Jedi temple, Coruscant...
It had been only a few hours since Duchess Satine had left to return to her homeworld of Mandalore, and after returning to the Jedi temple, just as he had thought, Jake now found himself being summoned by the high council.
The doors to the council chamber slid open with a hiss, and Jake walked to the center, bowing respectfully to the council. Master's Plo Koon, Ayla Secura, Even Piell and Shaak Tii were attending via hologram.
"Greetings, Knight Delarus," Yoda said. "Handled the mission to and from Mandalore well, you did".
"Well I can not take all the credit, master. Master Kenobi and Knight Skywalker are just as deserving of the credit as I am, if not more" Jake replied. Yoda chuckled softly, pleased at the humbleness of the relatively young Jedi before him.
"Be that as it may, we believe you are ready for a mission on your own" Master Windu said.
"I am grateful that the council sees me fit to do so" Jake replied. "What's the mission?".
"Are you familiar with the world of Kattada, Knight Delarus?" the hologram of Shaak Tii asked. Jake shook his head.
"That's not surprising. It's a relatively ignored neutral world in the Colonies region," Master Fisto said.
"The leader of Kattada, King Fynn Calvira, believes that smugglers may be using his people's world as a transit place to smuggle weapons to the Separatists; and in particular, separatist sympathizers throughout the core" Obi Wan continued.
"If that's the case, that would give the sympathizers the means to cause chaos all throughout the core" Jake finished thoughtfully, folding his arms across his chest plate. Master Windu nodded.
"Exactly, and that's why we're sending you. Find these smugglers, and end their operations for good. If all goes well, you may even be able to sway the people of Kattada to join the Republic" Windu said. Jake nodded.
"Very well Masters. I will leave at once" Jake replied, bowing respectfully, and then turned and walked out of the council chambers at a quick pace, his dark brown cloak swirling behind him. The council sat in momentary silence.
"He certainly doesn't seem to have problems with orders," the hologram of master Secura said thoughtfully.
"It's the warrior spirit that resides in him," the hologram of master Plo replied. "He comes from a time when many Jedi were warriors and generals".
"Yes, his experience could be invaluable in this war," Master Fisto said.
"But surely we cannot trust him with a command. He could be dangerous" the hologram of Even Piell countered.
"This mission will serve as a good test for us to see what he's like on his own. We will know about everything he does" Ki-Adi Mundi said. Obi Wan raised an eyebrow at the Cerean Jedi master.
"What do you mean, Master?" Obi Wan asked.
"We will have someone on Kattada who will watch him on this mission, and they'll report to us his actions," Mundi replied.
"You've placed a shadow on him" Obi Wan said, surprised that the council would do that. Master Mundi nodded.
"It's merely a way for us to monitor him. If he succeeds in his mission, then this will probably not need to happen again" Mundi assured. Obi Wan sighed, not liking this idea at all. Jake had certainly earned more trust than this.
"Hmmm, careful we must be," Master Yoda warned thoughtfully, not liking this plan either. "Lead to unseen consequences, actions like this can".
"At any rate, masters Fisto and Piell brought up good points," master Windu said, steering the topic to a less sensitive subject. "Can he really be trusted with a command, and if so, who shall he command?".
"Force knows that we need all the Jedi commanders we can get right now" master Secura noted.
"Perhaps give him a smaller command than most others, that way it would be a safer choice" master Eeth Koth suggested.
"I agree. But that still leaves the question of who he would command" Adi Gallia added.
"Perhaps he should command the 369th legion. They are in need of a new Jedi commander" the Thisspian master Oppo Rancisis suggested. Master Fisto scoffed.
"Surely not, Master Rancisis. The 369th is an absolute mess, and has been since the war began" Fisto replied.
"Which is why it would be the best option for him. Besides, he would still be contributing to the war effort" Rancisis replied.
"I agree with Master Rancisis. If Delarus is as good as Master Kenobi claims him to be, he will be able to turn that chaotic legion into a contributable force to the Republic" the hologram of master Piell said.
"Then it's decided. If Delarus performs well enough on this mission, he will be given command of the 369th legion. This meeting is adjourned," master Windu said. Everyone in the council chamber stood up from there seats, and those who'd attended via hologram ended their transmission, and the rest walked out of the council chamber.
But as Obi Wan walked through the halls of the Jedi temple, he couldn't help but feel troubled. Even after Contruum and Mandalore, the council still had so little trust in his new friend to the point where they had him shadowed on his first solo mission. And no matter how much he could succeed on this mission, he would still be given a joke of a command after the fact.
Obi Wan let out a sigh, and tried to release his emotions into the force. Whatever the circumstances were, he had faith that Jake could overcome them. He just only hoped that this wouldn't break Jake's trust in the council, for that could lead to consequences even he could not know of.
He opened his eyes, and found he was in the halls of the temple, but this wasn't the temple he knew now, this was the temple from his time.
He looked around, and found he was in the Archive library. He reached out with the force to try and figure out what was going on, but suddenly felt waves of fear and anger from nearby wash over him.
"Help…please help me!" a woman's familiar voice cried out through the force.
"Larie, Larie I'm coming!" Jake replied frantically through the force, and then turned and bolted through the library entrance.
He ran frantically through the halls of the temple, ignoring the padawans, knight's and even masters, many of whom were familiar to him, as he searched for his friend in danger. He finally made it to the dormitories, and reached the room of his friend Larie Phalar, hearing sabers clashing inside. But as the door slid open, his eyes could only watch in horror, as the amethyst blade of a hooded figures lightsaber pierced Laries stomach.
