Despite the rain and traffic above, she quickly spots a black probe droid through the window when it hovers over the empty street of Aradia's poorer neighborhood. From the looks of it, it must have been a viper probe. One alone could scour an entire planet and, if necessary, kill-its target, whether human, alien, or droid.
F knew she was that target. She carefully looked down at the probe droid from her hiding spot. She had seen the probe droid float into the dilapidated building where she took refuge, going from one room to the next until it reached her corner on the seventh floor. She also sucked in a breath when a light emerged from one of the bulbous lenses along its disk-like head, illuminating the darkroom it had entered. If she was right, and she was, then the probe's scanner would find her.
She kept still when a light flashed beside her. It was only lightning. The probe and its shining ray had gone in another direction, towards the opposing corner. One of its many mechanical appendages stretched out and reached for her cloak, snuggled by her sleeping spot.
The baby Tooka-cat hiding under it jumped away to reveal no one else.
While the probe was distracted, she took her chance. She leaped from the tiny corner by the broken ceiling, her hands jostling around her igniting weapon and-
SLASH!
After her feet touched the floor, F sighed once she saw the probe droid's two smoking halves on the floor. "Another run-in with these things," she said before turning off her lightsaber once the electrical sparks faded from the probe's remains. The cold breeze entering the broken window reminded F of her other problem. Sadly, she found the same Tooka-cat had returned to claim her cloak. "That's mine," F said, trying to shoo the feline away. She failed, seeing how it clung to her only protection from the cold. A groan later, F sat down and took the unused portion of her cloak as a blanket. With her back to the wall and forced to share her cover, she tried to get some sleep in the foggy morning.
- Episode 2: A momentary trust -
After the weather calmed, F left her shelter and soon walked past wanted signs of herself, or her shadow, given the lack of a photo. With the Empire after her and possessing little credit to bargain with untrustworthy smugglers, F concludes her only way of leaving off-world was to acquire a ship and coordinates.
F boards an underground train, using this time to recall the intel she gathered. She remembers feeling disappointed upon discovering only one spaceport to the north holding ships fit for intergalactic travel. However, she also found a small army guarding the complex, ruining any chance of stealing a ship in this city. Even if she could escape under the Empire's nose, the dilemma of her coordinates exists. To solve that, F got off her stop to find a possible solution in Aradia City's Night Centre.
Boxed in by towering interconnected buildings, the area roared from crowds exploring its many underground markets. The lights and products on sale around F lead to a vibrancy found only in Core Worlds, but she ignores all this and walks up to a service bot. Activating the machine, it projected a hologram of a droid surrounded by ads. "Greetings, customer, to QA-81's service guide!" Holographic fireworks sparkle, which didn't amuse F. "Before we begin, may I ask for your-"
"They or them is fine," F said, remembering the countless times' people and droids asked this. People, especially, are consistently unable to tell due to F's androgyny. "Now, what's offered here?"
"Well, my non-conforming friend, Aradia's home to many top-of-the-line guilds. Ask away any service you seek."
"Are thieves one of them?" F inquires.
"As I said, ANY service!" QA-81 proudly states. After briefly scanning its records, a loud buzz is heard as its eyes turn red. "Unfortunately, my dear customer, business is slow tonight. New Imperial laws have made thieving more difficult. But, if you still wish to look, please walk down to Tetsu's Emporium at the end of the Centre."
"Why am I not surprised," F sighs before taking off.
"Thank you for stopping by! We humbly accept any tips-oh, they're already gone..."
Ignoring the droid, F gazes up at the bright red sign. The cheers of the establishment show that it lives up to its exclusive reputation. With F peeking through the opened door, she finds the inside dazzling with multi-colored lights and pumping music to attract high-class patrons and gangsters alike, including Imperials. F steps forward to enter when a gruff-looking security guard grabs her shoulder.
"Got an invite, buddy?" the guard asked.
Seeing no one nearby, F subtly waves her hand. "I've already shown you my invite," she whispers.
"No, you haven't, bud."
"Yes, I did," F said aggressively, pushing even more with the Force.
The guard suddenly looks dazed, backing off and allowing her to enter. F roams the bars for guild members, avoiding the many half-drunk Imperial officers. She flinches from rock music blaring nearby. A large Holonet display broadcasts a Hutt on guitar playing with some nervous-looking human singer. 'Never thought I'd resort to such places, so noisy and annoying,' she thought, continuing her search.
F spots a thief guild emblem with one group, but she is turned away as soon as she speaks. The process repeats until F sees how few thief guilds there are here. F stood aimless by a bar, wondering if there were more upstairs. She jumps when she sees an officer fall off his seat before a finely dressed server quickly helps him.
"That's why you don't have seven Ardees drinks, sir," the human woman with short dark hair and dark skin advised. A glance from F lets her guess that the woman is a few years older than her, possessing cool amber-colored eyes. "We don't like having too many people drop dead here, you know," F hears before catching the woman swiping credits off the man's large wallet.
"A rogue thief?" F muttered to herself.
As the woman left with a wink, F saw she was heading upstairs and quietly followed. F's keen eyes also caught a male Rodian grabbing drinks from the supply bar, where the server grabbed her tray. Sliding into a nearby bar, F keeps her ears open.
"Corde, where's Metin?" the Rodian asked.
"Probably showing off his impressions for a few laughs," this Corde said with a roll of her eyes.
"So, whatcha got so far?"
"Heh, count it yourself, Feevo," Corde smiles, showing her earnings from tonight's wealthy customers. This Feevo, if F heard correctly, smiles while showing off his earnings. "See? I told you disguising ourselves would be worth it. These new officers are practically dropping credits!"
"Yeah yeah, I'm convinced now." Feevo smiles, taking a glass shot. "You must be pretty happy about these earnings."
"Well, it's better than nothing," Corde shrugged, a different reaction F noted.
"Still, you sure the managers won't notice our disguise?"
"If you don't serve enough drinks, they will."
Before F could continue listening, she lowered her head as two stormtroopers guarding the officers here walked by. F spots them, noticing the troopers before they disappear among the crowds.
