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Disclaimer: I do not own Star Wars: The Clone Wars. I only own the OC Jayden Shan/Darth Khan.
As the Clone Wars continued to spread like wildfire, the inhabitants of the galaxy watched with growing interest at the outcome of the sprawling battlefields stretched across countless planets. The Separatists and the Republic revealed the gains and rewards to be distributed from their victories, planets began to ponder their standings on the galactic stage. Many began to worry for their wellbeing and future as supplies and resources rose in quantity and need. Announcements were made and meetings scheduled as diplomatic representatives from both factions rushed to make agreements that would benefit their situation. One of these worlds was Raydonia.
Situated in the eponymous system of the Outer Rim's Belsmuth Sector, Raydonia was a small, easy to overlook planet covered in forests and jungles. While seemingly insignificant in the grander scope of things, Raydonia was very prominent in the region as it served as an important trade junction between several neutral, Confederate, and Republican worlds. The scarce few inhabitants of the planet, worried about the future, reached out to both sides in the name of holding a diplomatic conference between officials of the concerned neutral worlds, the Confederacy and the Republic to sort out trade agreements for those worlds so that they might still sustain themselves without committing to one side of the Clone Wars.
News began to spread about the upcoming conference, heard in both the public and shadier places around the galaxy.
In one particular corner, in a dark room, someone was quite interested in the recent Galactic Action News broadcast. He sat alone, hands folded, watching as the blonde Crystal Kash reported on breaking events.
"…representatives of the Raydonians are hosting a diplomatic conference to negotiate a trade agreement that would allow them and the surrounding worlds to remain neutral while maintaining trade relations with the Confederate and Republican worlds that also depend on trade in that region to sustain themselves. Nearly all local trade makes use of the space belonging to Raydonia as a stopover on their routes to other planets in the region…"
Footsteps sounded beside him. He didn't need to look. He knew the sound of the Talortai when he heard one. "What do you know of Raydonia?" He asked. The Talortai growled.
"Insignificant. Out of the way. Takes in more than they can give." He answered. "Why?"
"They're concerned about trade in the area. Apparently a lot of spacers use it as a layover, and the war is changing who gets to use what trade routes."
"What are they going to do about it?"
"Host a conference, apparently. Featuring senators. Quite a few in fact." He continued. "Do you have any idea how much the Republic and the Separatists would pay for even one of them to be returned safely?" The Talortai loosed a thoughtful rumble.
"Quite a lot, I imagine."
"I imagine so, too. And I have a pretty good imagination." The human replied with a growing smile. "Get the away team ready, Urai. We're scheduling a trip to Raydonia."
Streaking through hyperspace, a lone Nu-class attack shuttle transported the important diplomatic envoy of the Republic towards Raydonia. Aboard, a small contingent of Clone troopers from the Coruscant Guard sat in escort of the two senators dispatched to discuss trade relations, both of which were engrossed in a very important communication.
"Given it's connection to Botajef and Nag Ubdur, it's very important the Republic maintain good relations with Raydonia." Chancellor Palpatine was describing. "The last thing we need is to lose another trade route to the Separatists, especially when our forces are stretched so thinly across the Outer Rim."
"We promise to do our best, Chancellor. But the Raydonian's value their neutrality and are interested in maintaining it as well as a regular intake of goods and supplies. Negotiations will have to work both ways." Padme Amidala, the senator of Naboo, replied.
"Provided your Separatist counterparts do not dissuade them." Palpatine responded in a grave tone. "But I know you will do well, Senator Amidala. You are one of the bright spots of the senate and will represent the Republic well." He added warmly. Padme responded with the smallest of smiles, her politician's fortitude refusing to allow her guard to drop no matter what the praise. She could act as such if necessary, but she was one woman who would offer nothing to flattering words.
"I cannot take all the praises, Chancellor. Senator Chuchi will make doubly sure Raydonia knows the goodwill of the Republic. Together we will ensure our reputation remains." She stated in turn, knowing her Pantoran ally had an equal share in the burden.
"Spoken like a true patriot." Palpatine mused with a soft, disarming smile. "I wish you ladies luck. I expect an update the moment the conference is concluded." He said, concluding the discussion. With that, the shuttle's holoprojector winked out, leaving Padme and Riyo Chuchi in the silence of the cabin once more.
Riyo, a young Pantoran woman in her early twenties, dressed in a matching jacket and skintight leggings combination, poured over a datapad filled with pertinent information that would prove beneficial to the upcoming negotiations. As the representative of her homeworld, she might be young, but she was raised in a poltical home and had a knack for understanding geo-sociopolitical topics better than most. In many ways, Riyo reminded Padme of herself and her own upbringing on Naboo.
Both of us have been groomed to represent our homeworlds. The fate of countless depend on the words we speak. It's not an easy job and it's not for everyone… provided you take it seriously.
"These Raydonians are barely existing on their own. If not for the trade in the area, this colony would've failed entirely who knows how many years ago." Riyo murmured as she scrolled lower. "No wonder they're scared about the effects of the war; they could lose their sole means of surviving."
"That's why we have to ensure the Raydonians continue to receive their regular shipments without having to commit to either side of the war." Padme said in agreement. "My biggest concern is what the Separatists will have to say on the matter." Riyo looked up.
"You think they would force them into an alliance in order to continue receiving shipments?" She asked.
"The Separatists would like nothing more than to block off our access to the Boatjef shipyards. There's rumors that they've been using the nearby planet of Akiva as a staging ground. They certainly have everything to gain from an alliance. Forced or otherwise." Padme explained. She ran a hand up to where her hair had been tightly pulled back into an elaborate column-like frame, as if feigning brushing a hair from her face. An old habit when she was feeling concerned, especially in private with someone she could trust.
"Then we really have to play to the Raydonians' neutrality. We have to promise things will stay the same and not demand anything in return." Chuchi concluded with a restless sigh as she lowered the datapad.
"Feeling nervous?" Padme inquired, touching her shoulder.
"Only as nervous as I felt attempting to halt a potential war with the Talz." Riyo responded with a wry grin. Padme returned it.
"Senators, we're approaching Raydonia now. Preparing to drop out of hyperspace." One of the troopers with them stated, receiving word from the pilot over his comms. Padme nodded in understanding.
"Thank you, Sergeant Cobalt." She graciously replied.
As the two senators strapped themselves in, the streaks of starlight outside the ship soon gave way to a view of the planet before them. Vaguely crimson in hue, Raydonia presented itself as a foreign yet beckoning celestial object, the kind of world that demanded it be explored from afar without any knowledge of who or wait lay in waiting below.
Their landing was a smooth and uneventful affair, the Republic shuttle making landfall at Raydonia's only settlement: a small colony populated by humans. Upon arrival, the Clone troopers quickly filed out to form a defensive perimeter, fulfilling security standards as diplomatic escorts. Sporting red Coruscant Guard markings across their armor, the troopers seemed to nearly blend in with the scarlet air of Raydonia as they paved the way for Padme and Riyo to depart the shuttle. A dark-skinned human woman was waiting for them a short distance away, obviously keeping her distance and wary of the Clone trooper security detail. It was only when Padme and Riyo approached, smiling and amicable, that her defences were lowered and she took on a more friendly expression, age lines crinkling as she smiled.
"Senator Amidala. Senator Chuchi. Welcome to Raydonia." She greeted. "I am Felani Nadmar. You could say I am the governor of this settlement." Unlike the prim and pampered senators, Felani looked like a woman who had worked her whole life and still had plenty more work to do.
