Resurgence of the Crystal
Chapter 10: Back in the Underworld
AN: I know it's longer than usual, but here's Chapter 10. I haven't had as much time to write. But a week isn't too bad.
Warning: Underage drinking
Now, enjoy the chapter!
Rafe was walking through the wide, open-spaced hallway of the Temple, where he could see the vast skyscrapers of the metropolitan city outside the massive window. Ships flew by in their respective lanes and civilians walked through the streets. The bright rays of the sun that lit up the sky made everything look all the more breathtaking.
There was peace.
It's been around a week since the success of their mission to Mandalore, but everything was disclosed about it as if nothing ever happened.
Rafe remembered how disgusted he felt when the Council completely disregarded the Duchess's predicament. They were only concerned about where the Republic stood with the whole ordeal. "And I'm still willing to serve these dogmatic fools. What the hell's wrong with me?"
"Don't let the Council hear you say that."
Rafe snapped his head up to see Ahsoka walking toward him. "What do you want, head tails?"
"Can I not check up on a friend?" Ahsoka asked.
Rafe just glared at her.
"Whoa, take it easy!" She took a step back, holding her hands in front of her. "No need to get all scary like that!"
"What the hell do you want to catch up on?" Rafe snapped. He knew Ahsoka was just trying to be friendly, but he didn't want any friends. He didn't want to get attached to anyone.
Yet I have a soft spot for Yuki and Ekram…
Despite knowing that, they weren't actually his friends, were they? He barely knew Ekram, but Yuki…
He remembered when he first encountered her in the Underworld. Even though she technically betrayed him, she listened to him when he asked for her assistance back in the hangar.
He remembered when she defended him and comforted him while he was locked up, even going as far as to defend him during his trial even though he had no doubt that she was aware that she was committing treason.
He remembered the several weeks they spent training together, and even though he pushed her away for treating him like everybody else did, she still accepted him.
He remembered how she confronted him after they got back from their first mission together. Even though he tortured someone for information—which he knew went against the Jedi code—she still thought he was a good person.
Why is she so good to me? What did I do to deserve her kindness?
"I heard that your mission was a success," Ahsoka said, snapping Rafe out of his thoughts. "Good job!"
Rafe was immediately reminded of how recklessly he acted during the mission. All he did was complain that they were just running away and hiding. But now that he thought about it, charging in blindly without a plan definitely would've gotten them all killed.
Even though he understood his recklessness, he still decided to do things his way, and that was a big reason their mission was successful. He still wondered if he made the right choices in those moments. It's not like it matters now. The mission was a success. The end justifies the means, right? Rafe shook his head furiously. Tch. I'm starting to think like a damn Sith.
"You completed the mission, that's all that matters," the Sith assured Rafe.
"How many times do I need to tell you?" Rafe said irritably. "I don't need your damn advice."
"Is something wrong?" Ahsoka asked, breaking Rafe out of his thoughts yet again.
He blinked as he looked up at her. "The mission's over with, that's all that matters."
Ahsoka arched an eyebrow. "Was it that bad?"
"These are the hands of someone who will do anything to keep the ones he cares about safe." That's what Yuki told him after they got back from their mission. But he didn't actually care for anyone, did he?
He never really put any thought into the actions he took to protect Yuki and Arakan. He just did it as if it was instinctual.
He grabbed his left hand and was reminded of Yuki's touch. If I care about anyone, it's her. She's the only person who's shown me true kindness.
"I guess you don't even know what to think about it, huh?"
Ahsoka's question broke Rafe out of his thoughts. He looked up at her.
"The mission was alright," he said. "Nothing I couldn't handle."
Ahsoka grinned. "That's pretty arrogant."
"What the hell was your first mission, then? I bet you pissed yourself."
Ahsoka's grin widened with pride. "My first mission was the Battle of Christophsis. Dealing with a bunch of battle droids was no big deal."
"That's nothing compared to tracking down and fighting a rogue group of Mandalorians." And we also had to get information out of them… Rafe decided to keep that to himself. He didn't want Ahsoka to start doubting him again.
"Despite this being your first mission, you implied that you seemed to have done this before," Ahsoka suddenly said. "Did you go on missions in the Underworld?"
Why is she so curious? The Underworld's a hellhole. He didn't even know if he should tell her about what he did to survive down there. But the curiosity that glowed in her blue eyes assured him that it was safe. "I mostly got information out of others and relayed it back to whoever was in charge." While it definitely wasn't the complete truth of what he'd done, it wasn't a lie, either.
"And that's what you guys essentially did on your mission on Mandalore?"
