Hey, everyone! How are you doing on this cool evening of Saturday, January 14, 2023? I'm well, if a bit tired from volunteering today, and plan to sleep a bit after I plan some of the outline for this chapter. I also plan to release my drafts for Chapters 9 and 10 in a couple of days, after I get my necessary feedback to improve them a bit. Oh, and I plan to read Star Wars: Shadow of the Sith, starting tomorrow. Hopefully, I like it, but I have my terrible doubts. So, as I promised last chapter, this final piece for Part One will be an interlude featuring Robonino, and his first encounter with Edaan and the start of their tragic friendship. Well, with all the small talk out of the way, I'd best get started on the chapter. First, I'll plan the outline, then I'll write it out. May the Lord be with us all in these dark times, and Long Live the Expanded Universe!
(Thursday, January 19, 2023, Addendum.) Hey, everyone. Hope you're all enjoying this warm night. I'm well, as I'm well on my way to completing this chapter in a few days, five, at the latest, at my current pace. I also read through a good chunk of Star Wars: Shadow of the Sith over the last few days, and it's, I hate to say this better than I thought so far. Of course, lore wise, knowing what happens in the, ugh, Sequel Trilogy makes it all moot, but it's still good research material for my future works. And I read the latest chapter of Boruto: Naruto: Next Generations today, and it's a dark game-changer, that's for sure. I hope the writers know what they're doing, because a lot of people aren't going to handle this as well as me, and I'm pretty disturbed myself by what happened at the end of Chapter 77. Anyway, I'm going to get some rest in an hour or so, which means I'd best sign off for tonight. I hope you all have a blessed night, continue to stay safe in these mad times, and Long Live the Expanded Universe! One more thing, I ought to let you know that I heavily drew upon a combat scene from Darth Bane: Dynasty of Evil as inspiration for the ambush scene. I hope it's good, and I hope you enjoy it all.
0600 Hours, Yelona 22nd, 51 ABY
Ojoster Sector, Taris
Within the City of Haydel Goravvus
Inside the Borkar Bankers Headquarters
Sequestered away in the galactic enterprise's central headquarters, half a kilometer beneath the surface of Taris's capital city, countless beings intercepted and analyzed trillions of data bits across the sector. With at least fifty sentients of twenty different species and analytics droids coordinating their efforts, this nerve center for Raze's operations broke virtually every law regarding the kind of work the criminal mastermind excelled at.
With the Aporthad crime lord, slowly circling all his employees with his cybernetic limbs and studying every detail of their movements with his artificially enhanced mind, Raze was pleased at the start of another efficient day for his consortium and its many partners. Working alongside other progressive individuals like Natasi Daala in accelerating the galaxy's trajectory towards a more orderly and firm society, all to aid the One Sith in achieving their goal of toppling the Jed's untenable hold over the galaxy and give power to those who truly deserved it, he knew every day represented another step closer to the day when those who hid in the shadows could live in the open.
Reviewing the data coming in at a pace most beings could scarcely comprehend, Raze noticed one of his workers repeatedly sending his supervisors a Priority Delta notice, and decided to take a personal look at this little case. Scurrying over to the station as quickly as his mechanical limbs could carry his long and bulky frame, he soon came to a disgraceful sight. Two of his security officers were harassing the woman who sent him the notice, despite the Arkanian's protests.
"Enough." Raze loudly spoke, the one word enough for the guards to cease their accosting. Adopting a more civilized tone, the information broker kindly spoke, "This is hardly the way to treat an employee of ours, especially one who wishes to bring to our attention a potential ripple in our operations."
"I am aware that the example that of the few traitors that have tarnished our consortium's name and stability, but we still have standards to uphold, unless we become a mere cartel like Black Sun or, Ancestors forbid, the Hutts." Raze spat out the last word as if it were the most disgusting insult he could contrive.
Generously gazing at the woman, tearing up at the empathy aimed at her, Raze offered, "Do you need a moment to collect yourself before you deliver your report?"
Composing herself, the woman shook her head. "No, no sir. I have the report right here." Handing Raze a few sheets of flimsi, she promised, "It's well worth the interruption."
Carefully examining the notes provided to him, Raze's expression grew thoughtful, but a hard stare could be found in his eyes as he voiced the next question to the Arkanian, "You're certain of these transmissions?"
"Completely, sir." She promised. "I triple-checked all the transmissions, cross-referenced the data from your agents in the Hapes Consortium and Tarisian government, and each report the same. The Jedi are sending a two-man team to investigate some of our proxies, and it's two of their best members. They'll be here by tomorrow, early afternoon, at the latest."
"So it seems." Raze nodded. "And a visit from Jaden Korr and Edaan Palpatine, two of Grand Master Katarn's brightest pupils and one of the galaxy's rising stars of hope and virtue."
Licking his lips, Raze gently patted the woman's shoulders, "Excellent work. Check your direct deposit in two days to observe your salary. You've earned a healthy bonus for bringing this… promising opportunity, to my attention."
Turning to his guards, he ordered, "Ensure no further harm or interruptions come to Yora Jae. She'll continue her work, but make sure she isn't disturbed for the duration of the Jedi's stay here. I believe her efforts will be quite useful in tracking their movements and eliminating a few troublesome nuisances that have embedded themselves in our flanks. That is, after I confirm this with our primary patrons and see if they can loan us a few of their assets to assist with this operation."
1200 Hours, Yelona 23rd, 51 ABY
Spaceport Five
Debarking the Raven's Claw, Jaden instructed Edaan, "I hope you're ready for this, Edaan. Kyle's put a lot of faith for this diplomatic outreach."
"As if I needed another reminder, Jaden." Edaan exhaustively rebutted. "We've gone over it ten times, but I'll save you the trouble this time. You're here as a facilitator of the negotiations and working to expand your network of contacts and informants on behalf of the Order, but I'll be the principal agent of the talks. It'll be a test of my skill, intuition, and resilience to last in a planet rife with corruption that rivals half the galactic underworld."
"You might complain now, but such tests will be commonplace soon enough. And you can one day heap a similar set of trials on a pupil of your own once you take on an apprentice of your own." Jaden cheekily reminded Edaan.
Preparing to leave the docking bay and meet with their representative with the planet's government, both Jedi halted, sharing a quick and knowing glance before resuming their walk, now alert to whoever was tracking their movements.
"Where should we go, Edaan?" Jaden quietly asked. "You've studied the planet's layout, so there are plenty of ways to shake our pursuers."
"Let's see what we can do to blend in with the crowd before taking a little detour." Edaan softly replied, both Jedi pulling their hoods up and working to elude their hunters. Moving in with the growing crowd, neither Jedi lost sight of the other before they neared the shuttle bus lot.
Ready to take the long route to the planet's Mirage District, Edaan's danger senses ignited, and, sparing a glance to his right, was horrified to see an armored fighter taking at the crowd with a rocket launcher.
Forgoing safety to try and save the civilians around him, Edaan, pointing to the assailant while using the Force to amplify his voice, cried out, "ROCKETS!"
Quickly seeing what Edaan was pointing to, the civilians broke into a frenzy, screaming and scampering over everyone to try and escape the coming chaos. But the Jedi Apprentice knew it would not be enough to deter the assassin, so he reached out with the Force to manipulate the rocket launcher. Altering its inner components just enough to stop the attacker, he withdrew his sabotage when Jaden called for him, and hurried out of the area, ignoring the explosions that went off as the would-be murderer blew himself up in a fiery blaze.
Hurrying out of the spaceport, ready to disappear until both Jedi were stopped by sixteen Tarisian police agents. Suspecting they were being accosted by corrupt officers or about to be rounded up as suspects for the attack, they were surprised when the captain ordered, "Lieutenant Governor Saresh wishes to speak with you both immediately. He believes you two well-meaning do-gooders can help him, and we've been ordered to escort you with all possible haste." Gazing at the burning building, he grunted, "Of course, that was before this attack happened, but at least you managed to save all the civilians. Unfortunately, you'll have to make do with just a few men while the rest tend to the wounded."
Edaan was about to protest the offer of protection before remembering how assassins rarely traveled alone, and there would be countless civilians caught in the crossfire of the hunt unless he and Jaden eluded their opponents.
Fortunately, Jaden took the lead in this instance, "We'll go with you. But you need to cordon off the area and screen the evacuees for criminal records. Whoever tried to attack your spaceport likely wasn't working alone if they were trying to kill the two of us."
"I've already got teams scouring the area." The captain acknowledged. "We'll take the long way around to make sure we shake any potential pursuers."
1400 Hours
City of Lhosan
Carrick Tapcafe
Within this hotbed of activity, many species were enjoying a drink, or even ten, while catching up with old friends, learning of regional and galactic events, and trying to find good bounties to earn a good payday. And several infamous targets were carefully being scrutinized by a short and unassuming Patrolian, with purple and blue skin, garbed in simple clothing but equipped with several high-end tools worthy of a professional mercenary, who was looking for the best criminal to start his illustrious career.
A member of a typically aquatic and race, Robonino had learnt much of bounty hunting from his father, just as he had from his father before him, and yearned to follow in their footsteps, but without being a galactic fugitive like his namesake when he teamed up with Jedi hunters and Sith agents during and after the Clone War. Unlike the first Robonino in his long family tree, his grandson wanted to make a much better living by making the streets and planets safer for honest and law-abiding citizens, all while satisfying his unending craving for adventure and ever greater challenges.
