Kye had met plenty of imposing people during her short life. On Nar Shaddaa, it was difficult not to, considering the sheer amount of cutthroat gangsters running around, and those came from every possible species. Humans and near-humans like her were often rarely on the more impressive side of theBlack Comet's patrons, although she'd seen enough Mandalorian mercenaries fight to know that humans and the like weren't to be written off completely in a brawl.
But despite the fact that he seemed utterly toothless compared to the two large, armed-to-the-teeth Klatoonians, the strange man had the most imposing air she'd ever seen about him. And a chill ran down her spine as he took a step forward.
"Hands where I can see 'em, pretty boy!" the second, larger Klatoonian shouted while the one holding her threw her roughly to the ground and reached for his blaster. The human did as he was told, not that he seemed to have anything to reach for anyway.
"Violence isn't necessary." He said with a perfect sabacc face. "She's just a kid. Let her go."
"Sorry, boy. We ain't in the business of leaving witnesses around. Especially ones like her. And you just put a death mark on that little head of yours." The smaller thug said, drawing his own blaster.
"You don't want to do this. We're not worth the trouble." The mystery man said with durasteel in his voice, and a second chill ran down Kye's spine. "You want to get far away from here and have a drink."
"Yeah, 'suppose we don't need to waste ya." The smaller Klatoonian said, almost droid-like.
"Guess we could use a drink, too." The larger thug added, spitting on the floor. "Let's go. They ain't worth it." He said as he nudged his partner before they both walked towards the street. And Kye stared at them with utter bewilderment and confusion.
"You okay?" The mystery man said with concern as she got up. She raised her eyebrow at him and looked him up and down. "Alright. What are you playing at?" she said, reaching out for the small vibroknife in her back pocket.
The man seemed genuinely confused at that. "I'm afraid I'm not following?" he said, and she had to admit he was a good actor.
"You and your partners." Kye said as she pulled out the vibroknife and pointed it in his general direction. "I'm not an idiot. Do you honestly expect me to believe that some fresh-faced human scared away two armed thugs without lifting a blaster?"
The man seemed almost amused at that. "No, I wouldn't say I'm intimidating enough for that. But I can be pretty persuasive when I want to be."
Kye was about to reply with a biting retort when the sound of an astromech droid interrupted her thoughts, followed by a silver and blue droid rolling into the alley from the street the klatoonians had disappeared into. He stopped near the man and gave a whistle that Kye couldn't decipher. The human simply placed a hand on his dome.
Kye's mind ran through the possibilities. She knew the thugs belonged to the darkhawk gang. She'd seen them at The Black Comet before, so the most likely possibility was that they saw her on her way back from the delivery, recognized her as one of Dosan's runners and correctly assumed that she had some money from the job. Easy kill, easy score and no one left to tell Dosan.
So where did that mystery human fit in? Had they recognized him as one of the Blackhawk lieutenants and decided to scram? He didn't look or talk like a gang member, but she knew those came in every sort of package. But if that was the case, why would he save her skin instead of joining them in robbing her? And what was the deal with the Astromech?
"You a pilot or something?" The Tholothian said, nodding in the droid's direction. The man continued to study her for a moment, and she didn't like how that made her feel exposed for some reason.
"I suppose you can say that." he said, and Kye simply glared at the human and lowered her knife.
"I guess we're done here, then." she said before turning around to leave.
"Gotta say I expected more gratitude." He said with amusement, and Kye turned to smirk at him.
"Then you're probably new around Smuggler's Moon." she said, still trying to figure out the strange man's angle.
The human chuckled. "Well…I've been here once or twice. Just not to The Corellian Sector I guess." he explained.
She raised an eyebrow. "You got business with someone here?" The man was most likely a smuggler, although she still believed he had some connections since he could get those thugs to back off with just words.
"More like looking for something someone left for me here. He just didn't tell me where exactly I could find it." he said while eyeing her curiously again. "I could use a guide, you know, if you're familiar with the area."
Kye's smirk returned. "Oh, I'm familiar with the area. With every area, actually. But I don't come cheap. Three hundred credits to take you where you wanna go."
"A little steep, but I suppose I can afford it." the man said, and Kye was shocked he didn't try to haggle the absurd price. Just who was that guy? Small-time smugglers wouldn't have that kind of money to throw around.
The Tholothian pursed her lips. The boss wouldn't appreciate her being late, but he wouldn't complain much as long as she got him his money at the end of the day. Plus, she could always cook up some excuse about having to lay low for a while. She certainly couldn't miss the opportunity for some easy credits. And if the strange man tried to backstab her, she could always signal Dosan.