Well, it was technically on Concordia… Rafe decided to not correct Ahsoka and answer her question. "Yeah… That's how it went…"
"So, what do you think your next mission's going to be?"
"I have no idea. Arakan never told me anything." He then remembered what the Chancellor announced at the end of his trial.
"Very well! Now, I have come to a decision. Rafe will be put under Master Arakan's care and will accompany him along with several troops of clones for the official expedition for his crystal."
"…If we don't get dragged into another mission, then I assume we're going to find out where my crystal came from," Rafe speculated.
"That crystal hasn't done anything bad to you, has it?" Ahsoka asked.
"What's so bad about me?" the Sith asked, sounding offended.
"Now is not the time, Sith spit," Rafe internally hissed. He recalled the first time he started talking to the Sith inside his crystal. He'd had his crystal for around a year, yet the Sith hadn't spoken to him until he officially became a Jedi. Why would he wait so long? He shook the thought away, not wanting to jump to any conclusions, and looked back at Ahsoka. "No. I'm not bothered by it at all."
"That's so weird," Ahsoka said skeptically. "But that's good to hear. I'm glad you're on our side."
Rafe didn't know how to respond. A part of him still felt like he was just doing all of this for his survival, and he didn't know why he still wanted to believe that. Why else would he risk his life to save people he didn't care about?
"Where did you live in the Underworld?"
"Why are you so curious?"
"Is it a bad thing to be curious?"
"…No, it's not." He looked away from Ahsoka, contemplating whether he should tell her about the Underworld.
"Why don't you just show her?" the Sith suggested.
"I can't. The Jedi won't allow me."
"And since when have you ever followed the rules upon becoming a Jedi?"
Rafe couldn't fire anything back because he knew the Sith was right. He never cared what the Jedi had to say. He just did things his way. "I can show you where I lived in the Underworld."
Ahsoka perked her head up. "Really?!"
Rafe nodded. "It's not a safe place to stroll around, though."
"Are you actually worried about me?" Ahsoka teased.
"Shut up, or I'll change my mind."
"All right. Let's go."
Yuki was currently walking through the halls of the Temple. She had too much on her mind to meditate, so she went to go find Arakan.
She stumbled a little as she walked, a result of little to no sleep the night before. She had too much on her mind to even close her eyes to sleep. And Rafe was the result of it all. All she could think about was the conversation they had last night.
"What are you doing here, Yuki?"
Yuki snapped her head up to see Ahsoka and Rafe walking toward her. When her eyes met Rafe's, all she could remember was their previous conversation. She stopped walking, feeling like her entire body was disconnected from her mind.
"Have you gone deaf, softy?" Rafe asked in his usual blunt tone. "What are you doing here? Are you looking for Arakan?"
"Take it easy, Rafe," Ahsoka said, holding a hand in front of Rafe. "You're freaking her out."
"I'm just asking her a few questions. What's so wrong with that?"
"Just ask her one at a time. Or is this how you got information out of people down in the Underworld? Did you ask them so many questions they willingly gave it to you out of annoyance?" Ahsoka let out an amused chuckle, which seemed to annoy Rafe.
Yuki opened her mouth to ask Ahsoka how she met up with Rafe, then widened her eyes after she just realized what Ahsoka just said. Wait, how does she know about what Rafe did in the Underworld? He never talked about it. Unless… She suddenly felt a blazing fire erupt into her pounding heart. "What were you talking about the Underworld for?" she asked coolly. Why am I so angry?
"Oh, I was just asking Rafe what it was like living down there," Ahsoka said.
Rafe, however, just remained silent, his dull grey eyes remaining completely still, as if they were studying her very soul.
"What's so important about the Underworld all of a sudden?"
"Like I just told you, I was just asking Rafe what it was like down there," Ahsoka repeated, her voice heavy with annoyance. "We're on our way down there right now."
Yuki felt like her mouth was sown shut. Why would Rafe take Ahsoka down to that place? We trained together—went on our first mission together—and he never bothered to approach me about anything. And now here he is, sharing his past life with Ahsoka. Yuki glanced at Rafe. Does he still not trust me? Does he think I'm too soft?
"I want you to come along, softy," Rafe spoke up.
Yuki was surprised. Not only did he acknowledge her, but he also wanted to bring her with him. Yuki smiled. He does care…
"What are you getting all excited about?" Rafe asked, snapping Yuki out of her thoughts. "That place is a hellhole. I just want to teach you how to survive down there. Just because you're a Jedi doesn't mean you can use the Force to get out of every situation. You need to know how to handle situations when the odds are against you."
"Wow, Rafe, you're actually starting to speak like a Jedi," Ahsoka said in a surprised tone.