Time seemed to stop, as Larie looked down at the burned hole in her stomach in shock, and then fell to her knees and slumped to the floor, her orange bladed lightsaber deactivating as it clattered to the floor.
"AHHHHHH!" Jake roared ferociously, as he drew his lightsaber and furiously charged the figure.
Jake gasped deeply, and started sucking air into his lungs as he awoke from the nightmare. He looked around, realizing that he was in the cockpit of his starfighter, which was currently traveling through hyperspace. He realized that he must have dozed off during his deep meditation, which he was prone to from time to time, while he was passing the time on the three and a half hour journey from Coruscant to Kattada.
He ran a hand through his short hair, his breathing beginning to return to normal, and he could feel the cold sweat on the back of his neck. He turned his attention to a screen in the small cockpit, as he heard R7 whistle and beep lowly.
"Are you alright? You were thrashing around in your sleep, and I started to worry about you" was the message that popped up on the screen from R7. Jake took a deep breath, and turned his attention to the little droid.
"I'm alright, my little friend. It was just a nightmare, that's all" Jake replied assuringly, as he rubbed the sleep from his eyes. R7 let out some beeps, and Jake looked back at the small screen.
"That's good. We are only ten minutes away from dropping out of hyperspace at Kattada, so I suggest you prepare yourself" the message read on the screen. Jake nodded.
"Thank you R7. The sooner we're there, the better" Jake replied. He reached into the force to help calm himself, and to also help him forget the nightmare that he was unfortunately all too familiar with.
After a few minutes, the Jedi starfighter exited hyperspace in a flash. It unlocked from its hyperspace ring and started towards the beautiful blue and sparsely green planet.
Kattada was relatively ignored due to it being near the larger, more popular worlds of Kuat and Alderaan. It was a very beautiful planet, made up of beautiful crystal clear shallow seas, and dotted with tens of thousands of tropical islands that ranged in sizes all over its surface. And these islands were where most of the planet's inhabitants had settled, though some had made floating settlements across the planet as well. And one of these such island settlements was the planet's capital, Haleoda, and that's where Jake was heading.
As he flew through the atmosphere and approached the capital, Jake found himself marveling at both the planet's beauty, and that of the capital itself. The city of Haleoda itself was spread out amongst several small islands near each other, and the architecture seemed to feature a great deal of glass and native wood, seemingly to reflect the natural beauty of the planet.
"It truly looks like paradise, doesn't it R7?" Jake asked. R7 beeped and whistled affirmatively, causing Jake to smile.
"Have we been cleared to land?". R7 beeped a reply.
"At the personal landing pad of the palace, excellent," Jake said, as he steered their fighter. Situated on a hill near the center of Haleoda city, the brilliant white colored palace stood as a beacon of beauty and peace, just as it had for the last three hundred years.
As he slowly approached the palace, he could just barely make out three figures who were waiting for his arrival on the small, wooden landing pad on the side of the castle. He eased off the throttle, and slowly set the fighter down.
As soon as the cockpit glass lifted up, Jake unbuckled himself and removed the pilot headset, and climbed out of his fighter, as the three figures approached him. He had opted to leave his armor in a travel case in his fighter, leaving him in just his standard dark brown Jedi robes and cloak, so as to appear more diplomatic, being that he was technically on that type of mission.
Once he stepped off his fighter, Jake noticed the first two figures appeared to be a male and female royal guard, each wearing royal emerald green uniforms and carrying ornate looking blaster rifles slung on their shoulders, each flanking a person in the middle of them.
And that middle person, was a very beautiful woman who looked to be about Jake's age, and he was actually internally taken aback by her. She had long beautiful auburn hair that was done in a simple braid down her back, and she was wearing a simple, modest sky blue dress that covered most of her tanned, creamy skin. And as the two met each other, he could see her eyes that were as bright blue as the oceans of this world, and he strangely felt like not wanting to ever look away from them.
"Thank you for coming, Master Jedi, we welcome you to our humble world" the woman greeted, with a warm smile and her arms open in a friendly, welcoming gesture. Jake quickly broke his hidden daze, and returned her a smile.
"The pleasure is all mine, Milady," Jake replied.
"I am princess Alora Calvira, daughter to King Fynn Calvira" Alora said, giving him a slight, curt bow.
"Jedi Knight Jake Delarus, at you and your peoples service" Jake replied respectfully, returning a small bow.
"We are very grateful for your presence, Knight Delarus. My father is very anxious to meet you, so let's not keep him waiting any longer shall we?" Alora said, as she motioned for Jake to follow her. The tall Jedi knight joined her at her side, and followed her stride as they entered the palace, with Alora's two guards following closely behind.
"My father regrets that he couldn't meet you in person. Due to recent events, we've had to be very careful with who he meets in person, and not to mention add to his security" Alora said, as they walked through the palace. And as they did, Jake could see many guards around, at all the entrances and almost all the windows even. Whatever was going on here, was far more serious than he thought.
"Precautions like this, make me believe there have been attempts on your father's life" Jake said inquisitively.
"You are most insightful, master Jedi," Alora replied.
"Before the war, I served primarily with the Coruscant security. You see a lot of things in that line of work" Jake said.
And that was true, in a way. Before his involvement in the Mandalorian war, Jake had served with the Coruscant security; doing everything from busting spice or slave rings, or personally tracking crime lords and other dangerous criminals, to even overseeing senatorial protection from time to time. Needless to say, he had seen more action in fourteen of his twenty six years of life, than some men who'd lived to be one hundred.