That, and she supposed she possibly owed the man her life.
"Artoo, give us a map of the area." The human said, and the droid gave another whistle before projecting said map. "I'm sorry. I didn't get your name." The man said with unusual friendliness.
Kye paused for a moment, then decided that a false name wouldn't do her good. "Kye should be good enough for you." she said with her best sabacc face, and the man simply gave a bright smile.
"It's good to meet you, Kye. My name is Luke."
The Tholothian girl stared at the map as if she could see something Luke couldn't, and the Jedi's mind was a storm as he tried to figure out what The Force was trying to tell him. It swirled around the girl, and Luke wondered if she was actually the mysterious presence The Force was leading him towards. Was he meant to help her more? Or was there something else at play?
"There. You wouldn't see it on the map," the girl said as she pointed to an area at the edge of The Corellian Sector. "But around here, the third and fourth districts are called the western slum sea by the locals. Black Sun has all sorts of warehouses right next to it, at the edge of the sector."
"So that's where the sun meets the sea." Luke noted. "Pretty simple if you know where to look."
"Yeah, but there are dozens of warehouses in that area." the girl said. "I'm guessing your 'friend' wasn't trying to make this easy for you."
Luke furrowed his eyebrows. He could sense that he was on the right track, but something was missing…..
"Urmangoth. He's the only other clue. Myth has it that he's released from the hells every thirty-four years to gather his tributes." Luke said as he pointed at warehouse thirty-four.
"Pay Urmangoth his due." Kye repeated, "Sounds dumb enough work."
"Possibly. But I'm guessing it won't be easy getting into Black Sun territory." Luke said, and the girl's smirk returned again.
"Easy? No. But I have some experience sneaking around Nar Shaddaa. I can get you in, but it's gonna cost you extra."
Luke held back his amusement at the girl's obvious exaggeration of her knowledge and skills. "You're willing to risk running into Black Sun enforcers for money?"
Kye shrugged. "I like to live dangerously. Eight hundred credits and I'll take you there. I can even get you on a hoverbus heading that way."
Luke stared at her calmly, but he could feel her discomfort beneath the confident exterior. She wasn't being entirely truthful, although he didn't think she was lying either. Nevertheless, The Force told him that something was indeed at play. Something he couldn't yet see.
"Alright then." He said, gesturing for Artoo to close the map. Reaching into his pocket, the Jedi handed the girl a pair of credit chips for two hundred credits. "You'll get the rest when we arrive there."
The girl seemed surprised once again at his compliance, but she quickly regained her confidence as she led him down the streets. And From what little she said during their walk, Luke gathered that she ran errands around the moon for someone, so she knew all about transportation methods. Before long, they were both on a hoverbus headed towards the edge of the sector.
"You get around Nar Shaddaa a lot?" He asked quietly during the trip on the crowded vehicle, trying to learn more about his mysterious partner.The girl just nodded. "My boss has an agreement with a lot of people on Nar Shaddaa. His operation isn't large, but it runs deep. That's all I can say."
Luke nodded, mentally filing that away as the bus moved across the streets. "And…your parents don't get worried about you running around the moon like that?"
Kye simply shrugged. "Never had those, so I would say the answer to that is a solid no."
Luke resisted the urge to wince. He'd suspected that the girl might be an orphan, but that answer seemed even darker. "I'm….sorry."
The Tholothian rolled her eyes a bit. "Spare the sympathy. I need credits, not pity." she said nonchalantly. But Luke could sense a dull ache hiding behind her bravado.
It only took the vehicle ten more minutes to reach the edge of District Three, and by then it was sunset for that part of the world. As soon as they stepped out of the hoverbus, Luke noticed the tall fence in the distance, surrounding Black Sun's warehouses.
"I'm guessing this is electrified." The Jedi noted, and the girl chuckled at his comment
"Yeah. Lots of guards patrolling behind it, too. But I know a way to get in. Just follow me."
Obeying his mysterious partner, Luke and his droid followed the girl on a walk that seemed to take them away from the fence and closer to the slums sea. Soon enough, she led them down a ditch and towards a semi-buried, giant metal tube, drawing a skeptical whistle from Artoo.
"Ancient sewer tunnels from back when those warehouses were a town. Haven't been used in centuries." She explained. "Most of them are blocked, but one opens into black sun territory."
"And they don't know that?" Luke asked skeptically, reaching out with The Force to sense any dangers ahead of him.
"It opens near the old abandoned warehouses. I know because I had to hide there once or twice." She explained. "No guards in that area because there's nothing to guard. Those old buildings are almost crumbling, and thankfully they include the warehouse you're looking for."
