriam's face.

"Hey!" Ronisha started to protest.

Before the would-be thief could get any farther, Myriam pointed to a sack next to where the girl had been lying. "You can keep that too."

Confused Ronisha stooped down to examine the sack. It contained several weeks' worth of food packs. She was still upset about the blaster and the reward, but again she would not turn down free food. She rose to her feet and spun back towards the Jedi, not quite sure how to express her angry gratitude. Before she could open her mouth, Myriam tossed a small pouch at Ronisha. The girl could not catch it with the blaster in her hands and it hit at her feet with a clink.

"And what's that?" Ronisha asked more than a little annoyed.

"You're reward," Myriam clarified.

Ronisha's eyes widened. She quickly reached down and counted the credits as she scooped them up. It was all there. She quickly tucked the pouch into her pocket and shouldered the blaster. "Thanks," she still tried to sound annoyed, but she felt the reward in her pocket, the blaster on her shoulder, and glanced down at the food at her feet. "Why you doin' this?"

"Because we Jedi always keep our word," before Ronisha could roll her eyes, Myriam thought carefully about her own words. "Well, most of us, but even if others don't, I'm a woman of my word. You can trust me."

Ronisha's eyes studied one of the few people in her life who had actually attempted to help her. "Everyone who has ever told me to trust them was lying."

With a thoughtful look, Myriam almost chuckled. "Same here." She turned slightly, but paused. "You are smart enough to make a living without that blaster. And probably without any help from me, but just in case, "the Jedi reached into her robes she produced a comlink. She tossed to the young girl.

Ronisha easily caught the communicator since her hands were empty this time. "What's this for?"

"It is only linked to mine. Just in case. No one else has to know," with that, Myriam departed the young girl that she hoped would consider her an ally, if not a friend.

XXXXXXXXXXX

Zeakwon was angry, but not reckless. He strode down the street rather boldly towards the Jedi's temporary headquarters, but as he got closer he knew he should exercise a little caution. He found a spot off to the side and waited, when the street was clear, his boldness returned. He approached the main door and began pounding. "Hey Jedi, open up!"

The main door slid open, there was no one to greet him, so the crime-boss made his way down the hallway to what appeared to me a main room. Hector sat at a long table with his feet propped up, cleaning his saber. Numa was at the other end of the table studying intel on various data pads. Hannibal monitored communication channels at a nearby consol. None of them seemed all that interested in their main underworld contact. Even more infuriated by their lack of acknowledgement, Zeakwon demanded, "Where's your Master? Where's Granger?"

"He ain't here," Hannibal responded nonchalantly without looking up from his consol.

None of them needed to Force to sense Zeakwon's anger, "When will he be back?"

"He's off-world," Numa finally looked in the gangster's direction, "We do not know when he will return."

The gang leader inhaled slowly and closed his eyes, "OK then. Look, you people left me alive because I'm such a valuable contact within the criminal underworld, right?"

The Jedi glanced at each other, finally Numa nodded in agreement.

"Fine, I'm not going to be a very valuable contact if there is no criminal activity on Syllian."

"True," Numa pondered, "but we did not leave you in place to run illegal weapons deeper into Republic space. That is kind of the opposite of what we want to see happening."

"Maybe," Zeakwon conceded, "then you have to give me a little breathing room to do other things. People can't make money working for me or they are arrested or killed. Some have already jumped ship to the other gangs trying to move in… the ones you have no control over..."

"Yet," Hector interjected.

Ignoring the interruption, Zeakwon continued, "The weaker we appear, the more our rivals will come. You have to let me show a little muscle to keep our competitors in check. I can keep the peace."

The Jedi let the words sink in as they looked around the room at each other. Before either could respond, a tired Finly entered the room followed by Iesha. The other Jedi rose expecting their master to be behind the newcomers. Having heard the end of the conversation, Finly directed his comments at Zeakwon. "No offense, but you have now become irrelevant." He turned his attention to his comrades. "We have someone in a higher place now."