"It's an honor to meet you, Felani." Padme greeted cordially. "I hope we haven't kept you waiting."
"Not at all. As a matter of fact, you and the Separatist Senators are right on schedule." Felani responded. At that moment, a Sheathipede shuttle made landfall from above, Padme frowning slightly at the sight.
Which repulsive sleemo have they sent to counter us this time?
The landing legs deployed as the transport ship eased itself down, coming to a smooth albeit sudden halt as the boarding ramp slid out and the access door opened seconds later. Striding down the ramp with purpose was a young man clad in red robes with silver armour, face hidden by a grey and red mask with a black visor, two Lightsabers clipped to his belt, both of which were the typical single and standard blade. Padme stiffened as memories of her ordeal aboard the Malevolence came flooding back.
Darth Khan stepped off the ramp and looked around, his hood moving with his head movements, before he stepped to the side as the Separatist Senators representing their faction emerged from the shuttle next, their approach cleared by their apparent security detail. One of them was Voe Atell, an Avto senator representing the Corporate Alliance. The other, to Padme's surprise, was her old friend Mina Bonteri; the senator of Onderon. The Raydonian representative turned to greet them next.
"Senator Bonteri. Senator Atell. Welcome to Raydonia. I am Felani Nadmar. You could say I am the governor of this settlement." She repeated, smiling in the same friendly way.
"A pleasure to make your acquaintance, Governor Felani." Mina cordially greeted. Her eyes flicked to Padme, her smiling maintained. "Long has it been since we last spoke, Senator Amidala. I'm pleased to see the Republic sent you here to represent."
"Likewise, Senator Bonteri." Padme responded politely. "I must admit, however, your choice of security detail has me concerned as to the Confederacy's intentions." She added in a lower voice, shooting a not-too-nice look in Khan's direction. Mina chuckled lightly.
"No need to get so worked up, Padme. Lord Khan was chosen for us and, so far, has been pleasant company. I'm sure his manners will extend to these discussions." The Onderonian responded.
"Hopefully his manners have improved since he held me prisoner aboard a Separatist warship." Padme said dourly. Voe Atell merely smiled at her words, pleased her opponent was unnerved.
For her part, Riyo was rendered speechless by the presence of the infamous Darth Khan. So used to the Republic's Clone troopers and holos of battle droids, seeing the infamous Jedi-killer in the flesh presented a whole new avenue of surprise. His reputation as a dark figure who could blend with the shadows and areas of darkness proved true, the emotionless mask he wore that offered no insight to his real face. There had been many rumours that behind the mask was a disfigured creature, so hideous that he wore a mask. He was ruthless and dangerous, given what she's heard of what happened on Geonosis a few days ago when four Jedi sought to apprehend him. Her gaze lingered on him for a moment longer before Mina's command of things drew her attention again.
"The sooner we finish this, the sooner you can relax." Mina said gently. "Miss Nadmar, if you will lead the way." She asked the Raydonian. Felani ushered them towards a central building in the middle of the settlement. As they began walking, Khan followed, tailing behind the senators all the way up to the access door. Spotting him over her shoulder, Padme fought back a grimace and thought better of the situation. After all, the Separatists had just given her the freedom to act accordingly.
"Sergeant Cobalt," she called out to the leading Clone trooper, "have two of your men accompany us inside. The rest of you will remain with the shuttle." If the Separatists felt so inclined to allow their military muscle such leeway, surely the Republic could do some flexing of its own.
"Right away, ma'am." Cobalt responded before ordering two of his men, Hatch and Bush, to join the diplomatic party.
There were two doors into the central building, one on either side of what appeared to be a meeting room filled with a long table surrounded by ten chairs, complete with a holoprojector affixed to the middle. Privates Bush and Hatch took up position on either side of the rightmost door while Darth Khan stood across from them, securing the leftmost door. The three soldiers stood perfectly still as Felani, Mina, Padme, Riyo and Voe sat down to commence negotiations. The two Clones were quick to switch to private internal comms, shared exclusively between their helmets with no way of being heard by anyone else.
"Come on, Bush, show me some life signs."
"Yeah yeah, I'm here Hatch." His comrade responded.
"So, how long you figure we gotta stand here for?"
"Bored already?" Hatch wondered.
"I'd happily take patrol over standing around. At least there's always something new to look at." Bush responded.
"Well, watch for when they all start shaking hands. That's when you know things are wrapping up." Hatch explained. "Not my first time on diplo-duty. You've been to one you've been to them all."
"Weren't you part of that crew who went to Florrum with Kharrus and Binks?" Bush asked.
"Nah, I was passed over for that one. Wish I wasn't. Heard Commander Stone and his boys had to run and gun with some pirates." Hatch said.
"We always get the boring ones, don't we?" Bush grumbled.
"You call this boring? Look who we gotta be on our toes around." Hatch retorted, the barest flick of his head gesturing towards Khan. Bush stopped and stared at the dark-clad Sith adjacent them.
"Damn thing's spooky. Heard what happened on Geonosis. A droid factory was collapsed on top of him." He muttered.
"Heard of that too, hard not to, given it happened a few days ago. Especially when he was taken into custody and later escaped during some 'worm incident'" Hatch remarked. "If push comes to shove and things get violent, we won't stand a chance against him."
"Let's hope it doesn't come to that." Bush sighed. "He could kill us just by clenching a fist." He took another glance at Khan, who was silent and unmoving, only crossing his arms across his chest and watching the proceedings between the senators. "I wonder what he's thinking." The trooper wondered.
The answer to that was simple.
Jayden was thinking that... politics were not his thing.
Oh, he was paying close attention to the back and fourth debate between the Republic and Separatist senators, watching their expressions and body language.
Politics are so... tiresome. I wouldn't have what it takes to be a politician, nor do I have the patience to listen to something so... boring. I prefer being a soldier fighting in this war.
Despite his personal preferences, observing the senators allowed him a window into the politicians keeping the corrupt Republic in power, the organization the Sith intended to destroy. The more he learned about his enemy, the better prepared he would be to deal with them in the future.
"…the Republic has strong holdings on both Botajef and Nag Ubdur, by which access is largely possible via Raydonia. We are most interested in total cooperation with the Raydonian people and assisting you however we can." Padme promised Felani.
"You just want your shipyards and your zersium mines." Voe sneered. "Akiva, New Bornalex, and Katraasii are also nearby and are Separatist holdings. They are homes to good, decent people who need supplies and access to the greater galaxy just as much as the Raydonians do. We're not in this for individual gain, we're just trying to help our people." The Avto senator explained to Felani, sending a snide look Padme's way as she did. The Nabooian frowned.
"As are we." Chuchi quickly cut in, coming to Padme's aid. "Pantora has no stake or holdings in this sector and yet we would be more than willing to offer supplies to the Raydonians."
"Your offer is welcome, Senator, but this is not a question of handouts. Raydonia can survive as it is, we just want to remain our neutrality." Felani responded.
"The Republic is more than willing to support your neutrality." Padme said in turn.
"When you're not fleeing the scene with your tails between your legs." Voe sneered. "The Separatist can do a far better job protecting this sector of space."
"When you're not staging a sneak attack. The droid factory on Akiva is far too close to this area of space to put my mind at ease." Padme hurriedly differed.
"Senators, please. This is not about who will look out for Raydonia, but rather who will comply with their neutrality." Mina cut in. Voe rolled her eyes.