Luke raised an eyebrow at the explanation, which made it clear why she wasn't too worried about sneaking into Black Sun territory. "You decided to hide near a syndicate's warehouses? That doesn't sound safe."
The Tholothian glared at him. "It is by Nar Shaddaa standards. Certainly no one would look there, wise guy. Now come on. I don't have all day, and I'm not leaving until I get the rest of my credits." She said as she grabbed a light-stick concealed behind some rocks before walking into the tunnel. Luke gestured for Artoo to hand him his lightsaber, and ducked into the tunnel himself after hiding the weapon in his jacket.
Despite the few twists and turns along the way, Kye led the way with no confusion or hesitation until they reached what seemed to be the dead end of a collapsed tunnel.
"There." She pointed at a manhole cover in the short tunnel's roof. "That's the one." she said as she tried to push it upwards, only for her to strain against it to no avail. "Ugh. Looks like it's stuck."
Reaching out with The Force, Luke realized that the manhole had a large stone above it. Closing his eyes, he used The Force to slowly lift the rock and gently place it next to the manhole. The Tholothian took a deep breath, gathered her strength to try again, and the cover was raised to reveal the sunset light.
The Jedi and the girl climbed into the yard to the sight of neatly organized warehouses, and Luke's senses told him that no other sentients were near them. "Stay here Artoo." He said, drawing a concerned sound from his friend. "Don't worry. We'll be back before you know it." Luke assured him.
Kye's gaze seemed to grow intense as she scanned the buildings. "Come on. No one's close but we don't want to stay until that changes."
Luke frowned at that comment. "Yeah. I suppose we don't want to stay here too long."
"Don't worry. I'm really good at dodging these guys." she said quietly as she led the way. "I always know when they're coming."
Luke's frown deepened at that, but he followed The Tholothian until they reached warehouse thirty-four. "If our guess is correct, this one should be it." The girl said. "Don't suppose you have the key though. Because we can't exactly blow up the door even if we found charges somehow."
Steeling himself, Luke closed his eyes and placed his hand on the door. He could feel Kye's confusion, but more importantly, he could hear the kyber's song calling to him. What he came here looking for was definitely inside that building, although he was beginning to question if the Jedi relics were truly why he was here. Picturing the lock's mechanism in his mind, Luke applied The Force to twist it in the correct way, and the young girl's surprise washed over him as the door swung open.
"How….?" She started, and Luke simply smiled at her. "I told you. I can be persuasive."
Stepping into the old building, the young girl scowled as she saw nothing but dust, even after she managed to turn the lights on. "All this for an empty warehouse?"
Luke continued to scan the warehouse. "No, this is the correct place." He said as he expanded his senses, he could feel the kyber nearby……
"Where are you going?" Kye asked as he headed towards one corner of the warehouse. Continuing to scan the floor, Luke simply bent down at one point and subtly used The Force to activate a hidden locking mechanism. Small, concealed motors engaged to lift a false slab of concrete, revealing a large hole that led to a secret room below the warehouse. And a metal ladder ran along the shaft's length.
"A secret basement in an abandoned warehouse. Good place to hide something valuable." The amazed Tholothian said, seemingly impressed by The Hutt's planning, and Luke had to admit that he was too. The slab covering the secret entrance was blended so well with the floor, a visual scan wouldn't see anything amiss. And the Jedi was willing to bet that there was technology to render the secret room invisible to scanners as well. No wonder Black Sun likely never found it.
The girl glanced at the door, then at the slab and Luke. "Do you have some magic key to this place or something? And just who is your 'friend' exactly?"
"I suppose I do have a key. It's just not one anyone can use." Luke said cryptically with a knowing smile. "And Grakkus The Hutt isn't exactly my friend."
The Jedi could sense the girl's shock as he descended into the hidden vault.
"Did you just say that this place belongs to Grakkus the Hutt? Did he send you here?" Kye said as she descended the ladder behind the strange man, still trying to get over her shock. Just who the kriff was that guy? And what exactly was he after?
She emerged into a large room, and found herself once again struck speechless as she hopped off the ladder and took in her surroundings. The secret room was large and brightly lit, with strange decorations that she didn't recognize. She saw several statues of robed men and women of various species, and the walls were covered in tapestries and paintings that Kye couldn't understand. "What is all this?"
"You said you grew up here. Do you know what Grakkus was arrested by the Empire for?" The man called Luke asked, seemingly snapping out of his own mild shock.
Kye frowned at the question. "Depends on which version you choose to believe, I guess. I was pretty young, but I remember the news about his arrest and The Hutts replacing him with Dorgon. It was a big deal for everyone here at the time." the Tholothian said, trying to recall what little she knew about Grakkus. "Some said the Empire came after him because he had something they wanted. A whole lot of people were at his palace for some reason that day, and each one has a different story. I'm told it was a pretty big mess."