"Oh I'm sure. We have our fair share of trouble here, so I can't even begin to imagine what must always be happening on Coruscant" Alora replied.
"Trouble here? One could look at this paradise you call home, and think that this would be the one place that doesn't have any trouble" Jake said. Alora smiled.
"Quite. But I'm afraid even paradise must have its problems from time to time" Alora replied, as they neared a door with two guard's flanking each side, respectively. The door slid open, and Jake and Alora entered into what appeared to be the somewhat lavish looking living room area of some large living quarters. In the center of the room, sitting in the center of a large, bright red couch, was a man with his back turned to them, his attention on the datapad in his hands.
"Father, Jedi knight Jake Delarus has arrived" Alora said. The king set his datapad down and turned to them, a smile on his aging face, and stood up, revealing the sling that held his left arm up.
"It is an honor to have you here, knight Delarus" he greeted, holding his right hand out.
"The honor is all mine, your majesty," Jake replied, shaking the king's hand gently but firm.
"We are grateful for the Jedi's help in this matter" King Calvira said, releasing Jake's hand and gesturing to the couch across from the one he'd been previously sitting on. "Can we offer you any refreshments?".
"A simple glass of water would be just fine, sir" Jake replied curtly, as he sat down on the red sofa he had been offered. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see the kings butler head off to fetch their drinks.
"Well if you've never had fresh Kattedan water, you're in for a treat," the king said cheerfully, as he and Alora sat down on the sofa opposite of him. "Kattada has arguably the clearest and most pure water, fresh or salt, in the galaxy".
After a few moments, the butler returned carrying a small, nice wooden tray, which held three clear empty glasses and a large pitcher of water and ice. The butler sat the tray down on the table in between the two couches, and poured some water and ice into a glass and offered it to Jake.
Jake took the beverage and gave a grateful nod to the butler, and as the butler went about fixing the other drinks, Jake took a slow swig of the water. When he finished, he let out a satisfied sigh.
"Your words ring very true, your majesty. I dare say this is indeed the finest water I've ever had" Jake complimented, and then took another drink. The king chuckled softly.
"Your compliments are most appreciated, Knight Delarus" he replied, sharing a smile with his daughter.
After a few moments, Jake finished his drink and set the now empty glass on the butlers tray on the table, and his expression grew more serious. "I am very grateful for your generous hospitality, your majesty. But I believe we best be getting to the matters that brought me here".
"Of course" the king replied, as he also set his emptied glass back on the tray, Alora soon doing the same.
"I must say, the Jedi council failed to brief me on how serious of a threat these smugglers were to you" Jake said.
"And it was not their fault, I assure you" Fynn replied, and then gestured to his injured arm. "This happened only two days ago".
"Seems you've put more heat on these smugglers than even I was expecting" Jake said. Alora's brow furrowed.
"We are a peaceful people, master Jedi, and we will do whatever it takes to preserve and protect our peace" she said vehemently.
"I meant no disrespect, milady" Jake replied apologetically. "As a military commander, one lesson I've learned all too well is to never underestimate any opponent".
"In any case, you are right, Knight Delarus," Fynn said. "Thanks to the efforts of my daughter and our top security agents, we've managed to put a severe dent in their operations. And with your help, we can put an end to them once and for all".
"That is certainly the hope, your majesty" Jake replied. "What can you both tell me of these smugglers?".
Alora reached into a pocket on the waist of her dress, and produced a small circular holoprojector. She placed it in the center of the table, and pressed a button on the side. The holoprojector sprang to life, and showed a surveillance image of a short and chubby, rugged looking besalisk male.
"This is the ringleader, Oso Kelwasa. He has a history of weapon smuggling all throughout the core worlds. And since the start of the war, he's been operating through Kattada" Alora said.
"I see. But I wonder, why did he choose your world?" Jake asked.
"Our world is relatively ignored by most of the galaxy, apart from tourists, especially of the upper class. And we are situated very close to the core worlds, which makes us a prime location to transfer weapons to separatist sympathizers" Fynn replied. Jake raised an eyebrow.
"Yes, the Jedi council did share with me their suspicions of that. Have you found any evidence to prove that these smugglers are working with the separatists"? he asked. Alora nodded.
"We've intercepted several transmissions between Kelwasa and some unknown contact on Cato Nemoidia" she replied. Jake rubbed his chin thoughtfully. That was a separatist stronghold world, but was it enough to imply it was the separatists?
"Interesting. Do you have any idea where their main area of operations is," Jake asked. Alora shook her head.
"Not yet. We believe they're hiding on an uninhabited island. The problem with that is there are tens of thousands of uninhabited islands, maybe even more across Kattada" Alora replied.
"So how do you plan to find them?" Jake asked. Alora pressed a button on the holoprojector, and the image of a well dressed, scrawny looking Balosar male appeared.
"This is Nazzim Sarrul, he's the negotiator for Kelwasa's arms deals. From what our surveillance team has gathered, he frequents a nearby lounge. We've managed to set up a fake deal to meet with him, and find out where Kelwasa is hiding out, " Alora replied. Jake nodded.
"I must ask, how have you not followed him to Kelwasa's hideout?" Jake asked.
"We've tried that, but ever since we started monitoring him, he hasn't led us anywhere. And when we've tried to follow the suppliers, they merely transmit a message on an untraceable comm line" Alora replied. Jake nodded again, realizing that catching this arms dealer wouldn't be easy.
"When is this meeting?" Jake asked. Alora switched the Holoprojector off.
"This evening, at a lounge here in the city called the Green Jewel" Alora replied.
"Very well," Jake said, as all three of them stood up from their seats.
