Chapter 8: Vokai
The planet was called Death. The town was called Eulogy.
Terrifying names to most, but to Temmin Vokai, once known as Temmin Tagge…
Eulogy…had become home.
How funny is that, he thought to himself.
If you had told him three years ago that he would become a pirate, he would have laughed. He was the son of two Republic heroes, two members of the legendary Survivor Squad, his father had died fighting in the great galactic war, and his mother was the famous scientist and doctor Roxanna Tagge.
Not that his parents would have recognized him now, sometimes he barely recognized himself.
At eighteen, he was big, over two meters in height. His reddish-brown hair had grown long, and he wore it in a braid down to the small of his back. His skin a dark pink, pink that would shift to red if angered. His neck had grown thick, and arms and chest had filled out with muscle. Towering over most of the people in Eulogy, some found his presence intimidating, and he had used that from time to time during raids.
Here though, at home, he did his best to appear non-threatening. To them he was a soft spoken, and peaceful being. A gentle giant some of the girls as the cantina called him.
Most of the people here had learned too much about fear, former slaves all, ripped from their homes and chained.
He had no desire to add to their fears.
A pair of Duro got out of his way as he stumbled out of the Last Breath, the only cantina in Eulogy, the celebrations were still going on inside. Their crew had just gotten back from another successful raid.
The young half-blood coughed and shook his head, trying to clear it.
Too much lum, he thought to himself, rubbing his jaw.
That sucker punch had not helped either.
He spat blood in a patch of scrub-grass, having bit his tongue when he got hit.
He shook his head again.
He hadn't even sensed it coming. Almost two years as a padawan, and he had been so lost in the moment that he missed a punch being thrown.
Master Fenn would not have been happy.
Of course, Master Fenn wasn't around anymore, was he?
Temmin balled his fists in impotent anger.
Fenn.
Major Locke.
Mom…
He shivered.
Mom.
They were all gone.
IOI
Despite everything, Temmin Vokai did try to remain true to what he had learned at his master's feet.
Fenn would have told him not to dwell on his losses, that he should stay in the here and now, but again, that advice seemed pointless.
All that knowledge, and his master could not even save himself.
He had vanished when Survivor Base had been destroyed. He along with every one else, well…almost everyone else. Rufotomec had survived, thanks to Temmin. The young padawan had pulled the black furred Wookie to safety when the tunnel had collapsed before them, collapsed, and buried all the others…
…buried Temm's mother.
Some nights he could still see her face, the fear and dirt that had marked it, and then, the horrible shaking, and her final scream…screaming his name.
He shivered.
Even now, the memory haunted him. He had not felt her die, but then…he had been barely able to feel anything at that moment.
The Sith had detonated a low-grade atomic device, detonated it within Survivor Base.
Had Colonel Capistan not ordered the blast doors to the underground tunnels sealed…
…well, no one would have survived.
They would have all been consumed in a blast of atomic fire!
After the blast, and the collapse, what had happened next still followed and haunted the young man, the confusion, and with it, several days wandering in darkness. The explosion had collapsed the way out, the way leading to the escape ships that the Survivors had readied for just such an emergency.
Were those ships still there, he had wondered as he had stared into the darkness.
What would happen if they had been destroyed too.
He had no answer, and no other option.
Find his way off this world was his only chance.
Temmin had not been sure if he would be able to find those ships, but he had to try.
If everyone else was dead, he owed it to them to survive.
Survive…and bring the betrayers to justice.
It would have been easy to give into the darkness in that moment, to seek revenge, he was already lost in shadow, but again, his master's training stayed with him, kept his grounded.
It was what he had needed to stay who he was, to deny the dark side purchase within him.
He would not do it.
He still thought of himself as a Jedi, and a Jedi is what he needed to be.
He had had almost a day to think about that, it had taken that long for Rufo to regain consciousness, regain consciousness, and be ready to move.
From there, he and Temm had needed to back track, they found a secondary tunnel that had not collapsed. Both had hoped that it would lead around to where they needed to go, the hidden hanger two hundred clicks from the main base.
Temm had tried to call on the Force, to use it to find the way through, but that proved difficult, the destruction caused by the Sith had left it scarred, so much death, and so quickly, not to mention the slow painful death of nature afterward, so much life felled by the radiation.