'They don't talk like novices, and they must be good at forging if their IDs worked,' F pondered. 'But how trustworthy are they? Guilds abide by some sort of rules; common thieves don't.' Deciding to put this option aside, she tried to find a proper guild again, but the lack of results didn't give her much confidence.
F spots a booth crowded with thieves to the far left end, and unlike the others, they've allowed her to show them her proposal. She waited for an answer as they looked at the structure, seeing the leader whisper something to their team before tossing aside the device.
"I think it's fake," the Aruzan member commented.
F eyes widened, her patience officially worn thin. "A job like this is hardly impossible, yet each of you treats it as if it is."
The leader scoffs. "Look, even if this is real, what you're asking for isn't worth the credits. In case you couldn't tell, no one's eager to mess with the new government."
F clenches her fist, her irritation boiling up. "For thieves, you've all been nothing but cowards."
The Trandoshan member growls, rattling the table with his claw and narrowing his reptilian eyes. "You wanna say that again?" he said.
F eyes caught him pointing at her a blaster pistol beneath the table. The tension broke once a young brown-haired man of waiter arrived. "Something the matter here?" the waiter asks. "Perhaps some entertainment might calm matters down. I've been known for my impressions."
"No need. Just some pest with a death wish annoying us," the Trandoshan hissed.
"Put the piece away, man," the leader whispered, and F saw why when she spotted nearby stormtroopers.
"Drinks then?" the waiter suggests. "Would you like one too, my masked friend?"
F turned her back to him. She was about to leave when she said, "Don't serve them anything too strong. They don't have the stomach for it."
The sly comment breaks the tauntaun's back. "Oh, they're dead!" the Trandoshan yells, throwing the table at F. Taken by surprise, she pushes the waiter aside, taking the brunt of the attack that leaves her on the floor. The Trandoshan gets up and aims his blaster at F. Shielding herself with the thrown table. She instinctively reaches for her lightsaber and...
… it's gone?
Her shock nearly distracts her from the present danger. She Force pushes the table back at the thieves, embedding it into the wall and trapping them. F quickly scans her surroundings and spots the waiter running away.
F gives chase after the thief trying to escape out the back. The troopers across a few yards notice the commotion and try firing stun rings, erupting screams from many customers. This doesn't phase F; her glare never taken off the criminal, her mind focused only on retrieving her lightsaber at all costs.
/-/-/-/-/
Blaster shots cause Corde to duck for cover when Metin runs past her. "Time to leave!" he said, lightsaber in hand, which Corde overlooked.
"Hey, wait up!" Corde shouted, running after him through the kitchen. Feevo joins them before taking the back exit, through an alleyway, and into the backstreets of Night Centre. After traversing down a long staircase to a small neighborhood, they stop by a lamppost.
They catch their breath before Corde demands, "Okay, Metin, you better have found some huge jewel or something."
"Oh, it's far more valuable than some hunk of rock," Metin smirked, showing them the black lightsaber.
Corde and Feevo were stunned, "No way...a real lightsaber?" Corde heard Feevo whisper, "How the heck did you-?"
"Doesn't matter, 'cause we're selling this baby tonight!" Metin cheered, raising his arms before Corde swiped the weapon from his hand. "Wha-C-corde!"
She wasn't listening to any argument, "I'm taking this back where it belongs," she decides.
"Are you crazy?!" Metin shouts back.
"Not as crazy as you for not realizing the obvious here!" she retorts, pointing at the Imperial building in the distance. "I don't know if you noticed, but ever since that dumb pyramid started to be built, over a dozen 'Jedi' was executed, along with their families. This lightsaber will only lead to the same thing happening to us..."
"Okay, Corde, I get it but think about this," Metin said. "I know a way to sell this without any traces back to us."
"You know a guy?" she asked doubtfully.
"I always do, don't I, Feevo?" Metin said, patting Feevo on the back.
"Uhh, six out of ten times, I guess."
Corde sighed, rubbing the temple of her head to figure out what to do here. She gazed down at the weapon, considering not only her safety but the safety of her only family.
/-/-/-/-/
F was able to shake off the stormtroopers for now, bursting out the back exit and noticing tracks ahead. Her metal heels dash through the rocky cement before sliding down the long staircase on said heels, spotting three figures ahead. F leaps off and lands in the shadows, quietly approaching the trio. Seeing no blasters on them, she extends her hand, grabs hold of her weapon with her invisible gift, and pulls back with great force. The lightsaber flies out of the Corde's hands and back into F's grip, nearly causing the Corde to fall over.
F clung her weapon closely when she recognized Corde and Feevo, 'They were able to steal my-?' F thought in surprise.
She sees Corde get up and shout at the young man, "You didn't lose them, Metin!?"
"I-I get carried away holding valua-" F heard Metin blurt out before he stopped himself.
It was too late; a fire began burning inside F, cracking her patience like wood. Her lightsaber blade ignites from this fire of anger, pointing it at the fiend willing to sell a piece of herself for measly credits.
"Hey, stop!" Corde pleaded to her, shielding Metin, "Point that at me but not at my friends, okay?" F's glare locks onto Corde, sensing the genuine fear Corde feels towards her through the Force. "I-I get it. You're mad. We've never intended to steal from you. We aren't going to rat you out either." F's eyes widened as Corde slowly got to her knees and told her, "But if you still don't trust us, let them go. I know they won't tell and...I heard what you did to those troopers."
F looked back at Corde's eager and frightened eyes, sensing her emotions that brought a sinking feeling to her stomach. She deactivated her weapon, shut her eyes, and hung her head low, 'What am I thinking…?'
"Probe!" Feevo shouts, pointing at the droid above them, causing the trio to flee.
F opens her piercing eyes onto the approaching droid. Her feet spring up, and F slices the droid in half. As she lands back down, she catches its last transmission amongst the static: "Droid down at Cuza Alley. Deploying troopers."