"We are grateful for your help, Knight Delarus" Fynn said gratefully. "We've prepared quarters for you here in the palace for as long as you need".
"And I am grateful for your hospitality, your majesty. I just hope that we can end your trouble for good" Jake replied.
"If you follow me, I'll take you to your quarters, Knight Delarus" Alora said. Jake nodded and came and stood by her.
"I'm afraid I have other matters to attend to. Good luck to you both, and I will see you soon," Fynn said, and then left with two of his bodyguards.
"Right this way" Alora said.
"Lead the way milady," Jake said, as the two headed off down the hallway outside the king's quarters. "And please, call me Jake"
"Very well, Jake. But only if you call me Alora. I have to hear milady all the time, and it gets a little annoying after awhile" Alora replied. Jake smiled.
"Then I shall call you as you wish, Alora" Jake replied, earning him a warm smile.
The pair then spent the next few minutes talking casually until they reached the guest quarters, and then Alora left to tend to some preparations for the meeting, leaving Jake some time to relax until he'd be retrieved later that evening.
The suite he had been given was lavish, yet simple. The walls bore a nice light blue color, which were mirrored off the shiny white tile floors. The sitting area had a large, ruby red crescent shaped couch on top of a simple, yet finely woven white rug, with a beautifully crafted glass and lightly colored wood made table in front of it. Off nearby there was a balcony, with some padded seats and a wooden side table.
Jake walked out onto the balcony, and leaned against the railing. He gazed upon the beautiful city, and the nearby surrounding ocean, a strange sense of peace washing over him. He closed his eyes, and reached out to the living force, and felt generally surprised at how strongly it seemed to flow throughout this planet. He reached out again, this time throughout the palace. He could feel a common sense of relief amongst the people here who knew that he was a Jedi, particularly the King, and he attributed that to being the reason for everyone's relief.
But then, he sensed something strange, as he reached out further past the palace. Somewhere in the city below, a being strong with the force was trying to hide itself. And it was actually doing decently, because had it not been for Jake's experience in keeping his senses finely tuned, he would not have noticed the presence. But be that as it was, whether this presence was good or bad, Jake couldn't tell. He opened his eyes and looked off in the direction of where he felt the presence, but he saw nothing that stuck out to him. Whatever the case was, he would be extra vigilant tonight, and see if this being would show itself to him.
Stepping back from the railing, Jake walked back into his suite, and sat down in the sitting area. He decided that he would read the file Alora had given him on Oso Kelwasa on their way here, and then meditate for some time, and take in the peace and tranquillity while he could.
A few hours later, it was time for the mission, and Jake now found himself seated next to Alora in an enclosed air speeder, on their way to the Green Jewel. Out the dark tinted window, he could see the thousands of beautiful stars that littered the night sky.
"Alright, are we clear on the plan?" Alora asked.
"We enter the lounge and wait until I make contact with our dealer as soon as he shows up. Then I lead him to the private room where you'll be waiting" Jake replied, as he looked back to his companion. Alora nodded.
"Right. And do you remember the code word for when you make contact?".
"The sun never sets on those who chase it".
"Good. And if anything goes wrong, our undercover agents will be there to provide backup" Alora said, as the speeder landed.
The right side door slowly opened, and Jake stepped out. Seeing as how they were undercover, Jake had changed from his Jedi attire into a normal white button up shirt, with a brown leather jacket and dark brown pants, and his normal brown boots. Inside his jacket was his lightsaber, hidden in a side pocket.
He reached his hand out, and Alora took it and stepped out, wearing a simple, but beautiful jade green dress, with her hair in a bun on the back of her head. Jake couldn't help but think in the back of his mind how beautiful she was.
They decided it might work best for the both of them to pose as a couple, and so arm in arm, the two made their way into the lounge.
The Green Jewel was a rather nice venue, with the circular bar in the center and surrounding tables and chairs, though it did cater to the traffic of higher class smugglers and other such criminals. As they surveyed the decently packed lounge, Jake and Alora made their way over to a nearby balcony, which overlooked the nearby waterfalls that came from the same cliff surface that the Green Jewel was situated on.
"I seem to find this world more and more beautiful the longer I'm here" Jake said, as he and Alora leaned against the railing.
"I'm grateful I've never taken it for granted. I've heard about how horrid some other worlds can be" Alora replied.
"You say that like you've never been off Kattada" Jake noted. Alora looked off to the nearby waterfalls.
"Apart from a short stay on Corulag, I have not seen anywhere else. Kattada is really all I know" she replied, somewhat forlornly. Jake could only look away, as his mind briefly reminded him of the many worlds he had seen in his travels. And it was that thought, that made it hard for him to imagine only ever knowing one or two planets his whole life.
"Well in that case" Jake said, turning his gaze back to Alora, "it sounds like you should travel more; when this war is over, of course".
Alora looked back to Jake, and saw a small, gentle smile on his face; and she couldn't help, but study that face more. His face bore a rounded diamond shape, he looked like a simple person. From what she had heard Jedi to be, she had not expected the first Jedi she met to seem so…normal.
Looking more up his fair complexioned face, she came to notice the pair of emeralds he called eyes. Apart from his smile, Delarus seemed to always keep a stoic expression on his face. Not hardened or angry, but simple and calm.
Her concentration was interrupted, as a low beeping erupted. She quickly reached inside a pocket of her dress, and produced a small comlink. As she held it in her hand, it beeped quickly twice, then paused, and then quickly beeped three times.
"That's the signal from our outside watch. Sarrul is here" Alora said quietly.