How fortunate, then, that one certain bounty promised both for the Patrolian gunslinger: A Yarkona named Schurk-Adampo, an infamous crime lord with confirmed ties to galactic crime lord and information kingpin Raze, this 150-year-old man would be a grueling trial for any hunter. But Robonino was nothing if not persistent, and he was determined to start cleaning up Taris's cities, one block at a time if needed. Plus, the 50,000-credit bounty for capturing the criminal dead or alive was a perfect incentive in furnishing himself with better equipment and supporting his family here.
Preparing to download the full contents of the target, Robonino found himself being shoved aside by several taller men and women. "Hey!" He whined. "I was here first! Get in line and wait your turn before you can select your prey!"
Seeing one of the interlopers, a Weequay, stare down at him with a condescending smirk, Robonino momentarily considered hitting him right in the gut with a poison dart, but halted when remembering what happened the last time he did that in this cantina. Instead, he cautioned the meddler, "Let me get to my bounty, or you'll regret it."
Chuckling with an amused glint in his eyes, the grizzled mercenary dismissively goaded, "How are you going to back up that threat, little fish?"
'Oh, it's on now.' Robonino swore before doing something the rival bounty hunter would never expect. Leaping onto the table he promised, "You're about to find out." Quicker than the eye could tell, he stuck out a hand at his rival's exposed neck, and he spasmed uncontrollably for a moment, electricity coursing through his body before collapsing onto the ground, nearly dragging a table down with him.
After that mishap, chaos ensued throughout the establishment, with sober and drunken patrons throwing punches at each other, furniture being destroyed, and mercenaries eventually preparing to pull out blasters before alarms started blaring from outside.
'Guess I really stepped in it this time.' Robonino lamented before, in the tumult of the bar wide brawl that was dying down, downloaded the contents of Schurk-Adampo's bounty before sneaking away out the restaurant's back entrance, slipping a few credit chits underneath the owner's door as thanks for letting him escape interrogation yet again. When he got this bounty and earned his first small fortune, he would ensure he paid back all his friends for all the trouble he brought on them. It was the least he could do after getting them into countless scraps and bouts of trouble with the law throughout the first twenty years of his life.
1800 Hours
Haydel Goravvus City
Within the Mirage District
"Thank you both for seeing me after everything you just endured." A Twi'lek man, green-skinned, with a well-worn face from many smiles and laughs, and in a modest outfit befitting of the Lieutenant Governor of Taris, politely started the meeting with Jaden and Edaan. "I know you'd likely need a bit of rest and a decent meal, especially after your harrowing introduction to Taris's criminal population, but I'm sure you can guess that I haven't called you here for refreshments or your scheduled meeting with Governor Arland."
"We assumed as much, Lieutenant Governor Saresh." Jaden respectfully bowed his head, with a curious expression crossing Edaan's face before he bowed in suit.
Seeing the wonder on Edaan's face, Saresh offered his hand, kindly introducing himself, "You must be Edaan Palpatine. Your master's told me a lot about you. I'm Leon Saresh."
"Thank you, sir. I've... heard plenty of remarkable things about you also." Edaan diplomatically replied.
Letting out a single chuckle, Leon good-naturedly guessed, "You're aware of my ancestry and how most of them were power-hungry and amoral schuttas, correct? I heard you were a studious young man, and I can see the recognition of my family's last name in your eyes."
"Well, I wouldn't have put it like that, Sir." Edaan embarrassingly answered. "But I've brushed up a bit on the planet's history. Tragic, most of it."
"Yes. And not only the Sith and humaneocentrists that once governed this world with an iron fist, but my ancestors contributed to much of Taris's dark past. Not to mention the worst in the woman who became Supreme Chancellor of the Old Republic and nearly drove the galaxy to ruin with her warmongering and megalomania, Sith and Zakuul threats notwithstanding." Leon regrettably nodded. "And all that's why I surround myself with good and incorruptible advisors and make regular trips to the downtrodden sectors to deliver relief aid and opportunities for many of the residents."
"I imagine it's rather similar to you and your bloodline." Leon pressed, wondering how the Palpatine heir would react when being compared to his great-great-grandfather of a Sith Lord.
Thinly pressing his lips together for a moment, Edaan calmly answered back, "Only in one member, and I've worked to steer clear of his legacy."
"Good." Leon nodded, satisfied with the response before his expression became somber, "Unfortunately, not everyone agrees our simple but honest lifestyles and principles."
"You've seen the evidence of it in your welcoming committee, but it's only the smallest taste of what you have to contend with in your stay here."
"How bad is it?" Jaden pointedly asked.
"Worse than most of Hutt Space put together, but without the slavery and blatant honesty of the slugs' dirty work." Leon wearily began. "Gang wars, information trafficking, racketeering, kidnapping, you name it, it happens in virtually every district. And I know many of my subordinates are tied to this web of crime, and I'm powerless to do anything about it and their accursed handler!" Slamming his hand on his desk as evidence of his barely contained fury, Leon breathed out the anger, professing, "I was hoping Kyle would be able to send me at least ten of his people."
"They're being redeployed to Zygerria." Jaden explained. "Looks like someone with a lot of pull is working to reform their society, but they need a bit of… assistance in training a rebel army from scratch."
"Well, good for them, but bad for Taris." Leon bitterly remarked. "How long do I even have you two for?"
"Long as you need. It's a long-term job, and I'll be taking the charge in most regards." Edaan promised. "Part of my mission out here and a big step in my training to become a Jedi Knight."
Ruefully chuckling, Leon warned, "I'll take the help I can get. But you'd better be a better prodigy than the HoloNet reports tell me if you hope to handle all this mess with Jaden Korr as your overseer."
"Who've you identified in leading this crime wave?" Jaden professionally asked.
"Raze is at the head of it all." Leon grunted. "And I know where many of his operations are, but I don't have the proof, manpower, or authority to move on them. That's where we can start our work, locating the weak links in his organization, and following the trail for as long as it takes. Hopefully soon, we can find the evidence we'll need to get the Galactic Alliance to send plenty of real soldiers out here."
Pulling out a datapad, Leon handed it to Jaden and warned, "Raze and his local network have plenty of brutal and smart people in their pockets."
"Which begs the question of where to begin." Edaan lamented before looking through the datapad after Jaden handed it to him, struggling to decide which potential lead to follow would be the most promising to follow.
Eventually settling on a prime target, Edaan decided the best way to draw out Raze and his unseen backers would be to hit his operations strongly and loudly, which first meant taking down one of the Aporthad's most brilliant, experienced, and ruthless operatives in a high-profile manner sure to get his attention.
'Look out, Schurk-Adampo. You won't know what's coming after you until it's too late.' Edaan earnestly vowed. First, he would learn all he could of this Yarkona criminal, his operations, and all his ties to Raze, and then he would get to work.
0300 Hours, Yelona 25th, 51 ABY
Within the Lower City
Within the Hierogryph District
Crawling through the long-abandoned office building's giant air ducts to escape, Robonino hoped his contact's information was valid. Seeing dozens of heavily armed thugs patrolling the area was bad enough. Unfortunately, upon learning that this structure was simply a front for dozens of spice runner cartels operating across half the Outer Rim, he knew he could never outfight them all. He wasn't even sure that Taris's militia could, even if it got its act together.
Once again, just as he had been since he was a boy, Robonino would have to be light on his feet and inconspicuous to get the information he wanted from this facility, which was just fine by him.
Sneaking in through the planet's sewer tunnels that went all over the planet, Robonino was fortunate enough to find a lightly guarded convoy of empty cargo vessels arriving. Hitching a ride on one such ship, he quickly made his way into the facility, and realized how someone highly placed in Taris's legitimate government had to be aware of this operation, if not funding it directly and covering up its existence. That bit of information could be useful in increasing his pay after he caught up with Schurk-Adampo and get what he wanted from him.
Eventually reaching the facility's central command center, Robonino was able to overpower the leader and, with the help of two doses of truth-serums and a weak nerve toxin, convinced her to unveil everything she knew of this illegal enterprise, and give him complete and unrestricted access to the system's database without detection. Downloading all the intelligence his datapad and data drives could carry, he then knocked out the Zelosian woman before scampering on out through a large passageway.
Slowly making his way out through a lightly patrolled region of the district, processing everything he had uncovered while infiltrating this den of crime to plan his next move. From what he was able to decode right now, Robonino realized how this planet's corruption ran far deeper and was far more insidious than he ever imagined.
By infiltrating every lever of power inside the local government, militia, and economic strata of Taris, Raze and whoever was underwriting his efforts were working to upend this entire galactic sector in chaos and corruption, while allowing a shadowy force to slip inside and seamlessly take over the infrastructures and remake them in whatever image they so desired. And whoever these enemies of the Tarisian people were, they were preparing to target the two Jedi that were sent to investigate the scope of this cancerous crime wave to get the Galactic Alliance to respond in force, an outcome everyone involved in this despicable scheme desperately wanted to avoid at all costs.