No, the bomb above had left the young man all but blind in the Force, fortunately, the Wookie had not been so handicapped.
Rufo took the lead, his sense of smell lending aid in their search. After the second day, they managed to find a cache of survival equipment, bottled water, and survival rations. That cache had been just what they needed to keep going, they had had no time to prepare when the attack had begun.
Those supplies saved their lives.
They spent another day resting, and eating, gathering their strength. By then the destruction above had subsided enough for Temmin to sense where they needed to go, between the Force, and the Wookie's sense of smell, they managed to find an exit to the surface, one outside the blast radius of the Sith weapon. Far enough away from the worst of the radiation.
They made their way up and out, only to find that they were not alone.
The destruction that had been caused, the presence of the Sith ships in orbit had drawn the attention of a crew of raiders. The very same raiders that call Death home.
They had not known what to make of Temmin and Rufo, but had been hesitant to attack a Sith of the old blood, and a former Wookie commando. The captain in charge, a Weequay, had offered to take them off world, take them to a place where they could contact their allies, should any remain.
Both Temm and Rufo had agreed, what choice did they have?
They certainly couldn't remain on this world. Who knew if the Sith or the forces of the Eternal Throne left something behind to seek out survivors.
No, it was better to get out while they still could.
Temm had spent much of that journey in the company of the Weequay Captain, a man named Tol Buz.
Buz was not like other Weequay Temm had met. He was boisterous, flamboyant, and not afraid to enjoy himself. He had an easy manner joking with the crewers under his command.
His presence even put Rufotomec at ease, not an easy thing considering the problems that Wookies had with pirates and slavers on their home world.
He was not what the Jedi Padawan had expected. He was a mercenary yes, and sought profit, but he was not a sadist, or a man who desired the suffering of innocents. He offered the two safe passage to their next mostly civilized stop, promising to discuss a means of paying for that passage later.
They had spent three nights talking, over a lum, Temm telling him about Survivor Squad and what had happened.
Buz had been a good listener. He offered his young passenger sympathy, and a kind ear.
It was just what the boy had needed at that time.
Buz, what he said, what his crew said about him, intrigued Temmin Tagge.
He tried to hold onto his Jedi calm, and distance, but the old rogue pierced it.
He had been afraid, lost in those tunnels.
Buz offered him the closest thing he had ever had to fatherly attention, outside of his grandfather, and Master Fenn, of course.
As for the rest of crew, they were not afraid of him, or distrustful of him because he was of the old blood.
That feeling, that acceptance…
…it was nice.
These creatures were not Survivors but they were no friends to the Sith or the Eternal Throne either.
By the time they had reached their destination, Temmin had made up his mind.
The Survivor Squad was gone, his mother was gone. The Jedi Order was scattered and weak, and his Jedi Master was gone, possibly dead.
He wanted to fight. He STILL wanted to make a difference.
He chose to join Tol Buz's crew.
That had greatly pleased the old pirate.
"A muscle-bound giant wielding a lightsaber is always welcome, my boy. Provided he is on your side, of course."
Temmin had spoken to Rufo before he made the choice, he expected the Wookie to leave after they reached their destination, he was a Republic soldier after all.
Surely, he had someone back in the Republic, back on Kashyyyk waiting for him.
The Wookie had surprised him.
He wanted to stay too, to watch Temmin's back.
The boy had saved his life in the tunnels, for Wookie, that was no small thing.
Rufo said he owed Temm; he swore a life debt to the young half-blood right then and there.
Temmin had no choice but to accept.
So the two living Survivors found themselves with a new life and a new purpose.
They were now…pirates.
IOI
It had not taken Temm long to distinguish himself among his fellow rogues. His Jedi training, and a few tricks he had picked up from his grandfather had come in very handy.
After his first year, he had been among the boarding parties sent in to secure prizes, by his third year, he was now commanding those raids, and so far, they had been all successful.
The latest raid, his twenty third as commander had left him feeling invincible, or maybe that was simply the lum. Anyway, he had joined the rest of his crew for a celebration at the Last Breath.