"Then you best get into position in the back" Jake replied. Alor nodded, and quickly headed to the back room.
No sooner than she had left his sight, when Jake turned his gaze slowly to the main entrance, and spotted the well dressed balosar man enter. Two nearby figures, a Rodian and a Twi'lek male, caught his attention as they eyed Sarrul as he entered.
Jake watched as Sarrul headed to the bar, and the two beings, probably bodyguards if Jake had to guess, spread out to different positions in the would complicate things more, but not make them impossible. Jake took a deep, pensive breath, and then casually strode over to the bar.
"Corellian bourbon, please" Jake told the human bartender, as he leaned up against the bar next to Sarrul. The bartender silently nodded, and went about fixing the request.
"Nice weather here" Jake said. Sarrul glanced at him warily, but said nothing, as the bartender set Jake's drink down in front of him.
"And lovely sunsets too" Jake continued, as he reached into a pocket in his jacket, placed a credit chip down on the bar, and grabbed the glass.
"It actually reminds me of an old saying. The sun never sets on those who chase it" Jake said, and then took a drink. Sarrul perked up as soon as he heard that, and a smirk appeared on his face.
"You know, I've actually heard that before myself" Sarrul replied.
"A fine saying isn't it? Can be very thought provoking" Jake said, and then followed it with another swig of his drink.
"Indeed. I don't believe I caught your name, friend" Sarrul said.
"Breton…Jake Breton. And you are?".
"I am Nazzim Sarrul".
"Well mister Sarrul, you certainly seem like the intellectual type," Jake complimented.
"A man of my profession usually benefits from being both intellectual and cultured," Sarrul replied boastfully.
"And what profession is that, mister Sarrul?" Jake asked inquisitively.
"I'm a businessman, of sorts" Sarrul replied.
"Really? I happen to be a businessman myself. I represent Merr-Sonn munitions inc. I'm one of their deal brokers" Jake said, hoping to sell his cover enough to Sarrul. Sarrul eyed him with interest.
"Interesting, though I can't say I've ever of your company" Sarrul said, turning his eyes back to his drink.
"That's not surprising. We're still an up and coming weapons manufacturer. That's why I'm currently looking for possible contractors" Jake replied.
"You don't say. You know, I actually know of someone who would possibly be interested in brokering a deal with your company" Sarrul replied. Jake eyed him curiously.
"Do tell" Jake said. Sarrul shook his head.
"Not here I'm afraid, my client likes to keep his matters as quiet as possible. Perhaps we could speak of it somewhere more private?" Sarrul replied.
"I actually have a room in the back I'm staying in on my leave here. Perhaps we could speak more there"?" Jake suggested. Sarrul gave a smirk, one that almost emanated something devious.
"That will do, mister Breton" Sarrul replied.
"Then let us be on our way, time is money after all" Jake said with a simple nod and fake smile. He reached in his jacket pocket and gave a small credit chip to the bartender as a tip, and then stood up from the bar and headed for the back, with Sarrul following close behind.
Though he didn't see or hear them, Jake could sense that those two bodyguards were following them. Something was off, and Jake suddenly had a bad feeling begin to creep upon him. Like a predatory animal on the hunt, he was waiting for the sudden pounce.
As they reached the back room, Jake pressed a button on the nearby control panel, and the doors slid open. And as the doors slid open, he saw Alora sitting in a chair facing the door, a stoic expression on her face, but a hint of fear also evident in her eyes. But no sooner had he seen her and taken a few steps into the room, when Jake felt an object hit him hard in the back of the head, but not enough to knock him out. As he fell to the carpeted floor with a hard thud and a pained grunt, Sarrul chuckled deviously.
"Thank you Gradul" Sarrul said, and Jake turned his dazed head to see a red skinned Devronian about the same size as him, holding a blaster to him. The other two bodyguards quickly filed in, shutting the door and drawing small concealed blasters from their respective clothing.
"You just remain there for now, mister Breton. We'll deal with you shortly, after I settle some things with dear princess Calvira" Sarrul sneered. Jake could only remain where he was, while he tried to gather his mental bearings, and figure out a way to get them out of this situation.
Gradul was looming over him, a blaster pistol in his hands lowered towards Jake's back. The other two bodyguards were positioned at the door and nearby balcony, respectively.
"I must say, this was a bold move by you mistress Calvira" Sarrul said curtly, as he sat down in a chair across from her.
"I'm willing to take bold moves when my fathers life is threatened," Alora replied coolly. Sarrul raised an eyebrow.
"You're fathers life? Oh dear, who would ever do such a terrible thing?" he said in a mockingly concerned tone.
"Don't patronize me Sarrul!" Alora snapped fiercely. "I know your boss would love nothing more than to see my father dead".
"Well, while I will admit that your fathers death would make it easier on our operations, I cannot say I knew of any plot from mister Kelwasa to harm your father. It's not usually in his character to murder, if he can continue his business regardless, of course" Sarrul replied coolly.
"Though I must also compliment his intelligence; he did expect you and your father to eventually try a predictable move, and low and behold" Sarrul continued, and gestured his arms towards Alora, "here we are".
"So now what, mister Sarrul?" Alora asked, earning a smirk from Sarrul.
"Well I would assume mister Kelwasa will use you for leverage over your father, and begin running even more of his weapons through Kattada completely unopposed" Sarrul replied.
"And what of mister Breton?" Alora asked, being careful to hide the concern in her voice.
"I'm afraid mister Kelwasa will have no use for him. And since he seems to know too much" Sarrul said, as he turned to his bodyguards, "throw him over the balcony".