Obviously, Robonino suspected the Sith were involved in some fashion, knowing the Senate's idiocy had tied their military's hands when facing the Jedi's ancient adversaries. But at this point, it wouldn't be sensible to point fingers just yet without absolute proof. That only left the option of him needing to warn the two Jedi and help them spring this trap on their terms so they could use it to their advantage.
Looking up the data on the two Jedi, Robonino was surprised to realize that the younger Jedi of the duo was a rising galactic celebrity, especially with the ladies. Edaan Palpatine had been the talk of many news stations for two years since his unbelievable emergence on Coruscant during the firebombing campaign orchestrated by the True Victory Party and its demented anti-Yuuzhan Vong crusade. As a result, he quickly became a source of cautious curiosity for many, especially the newly minted mercenary.
Well, if the information Robonino managed to snatch from the enemy's databases was the genuine article, then Edaan was heading to the planet's undercity to try and draw out Schurk-Adampo. It seemed that the Jedi had the same target as him, and that could be beneficial if he played his cards right. Of course, he'd have to make it before the assassins Raze was preparing to deploy against him caught up with him first, which meant he'd have to move quicker than ever before.
It was time to call in another favor with his friends in several of the planet's law-friendly gangs. A swoop rider would be perfect in getting to Edaan right away, and then he could compare notes with him and see if they could best accomplish their objectives by working together.
0900 Hours
Upper City, Mirage District
Inside the Governor's Mansion
"Why are you here?" Arland impatiently scoffed at his unwanted guest in his personal study. "I don't have time to cater to your whims, Raze, and you can't afford to be here now with the scrutiny we're about to be under."
"That is precisely why I came to you, Governor." The Aporthad outlaw spat the title out like it was an insult. "Did you honestly believe that a mere handful of your hired thugs would be enough to ambush and eliminate two of the Jedi's best fighters in a public massacre, nor prevent the inevitable investigation that would follow?"
"If your incompetent plan had actually succeeded, I would have withdrawn from this planet and made sure your rule would come to a disgraceful end, without any hope of escape or of pinning the blame onto me." Raze vindictively added before calming down. "Thankfully, though, your gambit failed, which means there is a way to salvage this situation."
"How?" Arland scoffed before he felt a razor thin blade cross his neck, mere millimeters from skin.
Smiling as if he were addressing a young child, Raze patiently answered, "We're going to have to divide and conquer in order to beat the Jedi. But I'll need the full support and cooperation of your government and all those who see things our way if our masters are to get their prizes."
In no position to contest the point, Arland panted, "Done. Anything else?"
Eyes twinkling in amusement, Raze nodded to the shadowy figure, who lowered his blade and allowed the corrupt politician to fall to his knees. "You will not mention this conversation to anyone, nor will you even entertain deviating from the plan Ochi and I have devised until all we have to do for our masters is accomplished."
"Rest assured, Governor, if you can carry out these orders, you'll be rid of all your major opponents, and be able to strike a blow to the Jedi while gaining immense wealth and prestige with the galactic community. You might even become a senator in the next election if you play your cards right." Raze included, knowing the human governor's insatiable greed, lust for fame and power, and excellent oratory and political skills, would ensure he would continue to be a valuable asset for Admiral Daala and their shared masters in the One Sith. That is, provided their puppet would continue to be guided in the proper direction and kept clear of any avoidable obstacles.
But first, the Jedi had to be removed from the equation before they could risk unraveling all the One Sith's plans for this sector of space. How fortunate then, that Raze had a few ideas on doing just that by using his comprehensive knowledge of the Jedi Order's tactics and frequencies to take the two down, one by one.
1900 Hours, Yelona 26th, 51 ABY
Within the Planet's Middle District
"You didn't have to come and see me personally, Amora." Jaden gratefully greeted his contact. Seeing the hooded Kel Dor woman before him, glancing around every corner as if she was fearing for her life, it reminded him of the danger of serving as an informant for the Jedi Order in these treacherous times.
"I had to." Amora rebutted. "You and your friends are in deeper trouble than you think, and this'll give you all a chance at saving this world and its people." Silently handing Jaden a data chip, she urged him, "Don't lose this. It identifies just who Raze is working with in the planet's government and can lead the Jedi to plenty of off-world allies of his."
"How bad is it?"
"Bad. Raze has plenty of powerful people and groups backing him." Amora scanned the area. Turning to leave, she warned Jaden, "Don't stay here for too long. There's more enemies around this sector than you and your friends realize."
Nodding, Jaden pulled out a few credit chits and put them in Amora's hand, promising, "There's more to come if we make it through this."
Seeing Amora safely make it away, Jaden prepared to contact Edaan and suggest a rendezvous point, when the sense of danger he had been feeling for the last half hour just intensified. Pulling out his unlit lightsaber, he reached out with his senses to try and gauge the situation. Stilling his mind, he let the Force flow through him, feeling the emotions of everyone in the general area, not noticing anything out of the ordinary, except for an elusive shadow that skirted the peripheral vision of his senses. It was not of the Sith, but dangerously close in its level of sheer darkness and honed power.
Suddenly the darkness surrounded the Jedi, and it proved to be all but impossible to think clearly, barely able to hear the clattering of many small metal objects roll around him. Not even a moment later, he realized the enemy distraction had done its work, and the real battle was about to begin.
All this flashed through Jaden's mind in less than a fraction of a second—just enough time for the danger to register before he flung at least seven grenades far into the air, while the remaining the sonic detonators on virtually all sides of him went off. Their earsplitting shriek paralyzed Jaden, causing him to stumble forward into the alley and away from the main road and any possible escape routes. His hands instinctively flew up and clutched at his ears, his lightsaber dropping to the floor.
And then the enemy fell upon him. They poured out from rooftops and back-alley doors, bursting into view from every side. Three soldiers armed with stun rifles sent a barrage of bolts raining down from the rooftops. Still struggling to even stand from the sonic detonators, Jaden was barely able to throw up a protective barrier in time to shield him from the assault.
As he did so, Jaden felt the same dark force he felt a few moments ago resume to fight him. Someone with a great connection with the Force was trying to block his own connection to it and keep him from shielding himself. It wasn't strong enough to stop him, but it did hinder his efforts more than enough for a flicker of energy to pass right through the barrier.
His muscles seized as Jaden was hit; his entire body spasming and seizing up the moment the blast's remnant collided with him. Every nerve in his body lit up as if it were on fire. The pain lasted only a single instant, but it was enough to knock him to the floor in a crumpled heap.
As a testament to his skill, Jaden didn't stay down for more than a couple seconds. Years of Jedi training and naturally building up his body's endurance had made him a paragon of physical strength and resistance. Springing back up, simultaneously drawing his lightsaber with his right hand as he sent a blast of lightning out from the fingertips of his left. The green bolts should have scorched out all three of his targets on the balcony, yet again the strange individual interfered with his ability to fully draw upon the Force and hindered his efforts.
Two of the victims were electrocuted with just enough power to spasm onto the floor while rapidly lose consciousness. The third, however, managed to throw herself back from the balcony's edge, evading the attack. Jaden never got a chance to knock her out. A pair of soldiers emerged from a hallway on the left, and three more appeared from the hall on the right. They opened fire with tangle guns, sending out long streams of sticky, synthetic webbing meant to hinder and immobilize the Jedi Knight, but it confirmed his suspicions that whoever hunted him currently wanted him alive.
The soldiers were smart; they were professionally coordinating their efforts. Two fired at his feet, looking to pin him to the floor. The others aimed for the chest and torso, looking to lock his arms to his sides with the viscous strings. But Jaden wasn't about to let himself become captured without putting up a fight.
Leaping up, he grabbed on to an enemy sentry droid, holding himself up with his free hand as it swerved around to try and shake him off. Swinging his legs to build momentum, he launched himself up into the air and onto the roofs, giving him the advantage of higher ground.
He came down with a heavy thud, the bizarre power still impeding his connection to the Force robbing him of a graceful landing. The bodies of the two knocked out soldiers were scattered about him, with the third nowhere to be seen. All around him were a long series of roofs that could give him an escape vector, provided a certain armored individual would stop impeding his way.
An armored man, at least, Jaden assumed it was a man, stood at the far end of the hall, wearing armor reminiscent of ancient Sith warriors, holding a long, thin metal blade held in each hand. He felt the eager anticipation and wariness in his stance, and in that moment, he knew who was interfering with his ability to use the Force.
The assassin broke into a run, charging down the roof toward him. Jaden dropped into a fighting crouch to meet his attack, believing her blades were no match for his lightsaber. It was only then that he noticed the flash grenades lying by the dead bodies at his feet and sensed the dark hand triggering them.
They exploded with a burst of intense light and chemical smoke that blinded Jaden. Disoriented, he fell back against the rooftop's stone edges. An instant later he felt the sole of the armored humanoid's boots strike him hard in the chest, sending him tumbling backward over the banister to the marble floor at least fifteen meters below.
Hitting the ground hard enough to knock the breath from his body, even after he used the Force to soften the blow, the impact left him gasping for air. The impact jarred his lightsaber from his grip, letting it skitter across the floor. An instant later his beaten and worn form was enveloped by the webbing from the tangle guns, pinning him to the ground and unable to move.