Already hearing low-altitude ships flying in, F leaps above the rooftops, staying low to stay out of sight from the searchlights above. Soon, F huddles to a dark corner, sensing patrols approaching. She clings to her sacred weapon, hugging it to find comfort as guilt hangs over her. "They were scared of me," F whispered, " like I was a…."
F held her words to avoid being caught, but her eyes remained on her lightsaber, 'I'm sorry, master, I'm failing you, aren't I…?' F looked into the distance at the imposing pyramid that was Imperial HQ. 'How am I supposed to get in now? I can't even go outside without hiding,' she utters, tightening her grip. 'Stop it...doubt won't get you anywhere.'
F hears a shout below and spots the trio trapped in a dead-end alley. An Imperial patrol closes in, about to discover them. F knew they had only seconds as she grits her teeth, the images of them selling something precious to her clashing with their act of friendship. F closes her eyes, spotting some large street debris behind the patrol, and chooses. With a wave of a hand, she clangs together the debris, which diverts the patrol's attention enough for the trio to escape.
Soon, troop activity died down, providing F with a chance to escape. However, instead of gazing toward her hideout, she looked to where she last saw the trio. Though doubtful, she was also desperate and had to try something. "No...there is no try," she whispered the old lesson before searching for them.
Relying on her tracking lessons, she spotted the trio in the city's eastern slums judging from the degraded state of the many homes. F stays above the roofs as she spots Corde ignoring Metin. "Don't," F heard Corde say before leaving, sensing tired frustration from her. Guessing that she's the leader, F decides to follow Corde. As F did, she caught the Rodian telling Corde, "Hey, it's hardly the first time we ran from stormtroopers. We came back with most of the credits, didn't we?"
"I'm...not in the mood right now, Feevo," F heard Corde say, her fingers gripping her arms. Soon Feevo returned home; F noted how troubled he looked before continuing to follow Corde. F spots her entering an apartment complex; as Corde enters the lobby, F hops to the roof and hears footsteps through the decrepit metal ceiling. A door closes as F finds the apartment she's in and heads to her room's window.
Gently, F pops the windows open and leaps inside unnoticed as Corde grabs some medicine from the kitchen and walks to a bedroom. F felt a weak presence there, and she sneaks over to the half-closed door. She peeks inside to find Corde kneeling beside an older woman lying in bed, an old medical machine connected to the woman who relied on it for oxygen.
"You're gonna be okay, mom," F heard her whisper, carefully injecting the medicine as steady beeping came from the machine.
'So that's why,' F thought. Guilt within her grows as she backs away. She clung to the shadows as Corde re-entered the living room before leaving.
"Don't be afraid," F announces, frightening Corde before F pulls down her hood to reveal her mask. "I'm not here to hurt you."
Corde notices F's lightsaber. "That was you back there. I knew that sudden sound was too convenient. So did you use your mystic powers to save us?"
"It's called the Force, but yes," F nods.
"Right," Corde mumbled, a bit lost for words. "I've never seen a real Jedi Knight before."
"I'm not a-," F said before staying on topic, "I'm sorry about before. I'm only helping the Empire by scaring others."
"So you came all this way to say sorry?" Corde asked before peeking through the window blinds. F swears she sees a smirk from Corde. "Thanks, but patrols are common here, so get out befor-"
"I also have a proposal."
Corde turns to F with wary eyes. "What kind of proposal?"
"That depends...how willing are you to get your mother out of here?" F asks, causing Corde to tense up again. F points at an old uniform by the door. "That's your father's wartime factory uniform, I assume? What happened?"
Corde hesitated but said, "A munitions incident...he tried helping others out but-"
Despite the sudden stop, F could sense the lingering pain. "After that, you tried working, but your mother's medical bills kept rising. A particularly dire chronic illness, I assume? The Empire's policies haven't helped either," F continues, "with your back to the wall, you've resorted to stealing to survive-"
"What are you getting at here?" Corde demanded.
"Is a million credits worth any risk?" F quickly asked, nearly causing Corde to laugh at the ridiculous price. F dropped her hologram device that projected a miniaturized model of the seventy-six-floor high Imperial base, a few bright red markers blinking within the building. "Since the Empire's establishment, taxes have risen drastically for the lower class, revenue funneling into the Imperial base's vault. However, the base's incomplete state leaves small openings for intruders to sneak in. I know because I tested it myself a while ago, putting together a path inside we could take."
Corde slumped down on the couch. "You're one desperate Jedi to offer this to some two-bit thief."
"Every other thief guild rejected it, but it's because they're too scared to face the new Empire. I think even someone like you could do this," F said assuredly.
"Because I'm desperate?"
"Because you're a capable leader. You look out for others, catch any soldiers by surprise, and know when to escape. I'm not looking for the best. I'm looking for someone dependable."
F watches Corde gaze out in contemplation at the target in the distance. "What kind of Jedi wants money?" Corde mumbles.
"It's not the money I want." At that, F zooms the hologram onto the seventy-fifth floor. "I'm after classified code from this data room. After much consideration, I concluded that this will require at least four people." Now, she has Corde's attention. Good. "The room's door is two layers thick," F continues, "with an alarm system so sensitive that one touch will alert security. The only way to open it is through two special keys which must be inserted and do specific turns."
"And that's just the first door?" Corde asks.
"Yes, with a camera in a security room on the floor below, watching the whole time. Then, the next door will require a special passcode to open after the first layer," F finishes, shutting off the hologram. "I procured a device to get past the password, but I'll need all your help to get me there. Once inside, a one-way vent will lead down directly to the vault, where your reward will await. That'll be the only way inside, requiring a person outside and inside to open without detection."
"So, you get your coordinates first, then we'll get our money," Corde says lightly. F senses Corde's doubt dissipating. "Let's see, Metin will handle disguises. Feevo deals with cameras and key forging. Then we'll get out the vault with our money with them meeting outside the vault."
"And we'll go our separate ways," F finishes, "and it'll only work if we work together."
F caught Corde biting her lips nervously and glancing to her mother's room. "Do I have your word on that?" she asks.
F pauses before answering, "Yes."
