Chapter 12: The Smuggler's Moon

"Stay close to Hylla and V'Lek, and watch your step," Jas cautioned with a slight frown.

"This place…it can get a little rough."

Vess nodded eagerly, pulling up her hood, and tightening the scarf around her face.

Has tried very hard not to grimace, not to regret his decision to bring her along. It had seemed like a good idea at the time, but…

How was I to know where we would need to stop first?

How was I to know that we would be drawn to Nar Shadda?

Jas shook his head and took in a deep breath. The Smuggler's Moon had changed little since he had last been here, in truth, it had probably not changed much for hundreds of years.

Being here, standing on a ship's loading ramp as it descended, being assaulted by the smells and sights of this place.

Jas shook his head again.

It was…against the Jedi Code to hate, but even he had to admit…

…he had a serious dislike for this place. If the Force was a river or a sea, then Nar Shadda was a place of jagged rocks, a coast where that sea raged and crashed loudly against shore. On most worlds, the Force offered some sort of safe haven, but on Nar Shadda, all it offered was desperation.

People didn't come here for safety, they came here because they had no choice, much like him, at that moment.

People came to Nar Shadda because they were desperate, drawn by promises of work, and a chance for great wealth, but it was no safe cove, people either struggled to the shores here, panting and out of breath, or they drowned, there was no other way to describe it.

An ugly place to be sure, but sadly…a necessary one.

Nar Shadda was…what it had always been: a hive of scum and villainy, at least, that is how some in the Jedi Order had always seen it. It was a place for the Hutt Cartel to keep their dirty business off the surface of Hutta, their "glorious jewel."

Which meant that only the worst of what the cartel offered was on display here, and it was here that he had brought Vess.

He was not happy about that. The kid had seen enough of such things, seen too much corruption in her life.

He would have rather she not seen what this dark corner of the galaxy was like.

If Vess was scared or bothered by it, she didn't show it. Her thoughts and emotions were hidden for the most part, he sensed…wonder, surprise at seeing something so different from either Bantoon or Alderaan, wonder…and one singular desire.

Val.

Vess' only desire in that moment was to find Val and bring her home safe.

Jas Dar Bynn could sympathize.

He desired that as well.

He glanced over at the young queen, her large blue eyes wide, taking in the bright glowing horizon. Nar Shadda was awash with neon light, casinos, brothels and other dark businesses advertised their wares on giant glowing signs and billboards. Air speeders zipped here and there, barely acknowledging the laws put in place to control the space lanes. Heavily armed security droids and assault probes floated leisurely amongst the chaos, making sure that things never went too far out of control, barely maintaining the veneer of civilization that kept the smuggler's moon moving.

It was a chaotic dance to be sure.

"Is this what Coruscant is like?" Vess asked him.

Jas shook his head no.

"Coruscant isn't as garish as this place, both cities are equally lit, but…"

Jas pursed his lips in distaste.

"This place tries to entice you, it wants to overload your senses with desires, promises of fulfilling them, but that is just the cover of the book, what is inside, what is hidden behind those lights…it's something much darker."

"A dark paradise," Rior growled as she looked out over the city scape, a slight smile on her feline face.

Vess nodded, if she understood what he meant, he couldn't say for sure.

Her comment made Jas purse his lips.

He would hardly call this place…paradise, but…then again, he was not sure really what to call it.

It was not easy to quantify Nar Shadda, it had been defying expectations for several millennia.

Behind Jas, V'Lek growled, the Whiphid had changed out of his Jedi robes, adopting a simple bandoleer and loin cloth. The padawan understood that the sight of such garments here could cause a problem.

The Hutts, and many others here, had little love for the Jedi Order.

Plus, the people they were planning to meet had little respect or use for Republic law.

"Why does the Senate even tolerate this place," he spat, "The fear…the desperation…this place…the people here, they shouldn't have to live like this."

Before Jas could respond to that, Burr chuckled.