Perhaps he had been a bit too sure of himself.
That might explain why had happened.
He had been engaged in an arm-wrestling match with Rof, one of Captain Tol Buz's Weequay heavies. They were about equal in size, and Rof had never been beaten, even after ten drinks.
He was on his second when Temmin challenged him. The Weequay had attempted to face the boy before, but Temm had always declined.
He had nothing to prove to anyone, he had said, he fought at the captain's side, same as everyone else.
The raid, it had been more than successful. They had caught a Red Eclipse vessel on its way back from Ryloth, and one of its purse worlds, bringing back a transport full of captured Twi'leks.
Most of those slaves had been girls and young women, Buz and Temm both knew what fate awaited them if they reached Nar Shaddaa.
"Best they not make it there, eh, boy," the captain had said.
"Yes, sir," he had replied.
And they had not.
The Trandoshans had not known what hit them.
Temmin didn't feel bad about attacking slavers. He remembered the stories that Zay told him, being sold on an auction block when she was eight.
He liked to think she would approve of what he was doing, making sure no one suffered her fate again.
He liked to think she would be proud of him.
They fell upon the slaver ship after its second stop, its hold already more than three quarters full. The next three stops would see them trading bodies more than credits, Twi'leks were not above enslaving their own, not when they were from different clans. Which meant the slaver's vault was still full of money.
Temm had led the raid, he slew six slavers, even their captain. He had freed the slaves, and seized the money in the vault. The credits would be divided into shares among the men, their share and payment for the attack, the slaves…
…the slaves would be freed.
Temmin had been telling the tale of the raid to the Blue Suns, two identical twin Twi'lek girls that served as hostess of the cantina, when Rof had challenged him.
Not wanting to look weak before the two attractive females, he had accepted.
Temmin had been on his fourth drink when the match had begun. The Weequay had cackled when he nodded and sat down at the table.
He had not been so amused, when Temm forced his arm down flat on the table.
"I WON!" Temm declared with a triumphant laugh.
Rof hadn't liked that. He snarled a curse.
The fist had come out of nowhere.
One moment, Temm was laughing triumphantly.
The next…he was laying dazed on the floor.
Ow," he said, staring up into the lights.
Doesn't matter, he thought.
I still won.
The Suns, Lah and Lu had been at his side in seconds, former slaves themselves, freed by Buz, they appreciated what Temm and the crew did.
Most new additions to the group didn't understand why Buz did that, freeing all the slaves he found, they didn't understand.
For Tol Buz it was not about profit…
…it was about history.
IOI
The captain had spent his first twenty years of life as a slave, he had been sold to the Hutts as an infant, and raised to serve among their many Weequay thugs.
Having won his own freedom twenty years ago, he knew the value of freedom…
…he would not take it from another being.
No, Captain Buz didn't keep slaves, or sell them. The people they freed were given a choice upon landing at the port here on Death. They could seek to barter passage back to their home worlds, or they could choose to stay, and help grow the colony.
Death, like so many other colony worlds, had found itself abandoned by the Republic. During the last fifty years of war, all contact with the Office of Colonial Affairs, and the Senate had ceased. The world should have died out, its settlers fleeing, and seeking opportunities on other worlds, those that could afford to do so, anyway.
Captain Buz, and those like him, had saved it from that fate.
Close to one of the major hyper lanes that ran into Hutt space, Death was a perfect base for those seeking to raid smugglers and slavers trading with the Hutts. Materials valuable to a growing colony were seized from these smugglers. Allowing the colony to stagger back to its feet, and with the captain freeing slaves every so many months, the colony didn't lack for labor.
Farming was hard on Death, hard, but not impossible. The soil did allow for several different kinds of crops. The planet's southern region was a bit mountainous, with mid-grade mineral deposits, not enough to attract the mining guild, but tempting enough for the smaller companies.
Most would ask why the Hutts allowed this, a pirate preying on ships meant for the cartel? The reason, because the captain was no fool. He shipped out some of the produce grown on Death, helping to feed several Hutt colonies, not to mention the occasional ore shipment.
As for the people of Death, those possessing skills beyond those of simple laborers could be hired by the cartel. Buz handled all contract negotiations for them, to make sure that they had not traded one form of slavery for another.