Blind and immobilized, Jaden's instincts saved him. Decades of training allowed him to focus all his energies into one single blast of power, drawing on it so he could break free of this trap and make his escape. Once again, he felt the assassin's barrier trying to restrict his efforts, but this time he tore through it like it was a thin piece of flimsi.
For a moment it was as if the world around him was frozen in place. Though his eyes were still partially blinded by the flash grenades' effects, the Force rushing through his body gave him an otherworldly awareness of his surroundings—the scene was burned into his brain with perfect clarity.
The soldiers were scattered about the area, scrambling to take up new positions in preparation for the next stage of the battle. They were well trained, but he could still sense their fear: they knew the fight was far from over, and that they might not survive the rest of the battle at its current pace. The assassin had leapt over the railing in pursuit of him. He hung poised in the air above him, his twin blades held out to either side as she braced for landing. Jaden could even see himself lying on the floor, buried beneath a thick, wet blanket of rapidly drying chemical adhesive.
The frozen tableau lasted only a fraction of an instant, but it told the Jedi Knight everything he needed to know. And then the glimpse of clarity was gone, and everything became a blur of motion again. The armored enemy landed just as Jaden unleashed a combined wave of crackling electricity and telekinetic energy that burned away the webbing of the tangle guns while blowing away three guards foolish enough to try and stun him into submission.
The unidentified foe dropped to one knee and tried to stab his thin blades into him as he lay on the floor, but through the Force Jaden saw her coming. He managed to roll aside, escaping with only a long, deep cut along one of his forearms as he scrambled back to his feet. In response to his call, his lightsaber flew up from the floor and into his waiting hand, but the assassin was already retreating. Now that he was no longer helpless, he was eager to fall back and let his cohorts step in to assist him.
Several more flash grenades exploded around him, but Jaden was no longer unaffected; he could not afford to simply rely on his physical sight to guide him anymore. Fresh streams of webbing arced across the room toward him, but this time he dodged every burst while they were still in the air. Half a dozen concussion grenades tossed in from every side clattered on the floor at his feet. Just before they exploded, relying on instinct, he simply enveloped himself in the Force, creating a protective cocoon that absorbed the impact and left him standing completely unharmed.
Two men popped up from behind a nearby sewer entrance and fired at him from point-blank range with their stun guns. Jaden slapped the incoming bolts away with his lightsaber, then thrust out a hand to send the sewer door slamming shut eliminating two more adversaries without having to kill them.
Then Jaden was on the move again, bearing down on two of the soldiers carrying tangle guns and barring his way to freedom outside the alleyway. Knowing there was no other way to escape, and having given them ample opportunity to withdraw, he sliced them both in half with a single blow from his lightsaber, carving a perfect line just below their belts. Another volley of stun bolts came from behind, too late to save them, he was already gone.
A single flip back towards the main street, he saw the assassin blocking his way, but with reinforcements he wasn't expecting: Tarisian Civil Authorities, at least a squad of them, all aiming their blasters at Jaden with dozens more blocking off the main streets, whether on the ground or in police shuttles.
"You can't escape, Jaden Korr." The Dark Sider respectfully warned the Jedi Knight.
"We'll see about that." Jaden smirked, just before the assassin made his move. He was quicker than the Jedi expected, coming in low and faster than most Jedi Knights half Jaden's age. Not having time to simply blast him away, he instead had to spin out of the way. He tried to take one of his arms with his lightsaber on a counterthrust as he slipped past, but the armored man anticipated his move and managed to twist his body around, just enough so his blade caught nothing but a metal blade. But to Jaden's surprise, he saw his blade begin to sputter out before the blade's emitter functioned properly again an instant later.
'Cortosis!' Jaden realized, now seeing just how well-prepared the assassin and his masters were prepared for him. Recalling with perfect clarity the rare metal and its properties in nullifying a lightsaber, and how many rogue organizations and armies sought it for use against both Jedi and Sith, he knew the assassin, whoever he was working for, was well-prepared for any eventuality in this skirmish.
Interrupting his reflections, the assailant struck, backed up by all his remaining hired guns. Utilizing both lightsaber forms of Makashi and Ataru with an agility he hadn't utilized up until now, he struck at Jaden with such power, the Jedi wasn't able to do anything but reflexively block each blow with a lightsaber, with just three clashes enough to cause the blade to dissipate entirely.
Once the primary obstacle to his target was removed, the Dark Sider offered politely again, "You can still surrender, Knight Korr. It'd be easier for all of us, and any innocents caught in the crosshairs of this skirmish."
"Dream on." Jaden scoffed, before seeing his informant being dragged right beside the assassin, a blaster aimed at her neck. Berating himself for underestimating the enemy's cunning, the Jedi ordered, "Let her go."
"Amora will survive, rest assured of that. But whether in one piece, that all depends on you in this moment, Jaden Korr." The lead police force sergeant casually acknowledged, with a dozen of his compatriots surrounding the unarmed Jedi Knight.
Grunting at the lack of options, Jaden warned the assassin, "You lay a finger on her head, and you'll regret taking me in of my own free will."
Nodding, the agent agreed, "I'll make sure she's treated fairly." Crisply motioning with a wave of his hand, the police officer restraining Amora hit the Kel Dor woman with a stun baton, knocking her out with enough force to incapacitate a full-grown gundark.
Hoping he wasn't making a fatal mistake, Jaden raised his hands over his head, and allowed himself to be cuffed by Force-suppressing restraints before he was hit with a single dart, falling onto the ground as he allowed the sedative's effects to start coursing throughout his entire system.
'Edaan, looks like it's all up to you now.' His last thoughts were of his fellow Jedi and friend, hoping he and whoever else he would ally with could figure out a way to salvage this mess and bring the perpetrators to justice before all was lost for this planet's few remaining defenders.
0200 Hours, Yelona 26th, 51 ABY
Within the Planet's Undercity Sewers
Level 20
Battering away countless blaster bolts trying to stun him into submission, Edaan, utilizing his lightsaber as a simple defensive tool, was able to redirect many of the attacks back at his many adversaries and creating a gap in the enemy's formation, eventually allowing him to make a break for freedom.
Unfortunately, Edaan was several city districts away from any friendly area of Taris, having followed a lead by Jaden to track down Schurk-Adampo before realizing how badly he was deceived by Raze and his armies of spies and cronies. And he couldn't just run aimlessly across the sewers, not without an escape route or time to decide how to regroup. While his long-dead Jedi Master in Revan once traversed Taris's sewers millennia ago at the height of the Second Sith War, and the basic information was proving pivotal for him to gain ground against the assassins, it wasn't enough to get him out of harm's way. He needed a covert route to back to his speeder that he left concealed, and he needed to figure it out before he was overrun.
Interrupting Edaan's strategizing, a deep but guttural voice crackled out of his pocket. "Jedi Palpatine?"
Surprised at how someone hacked into his comlink's personal frequency, Edaan was prepared to smash the device to bits, before the man continued to speak. "I hope you're not planning to escape by using the same speeder bike you utilized to get here. Raze's people are swarming over the area and seizing the vehicle."
"If you want to get out of here in one piece and rescue Jaden Korr, you're going to have to trust me for a while. I'll get you to safety and to friendly territory."
Mind running amok at hearing everything the man just told him, Edaan cautiously reached out with the Force, trying to communicate with Jaden, but only found a blank void where the vibrant Jedi Knight once existed. Seeing no other choice, he cautiously asked, "How do I know I can trust you, whoever you are?"
"Because we're both seeking the same prey, and I have information that can help you in your anti-corruption campaign. But first, you'll have to get to us before your window of opportunity closes." The mysterious voice concluded before adding, "My friend and I are at the sewers' central junction two levels up. Try to make it in one piece."
Closing the comm channel, Edaan knew he'd have his work cut out for him. But he did enjoy a challenge, and this could be a perfect chance to implement his stealth training against his many pursuers.
0800 Hours
Level 18
Finally seeing a bright light at the end of the tunnel, Edaan hurried towards the edge, only to stop and swerve midway to avoid a slice from an armored assassin. Seeing the grey and red coated assailant, concealed beneath a durable metal shell, holding a thin metal blade in each of his hands, Edaan instinctively knew this would be the final obstacle before reaching freedom.
And it would be a large hurdle to overcome, for he felt the aggressor's strength to the Dark Side of the Force, a connection with an intensity Edaan had not felt before from any of his previous opponents. If Edaan didn't know any better, he suspected he was engaging against a Sith for the first time in his life.
Pulling out his lightsaber, igniting its amethyst blade, Edaan lunged at the foe, who was barely able to block the blow with a blade, but not before the attack skirted the edges of his armor and left a lasting gash over the breastplate. Seeing the lightsaber flicker out for a moment, he realized the blade was made of Cortosis, and knew he would have to change his strategy quickly if he hoped to escape.
Deciding to change tactics against his opponent, Edaan deactivated his lightsaber and blew the foe away with a telekinetic burst. But his sense of victory was short-lived when the Sith used the momentum to leap onto the ceiling and launch himself at his foe, with the Jedi barely able to backflip away in time to avoid the impact.
Before the assassin could follow up his attack, he twitched his body just enough to avoid the stun bolts aimed at his torso. Edaan, seeing the distraction and knowing now was not the time to fight a Sith, blew him at least fifty meters away with another blast, before making his escape for freedom. Seeing a Patrolian hurrying into an armored airspeeder, he guessed that was his new friend and quickly entered as well.