"Just shut up and follow me." Without another word, Rafe led the two out of the Temple and down into the Underworld.
The Underworld was no different from when Rafe finally got out all those weeks ago. It was still the same dark and empty dungeon, forgotten by the rest of the galaxy.
"This place seemed to have gotten even more dark since the last time I've been here," Ahsoka commented.
Yuki whipped her head to face Ahsoka. "Wait, you've been down here before? When?"
"I lost my lightsaber down here, so Master Sinube and I went looking for it." Ahsoka chuckled in embarrassment. "Don't ever lose your lightsabers."
Rafe didn't understand why the Jedi were so reliant on those weapons. He could fight just fine without it. He only really needed it to deflect blaster fire. But he knew his lightsaber was more important than any other Jedi's because of the crystal inside. But he assumed nobody would hold onto it for very long because of whatever side effects they would experience.
"So, where exactly are we going, Rafe?" Yuki asked. She sounded the same way she spoke when they first met down in this dungeon, like a scared little girl.
"To where I lived," he responded.
"So, did you have your own place or something?" Ahsoka asked, not seeming to be scared at all as she looked around the neon-lit signs and species that crowded the bars and clubs.
Rafe looked back at her, scowling. "Are you an idiot? Do you honestly think someone like me could afford to have my own place? If I did, I would've been dead long before you Jedi found me."
"So you just lived on the streets? That sounds pretty harsh."
Rafe let out an annoyed sigh, but he should've expected them to ask a lot of questions. They were so used to living in their Temple, isolated from the rest of the galaxy. They never got to experience what it was actually like to live in the galaxy. I wonder… would they want a life as a civilian, or as a Jedi…?
"So this is where you and Yuki met, huh?" Ahsoka asked.
"Yeah," Rafe said, lowering his head as he threw the hood of his dark blue cloak over his head. He was sure he was still wanted in the Underworld, so he needed to not run into any trouble. And he doubted anybody would recognize him in his dark grey robes and with his hair being much shorter, styled in an undercut with his jet black bangs parting slightly off from the center, falling down just past his eyes.
"How did you guys run into each other?"
"If you ask one more damn question, head tails," Rafe snapped, "I'm going back to the Temple and leaving you here."
Ahsoka held her hands up as a sign of surrender. "I'm only curious."
Rafe led them through the crowded streets, passing by smugglers, drug dealers, and prostitutes.
"Hey, kids, want to wash away all your worries?" a female pink Twi'lek asked. There was a vile of yellow liquid in her left hand. "Just take this, and you'll feel like everything is perfect."
Ahsoka opened her mouth, but Rafe responded before she could even form a word.
"We're not interested. Go get somebody else high, filthy Twi." He then led Yuki and Ahsoka away from the large crowds.
"Rafe, what was she trying to give us?" Yuki asked.
"Death sticks."
"What are they?"
"A highly addictive illicit drug that makes you forget about everything," Rafe explained. "I guess it makes you feel floaty or something. But I've never taken them. They'll eventually kill you."
"Then why are substances like that allowed here?" Ahsoka asked. "The Senate can do something about this."
Rafe shook his head. "No, they can't. They don't give a shit about anyone down here. We're all dead to them."
"But the Underworld is still a part of Coruscant. Surely the Senate can do something."
"Again, they don't care. Now stop spitting such idealism. It'll get you killed."
Ahsoka arched an eyebrow. "How…?"
"Just try not to draw attention to yourself," Rafe said irritably. "That's the last thing you want in this place."
"Well, we kind of already stand out," Ahsoka said, indicating their robes. "It's pretty obvious to spot a Jedi."
"Nobody has any reason to give a Jedi any trouble though, right?" Yuki asked.
"No," Rafe assured her. "The Jedi, the war, politics, they mean nothing to everyone down here. All they care about is surviving."
Yuki looked at Rafe sympathetically. "How did you survive down here for so long?"
Rafe looked at the filthy ground that was littered with trash, broken glass, and dirty puddles. He just wanted to survive like everybody else, but he was different from them. He solely focused on surviving, which meant staying alive. Nothing else mattered to him. But to everybody else, they tried to find escapisms to make them happy. And those escapisms eventually became addictions, addictions they couldn't survive without.
How did I not become like everyone else? "I guess I eventually learned what it truly meant to survive," Rafe eventually said, also providing himself with an answer.
"But you have a better life now," Ahsoka reminded him. "You don't have to solely worry about your survival anymore."
Yes, I do. Rafe knew that was the only reason he became a Jedi. But the mere thought of living another day hadn't crossed my mind since then… I was just focused on becoming stronger. And now I have comrades who trust me… Am I really just trying to survive now, or… is there another reason I'm still a Jedi…?