After a moment of consideration, Corde extends her hand. F shook it and sealed their biggest job yet. "You got yourself a team, Jedi," Corde smiled, turning around while sharing her thoughts, "Give us a week to prepare. I also know a local scrap yard who can get us speeders."
From how Corde talked, F knew that things would be under control, and no sooner was there a sign that it was time to go when she sensed a patrol car approaching. She discreetly leaves the premises, and on the way back, F realizes this is her first proper conversation in months.
/-/-/-/-/-/
After only a day, F already felt worried. She sat in meditation next to the playful tooka-cat. After devoting the daytime to mental training, it was in this state that she sensed something troubling. In the afternoon, she leaves to check up on the others quickly and soon finds them huddled together in their hideout.
Among the trio below, Corde says, "So, what do you think?"
"Did you get a death wish in the past twelve hours?" Feevo asks, surprising both F and Corde.
"I kind of agree, Corde," says Metin. "It sounds like something my uncle would shout during one of his episodes."
"But we got a Jedi with us! They saved our necks yesterday!" Corde said defensively.
"The same Jedi you told us to stay far away from. It's hypocritical," Feevo points out.
"I don't care!" Corde shouts out. F saw the surprise in the other's eyes and Corde looking regretful.
"There's another thing," Feevo shares. "I've been thinking about it and decided to quit and move with my family."
"What?!" both Metin and Corde shout. F recognizes the feelings between them as she listens.
"The new Imperial factories in Cordia City are accepting jobs. It's better there and may even provide new opportunities," Feevo said, walking out. "... I'm sorry."
"I don't know what to say," Metin muttered.
"I do, and it's that you don't have to be another cog in the empire's machine," Corde states, stopping Feevo from leaving. "We've always looked out for each other, Feevo. It's how we've survived food shortages and when the separatists were at our doorstep! Now, you want to leave?"
"Rather than work with a traitor? A killer? Yes," Feevo answered; such words made F wince.
"They're not a-" Corde shouted but stopped herself before letting him go. "Fine, we'll find another way... I'll send you your cut, I promise."
F saw Corde leave before being joined by Metin, who said, "Hey, don't act as if I said no."
The ever-watchful F notices the slight smile from Corde as the trio part ways. "So that's what it was, a test of bonds… just like between Padawans," F whispers, "thier bond is strong. I can sense it. Despite the arguing and flare of emotions, thier connection remains unbreakable. They only need some time to ponder."
Then, F steels herself with one thought: 'I should only observe. My presence has disturbed that trust. Still, to feel something so strong, innocent even… I can't let it vanish again.'
The memory of blaster bolts violently returns, momentarily stopping her heart. Any chances of peace were shredded for the rest of the day.
/-/-/-/-/-/
While dreaming, F sat in a meditation room with stone columns holding the above ice. She faced Hitoshi; between them were components needed for a lightsaber. F held the kyber crystal, gripping like fear gripped her heart,' please work….'
"Begin," Hitoshi calmly announced.
F taps into the Force, feeling the crystal leave her hand, carefully assembling the lightsaber.
"The crystal is the heart of the blade," Hitoshi whispered in guidance," the heart is the crystal of the Jedi. The Jedi is the crystal of the force. The force is the blade of the heart."
F felt it; success was right there while inserting the crystal.
"All are intertwined...you are one," Hitoshi said upon completion.
F smiled while gripping her lightsaber before activating it, only to feel heat and shock ripple through her hands and arms. Hitoshi sends the saber flying out of her hands, shattering it against the wall with the Force to reveal the broken crystal inside. Despite the burns, no pain was greater to F than the state of the crystal.
"But I did everything right," she whispered in confusion, then anger before admitting another failure. Her head hung low; she could only imagine her master's disappointment. She gasped when her hands were grasped and saw her master concentrating, emitting a white aura that healed her wounds.
Once finished, he pats her head and smiles," the path there is difficult. It'll hold trials, many of which you can't handle alone nor will go how you wished, which can easily crack the heart." F fretted at these dangers until Hitoshi said, "To build a bond with the Force, you must first connect with its components like a lightsaber. The Force binds the universe that created it, from the wildlife of countless worlds to even their inhabitants."
"And if I can't?"
"You're a Jedi, are you not?" he asked before darkness returned.
/-/-/-/-/-/
F opens her eyes, holding her lightsaber closely as night approaches. "It's time to go," she tells herself before recalling the mantra, "there's always a way, even without the Force." She quickly but carefully hides her dark cloak and hakama, sticking with her white robes and one-piece dark suit. Even with her gentleness, the act felt disrespectful, especially when she had to replace the temporary rags with an Imperial uniform. "Some things won't go your way," F reminded herself before turning to her lightsaber.
Since the incident, she held it dearly; the fear of letting it go gripped her as she shut her eyes. "Would I still be...me, without it?" she whispered, a question that plagued her for a long time. Stars appear above as F leaves with everything she needs, spotting her cat roommate on the street. Three others joined the cat before leaving; F has taken it as a hopeful sign for thier mission.
After avoiding a few checkpoints, F made it to the west side base of the pyramid and spotted a tall, empty construction site where they agreed to meet. She leaps above and climbs the metal beams of the site to an unfinished outside of the fifth floor. F hears a yelp followed by an annoyed grunt to find Corde and Metin have just arrived, standing on one of the metal platforms.
"Don't scare me like that. I'm on edge enough as it is, alright?" F hears Corde say while putting away a blaster pistol.
F drops down to the platform and approaches the two, unintentionally surprising them, if only a bit. "So only three then, I see," she comments.
"Yeah," Corde sighs, "well, at least he made those keys for us. You have them, Metin?"
"He said he was gonna give it to you," Metin replies.
F saw Corde's look of surprise, sensing her anxiety quickly rise. F reflected on Hitoshi's teachings and told her, "Have trust in your friend's word."
"Then where the heck is he, huh?" Corde's voice hissed.
F then sensed a presence, "he's coming right up."
As predicted, F saw Feevo climb a nearby ladder, exhausted but with keys in hand. "Feevo?!" Metin and Corde said upon noticing him.