"You think the Republic doesn't know what is going on here, Furball?"

V'Lek shot the enforcer an angry look, he probably didn't like being called "Furball," either that, or he didn't like someone speaking ill of the Republic, both reasons had merit.

"The Republic is the light of the galaxy," he said, "It gives people hope, and a chance for advancement. This place…"

"This place fulfills the needs that the Republic can't," Burr interrupted him, "I once served in the Republic navy, kid. I saw a lot in that time. You would be surprised by how many businesses and other interests on Nar Shadda are either directly owned, or sponsored, by wealthy citizens and politicians in the Republic."

The Whiphid's small dark eyes narrowed.

"What possible reason could the Republic have to maintain such interests?"

"Because the laws that you hold so dear don't apply on Nar Shadda. Republic law keeps people safe, sure, and it keeps the average creature out of trouble, but sometimes the greater good requires…a more open system. Advancements, and their legality, things that would be debated constantly within the Republic committees can move freely here because as long as the Hutts get their cut, they don't care what you do on Nar Shadda. As long as the system continues to move, you can do as you like."

"Then there are those people in the galaxy that the mighty Republic doesn't trust," Quire added, "If it wasn't for Nar Shadda and places like it, the Mandalorian people would be living with almost nothing now."

He shook his helmeted head.

"They tried to forbade us weapons, and limit our capacity to advance our people. Republic spies keep Mandalore and its colonies under a watchful eye. It has forced us to rely on Nar Shadda, do all our research here and on worlds like this one. If we tried to do that research on our world, the Republic Navy would have slagged our entire world, fearful that we would rise up again in a new crusade."

"Maybe kid, maybe not," Burr acknowledged, "The Republic still has a need for Beskar items, and as long as you Mandos keep the secrets of that little toy to yourselves, no one would dare destroy you."

"Hm," Quire responded, he shrugged and fell silent again.

V'Lek still didn't look convinced, he shook his shaggy head.

"I still can't believe it," he said.

"Believe it or not, you must accept it," Jas said, "Despite the Jedi and Republic law, there will always be a demand for a black market, places like this. Governments are not perfect, but they are what we have, and they do much to keep people safe."

"So, we must simply accept the darkness of this place, the suffering that happens here? People are drowning in the Force here, surely we must…"

"Change things, V'Lek? How would we do that? Come here in force, drive the Hutts off this world, start a war of extermination against them?"

The Whiphid winced.

"Of course not, but we can't just…do we just ignore what we see here, what we feel?"

"Of course not, but our actions must be tempered with caution, change doesn't come quickly in this place, but it can come, if you find the right action at just the right time."

Jas smiled slightly.

"If we reach out just so, a little act here, or there. We can start to change things. Such actions are subtle, but they can make a difference, those changes can come slowly, but by simply being an example, you can start changing others view, and they can effect the view of even more people, and they…even more."

V'Lek growled again, a thoughtful growl now, considering what Jas had said.

"We toss pebbles down a mountainside," he said, "Some may do nothing, but others might start a shift, and that shift may cause an avalanche."

Jas nodded.

"The Force is complicated, padawan, Nar Shadda has its place in it, for good or ill. We can't see the reason ourselves, but we can let ourselves be guided by it, and trust that the Force is doing what needs to be done."

V'Lek nodded again, he radiated a sense of…understanding if nothing else.

"I see, master," he said, "Thank you, I will endeavor to look for the opportunity to aid these people."

Jas winced again.

He was no Jedi Master, hell, he was barely a Jedi, he was a Force wielder, but that was it.

What he had told V'Lek was what Master Vey had taught him, he only hoped he was not harming the padawan's training by exposing him to his…unorthodox views.

At Jas' side, Mirax Fallenstar rolled her eyes.

"If we're done with the philosophical discussions, maybe we can get down to the reason that we are here," she said gesturing forward, "We do have an appointment after all."

She took off without another word, the rest of the group followed after her.