"Yes, although it's increasingly clear that our little sector of the galaxy is something of a hotbed when it comes to divisions between Republic and Separatist-aligned worlds." Felani mused to break the silence.
"I will be perfectly clear when I say we are not here to win your hand in any way, Miss Nadmar." Mina interjected. "We have not come with fleets or armies to sway you to either side."
"But can you guarantee things will not come to that? So many neutral worlds across the galaxy are abandoning their former beliefs and are picking sides in this conflict. Raydonia does not have what it takes to support an army… let alone survive a battle of any magnitude." Felani pressed. "We are just simple colonists trying to survive."
"We understand your concerns," Padme began.
"Do you?" Voe cut in. "Or do you simply want to ensure your new ships from Botajef can bombard our people into submission?"
"As much as you want fresh droids from Akiva to kill our soldiers?" Padme retorted.
"The Republic knows nothing of neutrality. They would rather gobble up everything they can and horde the rest. They are only interested in what is good for them and nothing more." The Avto Senator remarked rather cuttingly.
"That is a lie." Padme stated firmly. "We hold true to the precepts of freedom and democracy."
"If that were true, the Confederacy would not exist in the first place." Voe interrupted. "You speak of freedom and democracy, and yet it is the very lack of freedom that sparked this conflict."
"You mean when your council was free to kidnap me and feed me to the wild beasts of Geonosis?"
"I mean when the senate pushed the Trade Federation to the brink of collapse by taxation. The invasion of Naboo was a means to be heard amid your crushing 'freedom' and 'justice'. And what did the Queen of Naboo do in the face of such adversity? She ran. To get a bigger stick." Voe rose from her seat. "Governor Felani, with all respect, you cannot trust the Republic to openly respect your neutrality. The Seprartists will gladly do as such, and we'll double our supply drops in the process." She promised. Padme, fit to be tied, stood as well.
"The Separatists cannot be trusted to hold a single promise either! Too often have the likes of Lot Dod and others been found in the very heart of corruption scandals. You ally with them and they will take more and more from you as time goes on, until Raydonia becomes a Separatist holding unknowingly."
"Senator Atell, Senator Amidala," Mina tried to intervene only to go unheard.
"The Separatists stand for the commoner whose back is broken by the Republic's taxes and tariffs, their leaders growing fat off the hard fought gains that should rightly belong to the people!" Voe stated.
"While the corporations behind the Separatists take the cut instead, corrupt businesses growing richer and more corrupt every day! The Republic would rather see these possibilities neutered in giving the people the voice they are due, not just the opportunity for jobs!" Padme retorted.
"Which could easily be taken away at the wave of a Chancellor's hand!" Voe sniped.
"Better than to be unemployed than to be employed for so little while the employer gains tenfold!" Padme shot back.
"Please, everyone! This is not about us. This is about the Raydonians." Riyo finally piped up, rising from her seat to be seen and heard. "Yes, all of us have much to lose. But does that not mean the Raydonians have so much more at stake?" She asked them all. "These people depend upon the supplies Republic ships bring en route to Nag Ubdar to simply survive just as much as they depend on supplies brought by Confederate ships travelling to New Bornalex. And Republic ships refuel here just as much as Separatist ships do. We need them and they need us, surely that is grounds for agreement." Padme and Voe backed off their more aggressive stances, letting Riyo's words sink in. "We should put aside thoughts of our gains and losses, and think only about what the people of Raydonia stand to gain… and lose."
Her fellow senators began to slowly nod in agreement, with Felani Nadmar warmed by her words of goodwill. From his standing position, even Jayden was impressed. He had expected the Republic to behave in the way Padme had been; vying for enough goodwill in order to get the best deal possible for themselves. Riyo Chuchi's selfless proposal was… unexpected in his eyes. A shift that defied his understanding of how Republic senators acted.
Either this is some elaborate scheme to win over the Raydonians, or she genuinely wants to help them. How curious. Here I thought all Republic senators want is to help themselves to whatever large portion they can wrap their greedy mitts around. I wonder what your game is Senator Chuchi…
"Thank you for your words, Senator Chuchi. On behalf of Raydonia we appreciate your generous vocal support." Felani proffered.
"Every now and then, cooler heads prevail." Mina agreed. "I agree that we must focus on the interests of the Raydonians… and I have a proposition." She added. "Perhaps we could unanimously agree to uphold your neutrality by enforcing a ceasefire-zone in this system. Should Republic and Separatist ships encounter one another, they are not to open fire so long as they are within the understood territory of the Raydonian system. Anything beyond Raydonia is open, this planet is for conducting settlement business and business only." She explained. Felani nodded, seemingly to take a shine to the proposal.
"This will guarantee our regular supply drops?" She asked.
"Of course. It comes with honouring your sovereignty." Mina affirmed.
"The Corporate Alliance would like such a thing. It will increase the success rate of our freighters. Too many are shot down too regularly." Voe mused in agreement.
"Senator Amidala? Senator Chuchi? Are you willing to accept this proposal?" Mina asked her counterparts.
"Most certainly. Whatever will ensure that the situation of the Raydonians does not change. Only improve." Riyo confirmed.
"I agree with Senator Chuchi. Forgive my earlier overzealousness," Padme apologized, "I too am very interested in the welfare of the Raydonians." Felani nodded in understanding and acceptance.
"Then we shall legitimize this accord by putting it into writing." Mina determined. Before the senators could reach for datapads and styluses, the door guarded by the Clone troopers was thrown open as an older man wearing a long-eared cap stuck his head in. He appeared out of breath.
"Sorry to interrupt, but… Miss Nadmar, we've got a cargo hauler coming in hot. It's engines are in a bad way." He said, speaking directly to Felani. Quirking a brow, the dark-skinned woman turned and rose slowly.
"How bad are we talking?" She asked.
"As in I can see the flames from here." He responded. That seemed to spark an alarm in Felani.
"Gather whatever firefighting equipment we have. If they can make even a controlled landing, that fire needs to be snuffed out." She ordered urgently. She turned back to her diplomatic guests as they messenger left. "Forgive me, senators, but I must tend to this matter at once. The damage caused by an exploding vessel could cause serious damage that cannot wait for the next supply drop."
"Is there anything we can do to help?" Mina asked as she and Padme rose from their seats.
"If you'd like to witness life on Raydonia firsthand, now's your chance." Felani remarked before hurrying out the door. The senators rose to watch and bear witness (each of them pondering individually if there was something more to be gleaned from watching something like this… perhaps an affirmation of the plight of the Raydonians living in such an isolated existence), moving out of the room as Khan, Bush and Hatch followed obediently.
The group remained near the access as several Raydonian ground crews scampered about, preparing firefighting equipment as well as moving anything of value that could possibly be ruined by an exploding starship. High above them, A TZ-15 shuttle, trailing thick black smoke and plumes of fire from its aft, came thundering out of the clouds, its bow pulled sharply back as if the pilot were attempting to slow its descent. It's efforts appeared to be in vain as the transport rushed to meet the ground at breakneck speed. The Raydonians prepared for the worst.
"Senator, I must insist we move you back inside." Hatch urged Padme.
"There may not be a need, trooper. Look. The vessel's trajectory is too sharp. It will pass the settlement entirely." The Naboo woman observed. Her statement soon proved correct. The TZ-15 droned overhead, bypassing the settlement by a hair's breadth and causing many of the local buildings to rattle and tremble from the wash of its thrusters before it disappeared behind them and was lost to the thick Raydonian jungle.