The moment Edaan entered the armored craft, the Patrolian shouted to the cockpit, "The kid's aboard! Punch it!"
Barely able to keep his breakfast in his stomach after the vertigo from the shuttle's rapid ascent, Edaan asked the diminutive ally, "All right. You got what you wanted, I'm aboard. Now who in the blazes are you?!"
"That's fair, given the circumstances." The Patrolian agreed. "The name's Robonino, and the people of Taris needs your help in stopping Governor Arland and the galactic crime lord Raze from fully taking over this sector and making it their own criminal kingdom."
"I'm taking you to my friends in the Taris Resistance, and meanwhile, we'll start to compare notes and figure out a way to save the day."
Edaan, sensing the truth from Robonino, let out a breath of relief. "Okay. But tell me this. What happened to the Jedi Knight who came with me?"
"Far as we know, he's alive, and we know exactly where Jaden Korr is being held." Robonino solemnly began. "But we're going to need an army if we hope to save him before it's too late."
1500 Hours
Lower City
Within the Railing Rancors' Central Base
Assessing the human Jedi Apprentice and Patrolian bounty hunter, Graden Meeko, the leader of the underground Taris Resistance and beloved figure by most of the planet's downtrodden and abused citizens for his charitable work, shook his head in amazement at how two rogue elements had done more to accelerate the small army's efforts to upend Governor Arland and Raze's stranglehold over this once bustling city world in a few days than his army did in a year.
Addressing Robonino, the Ithorian gang leader thanked the smaller nonhuman, "I still can't believe you infiltrated Arland's primary spice processing plant and got away without any hassle, and with a treasure trove of intelligence. I guess the Jedi's old saying of size not mattering has some measure of truth to it. Now we have all the proof we need to get the Galactic Alliance to respond in strength to end the enemy's chokehold over the entire world, provided we can get a message out to them."
"I can help with that, with your approval, of course." Edaan quickly, but politely, offered. "I know a few people in the GA's military and political structures that can make sure this evidence reaches the right people quick enough to make an impact."
"Can they be trusted?" Graden appraised the human Jedi Apprentice.
"Beyond any doubt." Edaan assured. "I'm on good terms with several senators and a few military squads with incredible connections in the GA, and they can alert Chief of State Dorvan and his military advisors, and they can send a force to aid us in freeing Taris. With your permission, I can get the word out right away, provided we have a transceiver strong enough to break through Arland's machinations."
With Graden's spies reporting how the governor had just enacted a planetary comm blackout in response to what he claimed to be a Jedi-led insurrection, having captured Jaden Korr and Lieutenant Governor Saresh and falsely implicated them in leading a spice smuggling ring as part of a galactic effort to establish a Jedi dictatorship across the galaxy, it was obviously a concerted and ludicrous effort to discredit the Jedi Order and solidify Arland's power base while covering his trail of corruption.
"I can supply one." Bayla, a dark-skinned human woman who served as Graden's right-hand, promised. "I have a few favors in the Taris HNN Station that'll come in handy. But we won't have long before the governor and Raze start retaliating, so we'll have to move quickly after the message is sent to Coruscant and launch our endgame to free Taris."
"I can help with that little hiccup in the plan." Robonino offered. "With all the data we've all accumulated on Arland and Raze's operations, we just need to get the word out to as many people as possible, and let the resulting chaos allow us to make our real move. And I happen to know of a few HoloNet anchors that'll listen to what we have to say."
"What about Jaden?" Edaan quickly pointed out. "We can't just leave him or the lieutenant governor in Raze's captivity. I don't want to imagine what horrors will happen to him if we forget about them both."
"We won't, Jedi Palpatine." Yutha Ren, a magenta skinned Twi'lek subordinate of Graden, promised. "Thanks to Robonino's hacking, we were able to track Jaden and Leon's captures and know exactly where they are. We'll be preparing a team to break them out right as we make our move."
Graden, clapping his long hands together in eager anticipation, ordered everyone, "Then let's get to work. It's time to set the stage for finally liberating Taris free from its cruel oppressors' domination."
1800 Hours, Yelona 27th, 51 ABY
Haydel Goravvus City
Inside Borkar Bankers Outpost Leonia
Schurk-Adampo, observing the Jedi bound and caged within his cell, could hardly believe that this was the famed Jedi Knight that led the charge in defeating the Disciples of Ragnos nearly forty years ago. Watching through a secure camera feed, the Yarkona was listening intently to every question his interrogators gave the prisoner, and every response that Jaden gave.
Even with his mental faculties dulled by spices and his body's capacity for pain pushed to its breaking point, the Jedi was still proving resilient against his tormentors, far more so than the Lieutenant Governor had been. With all the Twi'lek gave Raze, he had all he needed to exercise complete control over Taris, provided if everything else proceeded according to plan.
Knowing Raze sought as much information he could acquire before Ochi's masters provided the transport to securely move Jaden to their reprogramming facility, Schurk knew he needed to ensure no loose ends were left in both this interrogation, and in the hunt for the final Jedi assigned to Taris. Having attained no useful information from the Jedi's questioning so far, the Yarkona knew it was long past time to intensify and diversify efforts if he hoped to break his adversary.
All Schurk required now was the word of approval from Raze, and the special consultant needed to help break the Jedi. Then he would start to truly test Jaden Korr and see whose mind and will were superior, and the long-lived outlaw would prove that no Jedi was better than a man with as much experience and brilliance as him.
And while Schurk was at it, he needed to ensure nothing interfered with his leader's operations. According to his field agents, several suspicious figures were seen scouting out the outpost and analyzing his people's patrol routes and comm patterns. Whether they were overeager journalists or members of Taris's ragtag resistance, he couldn't afford to take a chance here. He needed to eliminate any opposition right away, before it could explode into a full-scale rebellion.
0800 Hours, Yelona 28th, 51 ABY
Upper District
Governor's Palace
"Governor, we have a situation." An aide anxiously alerted Arland. "Several locally-owned news stations are making illegal broadcasts, directly against your decree, decrying your rule and calling for your resignation amidst vast charges of corruption and dereliction of duty."
Now fully alert at his rule being defied, the slovenly governor ceased eating his smorgasbord of a meal and ordered the assistant, "Get me the Chief of Police. We need to shut this down now, before it ignites a wildfire we can't put out."
"Too late. The firestorm is already upon you" Raze's disgusted voice came through the mansion's loudspeakers, nearly giving Arland a stroke from the shock alone.
"Raze! Do you always have to sneak up on me like that?!"
"That should be the least of your concerns, you fat and wretched excuse for a puppet." Raze spat. "Jedi Palpatine and your opposition, they're already breaking out Jedi Korr and all your political prisoners, all while alerting the Galactic Alliance to your treason. They're sending every available ship in their entire sector to deal with you."
Paling at the disclosure, Arland tried to maintain calm but found several gasping breaths escaping his mouth. "What… how did this happen?!"
"Because you let your guard down, and your hold over the people wasn't nearly as strong as you thought it was." Raze dismissively answered. "The populace is rising up against your bought police, and your collaborators are surrendering to save their worthless lives from the growing mobs."
"I wish it could say it was a pleasure to work with you, but that would be a horrible lie." Raze distastefully scoffed. "Goodbye, Mr. Arland, and enjoy reaping your just rewards."
Disconnecting the comm channel, it left a heartbroken and soon-to-be powerless Arland alone to contemplate his final few days before meeting incarceration, unless he could make a last-ditch escape and live out his days as a powerless fugitive. But neither option would work for him, so he knew what he had to do to avoid prosecution or persecution. If he couldn't rule Taris, then he would settle for taking over his former patron's criminal network and enable the One Sith to strengthen their hold over the Outer Rim.
0800 Hours, Yelona 29th, 51 ABY
Hierogryph District
Borkar Bankers Outpost Leonia
How could this operation have collapsed so suddenly all around him? Schurk-Adampo, clutching his charred side while stumbling away from the carnage of the secret prison, struggled to figure out where he went wrong in maintaining this once-secret facility.
With hundreds of Taris police officers, backed by many of the GA advance military forces and several dozen privateers and their elite commanders, all storming into the prison, the Yarkona knew everything had come undone for Raze, and realized how this place would be his tomb, for he could not return to his patron after failing him so spectacularly. He didn't even have the Jedi or Lieutenant Governor to bargain with any longer, since the wretched Patrolian who snuck into the Hierogryph District's main processing plant had snagged an antidote to the drugs that paralyzed both top-priority prisoners, and they were leading the breakout and further decimating his besieged security force.
Knowing he could not betray his patron and allies, even if it meant giving his life to the cause, Schurk pulled out a holdout blaster, and aimed it right at his head, just as Jaden Korr emerged from the smoking hallway and saw what he was about to do. Raising his hand to try and stop the suicide, he found himself a single instant too late, with the Yarkona leaving a giant hole in his skull, and leaving the Jedi without an intelligence lead, and the Patrolian mercenary without a big payday.
A small consolation compared to all he had just lost, but it was all he had left as he faced the end with a shred of dignity.