The man gave a sardonic smile. "It was a gladiatorial match, and 'big mess' is definitely a good description for that day." He said, as he grabbed one of the five strange cubes displayed on a pedestal. "There was a giant beast from Mustafar and a lot of folks who showed up to watch some guy get killed. Then the Empire attacked and an EMP went off, which was followed by everyone scattering."
Kye's frown deepened. "You…you were there, weren't you?"
The mystery man turned around to face her. "You could say that. I was actually the guy those people showed up for. I think a lot of them were disappointed that I wasn't disemboweled." He said wryly, then his face turned serious again. "The Empire came after Grakkus because he had something they wanted to destroy. Something they feared." He said, gesturing at the contents of the room. "Few people knew about this, but Grakkus collected anything related to The Jedi." The man explained. "I'm willing to bet that this room has the crown jewels of his collection."
"The Jedi?" Kye repeated, still trying to process what she was seeing and hearing. "I thought the Empire killed those wizards off when The Clone Wars ended. Something about a coup they tried to pull off."
The man shook his head. "There was no coup. The Empire was simply good at controlling what people thought was the truth. It's why, after the war, anything related to The Jedi and their heritage was considered forbidden knowledge. But that didn't stop Grakkus. And when The Empire learned that, they came for everything he had."
The Tholothian continued to scan the room, and her eyes were caught by one of the tapestries. It was showing robed beings with strange, colored swords battling armored warriors that reminded her of the Mandalorian mercenaries she occasionally saw around Shaddaa. "But if The Empire came for The Grakkus's collection, then what is all this?" She asked, gesturing to the room. "What makes this stuff so special that he hid it away?"
"Do you see that?" The man said as he nodded towards the tapestry. "I'm willing to bet that one dates back to The Mandalorian Wars. If memory serves me right, The stuff at Grakkus's Palace was mainly pre-Clone Wars era. Everything here seems to be from the Old Republic period. Probably thousands of years old."
"Which makes it a whole lot more valuable than the regular stuff." Kye said, still trying to process everything. She couldn't imagine how much that stuff was worth to the rich fools who collected them. The Tholothian had followed this strange man here expecting some spice or weapons. But this….was so much more.
So why was he showing her all of this? Why explain so much?
Her hand subtly reached for her vibroknife, just in case the strange man felt the need to eliminate some witnesses. "I'm guessing you already have a buyer with deep pockets lined up." She said, trying to draw out more information.
To her surprise, the man shook his head again and continued to examine the strange, glowing cube and the room. "Not exactly. I'm more interested in returning all of this to its rightful owners."
Kye scowled. "Its rightful owners? That doesn't sound possible considering the Jedi are all dead."
The man named Luke gave her a small, sad smile. "Let's just that say the rumors of that have been exaggerated." He said sardonically.
The Tholothian shrugged nonchalantly, although her curiosity was certainly growing every minute. "Well, I'd at least hope that you'd give me a bigger reward for getting you here, since that stuff is so valuable."
The man turned his attention to her again. "Why?" He asked. "What exactly do you need the credits for?"
Kye's expression turned incredulous. "Why do you think any scrumrat from here would be hoarding credits? Every single one of us wants to get off this rock and start over someplace else."
"I can help you with that…if you come with me." He said, nonchalantly but with a warm smile. And Kye had to blink away her confusion. "I may not be rich, but I know a lot of people who can help you. You've been a great help for me today and I'm happy to repay that."
Kye resisted the urge to snort "And you expect me to just…take you at your word? Leave everything I have and know here to come with you?"
The man's warm expression didn't waver. "You haven't known me for long, but I never lied to you. I could give you a fair reward and leave, if that's what you want."
The Tholothian just stood there, unable to think or speak. She'd been saving for years to leave Nar Shaddaa and build a different life. And she was still so far away from that goal. Then in the span of less than an hour, this strange man walked in and offered her everything she wanted.
And she had no reason to trust him. He might sell her off as a slave to the Hutts, for all she knew. But if he wasn't lying, then she'd be throwing away a golden opportunity by saying no.
"I'll think about it, I guess." She managed to say with a perfectly neutral face and a shrug, even though she had no idea what to do. "How exactly do you plan on getting all of this out of here anyway?"
"I'm afraid I'll have to compromise." he said before glancing around the room and pointing towards some empty containers. "The statues are too large, but the rest can fit into those."