The only evidence to confirm its existence was the thunderous boom of a crash landing.
The diplomatic party moved closer to their respective shuttles for a better view, seeing no telltale signs of debris apart from a column of smoke reaching into the scarlet sky. "Sergeant Cobalt, any idea how close the wreckage could be?" Padme wondered. The trooper lowered his rangefinder for a better idea, scanning the immediate area.
"Looks like between one and two klicks, ma'am." He answered shortly.
"There could be survivors." Riyo said as Felani joined them.
"Perhaps. But I'd rather not risk my people. With the way it's aft was ablaze, there's a good chance it could go up in a fireball at any second." Felani explained. Their brief conversation was enough to cement Jayden's opinion on the subject, for more than one reason.
"Senators. As a gesture of good will, permit me to investigate the crash site while you work on the accord with the Raydonians. If there's anything worth reporting back, I'll do as such." He offered to Voe and Mina. Mina nodded in understanding and agreement.
"A splendid idea, Lord Khan." The older woman affirmed. "Miss Nadmar, is this alright with you?" She asked and Felani nodded.
"Perfectly. Thank you for being so willing to undertake such a risk."
"As security detail, I have to think of the well-being of the lives entrusted to my care. My Master would be displeased if I was irresponsible." Jayden told her. "Explosions rank high on my list of concerns." With that he started moving, believing entirely that the Republic would not make a move against Separatist senators for fear of sparking an intergalactic incident.
As he took his leave, Mina looked to those standing with her. "While we wait for his return, let's set about this new Raydonia Acoord, shall we?"
It was easy to track the crashed ship. If the plume of billowing black smoke wasn't enough of a beacon, then the churned up ground and overturned foliage certainly was.
Tromping through jungle underbrush to reach the wrecked vessel, Jayden took a glance around and used his senses with the Force to detect any unknown presences, seeking out possible survivors. The closer he drew, the more intensely the temprature rose until he could feel the heat from the burning engines through his robes.
He rounded the perimeter of the ship, stepping over fallen trees and scorched foliage as he noted the impact had broken the transport's back. The ship rest on the ground, the bulk of its engines weighing down the rear while the bow portion dipped into upturned dirt, a chasm of shattered metal and shorn cables highlighting the breakage.
Beyond the current reach of the fire, Jayden drew close enough to climb inside, using the broken frame of an external access panel to wrench open a suitable door. He jumped in, landing with a 'thud!' and began scouting out the craft from within, immediately taking note of its configuration as well as the manufacturing design. "MandalMotors…" He murmured under his breath. It wasn't exactly a common design, almost something of an exclusive number to Mandalore and it's surrounding systems. What was a Mandalorian-built craft doing this far out in the Outer Rim?
Ignoring it for now, though filing it to the back of his mind, Jayden moved towards the central engineering room in order to access the ship's hardwired data tracks. Accessing that information would be able to tell him most of what he needed to know about the vessel. In the young Sith's mind it seemed oddly coincidental for a shuttle to crash the same day an important diplomatic meeting was held and he wanted to find out more about what was going on.
Using the Force to crack open the access door to the engineering room, Jayden was greeted by the sight of a softly glowing power core that seemed perfectly intact. The room was dimly lit otherwise, suggesting a lack of power in this area. The crash likely responsible. Jayden made several broad steps into the room, making for the nearby console bank….
All of a sudden, white lights flicked on in the room as a thrum of power filled the isolated room. Jayden had no time to react before a ray shield generator powered up and filled the room wall to wall with an impenetrable energy field.
Stopping short, Jayden looked around. "Ray shield." He hissed under his breath and his mind entered overdrive. This was to trap anyone who came searching, thinning the numbers of those left behind. His mind immediately went to the senators and his earlier concerns about such a coincidental crash landing amid diplomatic talks. He jumped to his comms. "Khan to diplomatic envoy, come in!" Static responded to his hailing. He tried again. "This is Darth Khan contacting Confederate Diplomatic Envoy, do you copy?" Silence again. The droids manning the Sheathipede would've received his call by now. His comms were jammed, either naturally by the effects of the all-encompassing ray shield or via a very purposeful jammer. That reality left him to face a very disquieting fact.
This isn't a crash… it's a trap.
Unbeknownst to the sudden peril they were facing, the four senators returned to their work of hammering out an accord while Felani darted in and out as she coordinated her people in the aftermath of the near-miss shuttle crash. Amidst all this, the sudden arrival of an Action-VI transport, a Corellian-built long-hauling vessel, took the Raydonians by surprise. It requested to land, citing refueling as its intention, which was not out of the ordinary.
What was out of the ordinary were the two GAT-12 Skipray Blastboat starfighters seeming flying escort. It was odd enough for a random Corellian freighter to appear out of nowhere, but along with two Sienar-made starfighters? Many of the Raydonians began to suspect that something was not right…
The moment armed mercenaries stormed down the Action-VI, their suspicions were abruptly confirmed.
Sergeant Cobalt, sensing trouble, stood up and shouldered his DC-15A rifle while motioning for his men to form up behind him. "This area is off limits. Turn back now." He stated firmly, expecting them to at least stop. What he was not expecting was for three of the mercenaries to open fire with their weapons simultaneously. As Cobalt fell dead with a mess of scorch wounds dotting his chest, the mercenaries kept firing. A third of his brothers fell dead before the others could get their arms up. The surviving Clones only managed to kill two of the mercs before they were also gunned down.
Within the meeting room, Bush and Hatch were quick to react as the senators heard the cries and shots. "What was that? What's going on?" Padme wondered.
"Sergeant? What's going on out there?" Bush questioned over comms, receiving only static in response. Without warning, a blade was shoved through the door and pierced through Bush's neck, killing him with a shower of arterial spray.
"Kriffin' hell!" Hatch cried out as the senators gasped and shrieked in sudden horror. Snapping his DC-15 into action, he primed the charge and waited anxiously for a new target. The blade through the door, pulled back, and a second blade joined it to carve a peephole through the metal. Hatch wasted no time firing through the gap, only to be met by a sudden cluster of fire that struck him in the visor and killed him instantly. His body collapsed beside Bush's, the senators rising and seeking safety further within the room. Sparks from a small, controlled explosion pierced through the cut door, the four women jerking as it was ripped open by the built-in safety controls.
First inside was a Talortai; a scaly avian species carrying a pair of vicious-looking blades. He was followed by multiple armed mercenaries poured into the room, trapping the senators against a far wall with blasters trained on them. They held still, fingers on triggers. The women did not move. Then another man entered, looking vastly different from the other mercenaries. He was burly and broad-shouldered, with long white hair braided into thick dreadlocks. He wore a nerfhide jacket over a simple shirt, his thumbs tucked into a belt boasting a massive skull-shaped buckle. The gleam in his dark eyes could only be described as malignant. No good could ever be associated with this man.
"I demand to know why you have interrupted these diplomatic proceedings!" Mina said sternly. The man stepped forward with a swagger in his step.
"My name is Albedus Zann of the Zann Consortium. And you four are going to make us very rich men." He said with a wicked grin.
Seeing as the ray shield was a solid wall keeping him trapped entirely within it's sphere of influence, the only option Jayden had was to dig his way out.
And this would give him the chance to start using his ancestor's red Lightsaber in the field after he lost his crossguard Lightsaber back on Geonosis.