In short, the captain kept things fair.
He might not have held the title of Senator, or governor, but few on planet could doubt that he was in charge.
The Hutts respected him, and as long as he only took a few shipments a month, they left him alone.
It was a good practice all in all.
IOI
The sun had finally set. It was less than an hour before midnight, yet the town of Eulogy was a flurry of activity.
It could hot during the day, so most did their business at night, and into the early morning. The cantina only closing for five hours during the hottest part of the day, for the proprietor to rest and clean up before starting the next shift.
"Temmin, my boy!"
He turned, not surprised to find Tol standing there, a Twi'lek dancing girl in each arm.
The captain cackled.
"Leaving the party so soon! The Blue Suns were asking after you! Something about giving you a private dance in their quarters."
Temm blushed.
He knew what that meant.
A year and a half ago, he had spent the night with Lah, his first time with a woman. The Twi'lek was three years his senior and had…taught him many things that night.
He had thought it might be the beginning of something more, but two nights later the twins had switched on him, and he spent the night with Lu, without realizing it.
They had shared him without letting him know.
He had been afraid that Lah would be angry with him, but she quickly dismissed that when he told her about it the next day.
If anything, she said that the three of them could have fun, it would not be the first time for either of them.
Temmin had not known what to make of that.
That is when he realized the two, though beautiful, were more in it for the fun than anything else. Eulogy was there home, and they loved the free atmosphere of the place.
It was like the sign over the town entrance said.
Eulogy: Let your past die.
The Suns lived by that motto.
Temmin…was not quite so ready to let go.
…not yet.
He thought about the Suns all the things they had showed him on their individual night together.
What would it be like to have them both?
He dismissed that thought.
Somethings were best left to fantasy.
"Tempting," he told his commander, "Alas I have business outside of town. I would like to see it dealt with before sun up."
A loud Wookie yowl from within the cantina drew his attention. Rufo came out, along with two more of Buz's crew.
Rufo barked at the young half blood. Temmin having mastered his speech by now, smiled.
"I need to take care of some things, pal. Don't let me leaving spoil your fun."
Rufo woofed, but did turn and go back inside.
The two Weequay that followed him out did not.
They had their own opinions of Temm's business.
They cackled.
"He is going to see his little mechanic, Cap'n," the first crowed.
"Our war leader needs a tune up, and a lube job," the second added.
Temm flashed them a wicked smile.
"Another comment like that," he called out, "And I will have you two scrubbing out freshers aboard ship, don't think I won't!"
The crewers cackled and fell back into the cantina. Leaving Temm alone with his captain, and his…friends.
Buz chuckled.
"Have fun, lad," he said, "Don't do anything that I wouldn't do."
The half-blood chuckled.
Given Buz's appetites that was quite a long list.
Temm was tempted to say as much, but the captain was gone, leading the girls back into the Last Breath.
With a sigh, Temmin Vokai turned away, and made his way down main street.
His destination was just outside of town, not far from where their ships were docked.
He rolled his eyes.
Tune up and a lube job, he thought.
Right.
IOI
The moon was full and bright as he made his way across the grassy plains.
It was a hot evening, tonight, the summer now in full swing on Death. He had needed to return to his small apartment, lose his cloak and jacket.
Dressed in simple blue pants and a black leather vest, the heat felt good against his skin.
His people had been born to heat, or so his grandfather had told him.
Korriban had been a warm world.
He could see lights in the distance.
The landing pad, and their ships were brightly lit, repair crews working the night shift, making sure that they would be ready to go out again when the captain needed them.
To the left of pad, sat a large hanger, surrounded by an old metal fence.
Temmin made for the entrance, he could hear music coming from inside, some singer belting out some song in Huttese.
He stepped through the gate, the sign above saying a single word…
Repairs.
Just inside the fence was a mass of machines, Swoop bikes, speeders, and even a few old APP patrol platforms.
You could say what you wanted about this place, but one thing you could not say was that business was slow.
Machines were always breaking down here…
…and Switch had done her best to keep them running.
He made his way around to the office, his heart starting to beat a little faster.
He had hoped that she would have been at the Last Breath, she usually took lunch there around an hour before the midnight.