Kye looked at the boxes, and was thankful for the fact that they seemed to have repulsorlifts. "You need some help with that?" She asked, as he moved towards some strange metal cylinders displayed on the back wall.
The man shook his head. "I think I'd better handle this myself. You should probably go back. Just in case someone gets close."
The Tholothian pursed her lips. "Yeah, you're probably right." she said, before heading towards the ladder.
Things were still deathly quiet when she climbed back into the warehouse, and it took fifteen minutes of tense silence for the man named Luke to climb out of the secret room with two large containers floating with him. She wasn't sure why, but the motors engaged to lower the slab once again, completely hiding the entrance to the concealed basement.
"Sure took ya long enough." she noted with irritation. "Now, we just need to retrace our steps and get out of-" she said before a horrible chill ran down her spine. She glanced at the strange man and saw that he was already staring at the closed door.
Then the door swung open.
About seven armored thugs walked into the warehouse. Four of them were Falleens, one was human and two were rodians. Much like The Klatoonians who'd attacked her earlier, they seemed to be armed with every blaster model on Nar Shaddaa's market. One of the Falleens had an ugly scar running over the bridge of his nose, and Kye guessed he was the leader based on the Black Sun ring he was wearing in his right hand.
"I guess those security drones were worth the price after all, boys." The lead Falleen said with a smirk and a surprisingly cultured voice, although Kye was willing to guess his core accent wasn't something he got from growing up there. "We don't usually get trespassers around these parts. Not many are that foolish or desperate." He said, calmly examining the scene. "Personally, I'm willing to bet you're the former. I mean, did you actually think that waiting in one of these derelict buildings would help you sneak into the main warehouses? That you wouldn't be detected?"
"I had no intention of doing that. Although I suppose Black Sun's security is better than I gave it credit for." The strange man said, and Kye was shocked at how calm and collected he seemed despite the odds. Kye was not a stranger to bluffing, and she certainly knew how to keep her sabacc face even when she was terrified. But for some reason, Luke seemed to think he was still perfectly in control of the situation.
But the Tholothian knew that they weren't likely to walk away from this, no matter who this strange man knew.
"This doesn't have to end in violence." Luke said, moving subtly in front of her. And the Tholothian could swear that some strange hydrospanner seemed to appear out of nowhere in his right hand. "Killing us would only bring unwanted attention to your doorstep, and that wouldn't be good for your business." he noted with unwavering confidence. "I want nothing that Black Sun has, and have nothing that would benefit your syndicate. Let us go."
One of the Rodians guffawed, while the human gave a soft chuckle. "This joker is actually giving orders. Guess he can't read the room, huh?" he said, before turning his head towards the group's leader.
"Indeed. A peculiar fellow. Take them down." The Fallen leader ordered with a toothy smile. "But aim for the legs. I want to know who sent them and why they came here."
Kye stared in horror, and time seemed to slow for her. She could practically feel one of the other Falleen squeeze the trigger on his gun...
And a green rod of pure light appeared out of nowhere to deflect the blaster bolt back to its source, which was followed by The Falleen's scream as he held the stump where his hand used to be, his exploded blaster reduced to scrap. Kye found herself reflexively taking several steps back, and she could see the looks of shock on the thugs faces, their confidence suddenly drained.
"I'm giving you one last chance because I'd rather not kill anyone." Luke said with durasteel in his voice. "Let us go."
The Falleen leader snarled in response. "Take them down!" He growled, and his men obeyed. Blaster fire rained on the strange man, who moved with inhuman speed to block them with his strange laser sword, its green blade a storm that somehow sent every shot ricocheting away.
Two more men fell to their own blaster fire, and Luke's hand suddenly shot forward. The weapons seemed to fly out of the remaining thugs' hands. Then the gang members suddenly began floating, and the lead Falleen stared in horror as a small holdout blaster appeared out of Luke's sleeve. The Jedi aimed the blaster with his left hand……
Then sent stun blasts towards each remaining member. And their limp bodies fell to the floor as he lowered his hand.
The strange man turned around to face her. "Are you alright?" He said again with concern, and Kye was suddenly aware of her jaw hanging open.
"What are you?" she asked with awe, and the man simply smiled warmly again.
"I told you. The rumors of the Jedi being extinct were exaggerated." He said calmly.
And in that moment, without understanding why or how, Kye knew exactly what her choice was going to be.
Author's Note:
Well, that one was the longest and trickiest chapter so far. I'm not super happy about its pacing, but I hope you guys enjoyed it nevertheless. It's fairly important, and I think it's easy to see where Kye is going.
As usual, let me know what you think. Likes/dislike/thoughts...it will mean the world. I'm almost begging you at this point.