Taking the Lightsabers off his belt, he activated them. The red and purple blades illuminated his mask, humming, before he gripped them in reverse and stabbed them into the metal underneath him and then proceeded to send them in a circular motion, catching them back in his hand when they came back around. Now with a circle cut in the metal, Jayden fell through harmlessly and landed on solid ground underneath the wreckage.
Using the Force, Jayden lifted it and sent it aside with a heavy crash before he deactivated his Lightsabers and broke off into a run towards the Raydonian settlement. Forest quickly gave way to buildings and, rounding the meeting hall, Jayden's fears were confirmed when he found the door controls sparking wildly and dead Clone troopers on the floor. Felani Nadmar was kneeling beside one of them and looked up at his sudden presence. "They took the senators!" She exclaimed.
The sudden roar of engines drew Jayden's attention to the settlement's primary landing pad, where the Action-IV transport was taking off and he put two and two together. He had only seconds to react.
Outstretching his right hand, he caught the ship and stopped it in the air with the Force.
Grunting a little, Jayden quickly took out a tracer from within his robes and chucked it towards the ship, watching as it landed on the port side thruster cowling, securing itself before Jayden released it, allowing it to go. Jayden noted how speedily they ascended into the atmosphere, taking off with haste along with their Skipray blastboat escort. Then he looked to Felani.
"What happened?" He asked.
"That transport showed up without warning and about a dozen mercs rolled out, killed your men and held mine at bay while they took the senators and forced them onboard." She explained, rising to face him. "It was over within moments."
"They came prepared. This was their intention." Jayden realized.
"What are we supposed to do now? Those senators were here at Raydonia's behest." Felani queried worriedly. Jayden was already contemplating exactly that and a plan was forming in his mind.
"Contact your respective representatives and let them know what's happened here." He commanded while advancing towards the Sheathipede that brought him here.
"What are you going to do?" Felani questioned. Jayden didn't look back as he answered the question.
"I'm going to rescue the senators."
Some time later…
Located located fairly close to the galaxy's major population centers in the outskirts of the Inner Rim Territories, Myrkr was close to the borders of the Expansion Region within the system of the same name. A heavily forested world, Myrkr's surface possessed a scant number of urban areas like the unobtrusive port town of Hyllyard City; and although it served as the largest urban settlement and the commercial hub of the planet, its inhabitants mostly consisted of smugglers, malcontents and fugitives from other worlds. Since the planet attracted little attention, it was frequently visited by all kinds of outlaws, which were known to build secret bases in the depths of Myrkr's forests.
One such base was Jayden's target.
In orbit above the planet, the Sheathipede shuttle was following his tracking beacon planted on the Action-IV transport and it had led him here. Somewhere, on the planet below, the four senators were languishing in captivity. Luckily Jayden had an approximate location of where they were and had every intention of doing some 'breaking and entering'.
He stood in the cockpit along with the two droid pilots. "Take us down. Close to the beacon." He ordered and the droids did as told. The green of Myrkr loomed larger until it consumed the viewport, a mass of color giving way to individual trees that covered the planet seemingly from hemisphere to hemisphere.
"Uh, sir? Our sensors are acting up." One of the pilots announced, tapping a metallic hand against the forward console. "We're no longer getting an accurate fix on the signal." Jayden grunted in acknowledgment. He'd read about this. Myrkr also possessed unique trees which were known to have a high metal content and systematically interfered with many sensor scan devices.
"Lock in on the last known affirmative fix. We'll go by visual scanning." He stated.
"Roger roger." The droid replied, banking down lower. Trailing the data feed to the nearest possible point, Jayden adjusted the telescopic field and noted a clearing in the trees up ahead, with enough geometric shapes to suggest a base of operations.
"There. Up ahead." He gestured. "Find a clearing and set us down, I don't want to risk getting caught by scanners." The droids took a moment, figuring out where best to maneuver the sizeable length and width of their vessel with so many dense trees below them. A small yet suitable clearing soon appealed to them and they set down, not without a gratuitous amount of scraping from passing branches.
"What now, sir?" One of the droids asked once they had settled.
"Keep the thrusters hot and be ready to leave on my signal." Jayden ordered, making to leave. Time was of the essence.
He left the shuttle and wasted no time breaking into another dead sprint. The sooner he reached that base the better, and while his mask's in-built sensors remained unreliable when it came to tracking his tracer beacon, the fact the coordinates remained a match was enough proof for him to infiltrate this base.
The senators needed him and he would be there. No matter what.
The base in question had no walls, which was a good thing. But from his vantage point at the edge of the forest, Jayden could see there were a great many buildings, ranging from storehouses to gunnery emplacements and even fortified shield generators. Clearly this was no average band of mercenaries. They were established, well-organized. He was vaguely reminded of the Ohnaka Pirate Gang on Florrum and the Sith Assassin shuddered in revulsion.
Moreover, many of the buildings bore markings. A singular symbol, each one identical; angular, jagged, pointed at the bottom. The mark of the Zann Consortium, one of the forces of corruption in the galactic underworld that was growing daily.
With this understanding in mind, Jayden hurried to plot his course. To do so, he needed to think like the consortium.
If I'm going to keep a high-priority politician prisoner, I want them in a location I have total control over. He adjusted his mask's sight, zeroing in on the largest building in the centre of the base. Looks like a command centre. Probably has holding cells, if the pirate base on Florrum is anything to go by.
His course decided, he dashed into the base, pausing behind buildings and conserving his speed for quick sprints between cover. The last thing Jayden needed was to be noticed via his footprints or a trail of dust kicked up by his movement. He stole through the base like a seasoned operative, remaining silent and unnoticed, like a ghost among the living. He was grateful for the lack of mercenaries on foot, but counted the possibility that the majority of them could be in this central building.
It was a risk he'd have to take.
Making his way towards one end of the building, he paused near a corner and waited as several human mercs emerged from a rear door, pulling out cigarra to enjoy an afternoon smoke. While the door remained open, Jayden snuck in before it closed behind him. His eyes adjusted to the lightless environment, the corridor dimmer than the sun-bathed exterior with roof-fastened glowrods being few and far between. Now… where are the senators? Where are you keeping them…
To answer his question, he needed to start looking for evidence. The Sith Apprentice began quietly traversing the hall. He triggered his mask's thermal vision, seeking out a concentrated cluster of heat signatures that could be verified as four senators huddled together in a holding cell. Time was of the essence, he needed to make this search quick…
Elsewhere in the same building, Albedus Zann was feeling rather pleased with himself. Knowing how much both the Republic and Confederacy would be willing to pay for the safe return of their senators, he was facing a very handsome payday. "You are certain they will respond to our demands?" His second, Urai Fenn, questioned.
"Of course, Urai." Zann stated confidently. "We'll just give them both a little time to learn of their disappearance and panic. When the desperation sets in, they'll be willing to pay any price I set."
"I do not trust them. They have a cunning that comes with age. Wily, unpredictable, say one thing and mean another." Urai growled. "Do not expect things to go as smoothly as you hope, Albedus." The human chuckled.
"You worry too much, Urai. The last time the Republic sent negotiators to barter for someone's release, Florrum happened."
"Even still, that is but one occasion. This is another." Urai pressed.
"Will it put you at ease if I promise to be careful?" Albedus wondered with a grin and a snicker. Urai merely grunted his assent. "If that's all settled, I need you to make a delivery for me."
"What kind?" Urai asked. In response, Albedus held up a data card.