"So, you gonna show us where you lived?" Ahsoka asked, breaking Rafe out of his stupor.
"Sure," he said, then led them into the dark alleys.
They were now standing in a dark alley, far away from the neon-lit buildings. The alley was littered with nothing but trash.
"This is where you lived?" Ahsoka asked, eyes wide in shock.
"Among other places," Rafe said.
"How? It's so disgusting!"
Rafe glared at her. "You think I wanted to live in the sewers?! It was the only safe place for a tiny rat like me. I was everyone's prey when I was little. No one would dare look in shit-filled sewers like this, so I was safe. I eventually grew desensitized to the filth."
"I'm sorry, Rafe. I didn't mean to—"
"Save your apologies, head tails," Rafe interjected with a heavy sigh of annoyance. "You both want a drink?"
The two girls just looked at each other, puzzled.
"Come on. I know a good place." Rafe led them back into the crowded streets, ending up in front of a place called "Moshi Bar". He led them into the tavern, where everyone's eyes locked onto them.
"Rafe, are you sure this is a good idea?" Yuki asked, taking a step closer to him.
"Just ignore them," he advised her. "They're here to drink, not cause trouble." Seeing her nod, he led them to the bartender. "Three glasses of Phattro."
The bartender looked down at him. "You look pretty young to be drinkin', boy."
"Does that really matter? You're getting paid, aren't you?"
The bartender sighed. "Well, you've got a good point…" He grabbed a bottle and poured it into three glasses, passing them to the three Jedi. "That'll be fifteen credits."
Rafe handed him the money and took his drink, instantly downing the purple liquid.
Yuki and Ahsoka did the same, then started having a coughing fit.
"What… did you just give us…?" Ahsoka coughed. "And why does it burn so much?"
"It's a taste of the real world," Rafe said. "It's disgusting, I know." He glanced at Yuki, who was hunched over, gasping in between coughs. "I'm surprised you drank that without any skepticism, softy."
"Why… aren't you coughing?" she asked.
"I'm used to it."
"They let you drink underage?" Ahsoka asked. "But you're around our age."
"Does it look like anyone here gives a shit?"
Both Ahsoka and Yuki looked around the bar. Everyone was just chatting while occasionally sipping on their drinks. They looked happy, even, but Rafe knew it was just the alcohol. Nobody who lived in the Underworld was ever happy.
The sound of glass shattering rang through Rafe's ears, causing him to look in that direction along with everyone else in the bar. A tall orange Iridonian Zabrak was towering over Yuki, glaring down at her.
"You made me drop my drink, little brat," the Zabrak growled, fists clenching at his sides. "I oughtta teach you a lesson."
"Why don't you stop complaining and just get another drink," Rafe suggested, glaring up at the Zabrak. "What good would teaching her a lesson do?"
"Heh, looks like the tough little midget wants to fight!"
Whispers of annoyance, fear, and excitement filled the bar.
Let's see how arrogant you are when I kick your ass… is what Rafe wanted to say, but he held his tongue. He always got himself into fights when he lived down here, but now he was a Jedi, so he had a responsibility to protect his comrades. "I don't want any trouble," he decided to say. "We'll be on our way."
They started making their way out of the bar, but the Zabrak brushed his filthy hand across Yuki's back, making her tense until she was completely frozen, her skin now even more pale it looked like all of the blood left her body.
That does it… Without another thought, Rafe whirled around, slamming the back of his fist into the Zabrak's cheek. The Zabrak stumbled back, holding the spot of impact, looking shocked.
"Keep your filthy hands off of my friend, understand?" Rafe growled.
"Now you're asking for it, you little rat!" the Zabrak seethed, charging at Rafe.
Rafe ducked under the Zabrak's fist, grabbed it with both of his hands, and put all of his strength into twisting his body to generate enough torque to acquire the strength to throw the Zabrak across the room. The Zabrak crashed onto a table, angering the two humans sitting there.
"What the hell's your problem, jackass?!"
Both humans grabbed the Zabrak by his arms and threw him away from them. The Zabrak crashed next to another table. Before anyone could comprehend what was happening, the bar erupted into an all-out brawl.
"Did you really have to start a fight?" Ahsoka chided.
"I wasn't going to let the bastard put his filthy hands on Yuki," Rafe said defensively. "He deserved it."
"Let's get out of here," Yuki said in a hushed voice, head lowered to the ground.
"All right, Yuki, let's go," Ahsoka said.
The three turned around to make a break for the exit, but the Zabrak from earlier stepped in front of them, blocking their path.