Jas said nothing, there was really nothing to say. Miri had closed herself off from him in the Force, his fault again.

Vess came up beside him, only her eyes visible beneath her hood.

"Is something wrong with Miri, she seems…tense."

Jas sighed.

If Vess only knew, he thought morosely.

He shook his head.

He had messed up, again, and as often was the case.

He had no idea how to fix it.

He had tried but…

…well…he had tried.

IOI

Before they had left for Nar Shadda, Miri had come to him again, in his quarters. First to suggest this journey to Nar Shadda, and second…

…to offer herself to him, again.

As he had been showing her out, she had stopped him opening the door for her, she had pinned him up against it, and kissed him fiercely.

The Force blazed between them, he could sense her need, her desire…

It had almost taken his breath away.

He found himself looking into her eyes, so dark and hungry, her breath was warm on his face, he could smell the wine she must have drank before coming here, perhaps what she had needed to cast aside the last doubts of making this move.

She moved against him, he…he could not say he was entirely resistant to her charms, his body responded.

He…

He shivered.

Damn!

"Jas, please," she had all but purred in his ear.

"I want you."

He had been flattered of course, what man wouldn't be, despite any personal issues she possessed, Fallenstar was an attractive young woman, and…it had been a while…

Too long…perhaps?

She kissed him again, and again, he…he…

He shook his head.

No.

No…he…he couldn't do this.

It…it wouldn't be right?

He had taken her by the arms and pulled her back. Her eyes still dark with desire.

"I'm sorry," he said shaking his head.

"I can't."

The look on her face, it…it was like he had punched her in the gut.

"Is…is it me," she asked, "Is…is something wrong with me?!"

He shook his head again, trying to think again, and not focus on how close she was, what her touch had awakened.

He held her at arms-length, she…she had tears in her eyes now. He felt pain…he…

He…

He almost had no words.

"There…there is nothing wrong with you," he said, "Nothing."

She winced and pulled away her top was open more than usual in front, she buttoned it back up, he felt a wave of frustration flow over her.

"It…it because I'm not Val, isn't it? Your precious Val!"

She turned again, her eyes cold and flinty, angry.

"She can't give you what you want Jas. You told me that. Why…why are you so willing to throw away something that is sure for something that cannot be?"

He frowned.

He regretted opening up to her in that moment. He had talked about Val, both what had been done to her by her people, and the programming that prevented her from being with him.

He had wanted to talk at the time, needed to talk to someone.

Perhaps it should not have been Fallenstar, but…he…he had come to trust her, even like her.

She was his Jedi sister, one of the few people in the galaxy who understood what it was like to be him.

Did he care for her? Yes. He loved her like a sibling, a fellow Jedi, that was it, he didn't want to cause her pain, even though he was starting to fear that it was inevitable.

Yet, was he wrong about even that? He had had a vision on Alderaan, had seen a child in his future, his child, a sweet little girl who reached out for him, needed him.

He had no idea who the mother was, or rather, who would be. What if Fallenstar was that woman?

What if he was meant to let go of the past? What if she was to be the one who gave him that child?

What if it was never her destiny to return to the order? What if they were meant to be together? What if he was supposed to save her from the darkness within by offering her a future, a future at his side?

It…it was possible, but…he…he…

He couldn't tell, the only thing he could say was that she was not Val.

She was NOT Val, and Val was still in danger, he couldn't do anything as long as she was in danger.

He couldn't.

"Miri," he said, "I…"

"Don't say anything," she hissed angrily. She began to pace.

"I'm a fool! I should have known that no one would look at me like you look at Val. I should have realized what was done to me."

She looked into his eyes, her very presence in the Force radiated pain.

"I'm still too much of a Jedi, no one could love a Jedi. I…I don't think I'm even capable of it. The masters…the teaching…the DAMN teachings!"

Jas felt the pain starting to shift to anger.

"No," he said coldly.

"No what," she spat back.