"The sensitive kind." He said knowingly, turning it over to the Talortai. "The usual kind." The glance they shared included many an unspoken word, both of them knowing exactly what was implied. "We'll make the ransom transmission after you've returned. That should give things enough time to stew." Urai plucked the data card from his fingers.
"Very well. I do enjoy a good display." He mused, earning a chuckle from Albedus.
"I know." The human said simply.
His thermal sweep had proven fruitful, albeit to a strange degree. Jayden had come across a room sporting seven thermal signatures, all grouped together in an odd way. He crouched outside the room, hearing muffled noises from a nearby door as he watched one of people within be held firmly between two others. Four others hovered nearby, encroaching slowly upon the one entrapped.
By the time Jayden was standing by the door, the one figure had been thrown to the floor and set upon by the other six. With his mission in mind, very few other possibilities were aroused by the actions he was witnessing. He didn't know if this was one of the senators, but if it was, she needed his help.
He slammed a fist into the door controls and then bolted into the room. Vaulting a table, he counted six men of varying species, as well as a flash of blue on the floor beneath them. Within a second his mind had already plotted a tactical approach. He needed to make little noise and dispatch of all six as quickly as possible.
So he cut off their windpipes with the Force and clenched his hand into a tight fist, hearing the sound of multiple thuds hit the floor before he straightened up.
With the consortium thugs disposed of, Jayden turned to find the seventh in the room. To his surprise he found Riyo Chuchi on the floor, looking rather pale and very frightened as she lay wide-eyed and panting for air. Her pantsuit was dirty and ruffled from the eager hands of the mercenaries, not to mention her dress pants had been pulled down some, revealing a very round, and very full, pale blue derrière.
Startled by her state while something within him burned at the thought of what these mercenaries would have done had he not intervened, Jayden cleared his throat and fixed his eyes on Riyo's, refusing to look any lower. "Senator Chuchi." He rumbled. "Are you injured?" It took some time before Chuchi was able to find her voice again.
"N-No." She stammered out.
"Can you walk?" Jayden inquired, striding closer.
"Y-Yes, I… I can." She decided. The Sith nodded and looked away.
"I'll give you a moment to get decent." Realizing her state of partial undress, her cheeks turning a much darker shade of blue, Riyo hurriedly hiked her pants back up over her rump before she took a turn clearing her throat.
"Thank you." She whispered quietly, not knowing what else to say. Jayden turned and helped her up.
"The other senators are here too?" He asked.
"Yes. We were all forced into the same cell… until recently." She explained, fidgeting nervously while looking around the room. Seeing her state, and understanding entirely, Jayden felt moved. An odd feeling given how she represented the enemy, but her plight was a universal one. Regardless of which faction supported in a war, no one should ever be subjected to such an assault. In his eyes, the galaxy was better off with these six in it.
"Can you lead me to them?" He asked, as gently as he could. "I will not let anyone else harm you." The added promise did good for Chuchi's spirit. She'd seen him in action and (with sufficient evidence before her) now believed his every word.
"You're… You're going to rescue us? Even Senator Amidala and myself?" Chuchi wondered with big eyes. That was a reality Jayden had been battling since he made landfall. Of course, his priority would be Mina and Voe, and a small part of him wouldn't mind seeing Padme be forced to contend with these mercenaries, so long as it kept her out of galactic limelight for a while. But now seeing the breadth of the danger facing them… if six consortium mercenaries felt free to try their luck with poor Riyo, what wouldn't they try with the others?
Hondo had better manners than this.
"By rule I shouldn't, you know. But the rules have just changed." He rumbled in response. "If this is what they see fit to do with you in the meanwhile, I refuse to let that happen to anyone. Regardless of allegiances. I may be a Sith... but I'm not so cruel to allow one to be raped." His piece spoken, Chuchi remained silent and simply stared at him for a time afterwards. Jayden could see it in her eyes, a conflict deep down in her soul that went unspoken. "What?"
"It's just… it sounds like a very odd thing to say. For a Sith Lord." Chuchi meekly replied, slowly finding her vocal confidence. "You're not exactly how the HoloNet paints you."
"And you're not exactly how the Confederate Senate paints Republic senators." Jayden responded in turn. "Now as much as I'm sure you have what it takes to continue this, I'd rather see you continue outside of this place. Can you lead me back to the others?"
"Yes. Of course." Riyo agreed.
They took their leave together, stealing through the halls as Riyo guided him down lefts and rights. Thankfully, she was so petite in build and lacking in any excessive accessories that she was virtually silent in her own right, a fact Jayden was willing to appreciate. Given his encounter with Padme Amidala aboard the Malevolence and his knowledge of her other exploits, she would have made plenty more noise than he would have preferred.
He would have to assert himself as the one in charge of this rescue. Riyo would be willing to fall in line (after such a gratuitous rescue) as would Mina and Voe. But Padme? Jayden had his doubts.
Only a small handful of mercenaries stood between them and their goal, each one easily executed by Jayden who impaled one through the chest with his red Lightsaber, and then threw his purple one that decapitated the heads of the remaining mercenaries before they knew what hit them. Riyo did not yet seem repulsed by his actions and he was curious as to what made her so accepting of the fact he easily decapitated several men. They soon found the cell and Riyo broke her place behind Jayden to reach the door.
"Padme!" She called out in a hushed tone. Her fellow Republican was by the barred door in a heartbeat.
"Riyo! Thank Shiyara." Padme breathed in relief. "How did you escape them?"
"I had some help." Riyo said as Jayden came into view. Padme backpedaled as Voe and Mina took their turn to breathe sighs of relief.
"Khan!" Mina whispered delightedly.
"I knew he wouldn't let us down. Separatist armed forces at their finest." Voe proclaimed.
"Shh. Keep your voices down and stay calm." Jayden ordered, activating his red Lightsaber and cutting the door apart easily with one swing. Riyo readily received Padme as Mina and Voe emerged behind her.
"They said they were going to hold us hostage. Force the Republic and the Confederacy to pay ransoms for our return." Mina explained.
"Mercenaries." Jayden shook his head. "Always looking for quick ways to make money. All four of you, stay close to me and do exactly as I say. I have a ship waiting to take us off this world. If we're careful, we'll be off-world before they notice you're gone." Padme was the one to catch on to his use of their description as a group and not just the two Separatist senators.
"Wait… you're actually rescuing us? You're not just leaving us to the whims of these mercenaries?" Padme questioned, somewhere between surprised and suspicious.
"Yes. Now quit talking." Jayden said shortly.
But before he could take another step, a clamour at the end of the hall jerked his attention to the arrival of a small squad of mercenaries, all of them armed and armored. That was a real wrench in his plans. They had stumbled onto his infiltration long before he hoped they would. "There they are! Don't let him escape with the senators!" One of them shouted. Jayden outstretched his arms and Force Lighting shot from his hands, striking two of the mercenaries dead.
"Now what?!" Padme demanded over the din of blasterfire. "Which way do we go?"
"The opposite directing of them!" Jayden decided, activating his Lightsabers and blocking the blaster shots. "Go!" The senators ran and Jayden followed, still blocking and deflecting blaster shots back at the shooters. The mercenaries continued to fire even as some dropped after being hit with their own shots while the Sith Apprentice pushed the senators onwards. They came to a crossroads, a choice to go left or right. But an approaching squad of mercenaries from the right forced their hand. Jayden darted between the groups and deflected the blaster shots. He kept the senators moving, determined to protect them.