F saw as they helped him, sensing nervousness and remorse as he said, "I...well, I guess I'm just like you, Corde. I don't like finishing things with regrets. If you believe that the Jedi will get us out of this, then I believe you and them."
F quietly walked past them to a nearby vent to not disturb the reunion, contempt with the results of this bond. As she kneeled, she saw Metin give a friendly nod as Corde placed her hand on Feevo's shoulder, "friends to the end."
"Friends to the end," Feevo nods, "and one last hurrah for petty thieves."
F almost felt the trio's true friendship herself. The memory from before returns, but she felt no pain, at least this time. F's gaze became distant as memories of peaceful times at the temple returned to her and the many bonds built through with the force before they were suddenly silenced.
"You okay?" F hears Corde ask, who notices her nostalgic look.
"Y-yes, I'm fine. Let's begin, shall we?" F saw them accept her answer, and after collecting herself, she extended her hand to the vent. 'I can't allow that to happen, not again,' she thought, crushing the vent harder than intended but opening their path into the belly of the beast.
/-/-/-/-/
Junior Commander Montar looked out to Arcadia City as if searching for something.
"Eager to stay on land rather than ship? That's a first," his senior commander, Charut Pann, said while approaching.
Montar rolled his eyes at his smugness, "Not until we stamp out the murderer behind the attack. Now thier rat claws are destroying our probes as if it'll change the inevitable."
"Always looking for a fight, Montar?" Charut asks.
"Call it whatever you want. I call it defending the new order," Montar declared. "The galaxy's seen enough war, and if returning to stability means stomping out any resistance, then so be it. I'll accept no failure, not even my own."
"In that case, you should also learn when to let others do the work, lest you embarrass yourself again," Charut chuckles.
"I'll be taking my leave."
"Stop by my office if you like a drink," Charut offers, not noticing Montar glimpsing at the Imperial medal signifying his status wrapped around his neck.
/-/-/-/-/-/
F led the group into a dark storage room on the tenth floor. Upon activating their short-range communicators, she walked out in her scout trooper disguise. Corde follows, wearing a slightly disheveled ISB agent uniform. Feevo was dressed as an electrician, while Metin was a stormtrooper. F signaled for Feevo and Metin to split off as she walked beside Corde, minimizing any suspicion of their behavior as they roamed the sterile metal hallways.
"Stuff's bulkier than it looks," Metin whispered, messing with his armor.
"At least you have something dignified," Feevo comments, noticing how all the maintenance workers they pass by are non-human and tired-looking.
"Let's keep chatting at a minimum. I don't like wearing these either," F whispers through her helmet's comms. "The sooner we're done, the sooner you all get paid," she reminds, which causes Corde to smile while pulling down her black cap.
Soon enough, F recognizes the layout as the south sector of the level, directing Metin and Feevo to go ahead and catch the elevator. F checked their surroundings while entering the elevator room, spotting a group of officers to her left and finding two rows of elevators on each opposing wall. F saw the two catch one to the far left and lead Corde there until she noticed an officer grabbed Corde.
"Agent," the old, dark uniform-wearing officer states, "what are you doing?"
F half turns to them, ready to use a quick mind trick, before noticing the other officers are watching them. She sees the entrance doors on the other end open to a squad of stormtroopers looking to board the elevator Metin and Feevo are in. F feels stuck on what to do when she notices Corde subtly signals her to go ahead, which she hesitantly does, trusting her feelings.
"I just came back from a surveillance assignment, sir," F catches Corde speaking before reaching the elevators.
She's surprised to find only Metin there until seeing Feevo enter another elevator to avoid the squad of stormtroopers. "Separated already," F sighs, but Metin reassures her.
"Don't worry. We're used to being separated."
"I never would've guessed given how close you three seem to be," F comments.
"Well, it's because we know we'll meet again soon," Metin said casually, "so relax. What could go wrong?" The elevator suddenly stops, and the doors open to the imposing Commander Montar, who boards the elevator.
'Of course,' F thought.
"Level forty trooper," he ordered.
It took a second for them to recognize; F got a stern look when she pushed the floor button. For some reason, F felt unnerved by his presence, sensing an iron will she hadn't felt since the Empire rose. 'Only a little longer,' she thought.
After a while, Montar turned to F, who stayed at attention. "You're friend's a bit short for a scout trooper," he points out.
Metin quickly does his best clone impression, "Uh, well, sir, my friend's kind of...you know, didn't properly come out of the growth tank."
Montar raises an eyebrow until the elevator stops, and he steps out. "I see. Well, carry on," he says, to which the two quickly salute, but F stays silent. Montar turns again to F with a puzzled look, "not much of a talker either," before the doors close.
F visibly felt relieved but couldn't shake off her fear. She felt it entering this terrible fortress, a heinous desire for total domination. She remembers seeing others burned at the stake when Metin spoke to her.
"Scared?" he asks, "me too, even though I don't look like it. Because of it, I do some stupid stuff, but even if something goes wrong, I know we'll have each other."
F acknowledges his advice when the elevator signals they've arrived on the seventy-fourth floor. They head down the empty halls to the security room and spot its black door. F holds Metin back and stretches out her senses towards the door.
"What are you doing?" Metin asked.
"I sense three imperials posted inside," F reports.
"Should we blast them?"
F scoffed," did you forget how loud their blasters are? Besides, I've learned there are alternatives to fighting, so follow my lead." F then approaches the door with Metin.
It slides open to an Imperial sergeant with two stormtroopers on consoles, "What is it, trooper?"
F quietly takes a calm breath to concentrate. Metin buys her time by saying, "your shift is up. It's time to swap guards."
"What are you two talking about?"
F then waves her hand, "We said it's time to swap guards," she whispered.
"What's going on, sir?" a trooper asked.
"Leave now," F ordered, raising her voice slightly.
The sergeant flinches before ordering, "We're leaving." His men hesitate before following him out, leaving the security room to F and Metin.