"It is not the Jedi, and it is not you. In this, it is me, I know it sounds like a line, but it is the truth, Miri. I…I've never lied to you, and I never will."

She continued to glare at him, he could sense her hesitance, her fear that he was lying to her. Part of her even wanted to believe he was lying to her.

That dark shadow that always followed so close to Mirax Fallenstar was still there, and it wanted her to believe that was lying, it wanted her to make the transition from pain to anger, it wanted her to be angry…it wanted her to hate.

Jas had gotten a taste of that shadow back on Corellia, it was still there, sure-footed and waiting for her to trip, ready to swallow her up.

He wouldn't allow that.

She was still his friend, and his sister.

He had to keep her safe.

He reached out with the Force, let her feel what he was feeling in that moment, he wanted her to understand, there was no distance between them, not in the Force.

Not in this, he knew he had to let go, let her see.

He felt it, felt her make that link, he opened himself up to her, he let her Force senses in, let her see what he was feeling, no hesitation and no fear.

She chewed her lip as she reached out, touching him with her talent. He would find no deception, not in this. He wasn't in love with her, but he did love her.

He wanted that to be enough.

He hoped that it would be enough.

A single tear ran down her cheek.

"Does she know?"

Jas frowned.

"I…I don't know," he admitted, "She will though…when we find her."

Something changed in that moment, he could still feel her pain at his rejection, that sting would not go away quickly, but he felt…acceptance, or the beginning of it.

"What about the kid," she asked, "Does she know…how you feel I mean?"

"I'm…I'm not sure about that either."

Miri did something then that he didn't expect.

She laughed.

"You have problems," she said dryly.

He shrugged.

"I'm aware of that."

She sighed and rolled her eyes.

"Damn it, I'm such a fool!"

He approached her then, no longer worried about leading her on, or of causing pain, he had hurt her, pulled the barb quickly from the flesh, so to speak.

The pain would recede to a dull ache, and pass in time.

She wiped at her eyes with the back of her hand.

"I will help you find her, Jas. I promise, but that isn't going to make your problems go away, you know that right? You are still going to have to deal with…whatever is waiting when we get Val back."

He nodded, she was right in that as well, it wouldn't be easy, but something worth doing, it never was.

Val…Char Valenthyne, what he felt for her, and what she wanted from him, it was all tangled up in duty, feeling, and the Force.

Fallenstar was right, it was a problem, his problem…

…and he wasn't entirely sure how to fix it.

The shadow had receded, Miri had pushed it back, it was no longer trying to take control, the darkness was still there, but it didn't hold sway over her.

She gave him a cold smirk.

"Just know that you had your chance, I won't be some second-place prize if this business with the girls from Bantoon falls through."

"I understand," he nodded, "You deserve better, better than me."

She snorted at that.

He sensed her bitterness, but that was just part of the healing process.

She would have to work through it, in her own time.

He leaned in and kissed her chastely on the cheek.

"Thank you," he said, "For being understanding."

She snorted at that.

"That is me," she said morosely, "Understanding, Miri."

She turned and left, but before the door shut, he heard one last thing.

"Why are all the good guys taken, or total murglaks?"

He took a deep breath, and shook his head.

Was he a good man?

Was he a Murglak?

It was probably a bit of both.

He sighed.

Yeah.

It was a bit of both.

IOI

She had kept her distance on the journey to Nar Shadda, despite the fact that it had been her idea to come here.

Jas gave her the space she needed, if she wanted help, she would ask for it. She was polite to the others, but for the most part she kept her distance from them too.

He was not sure how he felt about that. Vess had not been sure either.

She had grown fond of Miri during her time on Alderaan, Vess wanted to help, but Miri wasn't interested.

Fortunately, Vess wasn't entirely alone on this journey.

She had quickly developed a rapport with Hylla. Both the young queen and the Mandalorian were close to the same age, and were now united by this mission.

Jas wasn't sure if that was a good thing or a bad thing.