Unfortunately, their only path forward led them to the one place Jayden didn't want to be.
Up ahead was a mess hall, in the middle of the building, open, exposed, and full of consortium mercenaries. The five came to a sudden halt as they reached the hall, finding themselves entirely beset by ready mercenaries. On an upper catwalk, Albedus Zann leaned against the railing and sneered down at them. "Well well well, who have we here? Someone trying to ruin my big score?" He wondered aloud as the five were surrounded. "You didn't think this far ahead, did you?" Jayden stayed silent, analyzing the situation from behind his mask. He tried counting up the mercenaries but lost focus when each of the senators was taken by one, held at blasterpoint across from him. "I'm not a big fan of people taking my things, so I'm going to make this short and sweet: put the senators back in their cell… and kill the Jedi." Albedus ordered.
"With pleasure, boss." A human on the floor replied, advancing on Jayden with rifle raised.
"You're wrong about one thing." Jayden said, causing Albedus to raise an eyebrow. "I am no Jedi."
Jayden struck. He swing his red Lightsaber and decapitated the human who had advanced on him, sending the head flying. He threw his Lightsabers with ease, cutting through the four mercs guarding the senators. They shrieked in terror but hurriedly huddled together as their captors fell dead.
"Hide! HIDE!" Jayden roared, catching his Lightsabers and kicking over a table for them to get behind. The women ran as Jayden turned his attentions to the mercs. The senators were safe now, leaving just him and the Zann Consortium.
Now he could go all out.
Jayden threw his purple saber, cutting through several mercs before it impaled another right into the wall. With his red Lightsaber, he blocked and deflected the shots of the mercs, sending some back at the shooters and killing them dead. He strode fourth with ease and the intention to kill in his stride. Using the Force to lift one into the air, he slashed him into two pieces and strode past, dropping the corpse as he killed merc after merc, slashing through them with his Lightsaber. He called his purple one to him and dashed forward, swinging his Lightsabers wildly in a red and violet blur.
He severed heads, arms, legs, cut bodies in half, even stabbed a merc through the eyes, mentally used the Force to send crates and objects at the mercs to break their firing on him and give him an easy kill on them.
Returning to using one Lightsaber, his usual red, he blasted Force Lighting from his left hand, striking a trio of mercs who screamed in pain as their bodies endured such agony and suffering from the power of the Dark Side, then he sent their bodies flying away before lifting another merc into the air with the Force, slammed him into the ground repeatedly and then jumped, slashed him in half, and Jayden came down on another who he impaled through the head on landing.
Turning and bringing his wrath down on the remaining mercs near the entrance, a single Force push sent one cartwheeling head over heels as two Lightsabers flew and cut down the others. But as Jayden turned his attention on the rest of the mercenaries, he noted a distant door opening to allow more into the mess hall. Trying to make this a numbers game… like a fefze swarm. He realized as he stabbed a merc through the chest and ripped his Lightsaber out. Gotta thin their ranks now.
A stray mercenary capitalized on the chaos to lunge forward and into Jayden, knocking him into a nearby table and sending his Lightsabers tumbling from his hands. The merc drew a knife and tried slashing Jayden who caught his arm and twisted it, causing the man to scream in pain before Jayden grabbed the falling knife and proceeded to drive it into the jugular of the merc, causing blood to spray out as Jayden ripped the knife out and threw it into another who tried sneaking up behind him, the knife lodging itself in between the eyes of the merc.
Another human merc rushed him, knife raised and poised to plunge. Jayden promptly grabbed his sides and lifted him into the air, turning and slamming him down upon a tabletop. His neck hit the far end, bent over backwards and then snapped on impact. Another mercenary, a Nikto, sought to try his luck in a melee bout, only to have Jayden lift him up off his feet, turn him over and drive his head clean through the edge of the same table, breaking a chunk off as the merc's head hit the ground, neck bending at an awkward angle before the organic crunch of breaking bone resounded from his overextended joint.
As he turned to tackle more mercenaries, Riyo Chuchi couldn't help but poke her head out from behind the table she and the senators cowered behind. Since bearing witness to his mighty battle prowess in saving her, something about the Sith Assassin intrigued the Pantoran. She'd always had a great deal of respect and admiration for men in uniform; seeing men who spend their life training to fight in defence of others, moulded to endure and survive the most extreme circumstances, someone capable of dominating adverse situations… and Khan was proving to be unlike any soldier she'd ever encountered before. Watching him break a chair over a human's head and then promptly ram the shattered legs into the necks of a Duros and Weequay should have been repulsive. But Chuchi found herself entranced watching him fight, endure, dominate. The way he moved and fought with driven determination, like a force of nature cloaked in red like blood and… it was almost awe-inspiring.
More mercenaries arrived at the command of Albedus Zann as Jayden picked up his Lightsabers. Quickly analyzing the reinforcements, Jayden used the Force to pick up two pistols, both of which belonged to two dead mercs, and targeted the leading one first. Although he didn't use guns, that didn't mean he hadn't trained to use firearms. He aimed the pistols and shot a Mon Cala in his bulbous eyes. The mercenary died instantly.
The merc nearest him snapped up a pair of holdout pistols and fired point-blank. Jayden rolled, snapped up and fired, killing the merc instantly.
There were plenty more to deal with.
A mercenary pounced on him from behind, trying to stab a blade into him with an overreaching hand. Jayden blocked the arm and fell back, slamming the merc into the ground which caused him to grunt in pain but it allowed Jayden to roll over, grab the knife, and jam it into the mouth of the merc. The Sith Apprentice pulled the blade free and lashed out with a pair of hook kicks that caused two rushing mercs to stumble. Grabbing his red Lightsaber, he cut them down easily.
Surely that's got to be it. He thought as their bodies fell dead.
Turned out he was wrong.
The doors to the mess hall blew open as the Zann Consortium's finest hired guns, the Defiliers, burst onto the scene with weapons raised. "Hold it right there!" One bellowed. Jayden turned slowly towards them, his eyes analyzing the heavier nature of their equipment. Clearly these were a higher caliber of reinforcements, more fodder that Zann wanted to use to wear the Sith down in order to claim the senators once and for all.
They drew closer as Jayden tensed, watching as one of them flicked the power gauge to maximum on his two-handed rifle. A burst of crimson fire belched from the barrel and Jayden raised his arm, stopping the incoming shots with the Force until he had stopped quite a lot of blaster shots. With a thrust of his hand, he sent the shots directly back at their respective shooters, killing them all instantly, their bodies dropping in sync.
"That's enough!" A commanding voice bellowed. Jayden whirled, Lightsaber gripped tightly… only to freeze in his place as a new situation was revealed.
A some point, Albedus Zann had entered the fray and was smart enough to drag the senators out from behind the table. Now he had Mina, Voe and Padme cowering in front of him, perfect meat shields, while Riyo was pulled close with a blaster against her cranium. "Drop your weapon if you don't want to see her brains fried." Albedus threatened. Jayden stayed still, wondering how to get out of this without having Riyo killed.
I made her a promise. No harm will come to her. And I am a man of my word.
"Drop it." Albedus insisted. Jayden did not, analyzing the situation.