F heard Metin's excitement over this working, but she didn't listen as a wave of dizziness hit her, forcing her to take a seat. She removes her helmet, taking heavy breaths through her mask while wiping sweat off her forehead, causing Metin to notice her state.
"Hey, you good?" he asks.
"In a minute," F muttered before a presence was felt, "they're here."
Metin then sees the door open to Corde and Feevo, "geez, your powers are scary."
"Urgh, I can't believe I was stopped for a uniform violation," Corde groaned before noticing F.
F saw them staring at her with worry, something she never liked seeing. "Tampering with another's psyche can be draining for a learner like myself. A second of doubt, and it wouldn't have worked."
She soon felt Corde tap her shoulder, "impressive, kid. Use this time to rest up, got it?"
F scoffs at the "kid" comment but nods.
"So, we control the cameras now?" Corde proceeds to ask.
"Not really," Feevo said, taking over controls, "look, the security feed is connected to the central security room. I could use a repeat feed to disguise you two; it'll look like no one's there."
"I got you covered," F sighed, pulling out a handcrafted device, "I made it from probe parts. Insert it, and it'll hide our presence in the transmission like a scrambler would for a ship."
"But for how long?" Corde asks, "you'll still need to get past the second door."
"Long enough," F answers, holding out a handle-held device, "a pre-war code decipher; I snatched it out of their old storage room on my last visit. I estimate it'll take three minutes, which will restart if it doesn't work."
"Well, crossing fingers it'll only take three," Corde winks before pulling F and Metin to the seventy-fifth floor as Feevo prepares to scramble cameras.
F felt better when they reached the next floor, thankful that the coast was clear, and jogged down the hall before turning right to a wide hallway with a closed door at the end. F and the others stand still upon finding the two cameras by the door and wait for the signal.
"Okay, you're clear," Feevo announces through the communicator.
"Thanks, Feevo. Metin, stay on the lookout," Corde orders, following F to the door.
F then hands Corde her key, "We must do this simultaneously; we can't be one second off. Remember, counterclockwise twice, clockwise two times, then insert it into the second keyhole. Proceed with the reverse before pulling the level," F states as clearly as possible. Before F commences, she notices Corde shaking off her nerves, steadying her hand. "Begin on three," F says, "...one...two...three!"
/-/-/-/-/
Feevo looked at the hidden feed as F and Corde commenced the sequence, his fingers nervously tapping the console. He nearly jumped when a voice shouted from the console, "security post #04, report," he heard an operator order from the built-in comm.
"Oh no…" he muttered, scrambling to his communicator, "Metin, security's calling us. If they hear me, we're done!"
"Damn it," he hears him mutter, now on his way.
"Damn's the right word. How were we figured out so quickly?" Feevo wondered.
"Security post #04, report. This is the central security command room with Commander Montar. He demands a response now."
"Montar?" Feevo wondered with familiarity before another shout booms.
"Security post #04, report in!" the operator demanded. Right on time, Metin barges in and quickly takes over with his best impression, "Ahhh, security post #04 reporting in, situation normal. This is trooper MLL-77 speaking, over."
"Situation normal? There's been an unauthorized guard change."
"We've received special orders, sir."
Suddenly, the voice of Montar takes over, "and who gave the order?" he demands.
"It was…" Metin stretched out as Feevo handed him a name from the console's files. "Uhh, head security officer Gideon Madell."
The voice on the other end froze until the operator said, "stand by." Both were frozen in their spots and hoped the others would finish soon. Unaware that the commander is inspecting the tampered feed and noticing an odd flicker.
/-/-/-/-/
Corde forced herself to focus as she followed the sequence, holding her breath when she moved to the second keyhole. She flinches when the level pops out, "now!" F shouts as they pull the levers, and the first door opens. "Phew, and now for the hard part," Corde sighs.
"We'll make it," F says as she carefully detaches the frame, inserting the device's cord into the lock's circuits.
Corde could only anxiously wait till her ears perked at echoes of footsteps. She quietly peeks down the hall they came from to discover two stormtroopers heading their way, with Metin nowhere to be found. "Damn," she muttered. Corde checks to see if the Jedi's still working and proceeds to buy her some time. "Ah, troopers, just what I needed."
"Yes, ma'am?"
"The security bureau will be doing an assignment in the western city district. You two will be joining in on the convoy."
The troopers look at each other before walking past her, "Uh, thank you, ma'am, we'll remember."
"Um, both of you are to head down to floor forty-five for a briefing!" Corde blurted out, her left hand behind her back to grip her hidden blaster.
"What kind of order is this? Who are you?" they demanded.
/-/-/-/
"We're in!" F shouts, witnessing the door reveal the large servers inside. The celebration was short-lived when an alarm sent a chill down her spine.
[Intruders on the seventy-fifth floor. Emergency lockdown initiated.]
F thrusts her hands forward and catches closing doors through the Force, her limbs straining while the heavy doors violently shake. "Corde!" F shouts as her power quickly wanes. She flinches at the sound of plasma bolts firing behind her, glancing over to see two stormtroopers fall dead and Corde dashing towards her. "Hurry!" F shouts while the doors bend under such force. Corde leaps through the door before F follows, barely missing the doors slamming shut.
Both gasped for breath as the alarm buzzed throughout the base, something F hoped wouldn't have come to pass. "We're not dead yet," she told herself before pulling out her communicator, "Metin, Feevo, hurry to the vault! They still don't know who we look like."
"On it," they confirmed
F tried getting up but quickly fell to her knees from the fatigue, suddenly feeling Corde help her. "Let's look for it together," Corde offered.
"No..." F stopped her, "it'll be faster if I do it. Focus on tearing the vent off and make sure our path is clear." F saw her hesitance but quietly assured her she'd be alright, even if it were a half-lie. However, F will fight like a warrior to stay true to her word if worse comes to worst.
As Corde busts open the vent, F quickly scours the countless digital files in a room with over two dozen servers. She plugged in a small data recognition device and looked through a wave of file names within seconds. "Personnel files...weaponry projects...nothing," she hissed before moving on to the next server. She repeated the process long enough for Corde to get through until F reached the server in the middle of the room.