Alora could only watch, as Gradul reached down and roughly grabbed Jake by the throat and lifted him to his feet. Jake reeled his right arm back, and punched the devronian square in the face. Gradul was momentarily stunned by the surprisely powerful punch, but quickly shrugged it off and pushed Jake forward a little, and then pistol whipped the human man before him.
Jake fell back to the floor with a pained growl. He tried to get to his feet, but felt Gradul's boot kick him in his ribs, and then proceed to stomp him several times as he curled up to try and protect himself.
"ENOUGH!".
Sarrul turned back to see Alora holding a concealed blaster pistol firmly in her hands, with it leveled right at his head. The other two bodyguards quickly lowered their pistols at her, but held their fire for they knew her worth to them.
"All of you lower your weapons, NOW!" Alora roared fiercely. Sarrul just smirked defiantly.
"Don't listen to her. She doesn't seem the killer type" Sarrul challenged. Alora slowly rose from her seat and got a little closer to the balosarian.
"Try me" she replied. The flashes of anger and determination in her blue eyes, slowly began to make Nazzim Sarrul more afraid than he'd like to be.
This was the distraction he needed. As soon as Jake gathered enough wind in him, he shoved his right leg into Gradul's right kneecap, bending it further than it normally should've and causing it to make an audible popping sound.
Gradul roared in pain, and as he bent down just a little, he felt his blaster pistol get stripped from his hand. Jake took the blaster, and proceeded to shoot Gradul in the same kneecap he had kicked, causing the devronian to fall to the floor in even more pain.
With him out of the fight for now, Jake quickly rolled over onto his back and fired several more shots, striking the rodian bodyguard by the door several times in the chest. With him now dead, Jake moved to take out the other bodyguard, but soon found Gradul furiously wrestling him on the floor for the blaster.
As the two fought for control over the other, the Twi'lek bodyguard aimed his blaster at the two, waiting for the opportunity to shoot Jake. Seeing this, Alora twitched quickly and shot the bodyguard in the head, killing him before he could kill her companion.
But this gave Sarrul an opportunity; one that he took. As soon as Alora had pulled the trigger, Sarrul sprang up from his chair and pounced on her, and began trying to wrestle the blaster from her as well.
Meanwhile, Jake was having a hard enough time himself. Though Gradul was on the ground with him, and did not have the blaster, he did still possess superior physical strength, and he was currently demonstrating so by trying to put Jake in a headlock.
But as the two fought, Jake quickly decided to take a risky move and tossed the blaster away. And this led to exactly what he hoped for; because as soon as he did this, Gradul tossed him aside and tried to go for it. But before he could crawl away to the weapon, Jake grabbed onto his enemies injured leg and began twisting and bending it in all directions with all his might, causing several sickening cracks and pops to be heard.
Gradul cried out in excruciating pain, and stopped just as he almost reached the blaster pistol. He turned around on his back, only to feel a fist hit him hard in his face, and a large body roll over him. And before he could gather what had just happened, Jake recovered the blaster and pulled the trigger once, shooting Gradul point blank and leaving a large, blackened burned hole in the face of his now lifeless body.
Jake let out a deep breath of relief, and after allowing himself only a moments rest, turned his attention back to Alora and Sarrul.
Seeing the two still struggling for the blaster, Jake got to his feet as quickly as he could to help her, only to watch Alora elbow Sarrul in the stomach, then punch him hard in the face with her free hand, and then proceed to consecutively pistol whip him in the face twice, sending him to the floor clutching his face in pain.
"Are you okay?" Jake asked, as he made it over to Alora.
"Fine now" she replied, as she looked to Jake and brushed a strand of hair from her eyes. Apart from her hair being a little disheveled, she seemed alright. "I'm more concerned about you. You seemed to take quite a beating".
"Don't worry, I'm fine" Jake said, rubbing his ribs and neck a little. "Believe me, those weren't the worst injuries I've had recently".
"Well it might be best if our medic still checks you out" Alora said, as she pulled out a comlink and pressed a few buttons on it to signal their backup units.
Sarrul began to stir, and tried to scramble quickly and clumsily out of the room. Jake started to move towards him but the next thing he knew, a blue plasma ring struck Sarrul, causing him to momentarily cry out and then fall to the floor unconscious. Jake turned to see Alora holstering her blaster, a small mischievous smile on her face.
"What? Surprised I'm a good shot, or that I shot him at all?" she asked. Jake didn't have a response, which only earned him another smile from her.
"Well, don't worry" Alora said, as she walked over to him and gently pushed his unknowingly open jaw shut, and then patted it lightly with her finger tips, "you'll find I can be full of surprises, especially for a princess".
With that said, Jake watched as she walked towards the door and opened it, as several security guards began entering the Green Jewel.
'What just happened?' Jake thought to himself. 'At least I know now not to get on her bad side'.
And if he was being honest, though he wouldn't admit it to anyone, he was liking her good side.
Jake mentally scolded himself for thinking in such a way, as he tossed his blaster onto a nearby chair, and waited for the guards to secure Sarrul. Something gave him a feeling this night wasn't over quite yet.
About a half hour had passed, and the Green Jewel was now swarming with security guards. After being checked out by an on scene medic, and only being advised to get some rest as soon as possible, Jake now found himself standing outside the lounge entrance, watching the guards keep watch over the small crowd of onlookers.
But suddenly his attention was directed to the shadows of a nearby overlooking rooftop. That presence he had felt earlier that day was back, and this time he knew where it was.
"Sergeant" Jake called to one of the nearby guards.
"Yes sir" the guard replied, as he came and stood by Jake.