"Nothing to say?" Albedus wondered. "Guess that makes sense. You Seps wouldn't give a damn if a Republic senator died. Maybe you should just let me. I'd be doing you a favor." Again, silence in response and not an inch of movement from the Sith. "Choice is yours. Does she live or die?" Albedus demanded, hoping to get something out of Jayden. But all he earned was more silence… a silence that was becoming very unnerving. His gaze settled on his enemy, a man clad in black, with some blood splotched on his attire. "I don't have all day, force-dammit! You give me your answer right now or else I'm gonna do something nasty with all of these schuttas and you'll just have to watch!" He threatened, tightening his grip on Chuchi. The Pantoran grunted in pain.
"You animal!" She rasped, kicking him in the shin. Albedus growled and turned his attention to her, pressing his weapon harder against her skull.
"Oh you don't think I will? I'll kill you! Believe me, I'll do it!" He bellowed… when his arm began to forcefully be moved from Riyo's skull and the weapon now aiming at him. "W-What-?!"
Against his will, he pulled the trigger and a hole was left in his head. Loosing a gasp, Riyo untangled herself from his arm and scrambled to Padme's side as Albedus Zann fell over dead. Jayden relaxed a little, having used the Force to make Albedus' arm turn the weapon on himself and pull the trigger.
Much later…
The Sheathipede shuttle touched down on Raydonia again, this time before a crowd of anxious onlookers including more than just Felani Nadmar and her people. In response to her urgent communique to the Republic concerning the brazen kidnapping of their diplomatic envoy, Aayla Secura and her 327th Star Corps had rendezvoused with Jedi Consular Maregar Klinger and her apprentice, Padawan Raagnarr Klaw, and made haste to Raydonia to get eyes on the situation.
It was this mixed crowd that was waiting at the foot of the boarding ramp. The senators descended first, Padme and Riyo followed by Voe and Mina, the four women looking slightly fraught and disheveled but otherwise alive and in one piece, prompting sighs of relief from the Jedi. "Senator Amida, Senator Chuchi! Thank the Force you're alive." Maregar exclaimed as she greeted them. The dirty-blonde Jedi was a mature older woman with much experience in dealing with the people and situations of the Outer Rim. "We did not know where you had been taken or who was responsible."
"Mercenaries, Master Jedi." Padme answered. "They had planned to hold us for ransom."
"How did you manage to escape?" Aayla inquired.
"We had help," Riyo began, "from an unexpected ally." At that moment, Darth Khan emerged from the shuttle and descended the boarding ramp. He was uncaring of the fact his ribes were a little stained with blood of his enemies, but it was easily washable. He surveyed the crowd, noting the way the yellow-striped 327th troopers tensed at his appearance, gripping their weapons tightly, as the Jedi seemed to also tense warily. He had not seen Maregar or her Barabel Apprentice before, but he had heard of Aayla Secura.
He had never encoutered the Twi'lek Jedi before, having only ever heard of her from the HoloNet. Rumors abounded that she had some very explicit holos circulating the net, while the Republic claimed they were made by the Separatist propaganda department to cause controversy and smear the Jedi's name. He could certainly see why they'd make a fuss about her, her choice of attire not exactly helping things. The way her crop top revealed the smooth unblemished azure skin of her abdomen as well as exemplified a not-insignificant amount of cleavage-
The Sith gave his head a shake. First Riyo's bottom, now Secura's front. What the hell's wrong with me? Get it together, ASAP!
"Pardon my disbelief, Senators, but I find it hard to believe this Sith saved your lives." Maregar commented.
"Then you'd better start believing, Jedi, because that's exactly what happened." Voe stated proudly.
"Yes. He saved me from a most horrendous fate at the hand of those brutes." Riyo added in affirmation. "We owe him our lives." To hear such words from a Republic senator was rather shocking. The Jedi quickly chocked Riyo's words up to youthful naivety. She did not know the monster he really was as they did.
"Well. It would appear today has been a day for strange happenings." Aayla mused.
"Quite right." Maregar agreed. "At least you are both safe. Come, we have medics ready to look you over." Without another word, the Jedi quickly guided their senators into the safety of their Clone troopers. But Riyo was having second thoughts about being whisked away so suddenly.
"Senator Amidala…." She whispered. "Doesn't Khan deserve some sort of recognition for his efforts? Had it not been for him, I would've been assaulted by the consortium mercenaries!"
"Riyo… the Republic would never show recognition to a Separatist, let alone a Sith." Padme responded. "I understand how grateful you are, I would be too, but by publicly accepting the aid of our enemy we weaken ourselves on the galactic stage."
"But…"
"I'm sorry. But, please, leave it be." Padme insisted. Riyo fell quiet, her gaze downcast as she was led onwards.
The Separatists, meanwhile, were far more vocal in their praise for their security detail. "If not for you, Lord Khan, I can't imagine what would become of us." Voe remarked aloud. "I'll see to it the Corporate Alliance gets you whatever you need." She promised him.
"I did not do this for promises and riches, Senator Atell." The Sith replied. "My Master instructed me to ensure your protection and I did so."
"For which we are both eternally grateful." Mina concurred. "But, there is still work to be done. Voe, we have an accord with Raydonia to sign." The Avto senator agreed and walked away with Felani to find their datapads in order to complete their mission here. But Mina held back, hoping for a private word with Jayden. "I will be sure to send commendations to Count Dooku concerning your actions. Word of your actions will spread across the galaxy, and you deserve to be painted in the best light possible."
Jayden chuckled a bit. "I'll stick to fighting on the field, the politics are up to you, Senator."
Mina nodded. "When you have free time, do pay a visit to my homeplanet of Onderon. I quite imagine my son would be excited to meet you."
Jayden tilted his head, contemplating the answer before he nodded. "If I'm not too busy fighting, I may pay a visit."
Elsewhere in the galaxy…
Urai Fenn closed his holocom with a growl. The Talortai did not like received bad news, especially pertaining to something so important as his job and livelihood. But this left him in a rather intriguing position. A transition was at hand and he would be front and centre. He moved back into the room where a young man sat waiting, looking very much like his father with long white hair pulled back into a ponytail. "Your father is dead." Urai announced. Silence followed for a moment, his charge massaging his chin as the news sank in.
"What was the cause?" He asked.
"He bit off more than he can chew." Urai answered simply. There would be more time for the specifics later. "You are the heir to the Consortium. Your father's entire organization is yours to control." He said.
"Yes… it is mine now, isn't it?" The human chuckled. "It's ironic. I was nothing more than a nuisance to dear old dad. He shipped me off so I wouldn't get in his way. But here I am, running my own smuggling operation right here on Carida, proving I'm just as good as him." He mused, waving his hands at the luxury afforded from his ill-gotten gains.
"It would be wise to return now, put another Zann at the head of the consortium before any infighting begins." Urai suggested.
"Another Zann." The younger muttered, standing up to fix the Talortai with dark eyes. "I am not my father, Urai. You and the men on my payroll will have to learn that." He stated. "Right now they're very used to the way Albedus Zann ran things… one day they'll have to get used to the way Tyber Zann runs things."
And that's it for this chapter! Yeah, it introduced Riyo Chuchi into the story. She may pop back up a few times, especially with her intrigue about Jayden. Big thanks to DFM23 for allowing me to use this. Now, under no circumstances are we copying each other's stories, just using ideas from our stories to share in the other's.
Also, Jayden did a Darth Vader when he stopped the ship with the Force earlier in the chapter... in case some of you didn't get that reference. I'm trying to have him pull off great feats with the Force, the likes of what Starkiller and Darth Vader have done... so he MIGHT end up pulling a Republic cruiser into the ground with the Force at some point.