She inserted the scanner, her eyes darting across multiple names and numbers, "planet names, this has to be it. Come on, hurry," she whispered.
"Path's clear ahead. Got what you need yet?" Corde asked through comms.
"I…there!" F says, her gaze finding a familiar name, inserting her device, and downloading the coordinates.
"How long will it take?"
"Two and a half minutes," F estimates.
"We should have enough time then!"
A loud spark erupts behind F, who sees stormtroopers cutting open the door. "Maybe not," she muttered, realizing they were halfway through. "Stormtroopers, many of them, and I sense even more coming."
As F stares at the sparks, she now sees their group's dire situation: 'there's too many to avoid; we'll have to fight,' she thinks. 'The other's blasters won't be enough; none of them will get out alive...my presence alone will ensure that.'
"Hey, just get out of there," Corde shouts through comms, "w-we'll find another way."
F breath trembles; she grits her teeth and levitates the vent back to its place. "Go on ahead, get your credits, and leave immediately. I'll divert their attention...this is where we'll go our separate ways."
"We're not leaving you behind!" Corde pleaded, tempted to climb back up.
"No time to argue," F shouted, facing the door, "let me keep my promise."
F imagines her next move once that door opens, throwing away any doubt. Her grip tightens on the comm device when Corde says in a shaky voice, "Jedi…."
"F, my name's F."
"Heh, F...I want you to know that my father believed in you all, even more than I do...may the force be with you."
"...and to you," F reciprocates and deactivates her device. She tears off her vile disguise, feeling her shaky breath pass through her mask as fear threatens to grab her heart. As sparks stopped, she whispered, "I am one...I am one…."
Outside, ten stormtroopers stand ready to attack. "Ready blasters, set to kill," the squad leader ordered. Then, before they could burst it open, a powerful invisible shockwave rang through their ears and passed through their bodies. This sudden tidal wave sends the cut metal flies to two troopers, cracking their armor and knocking them out as the rest stumble back. A large bloom of smoke hissed out, obscuring their rest's visions.
"Fire!" the squad leader ordered. Bolts of plasma fly in the air when a bright yellow light ignites.
F leaps into the air with intense concentration and cuts through the first trooper's gun, Force pushing him into the metal wall. She quickly dashes to two on her left, slicing their long rifles and hurling them to the ceiling. Sparks fly above, obscuring F, who deflects blaster shots at two troopers. She dashes to a trooper on her right and similarly disarms him. She pushed him towards the remaining two before cutting off a pipe above and hurling it at them, trapping them to the wall.
A still silence hangs in the air when the smoke dissipates, unveiling the damage done. F catches her breath before extending her hand and grabbing the drive just as it finished downloading. Then, not a second passes before another squad runs down from the left, "Jedi!" they shout before firing at her. The visceral shout nearly brought F back to the infamous night. Still, she kept her focus, deflecting bolts back at two before sprinting down the opposite hall in search of an exit.
/-/-/-/
Metin and Feevo got past the chaos to the unguarded vault on the fiftieth floor, "Corde, you two there?" Feevo asks.
"Just open it," she said, and upon doing so, they were surprised to find only Corde with three military packs filled with over three hundred thousand credits each.
"Where's the Jedi?" Metin asks.
Corde couldn't look them in the eyes, "stormtroopers were going to break through before the Jedi could get thier data. Worried I'd be killed, they told me to go..."
However, Feevo told her, "They're a Jedi. You know they'll be okay."
"Like the others?" she whispered, remembering the bodies on the streets.
"They're not like other Jedi," Metin says, "They're stronger, I know it. It is why they're still fighting up there. This won't be another one of your regrets, have faith in them, Corde."
Corde's fists slowly stop quivering, focusing all her efforts on returning to her mother's side. "You're right. Let's keep up our end of her promise. The speeders are at the northeast, stay low, and don't get caught." Her friends grab the packs of credits and make a run for it. Corde looks up to the ceiling, her hand over her heart, before following her friends to safety.
/-/-/-/-/
F didn't stop as she charged at two more troopers, deflecting their shots before hurling them through the windows to her right. F has passed the sixtieth floor and so far hasn't passed any previous levels without a fight. "There has to be a faster way down," she gasped as she reached the next floor.
F enters a large, open room when two squads of stormtroopers burst from the other end. "Close that door!" their commander orders on his communicator to command, causing the doors behind F to slam shut. A hail of blaster fire whizzed through the room, which F deflected before leaping to a nearby thin column. Using it to shield herself, beads of sweat roll down her cheek as she concentrates and tightens her hand, bending one of the opposing columns.
The stormtroopers take notice and disperse in fear it'll crush them. Instead, F trusts her hand out, forcing the column to land violently into the door the troopers came in. The debris kicked up, gave F some cover, and she dashes out of the room at full speed before slicing the door controls, sealing its blast shield. At that moment, F nearly fell to her knees, heavily tired and barely able to run. "I...I can't…" she gasped, her body slumping against the hall windows as she forced herself to keep moving.
She stops when the doors at the end of this one-way hall open to twenty-five stormtroopers, ready to fire, with the Senior Commander Charut leading them. F's tired gaze stares back, pushing herself off the window and raising her lightsaber.
"Huh, so that's what a Jedi looks like," Charut mutters, almost smiling at F's desperation. He raises his blaster pistol, "should make for a fine street display. Open fire!"
F deflects the incoming bolts as she thrusts her hand at the windows, causing several to shatter as glass flies in the air. She felt plasma whiz by her as she lept out, sliding down the steep incline and using her heels to slow her rapid descent the best she could. F stabbed her lightsaber into the wall when she lost control, which slowed her fall to a halt. F huffed while dangling in the air, seeing she was now more than halfway down with a ledge nearby.
A stoplight suddenly locks in on her, but through the glare, she recognizes it as a remodeled LAAT gunship, the same ship she rode into battle a dozen times. Its heavy guns fire, forcing F to leap off towards the ledge, running at fast speeds while plasma bolts explode behind her. She spots a construction tent with a hole that leads into the building's piping system, making one last desperate leap. The gunship's cannons shredded through the tent when she jumped in, vanishing into the vents before the dust settled outside.