2300 Hours
Haydel Goravvus City
Borkar Bankers Headquarters
Edaan, pouring all his strength, all his rampant emotions and power still flowing through his body, into a single blast of Force-guided energy to tear apart the final door guarding Raze's planetary headquarters, allowing the Galactic Alliance and planetary militia to pour in and start engaging the cartel leader's last known line of loyal bodyguards and defenders before reaching the Aporthad's data vaults.
After serving as a poster boy for the Tarisian Freedom Fighters by launching many high-profile raids on six corrupt figures in Governor Arland's administration and his loyal soldiers, Edaan was eager to end this civil war and put the atrocities he witnessed behind him. Having served as a diversion for the Taris Resistance and its newfound allies in the planet's loyal civilian populace, the rebel network was able to rally the remaining police divisions and military divisions unaffected by the rampant corruption, alongside the arriving Galactic Alliance's sector fleet and army, allowing them to sweep across the world by working with its guerilla teams in dividing the enemy's focus with multiple precision strikes. Aside from locating the figurehead of the governor, the operation was proceeding on schedule, and the planet would soon be freed of its longstanding occupation by corruption.
But learning the full extent of the criminals and their countless evils, it enraged Edaan to the point where he was nearly seeing red while cutting down anyone foolish enough to stand in the way of his righteous crusade. Holding all manner of dissidents in unjustifiable conditions in illegal or maximum-security prisons while secretly using them to refine spices and create other illegal commodities, arranging the assassination of military and political opponents to cover up their crimes, and slicing into civilians' networks to siphon off a portion of their credits to enrich themselves, it all screamed of the depravities of the original Galactic Empire and its most rabid followers, and the Jedi Apprentice was eager to erase any stain of his ancestor's legacy.
Quickly eliminating or incapacitating the criminal enforcers with the help of his newfound friend, Edaan reached out with his senses towards the two corridors that led away from the data vaults, trying to sense where the mastermind of this syndicate could be trying to withdraw to while Robonino sliced into the main computer terminal to try and ascertain Raze's location after leaving behind a few surprises for any stragglers or newcomers that tried to ambush the liberators.
Looking for the mastermind behind all this chaos, everyone knew if Raze was allowed to escape, he would start up his illegal enterprises all over again, and not make the same mistakes this time around. Normally, he would use his photographic memory to find the main hangar, but since this building's schematics were heavily altered from their conceptual design, the Jedi would have to rely on more than his mind to track the criminal down.
Hearing a distant explosion coming down from the right-side tunnel, Edaan reached out with the Force, and sensed a wave of hatred and death so strong, it nearly threw him off his feet from its sheer intensity. Falling to a knee from the exhaustion of the last two days, he pulled out a comlink, and wearily alerted Jaden, "I've found Raze. Transmitting the coordinates now."
"Copy that. Receiving data now." Jaden confirmed. "We'll be at your position in ten minutes."
"Good. I don't know how much time we have before-" Edaan continued, just as the communication broke up in a hiss of static. Wondering what could be wrong now, Edaan struggled to rise to his two feet again, barely succeeding just before he heard a projectile swiftly approaching him from behind. Turning his head, he realized what was coming his way, quickly put up a barrier to protect himself from the rocket, but the blast was still strong enough to blow him into the air and onto a nearby wall before falling towards the cold hard floor.
Hardly able to see with the fatigue and pain he was in, Edaan thought he saw a gigantic droid, at least twenty feet tall, with a humanoid body and insectoid head, standing before the awestruck army of intruders and flanked by at least twenty members of the Taris government's elite bodyguards. But to everyone astonishment and annoyance, they saw the now-fallen governor standing in front of them, clad in gold-plated armor and armed to the teeth with all manner of weapons.
Robonino, not in the mood for annoyances, irately told the madman, "You're absolutely that last distraction we needed to see, Arland. Why don't you turn yourself in and save us the trouble of another bout?"
Smiling maniacally, Arland shook his head, "I can't do that, fish boy. I won't leave until I escape your mob and take down Raze with the help of my Goliath droid. Then I'll wreak my revenge against everyone who ever thought of me as disposable."
"Great. Another deluded megalomaniac." Edaan groaned, hiding his exhaustion and fear for the imminent battle behind a veil of bravado. Urging Jaden through the Force to hurry, he whispered to Robonino, "You got a plan to deal with that gargantuan?"
"I do, if you can keep the governor and his cronies off my back." Robonino confirmed.
"Done." Edaan agreed. Glancing at the fearful members of the Taris militia and GA military, who had used the distraction to take up defensive positions, he used his emphatic abilities to urge courage and hope through the souls of his allies, and steadfastly ordered them, "Hold the line, men! No matter what our enemies try, not one of them must get past our defenses."
Barely able to stand from the last burst of energy, and nearly out of the medical stimulants he'd been using to repair the worst of his wounds, Edaan drew on the Force to keep him upright, and leapt out of the way when the Goliath droid aimed his blaster cannons and two of its lesser projectiles at the Jedi, launching five stun nets the young man was barely able to avoid.
With the battle now underway, a frenzy of carnage was unleashed, with Arland and his bodyguards cutting a bloody swath through the beleaguered rebels, eliminating five of the militia and GA soldiers for every hired escort that was gunned down, not to include the Goliath droid that focused its attacks on the Palpatine Jedi and any unfortunate soul that tried to impede its progress. And Robonino, moving light on his feet and avoiding the carnage, he swiftly neared the droid, preparing to climb the droid and turn it against its masters.
Edaan, seeing the Patrolian ready to make his move, took an instant to give him a burst of energy, pushing him up to the droid's head in mere seconds. He then pulled out a sniper rifle he was given by the street gangs and took aim at the nearest enemy agent. Pulling the trigger, he gunned down two agents before switching back to his lightsaber, the enemy fire keeping him pinned down and cut off from any aid.
But this distraction was enough for two of the enemies to sneak up on him and blast his lightsaber out of his weary hands before pressing the blasters behind the Jedi's head.
"Turn around, slowly." Arland viciously ordered Edaan, who complied with the command.
Addressing the disgraced politician and one of his bodyguards, both equipped with what he recognized as disruptor rifles, Edaan snarked, "Shouldn't you be in jail right about now, or at least wallowing in your treason and corruption before the mobs get you?"
"I couldn't leave yet. Not before I eliminate you for ruining my career here and taking down Raze and coopting his empire before proving my true worth to his masters." Arland scathingly replied.
"And who are your supposed masters, 'Governor?'" Edaan curiously probed, suspecting he knew just what group Arland referred to, but wanted official confirmation.
"People who are quite interested in you and are also very invested in seeing your order and cause collapse from its own decadence." Arland enigmatically answered. "I'd rather take you alive, but I'll settle for your head alone if I have no other options."
"A bold plan." Edaan admitted, before sensing a wave of energy course through him, replenishing his depleted stores, and the touch of several Jedi reaching out to him, all while letting tiny sparks dance on his fingertips to build up his energy, amended, "But you made one fatal mistake."
Scoffing, Arland questioned, "What might that be, Jedi Palpatine?"
"You corrupt politicians all talk way too much." Edaan rebuked before blasting the bodyguard with enough electricity in his left hand to incapacitate him, while he used his right hand to get the disruptor out of Arland's grip and get a few strong blows in by bypassing his guard, leaving him with a bloody nose and bruised legs where his armor was at its weakest in its knee joints.
Wiping the blood from his damaged nose, Arland nasally sputtered out, "You'll pay for that!" Pulling out two daggers while adopting a martial arts stance, the fugitive launched himself at Edaan, attacking with such swiftness that the Apprentice barely dodged the blows before reactivating his lightsaber. Blocking the blows, he recognized the materials of the enemy's blade since his lightsaber could not cut through it as the rare and highly durable mineral of Phrik.
Confident that Arland had plenty of other dirty tricks up his arsenal, Edaan knew he needed to end this quickly before Raze was able to escape or anyone else died on the Jedi's watch. Prepared to use the Force to electrocute his opponent into submission, he was astonished when his lighting attack bounced off the governor's armor.
Darkly chuckling, Arland gloated, "Did you truly think I'd let you use the same trick twice, or let you get away with such a cheap show? When one deals with Sith and Jedi, it helps to be prepared for any eventuality. And you won't be alive long enough to tell anyone of my true allegiances, Palpatine."
Renewing his attack, Arland, proving himself to be quite proficient with the blade and, augmented by his armor and its portable shield generator, forced Edaan to adopt a purely defensive strategy to hold back his enemy, for it was all he could do to stay alive at this point. No matter what few attacks the Jedi managed to get past his defenses, or the electrical attacks he unleashed to try and overload the armor's systems, none of the attacks could take a toll on the wearer or his defenses.
Quickly getting pushed back near the edge of the corridor leading to Raze, Edaan wracked his brain to try and figure a way out of this losing battle, before he remembered a tale his Master told him of his encounter with the Empire Reborn Admiral Galak Fyyar, and how he had to contend with the man in a similar suit of armor while destroying the man's flagship. Remembering how Kyle destroyed the Doomgiver's shield generator to eliminate the man's first layer of protection, he realized Armand must be drawing his shield's power from an auxiliary power source, one far stronger than any portable battery.