Hylla knew much about his past, and had her share of stories about him from his younger days, he wasn't sure if liked the idea of Vess learning some of those stories.

He heard her giggle several times as the two talked, he tried not to get distracted, to focus on the job.

It was not the easiest of challenges, but a minor one considering what they were about to face.

He sighed.

Jas hoped that Fallenstar was right about this.

"We are going to see the tec-dealers," she had informed the crew back on the Gilded Claw.

"If Targo Sei does want to sell a sworn protector of Bantoon, he will need to go through them. They are the one option open to a bounty hunter who doesn't want to go through guild channels.

Jas nodded.

Her reasoning made sense.

The tec-dealers were an institution on Nar Shadda, with the age of expansion going on in the galaxy, new technology and knowledge were flowing back to the Republic at an alarming speed and rate. The Republic, as always, preached caution, not wanting things to flow too quickly into their worlds, unless they cause problems. As Burr had said there were entire committees set up to debate how fast such technology should become available to the Republic citizens.

The tec-dealers were a loop hole in that system, and they paid well for technology that the Republic still considered dangerous or for technology that the individual worlds of the galaxy were hesitant to share with outsiders.

Bantoon had freely bargained with its medical technology, Jas had seen that himself. When it came to their military mods however, they had proven resistant to sharing that with others. AT the top of that list, was the mods used in the Sworn Protector program, the Bann protected those secrets as if their lives depended on it, and who could blame them.

Jas had seen how quick and strong the Bann had made Val. What had been done to her had made her almost as fast and as strong as a Jedi completely given over to the Force. He could only image what a true soldier could do with such modifications, what an army of people, so modified, could do.

Miri was right, he realized, if Targo wasn't going through the bounty hunter's guild to sell Val, he would need to go through the tec-dealers. Unless he had somehow made contact with a client directly, it was his only option.

They made their way through the streets of Nar Shadda, Miri led the way with Jas following close behind, and the others forming a protective circle around Vess, and the two Mandalorians bringing up the rear.

If anyone noticed the group, they didn't show it, the people of Nar Shadda had their own missions and their own problems, seeing a crew of outsiders shielding one of their own did little to draw attention.

As for Vess herself, she was as ready as they could make her. She wore a military grade combat suit beneath her cloak, a cortosis breast plate, and greaves, she also wore a blaster on her hip, though Jas was not sure how accurate she would be if it came to open combat.

He shook his head as he looked out over cityscape before him.

Val would never have approved bringing her along, but even he had to admit that simply sending her home wasn't an option either, too many people knew about the Bantoon situation and could try to profit from it.

No, it was safer to keep the queen close, at least until they found Val, and dealt with Targo.

So, the group pushed on past the arms dealers and slave markets peddling their wares under a neon sky. Jas could sense Vess watching what was going on around them, sense her disbelief and a sense of horror that such things could go on in a galaxy where the Jedi and the Republic existed.

Yet, it was here none the less, the Hutts had always played by their own rules. One day that might change, but…not today.

They found the tec-dealers' offices easily enough, the building stood out among the casinos and pleasure houses that dotted the moon's landscape. Slate grey and modern, the dealers' offices could have been transplanted on any world and drawn no attention, but that was by design as well, the tec-dealers didn't wish to appear to be criminals, their clients might have been put off by such a veneer, and so, tried to project an air of both civility and respectability.

Looks, Jas knew, could be deceiving.

"Is this it," Vess asked, "Are these the people that bought Val?"

"If Targo wishes to sell Val, this is likely the place he would go," Jas informed her.

She nodded grimly, and took a deep breath.

"You don't have to go in if you don't want," he offered, "We could handle this."

She shook her head no, and mustered her courage, she took a deep breath, and took the lead.

"No," the young queen said gamely, "No more hiding, I can do this."

Jas had to hurry to catch up with her, they all did.

She seemed bound and determined to find Val, as was he.

"I'm ready," she murmured under her breath.

"Let's go."