F gasped for air while crawling through the tight space, checking her hologram to see if she could escape.
/-/-/-/-/
Charut, standing by a shattered window, saw all this and yelled in frustration over where the Jedi could've gone. "Senior commander," Montar speaks from the hall's speakers, "do you realize now how dangerous the Jedi are, or does your ineptitude still guide you?"
Charut destroys the speaker with his blaster when an idea forms. "Lieutenant, the only area unaffected by the emergency shutdown is the hangar, correct?"
"Yes, sir."
"Then let's move. Prepare a missile launcher for our guest," he orders with a devious smile.
/-/-/-/
F slugs through the long way down, the aching pain hitting as deep as her bones as she crawls. The building's security extends as deep as the pipes, which caused hidden doors to nearly trap her inside the seething hot space. "Almost there... I'm almost there," F told herself, pulling out her hologram to see she's now above the northern hangar, smiling when she spots a vent up ahead. A second later, a hail of blasters erupts from below. F crawls desperately forward as plasma flies by her.
Suddenly they stop, surprising F, until a loud explosion occurs in front of her, tearing open the tunnel and causing her to tumble forward. The seventy-foot drop would've shattered bones without her quick force push, but even with it, F landed hard on the cold ground as her energy felt depleted. She grips her lightsaber when the small platoon of stormtroopers encircle her, each of their blasters ready to fire. Charut was among them, smiling as he declared, "end of the line, Jedi."
F, kneeling on one knee, could only see blurs as the explosion still rocked her vision. Time seemed to slow for her, ears ringing while blood dripped down her forehead, her breathing sounding heavy. Bruises were rift across her body, her robes disheveled, and her fingers felt cold against her lightsaber. F, at that moment, was right back to that horrific night with the screams still following and haunting her. Her hair casts a shadow over her eyes. She readied her blade and deeply breathed, 'Master...give me strength, please.'
Charut aims at F's head, and a blast echoes the hanger.
Charut's face turns to shock when he realizes he didn't fire; a pain ripples through his body from a new blaster wound. Collapsing, he spots Corde in the high walkway to his left.
"Now!" Corde shouts to her communicator, Feevo and Metin sabotage a nearby generator, and the hangar goes dark.
Darkness fills the hangar before F's lightsaber rises. Over a dozen flashes of red light erupt as the stormtroopers fire at their invisible enemy; among the shadows cast by these red flashes is F slicing through each of them. Red blaze blinks rapidly, with each flare showing the shadow of F's blade cutting through the shadows of stormtroopers with keen precision. Shades of yellow shine as F stabs her blade into them, her mind focused only on her survival and ignoring who these men once were. Pain ripples through her muscles, pushing her body to its limits with each swing, attacking through only her senses and feeling each life flicker out.
The last scream echoes in the darkness; a lone yellow light remains, and it disappears. Charut gets up and grabs his gun, his eyes darting through the darkness as he defiantly shouts, "Some child won't make a fool out of me!" His hand shakes as he fires at nothing, stopping when a yellow light pierces his lower torso.
After less than twenty seconds, the red emergency light turns on, revealing all twenty-five stormtroopers have perished. F and the others were already gone, seemingly vanishing into the night.
/-/-/-/-/
Once the all-clear was given, Montar entered the hangar to see his senior commander lying wounded on the floor. "Ah, Charut," he said, shaking his head, "how does it feel, the failure?" The senior stares back with contempt, grunting as Montar takes off his Imperial medal. Montar aims his blaster at Charut, "consider this an act of mercy. The people will see you as a brave hero who died defending the peace rather than sees the fool you are." Montar gives one last salute before executing his former senior. "The Jedi's whereabouts?" Montar asks, inspecting the cuts riddling the floor.
"No visuals, senior commander. The Jedi escaped."
"Hmph, well, it won't be long," Montar confidently states.
"Commander, the vault's also been found open. We think other intruders-"
"A couple of missing credits mean nothing to me!" he shouts dismissively, "initiate rogue Jedi protocols. That data room held vital galactic coordinates. If they plan to escape the planet, look for any means to stop them from leaving."
"Should we inform the high command about this?"
Montar considers this but proceeds to walk off. "I've seen mere clones mow down a group of Jedi Knights with simple trickery. We won't need brute force for this one. Their fear will cloud their judgment and lead them to the same fate every Jedi must face," he proclaimed before returning to his duties.
/-/-/-/-/
It was a long night, but Metin and Feevo waited as Corde showed up at their hideout. She falls to her back, exhausted as she gazes at the purple morning sky, "not one sight of the Jedi...not even a goodbye message."
"Same here," Feevo shares, "but I think they have a good reason."
Metin looked at their grand earnings, and though he knew it'd be put to good use, it wasn't as rewarding of sight as the smoke from the Imperial base. "Hehehe, quite the mess we all made," he chuckles.
"Yeah," Feevo smiles back, "...where do you think they are now?"
Corde stood up, turning to the rising sun as a cool breeze brushed against her face. The sun shone brilliantly as she said, "I don't know...hopefully, they're as far away from here as possible. I know they'll be alright. It's like you guys said, they're a Jedi, and the one thing my father always believed was that a Jedi never gives up."
/-/-/-/-/-/
On top of a tall tower, F's black cloak flutters in the air while she looks on at the trio in the distance. Her tired eyes close as she bows to them, "Thank you, and take care," she whispers. She turns away, pulling out her hologram device to see her destination: Alderaan. F gazed out to the horizon, her ticket out of this world. Fear lingered inside her, fear for her future and her colleagues. However, F remains defiant against such emotions and the dangers presented to her. Despite the pain and inevitable failures, she'll keep going as far as she needs to.
Huge thanks to Kamen Rider Raika for being the Beta of this chapter! They were the ones who refined the intro and added in some excellent lines. Check their work on for more!
A/N: Sorry for the delay. I hope you all enjoyed it.