Hoping Robonino or Jaden could hurry up and assist him in ending this battle, Edaan spared a glance towards the Goliath droid, noticing the short aquatic mercenary was still attempting to slice through the giant machine's computer systems and turn it against its master. But judging by the tense expression and loud swearing, the slicer was having more trouble than anticipated. Someone else must be giving the droid the most advanced firewalls imaginable, or it was being controlled by another party.
Wait… Edaan analytically glanced at the headset Armand wore between a blade lock, which now resembled a thin crown that ancient monarchies utilized and wondered if that could be how he was using the droid while using its generator to continually power his shields by a prototype and miniature generator. A neural transmitter would certainly be useful in directing the droid and attempting to eliminate Raze.
But if that were the case, it would explain why the droid was remaining within fifty meters from Arland, because if it were too far away, the shield would weaken and leave the criminal vulnerable.
'Well, it's as good a theory as any other, I suppose.' Edaan thought, ready to put it to the test.
But before he could carry out his last-ditch plan, Robonino loudly screamed out, "Ah, to Chaos with it all!"
Hearing a series of familiar grenades go off moments later, Arland suddenly grew anxious, and turned to see the droid shutting down, with smoke pouring out of its head and its limbs going slack. "No… NO, YOU FOOL! WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?!" Just a second later, his neural link began to electrocute him, and a fatal scream was quickly echoing across the building, before dying down and the charred corpse of the disgraced leader fell to the ground, incinerated from within by his armor and transmitter losing their power source.
Moments later, several Jedi and Galactic Alliance marines poured through the burst-open door, and Jaden, taking a moment to assess the damage, amusingly noted to Edaan, "I see you've picked up Kyle's knack for creative destruction as much as him from his mercenary days."
"Well, I had a lot of help." Edaan humbly acknowledged before urging Jaden, "But let's save the banter for after we capture Raze."
0300 Hours, Yelona 30th, 51 ABY
Taris Orbit, Aboard the Bestoon Legacy
Helplessly watching another of his subordinates' vessels get impacted by ion cannons from the Galactic Alliance's sector defense force, Raze let out a disgusted snarl at yet another forfeiture, now having lost just over half his people and all their information on his operations to his enemies, including every hand from twenty of his thirty-five planetary outposts, and many of his best lieutenants he had recruited in decades.
He even had to sacrifice his data vaults and personal yacht and all the information encoded away inside each structure, just to ensure his escape from the Taris Militia, its allied gangs, and the two Jedi and the Twi'lek politician that spearheaded this entire debacle. Letting the enemies think he was escaping in his expensive yacht, it was a great sacrifice on his part, but a classic strategy, especially since Ochi possessed the means to shield the Aporthad and his retainers from the Jedi's senses. And it proved crucial in escaping the do-gooders just as they stumbled across his fleet finalizing its escape from this lost world.
But honestly, not even the death of that pathetic puppet in Arland, eliminated by the unwitting Jedi hero of Edaan Palpatine after he tried to destroy the superior leader, carried enough satisfaction to assuage the bitter wounds of defeat. Lord Krayt would especially be displeased at this deadly setback. But he would eventually retaliate from this loss, and it would be a terrible reckoning for all that got in his way.
Glaring at the Sith assassin, Raze quickly demanded, "How long until you're able to make the jump to lightspeed?"
"Fifty seconds, max." Ochi called back. "We've got some bogies on our tail, and I need to shake them just enough so that they can't follow us to your cartel's rendezvous point. Bad enough we lost Arland to the Jedi, but we can't afford to lose you and your criminal network also."
Resisting the urge to slaughter the Vahla for his unintentional slight at his consortium, Raze instead put his mental energies into calculating the dangers to him and his organization now that their partnership to the Sith was about to be made public knowledge, and the strategies needed to offset the coming damage.
Knowing the Galactic Senate and its gross incompetence and hypocrisy, the Galactic Alliance would officially be paralyzed on the matter thanks to its Neutrality Act against the Sith. But its military and executive leadership, on the other hand, would seek out unofficial means to cooperate with their rival governments and the Jedi to counter the rise of the One Sith.
Either he could cut his losses and take his people to go underground and weather out this galactic hunt, or he would risk it all and continue to support Darth Krayt with his costly bid for taking over the galaxy. No matter what, this would cost Raze dearly, but he would not walk away with nothing after decades of coming out on top from countless setbacks. He'd find a way to triumph from this disaster, or he'd take the galaxy down with him.
Just then, Raze received a private transmission from his built-in comlink from one of the five individuals who knew of this frequency. Silently answered, using his brain waves to communicate as text, he scathingly answered, 'If you're calling me to gloat or offer consoling words, then you're going to pay dearly when I reach safe havens.'
'I contacted you to make you a new patron, one who you will benefit from in ways you never could on your own or with the Sith.' Natasi Daala calmly responded, not at all offended by Raze's vitriol. 'I was planning to give it to you after you defeated the Jedi and fully took over Taris, but those plans will need to change.'
'I recently encountered a society, deep within the Unknown Regions, that shares my hatred for Force Users, and will help me in my efforts to rid the galaxy of their millennia of domination. They call themselves the "Knights of Olpaka", and they are quite an interesting group. I would highly encourage you to meet with me to discuss the matter deeper after you finish settling into your new headquarters.' Daala finished, leaving Raze with his thoughts as the Bestoon Legacy finally made its way to hyperspace, and a decision to make.
Unsure of what to make of this interesting tidbit, Raze filed it away for further exploration. He would be able to explore the topic more with Daala after he regrouped and finished evading the authorities this time around.
1800 Hours, Yelona 31st, 51 ABY
Mirage District
Lieutenant Governor's Estate
"I can't thank you all enough for your work in freeing Taris." Leon graciously praised the three unlikely friends. "With the help of your friends and all their intel and manpower, we've already made hundreds of high-profile arrests in the former governor and Raze's criminal network across the planet and seized all their illegal supplies and personnel from each their strongholds."
"And the goods you're distributing from their storehouses, plus your alliances with our friends and their muscle and noble repute, are all going a long way towards restoring good will and trust between the citizens and their elected officials." Edaan knowingly added.
"Yes, those as well." Leon good-naturedly agreed, somberly, "Hopefully we can maintain our momentum and give the people a real chance at having liberty again."
"To that end," Glancing at Edaan and Jaden, Leon continued, "I was hopeful the Jedi might be willing to consider establishing a permanent presence in the sector. Even a dozen of your members would be a good thing for public relations and morale for the soldiers and civilian workers out there while serving as a deterrent against all our enemies. Taris Massacre and Jedi Civil War notwithstanding, your order did plenty of good for the everyday people out here, and I know you can do so again with the shadow wars underway."
Jaden, giving Edaan a nudge, allowed the Apprentice to take the lead, promising, "It's a good idea. We'll run it by the Grand Master and the Council once we get back to Shedu Maad and give them our best recommendation on the proposal."
"But there's still the matter of Arland and his supposed ties to the Sith." Leon cautiously reminded both Jedi, placatingly adding, "I don't doubt he would have done such a thing, but the man was clever enough to shield all his transactions behind dozens of intermediaries and shell companies, which will take time to prove. And there's still the Senate's veil of neutrality against the war between the Jedi and Sith."
"We're aware of all this, Governor." Jaden interjected, taking the lead in this one, remembering too well how Edaan was quite sensitive to the disgraceful and irresponsible piece of legislation the Senate passed six years ago. "But you know the Sith won't simply go away at a whim, nor will they let this opportunity to hurt their operations last too long."
"I'm well aware." Leon agreed. "Which is why I'm going to coordinate with the Order in striking back at Raze and his patrons, all while proving to the Senate that their act of neutrality will be the death of us all if it isn't repealed."
Robonino, not one to be left out of the conversation, slowly suggested, "Well, I can see you all have many more important matters to discuss, issues I don't wish to intrude upon. I'll just show myself out and-"
"Actually, there was an idea I'd like to run by you, Mister Robonino." Leon interrupted. "I'm rather short with friends right now, and there's an offer I'd like to run by you before you head out."
"Thanks to Raze's cohorts and patrons, there's a shortage of trusted allies right now within the Tarisian government, and many enemies wishing me and my few friends dead or ruined. So, my position will be rather tenuous for a while."
"But, for someone or many talents wishing to make a decent sum, make a good reputation, and do the right thing, it could be the start of a great career as a bodyguard or elite bounty hunter." Leon stopped there, letting the point fully sink into the Patrolian's mind.
"Sir, are you offering me a job where I can do my thing all while keep you and your constituents alive?" Robonino summed up.
"Not just a job, Robonino. An opportunity to jumpstart your career and train the next batch of do-gooders like yourself." Leon clarified. "You'll also train prospective candidates in all your forms of combat, slicing, and infiltration to give them the best chances of maintaining survival and victory they can get."
"How long would the position be for?" Edaan suddenly asked, surprising everyone with his interjection.
Curiously appraising Edaan, Leon stoically answered, "Six months to a standard year, just to give my administration a solid foothold and sturdy foundation. After that, he's free to pursue whatever targets he wishes within the boundaries of the Galactic Alliance."
Nodding, Edaan apologized, "That's good. Sorry for the sudden question, but there was an idea that's been on the forefront of my mind."
"Edaan." Jaden tried to warn, "Now's not the time."
"Time for what?" Robonino curiously asked. "If the kid's got a possible job lined up for me soon, I might be open to it."