"See to it that princess Alora is escorted back to the palace. I feel there's something I need to investigate. I shouldn't be long" Jake said.
"Trouble sir?" the sergeant questioned, with a furrowed brow.
"I don't know yet, but possibly" Jake replied.
"Very well sir" the sergeant said with a nod.
Jake simply nodded, and then after a quick look around headed back into the lounge, concealing his presence in the force so he could go out the back way and sneak up on the mysterious presence.
After a few minutes, Jake found his way up onto the rooftop where the presence still eminated from. He peeked his face around a nearby corner, and saw a cloaked figure crouched down at the rooftops edge, it's attention fixated on the Green Jewel below. As quietly as he could, Jake slowly crept up and the figure, and when he was close enough, threw an arm around the figures neck and threw them to the ground.
"Who are you?" Jake asked fiercely, as he drew his lightsaber and activated it, its green blade glowing in the darkness. "And what do you want with the princess?".
The figure slowly raised its hands in surrender, showing it to be some kind of humanoid species.
"Please sir, I'm just an orphan admiring the view of the stars" the figure said in a mock fearful tone, its voice sounding like that of a young male.
"Really? I find it interesting that a street orphan would wear a hooded cloak on a warm clear summer's night, whilst watching the unfoldings at the nearby lounge…and all while trying to hide its presence in the force" Jake replied inquisitively.
"I…I don't know what you're talking about," the figure said. Jake's brow furrowed, and he moved his saber forward a little to try and see the figure's face. The figure flinched back, keeping its hooded face hidden.
"Don't hurt me, just please let me go!" the figure cried, though the fear it portrayed seemed fake to Jake. Nevertheless, Jake's gaze did soften a little.
"I'm not going to hurt you. But I do ask that you remove that hood" Jake replied gently, as he lowered his sabers blade a little.
The figure hesitated for a moment, but eventually relented and reached up and pushed the cloak's hood off his head and onto his shoulders, and Jake was surprised to see the face of a teenaged Sephi boy. The pale purple skinned boy seemed to have an average muscular five foot ten inch tall frame, with dark brown eyes and short hair that was black as the night. But what caught Jake's attention the most was a long, visible strand of braided black hair that hung by the boy's right pointed ear.
"A padawan?" was all Jake could muster to say. The boy slowly nodded.
"What are you doing here?" Jake asked, as he deactivated his lightsaber, and offered the boy an arm up.
"I'm on a reconnaissance mission for the Jedi council" the boy replied, as he brushed past Jake's arm and stood up himself.
"Reconnaissance? For what?" Jake asked, not liking what he thought he was about to hear.
"I was told that my mission was to keep an eye on a smuggler that's been around here" the boy replied. Jake let out a sigh, and ran his free hand through his hair, as he turned back to the roof's edge. He knew the boy was lying, he could tell because children, even young adults, were terrible liars.
"What's your name, padawan?" Jake asked, turning back to the padawan who'd been watching him this whole time.
"Elru… Elru Fel," the boy replied hesitantly.
"Well, Elru, the next time you try spying on a Jedi, do better to hide yourself. Your master should've taught you that" Jake said, somewhat aggravatingly, frustrated about this whole situation. Elru frowned.
"Hey for your information, you big flarg, I can hide myself just fine! And I don't need a master, I never have" Elru retorted hotly.
"What?" Jake asked, somewhat thrown off guard by the boy's temper. Elru looked away, and nodded.
"I'm here alone. That's how I've always been," Elru replied. Jake reached out through the force, and felt the boy was telling the truth.
"Well I can't imagine any kind of master that would want to train a kid with your temper?" Jake bit back, letting his own temper from his youth resurface. And he could see it affected the boy, and his temper quickly returned.
"Hey, it's not like I ever even wanted a master, I can handle things just fine on my own!" Elru roared fiercely.
"And you've done a fine job so far" Jake retorted.
"As soon as you're gone from here, I will be too. Then we'll never have to see each other again" Elru said angrily. Jake huffed hotly.
"Save yourself the time, and go ahead and leave now" Jake growled, as he turned and started walking away, but then stopped for a moment and looked back at the frustrated padawan.
"And when you report to the council, tell them to send an actual Jedi after someone they view as a threat next time; and not some hot-tempered masterless padawan, who will never be more than an errand boy" Jake added cruelly.
As he walked away, Jake missed the small, frustrated tears that fell down Elru's cheeks. After watching his target leave, Elru frustratingly threw the hood of his cloak back onto his head, and then quietly crept off into the shadows, heading back to the small accommodations he'd been given in the city by the council.
After a few minutes, Jake had made his way back down to the Green Jewel. The security guard he'd spoken with earlier came up to him.
"Knight Delarus, we escorted princess Alora back to the palace" he said.
"Very good sergeant," Jake replied.
"The princess also wanted me to inform you, that if you'd like, you are invited to have dinner with both herself and with his majesty the king" the sergeant said. Jake nodded.
"Thank you, carry on sergeant" Jake replied. The sergeant nodded, and went back to his duties as Jake climbed into a nearby speeder that had been left for him, and was off towards the palace with a push of the throttle.
A little while later, Jake made it back to the palace, and was escorted to the royal dining hall. Upon entering he noticed the king and princess, both dressed in simple leisure clothes for the night. The king sat at the head of the large, long wooden table, with the princess on his left, and then a vacant place set on his right.
"Knight Delarus, so good for you to join us. Please come have a seat and let us dine with you" the king said happily, and gestured at the empty spot across from Alora.
"Well the pleasure is all mine, your majesty" Jake said gratefully, as he took a seat at the table.