"Where do you think you rats are going?" he sneered, cracking his knuckles.
"Come on, Rafe, just take him out and let's get out of here," Ahsoka urged.
"Don't be stupid, head tails," Rafe whispered back. "It's not wise to just use the Force to get yourself out of any situation."
"Stop whispering like a couple of babies and show me what you've got!" the Zabrak said, holding his arms out at his sides, leaving himself completely exposed.
Rafe glared up at him. "With pleasure…"
Before he could attempt to attack, the Zabrak grabbed a nearby chair and threw it at them. The three Jedi ducked and the chair hit the wall, splintering into several wooden pieces.
Then, without so much as blinking, the Zabrak was already in front of him, fists flying toward him like missiles. Despite his monstrous size, the Zabrak was fast. Very fast.
Rafe flipped behind a table. No wonder he was so cocky… With his strength, he could kill me with one blow.
"How are we going to get out of here?" Ahsoka asked, hand snaking around the hilt of her lightsaber.
"Don't even think about it!" Rafe whispered harshly.
"What did you have in mind, then?"
Rafe flipped the table on its side so that he was covered by it, then thrust the heel of his boot directly into the table's center, launching it at the Zabrak.
The table shattered, but the Zabrak was still standing, the sneer on his face contorting into an amused grin.
"Charge," Rafe said. He ran toward the Zabrak, rolling between his legs and swiftly sweeping the heel of his boot against the Zabrak's ankle, throwing his balance off.
Before the giant could fall, Ahsoka suddenly appeared from behind him, thrusting her extended leg into his back, sending him flying—
And then Yuki was in front of him, slamming her white-knuckled fist straight into his nose. The sound of the bone breaking reverberated throughout the entire bar.
The Zabrak lay on the wood-shattered floor, unconscious.
Rafe looked at Yuki, who was looking down at the Zabrak, horror swimming through her wide eyes.
"Nice punch, softy," he said.
"I… did that to him…" Yuki muttered, then looked at her shaking hands, which Rafe grabbed.
"Hey, you were just protecting us. There's nothing to feel bad about. It's not like you killed him."
Yuki nodded slowly.
Glass suddenly shattered around them, and Rafe just realized that there was still a brawl going on in the bar. The Zabrak wasn't their only enemy.
For Force's sake…
And the door to the bar was suddenly sliced open with clean, precise, intersecting cuts. The sound of metal cutting through metal echoed throughout the bar.
The door was kicked open, and the sliced pieces flew everywhere, bringing everyone into a frenzied panic; all focus on fighting completely forgotten.
A human male with blonde, slicked-back hair and goatee of average height wearing a light, cowl-neck tunic with detailing on the sleeve fringes over a dark grey long-sleeved shirt, similar colored trousers, and dark brown boots hitting right below the knee entered the bar with a grin. His red Mandalorian armor seemed to be the only source of intimidation the man needed. There was a scabbard and sword at his left hip.
His blue eyes jumped from person to person in the bar, then narrowed when they met Rafe.
The entire bar went dead silent. Everyone seemed to want to know what this Mandalorian wanted.
Suddenly, the Mandalorian unsheathed his sword and swung it behind him in one swift motion, beheading two people at his side.
The entire bar was in a panic. Everyone was running around screaming as they fled for their lives, but the Mandalorian didn't seem to care about their lives as he callously sliced through them as if they were made of glass.
Pulling his red-stained sword out of a Twi'lek's gut, he swung it down to the floor, blood flying everywhere, then he pointed it at Rafe.
Rafe stood in front of Yuki and Ahsoka, holding his arms out in front of them protectively. He knew they'd fought Mandalorians before, but something about this one felt different. This man just walked into a bar and slaughtered everyone in it without uttering a word. The same look of boredom was plastered on his face from the moment he walked into the bar.
The beat of his heart echoed through his ears like thunderbolts. He shifted his foot behind him instinctually, knowing that he was in danger. But he didn't attempt to escape. He knew he couldn't. The Mandalorian in front of him would slice his head clean off before he could even stand up.
The Mandalorian smirked. "I finally found you… Rafe."
To be continued
AN: And another Mandalorian appears. This is not a continuation of the Mission to Mandalore arc from the previous three chapters. This is an entirely new, separate arc. But new characters will be introduced, and then the core cast of characters will have all appeared.
I know these chapters are a little slow, but this is a story told over three years, so I think a slow build-up is the best way to tell the story.
If you liked this chapter, let me know in the reviews. If not, feel free to tell me why. Any criticism is welcomed. Just don't be rude about it, please.
See ya in the next chapter.