"It won't be for a few years, five, at the minimum. First, I need to get stronger and build up a network of friends and allies that's strong enough to unite this fractured galaxy." Edaan clarified. "Plenty of time for you to stay here and hone your skills while training plenty of others to fill your impressive boots. But…" Hesitating for a moment, Edaan offered, "How'd you like the chance to go up against Sith when I call upon you?"
Leon, appraising the teenage Jedi, observed, "You're talking about a certain Sith, aren't you? Someone you've had your eye on for a while, haven't you?"
"Yes. Not to kill, but to save, if I can." Edaan softly said. Gathering up the courage to say the next two words, he hoarsely admitted, "Vestara Khai."
Both mercenary and governor barely reacted to the disclosure, a choice Edaan took as consent to go forward. "When I feared my potential to be a Jedi, scared of being away from my family and repeating my ancestor's evils, it was she who inspired me to continue with my training and look for the good in myself, and what I could do for others. And it was the reason I continued to train after Abeloth and the Lost Tribe…" Choking up, he continued on, "Ruined Coruscant, and killed my entire family and billions of others."
"Since then, reading about every crime and murder Vestara has committed, I know the road I've taken will be virtually impossible to travel and will be full of hardships and trauma I can't even begin to comprehend." Edaan stopped, shivering from the heartache and tears pouring down his face. "But I refuse to believe that the kind young woman I know is all gone, the good soul that saved me at my lowest point. And I refuse to adopt Ben Skywalker's warped mentality of 'Kill or Be Killed.' I'll find a way to save her, even if it kills or damns me in the end."
Taking a moment to try and get some bearing on his emotions, Edaan earnestly told Robonino, "But I can't do this alone. I'm going to need a team of the best and brightest across the galaxy, and I know you're going to be one of them. I think that's why the Celestials brought me here at this time. To find you and make sure you made it through this fight."
Robonino, overwhelmed by the emotion and pain behind Edaan's plea, breathed deeply, and promised his newfound friend, "Once my tour of duty's over, and I make a name for myself throughout the Outer Rim, I'll be ready to help you in any capacity."
Overwhelmed by the relief, Edaan knelt to Robonino's level and gripped him in a tight hug, gently repeating his thanks, with Jaden quietly conversing with Leon, "I'd be grateful if you could keep this part of the conversation to yourself, Governor. There's a lot of people out there in the galaxy who wouldn't be happy if they learnt of Edaan's personal crusade just yet."
"I know the value of discretion, Master Jedi." Leon rhetorically reminded Jaden, emphatically adding, "And I know the strength of a single soul with the weight of many on his shoulders, and the personal hopes, burdens, and promises one might hold in the depths of their heart."
Gazing at Edaan, still knees on the ground with his new friend as he poured his heart out with tears, with a newfound admiration, Leon cautioned Jaden, "You, his master, and whoever else stands with him, you'd all best keep him alive long enough to finish his giant odyssey. There's a lot of people out there that can learn from his kind and self-sacrificing example."
'Don't I know it.' Jaden quietly agreed with the prompt and fitting warning but still harbored another sentiment that he would need to share with Grand Master Katarn right away after the two returned to the Jedi Order's headquarters on Shedu Maad.
1200 Hours, Yelona 33rd, 51 ABY
Shedu Maad, Jedi Temple
Within the Grand Master's Office
"I have to say, I'm really disappointed in you, Jaden." Kyle regretfully began after reading through Jaden's report before jokingly continuing, "I'd have thought you'd let Edaan handle more of the fighting than what you did in the former governor's secret prison."
"Yes, well, he had his hands full with assisting a planetary rebellion and serving as a main diversion on behalf of the GA and Taris militias." Jaden fully agreed. "But now, Edaan has several new allies in his mission, and we'll have a strong foothold out in Taris and its adjacent sectors."
"And there's the fact that he's growing up into a fine Jedi and becoming an even greater young man." Kyle added, before soberly continuing, "But from what you reported me, he still has many old wounds inside his being, and the scars and pain from his many losses still haunt him. Unless he can master his fears and move past them, he won't be able to accomplish his quest and truly honor his family's will."
"What are you suggesting, Grand Master?" Jaden asked, disregarding Kyle's usual dismissal of formalities.
Hesitating, Kyle suggested, "I think for now, we ought to give him a breather. He's been going on missions left and right with dozens of Jedi, and he must be fatigued from all the heroics he's accomplished over the last five months."
"Afterwards, though, I think it might soon be time we give Edaan his first long-term mission, along with a few other Jedi of his age and skill level. There's a few troubling hot spots across the Outer Rim that would be perfect to test many of our most promising Apprentices."
"You have somewhere in particular for him?" Jaden knowingly guessed, recognizing the thoughtful gaze in Kyle's expression and knew wherever Edaan was sent, it would test him in ways he hadn't been challenged before and push him to his limits.
"Maybe." Kyle halfheartedly admitted. "Up until now, we've primarily tested Edaan's physical limits, but now it's about time we start to instruct him more on what it really means to be a Jedi, the wars we always wage within ourselves, and the good we can truly do for the people. And I think the world of Zygerria and its budding rebellion of freedom fighters might very well prove to be the trial we need to help temper Edaan's blazing and righteous crucible of fire."
0200 Hours, Yelona 35th, 51 ABY
In Taris's Lower Districts
Within the Yates Residencies
"You're heading out so early, my ever eager and adventurous nephew?" An elderly Patrolian woman noted to Robonino, carrying the final suitcase he needed before he started the next phase of his life.
"I have to, Aunt Sara. The governor wants me to be at the main barracks by 0800 Hours today to get acclimated to the new facilities and greet the first batch of recruits." Robonino answered. "I won't be able to come by that much, but I'll write as much as I can."
"Thank you." Sara Yates warmly smiled from his nephew's kind words before seizing up, inhaling sharply before she nearly collapsed, supported only by the medical droids that had kept a constant watch over her in her advanced age.
'Oh no, not another one.' Robonino griped. Hurrying to her side and administer the sedative before Sara had a stroke from her heart murmurs, he noticed her eyes were fixated on him, and her tremors quickly subsided to an eerie calm, making the younger man realize that his aunt was not suffering from her ailments, but experiencing a glimpse of the future.
Remembering how in her younger days, Sara had served as a soothsayer for curious and willing souls, using her connection with the Force to see many possibilities for her clients' futures and teach them to conceal their own Force Sensitivity, after the Jedi missed them in their search for recruits, just as her long-dead teacher had taught her many decades ago, Robonino knew that the visions had become increasingly sporadic and spontaneous as time passed until they hardly happened at all now. For her to have a premonition now… well, it could mean just about anything, but the young mercenary was not simply going to abandon her now, new job or not.
"Robo…" Sara whispered. "Beware the vessel of chaos. As his power grows, so too will the strength of his echoes until they consume the galaxy, and the strength of all the evils that will tempt him. Stay by his side, and you will attain an eternal legacy throughout the galaxy. But in the process, it will also lead to your ultimate undoing, and might doom all creation long after we both reach our final ends."
"'Vessel of chaos?' End of the galaxy? What in the gates of Hell are you talking about?" Robo pressed before he heard a deep exhale of breath from Sara, and her head bobbed down with a soft snoring coming from the old Patrolian.
"I'm sorry, Master Robonino. The mistress's heart rate was far too erratic, and she cannot continue having these episodes for much longer." The medical droid apologetically explained how to administer the sedative that put her to sleep.
Sighing, Robonino resignedly nodded, "Just make sure to call the doctors if her condition deteriorates. I'll stay for another hour or so until she wakes up, but by then, I'll really need to get going."
As the hour progressed, Robonino tried to process everything he heard, unable to come up with any definitive conclusions, save one, and it troubled him to his very core. Could this man that Sara claimed to serve chaos be Edaan? If it were true, then would he succumb to darkness just as his ancestor did over a century ago, or would something far worse come from him?
Well, with Robonino now having been warned by a reliable source about his new friend, he'd have to keep a close watch on Edaan and see what kind of man he'd become before he fully committed to his reckless plan. If he proved himself in his endeavors and stayed on the straight and narrow, then he would be appeased. Still, just to be safe, it couldn't hurt to let Governor Saresh know of this vision so he could bring Grand Master Katarn in the loop as well.
To many, he might seem to be a glory seeking fool, but no one was going to say that Robonino was a dishonest and suicidal idiot. He'd leave that moniker for his heartless and greedy grandfather whose legacy he longed to expunge and move beyond.
Well, I think this is a good place to end the interlude chapter! What did you all think? Do you think it was believable enough, and helped flesh out Robonino and Edaan a bit more while setting up the plot for my next saga? If you can guess where I'm going with this, feel free to shoot me a review or PM, and I'll answer the best I can. So, how are you all doing on this cold day of Sunday, January 22, 2023? I'm well, as I have read a large chunk of Shadow of the Sith, and it's still a decent book. A shame it can't be better, but I still have almost 170 pages left in it. Afterwards, I'll read a couple or three other Star Wars books before getting to real-world stuff. Oh, and I hope to get this chapter out in a couple weeks or so, but I am prepared to wait a while longer, since this one is longer than most of my previous chapters. May the Lord be with us all in these dark times, and Long Live the Expanded Universe!