After only a few moments, the royal butler brought out a hand carved wooden tray, and set it on the table in front of Jake. The dish was some kind of colorful native fish, and off to the side sat the utensils on top of a cloth napkin, and a glass of water as well. Jake took in a hood smell of the food.
"Looks and smells quite delicious, your majesty" Jake complimented, causing the king to smile.
"The royal chef will be most pleased to hear your compliments," he replied.
"I was just telling my father that we managed to get a location from Sarrul" Alora said, as Jake began eating his food. "Apparently Kelwasa has his base of operations set up on a large island seventy five miles north of here".
"Tomorrow morning, you and my daughter shall leave by boat to try and infiltrate this island and stop him," the king said. Jake's brow furrowed.
"No offense to either of you, your majesty, but I believe it would be best if I went alone. I would not want to put the princess in harm's way unnecessarily" Jake said.
"Your concern is appreciated, Knight Delarus. But as you saw tonight, I'm quite capable of handling myself in tough situations. Besides, I've been after Kelwasa from the beginning, so I want to see this through" Alora replied strongly.
"Forgive me, your highness. I meant no disrespect, I would just hate to see you get hurt, or worse" Jake replied.
"As my daughter said, your concern is appreciated, Knight Delarus. But I am more than confident that the both of you can take care of this. But if it makes you feel any better, there will be a task force on standby that can be to the island in less than an hour, should things go awry of course" the king interjected. Jake simply nodded as he continued to eat his meal, realizing any further objections wouldn't matter.
"But enough about all these serious matters. Let us have a normal dinner conversation" the king said.
"I think we'd all like that father," Alora replied.
"So tell me knight Delarus, where are you from?" the king asked.
"I was brought to the Jedi temple when I was an infant, so I don't know where I was born. Coruscant's really the only home I've ever known" Jake replied.
"What a place to call home. I've only ever been there a couple times myself. It's certainly always made me appreciate my home all the more" the king said.
"Yes. If I was from a place like this, I'd never want to leave" Jake replied.
"I'm sure you've done a great deal of traveling though, haven't you?" Alora asked. Jake nodded.
"You could say that. I've been to all corners of the galaxy, and yet still seen so little" Jake replied.
And how true that was. During his time, Jake had been to many places in the galaxy, usually chasing criminals or on missions for the Jedi. And yet even then, there were many places he hadn't seen. And when he had come to this time, he had found the galaxy to have grown exponentially compared to the one he knew, which was to be expected, given the great deal of time that had passed since then.
"I do envy you, knight Delarus. I've always wanted to see the galaxy" Alora said.
"You mentioned early at the Green Jewel you had a brief stay on Corulag, didn't you?" Jake asked. Alora nodded.
"Yes. I was studying at the university there for a time" she replied.
"Alora was top of her class, and set to be one of the best students in the university's history" the king boasted proudly.
"You said 'set to be'. If you don't mind me asking, why did you leave?" Jake asked, as he finished his dinner. The king and Alora shared a solemn look.
"Right before her graduation, Alora's brother, my only son, died in an accident," the king replied solemnly.
"I'm sorry for you both. I did not know" Jake said softly.
"Excuse me gentlemen," Alora said quietly, and then stood up from the table and quickly walked away. Jake turned to the king.
"I'm sorry your majesty, I did not mean in anyway to upset her" he said apologetically. The king offered a small, sympathetic smile and held his hand up.
"It's all right, you didn't know" he replied. "My sons death was barely a year ago. Alora took it very hard, seeing as they had become close after their mothers passing ten years ago".
"Well if you don't mind sir, I'm gonna retire for the evening, after I apologize to a lady" Jake said respectfully. A look of gratitude spread across the king's weathered face.
"Thank you, Knight Delarus. But, perhaps it would be best to give her a little time. I think you might find it easier to talk to her in the morning when her emotions have settled some".
"Very well, your majesty," Jake said, as he stood up and bowed respectfully. "And please, call me Jake,".
"Very well. Good luck to you both tomorrow, Jake" the king said, as he stood up and as Jake left the dining hall.
When Jake made it back to his quarters, his mind was occupied with Alora, as he truly did feel bad for upsetting her at dinner. But he chose to trust the king's advice, seeing as he was her father after all, so he knew her better.
As he slowly layed down on the bed, he let out a deep sigh as he let his body relax, as another topic occupied his mind, and that was Elru.
He recalled their interaction, and the last cruel words he had said to the boy. He was wrong, and he knew it, and as he thought back to it more, the more he felt ashamed for being so cruel to a boy that did not deserve it. In his youth, Jake had a very similar type of temper, that while thankfully he'd mostly grown out of it, he was still prone to outbursts like that. Perhaps he'd gotten so angry, because the boy reminded him of himself when he was around that age.
The boy was definitely gifted, Jake could easily sense it. Never had he felt so much, untapped power and potential pent up in an individual that young. And it made him wonder all the more why the boy didn't have a master. He figured the boys temper probably played a large part, but Jake began to think that maybe it was because any potential master feared him because of that untapped potential. It was only a theory; but whatever the case, it did not change the fact that the council had sent someone to spy on him.
And when it came to the council, Jake had to let out another deep sigh to release all the frustration that began to build up in him. And as he slowly drifted off to sleep, he thought about that very thing one last time, before shifting his mind to something peaceful to help lull himself to sleep.
'So that's how this is going to be? Even after risking my own life to save not one, not two, but three of their own, the council still feels the need to not trust me, at least enough to send me on a mission alone. So be it then'.
To be continued…