He had been a little disappointed she had not been there.
He didn't have the key to enter, but he didn't need it. He used Force to trigger the lock, and the door hissed open, admitting him.
The music was louder in here, and he could hear the sound of welding, and see the white flash coming from inside the hangar.
He entered into a world of clanging and the hiss of steam. A small tramp freighter was hoisted up in the center of the hangar, Temm could just see the glow of a cutting torch near the starboard engine.
"Good evening," he called out.
"We're closed right now," a high-pitched voice answered, "I'm buried with work, if you need something, leave a message at the desk."
Temm smiled.
"Not necessary," he shouted back, "I'm not a customer."
The torch shut down; hot metal popped in the now quiet air.
"Temm?" the mechanic called out.
"Hey there, Switch. How's business."
A pulley system near the ship groaned, lowering the mechanic down from where she was working.
Temmin smiled.
And there she was.
He didn't know her full name, no one in Eulogy did. Her first name was Juno, he knew that much, and she had been born on Corulag, the daughter of a naval mechanic and a Republic Lieutenant. Her mother had been killed during the war, her ship destroyed, and her father had shipped out on a tramp freighter a month or two later.
Juno, barely thirteen, had been left alone.
That had been six years ago.
She had not told him what happened next, but she had ended up being captured by slavers a year ago. She had been on a ship on her way to Hutta, to be sold at the slave markets there.
Captain Buz had attacked that ship, and Temmin had led the team that freed the prisoners. That was how they had first met.
She smiled at him; a smile that made his skin darken to red.
She was a pretty girl, nineteen years old, with tanned skinned and short blonde hair. Her face was heart shaped, with almond shaped blue eyes, and a sly pretty mouth.
She was also hanging upside down.
"You're back early."
He snorted with amusement.
"Not really, if anything you are working late."
She pursed her lips.
"What time is it?"
"Almost midnight."
"Kark," she said under her breath. She hit a switch on her belt, flipping her right side up, and lowering her to the ground.
She struggled with the harness straps, he offered to help her out of them, but she shook her head no.
It was rare that she let anyone do anything for her.
Hell, she had barely spoken fifty words to him that first months they had known each other.
Fortunately, he had worn her down.
She…she had not been very trusting, not that he blamed her, given her history. Most of the time, when working, she just followed the captain around and nodded when he asked her to work on this ship or that one.
She shook her head.
"We…um…we had a date tonight, didn't we?"
He shrugged.
"You were supposed to meet me at the Last Breath."
"Yeah," she said shaking her head.
"Sorry about that, Stavos came in just after nine, asked me to look at the heating coils on his engines. They almost blew apart on his last run."
Temm looked up at the ship, the Rodian pilot was known for running this thing too hard, everyone in Eulogy knew it.
And Juno always had to fix it. She had taken over this repair bay a year ago from old Yi, the Gran who had first set it up ten years ago, or so Buz had said.
In the last year though, things had improved far beyond anyone's expectation. Juno was one of the most skilled mechanics Temm had ever seen. She could switch out a shield generator, or a hyper drive motivator in two hours or less.
Hence her nickname…Switch.
"How did it go," she said wiping her hands on a rag, "The raid?"
"No casualties on our side. We managed to ion the carrier before it could get its shields up, and our fighters made short work of the Red Eclipse flyers."
Temm shook his head.
"Not sure where the lizards find such pilots. They would be better off working with droids."
"Be grateful they don't," Switch said looking around on the ground, opening up several tool boxes she had scattered around.
"It is better for everyone if you all come back alive."
He grinned.
"Does that mean you would miss me?"
"I didn't say that," she replied.
His smile faltered, until he saw her mouth twist into a slight grin.
Teasing me, he realized.
He still had not got use to that.
She cursed under her breath again.
"Do you see what I did with my water bottle?"
"It's on your belt," he said motioning.
She looked down, seeing it.
"Oh," she said, pulling it out and taking a long drink.
Temm again had to fight the urge to laugh.
Great mechanic, he thought, not so good on anything that could not be fixed with a spanner.
"I am sorry about tonight," she said running her hand through her hair.
"Got caught up in work, again."
He shrugged.
He didn't mind.
If she didn't act this way, she wouldn't be Switch…
…and he would not be so…interested.
His time on Survivor Base had taught him much about the galaxy, and what he had missed living in isolation, first with his grandfather, and then again when he began his Jedi training.
He still thought about those days, the ones before Avaryss' betrayal.
He still thought about Zay.
He frowned thinking about the young serving girl, turned Sith apprentice.
They…they had both been novices when it came to matters of the heart.
Had she known what was going to happen that night?
He asked himself that question many times since. Yet, he never came up with a satisfactory answer.
He had not wanted too.
What might have happened between him and Zay given time?
What could have been?
It wasn't until Switch had come to Death that he started to look beyond those questions.
The thought almost made him smile.
Was…was this what moving on felt like?
He had cared about Zay, still missed her sometimes, but Switch…she was here…now.
He was grateful for that.
I really have to stop taking these walk-in jobs," she exclaimed unzipping her coveralls, and pulling them down to her waist. She wore a small black mid-drift tank top underneath. Without even thinking she dumped the content of the water bottle over her head and shoulders, drenching her tan skinned.
"Damn this heat," she complained.
Temm didn't answer.
He blinked.
He…
He…
Oh my.
A life of mechanic work had given the young woman a hard toned body, her arms were muscular, and her stomach muscles were just barely visible when she leaned over.
The water ran suggestively down her belly while the shirt clung to her in the most delicious of ways.
Temm's body warmed; he couldn't help it.
He liked what he saw.
Seeing her like that, all thought of the Blue Suns, and what they could do to him faded.
There was nothing else in that moment…only her.
"Can we try again tomorrow evening," she asked, "I won't forget. I totally promise. I will…WHOA! HEY!"
Temm came up behind her silently. He grabbed her and pushed her up against one of the storage cabinets.
They stood facing each other or rather, him looking down into her eyes, blue and yellow orbs draw together, while the two of them breathed faster.
"Um…what are you doing?" she asked.
"I think you can guess," he said in a husky voice, his hands drifted down her body, lifting her up by the hips, pulling her up eye level with him.
He kissed her cheek, and then began to work down her neck.
"I…I…oh…damn!"
He chuckled.
"You doing, okay?" he chuckled.
"Fine," she said, fighting the urge to moan as he licked her throat.
"Ah…um…Temm?"
"Yes dear," he purred.
"I…I…oh… Force save me! I…I don't think this is such a good idea."
"Why not?" he asked, still enjoying the way she shuddered with pleasure at his touch.
Feeling the heat build in her through the Force.
"I'm dirty, stinky, and…oh…sweet…blessed…I'm covered in grease."
She managed a nervous laugh.
"Not very romantic, is it?"
He gestured behind them, towards her office, and the small living quarters she had there.
The hiss of water could be heard clearly, such a simple thing it was to use the Force to turn on her shower.
She looked into his eyes, he could feel her starting to surrender, getting lost in the feeling…the sensation.
"Let me wash you," he murmured, he could feel her heart pounding through her shirt.
She raised one leg, and then the other, letting him pull off her boots.
"I…I don't…"
He kissed her full on the lips, he could taste sweetness, the waters she drank were usually favored, and she could taste the lum on him, not an unpleasant taste, he believed.
When the kiss broke, that was all it took, it was like flicking a switch, or…turning one on!
She wrapped her legs around his waist, her arms wrapped around his neck as he kissed her fiercely.
She no longer resisted, she let him carry her into her quarters first the shower, and soon after the bed…
"Oh…I need this…"she panted.
'I…I need you. I missed you."
He didn't reply, words weren't needed tonight.
She had promised that she would meet him at the Last Breath tonight…
She had said she would come.
He could not do anything about the former, but the latter was now a sure bet.
Temmin Vokai laughed at the thought enjoying what was happening, the smell and taste of her. Even as she lost herself in him.
Temmin Tagge would never have been brave enough to do this, not without having met Zay first. She had given him the courage he needed.
The past still haunted, but he knew a way to forget, for a short while, at least.
Switch would make things better, she always did.
She cried out with pleasure as he touched her just so…
Tune up and a lube job, indeed.
