“I don’t have to tell you anything. What the hell would I say a damn thing for? Do you have any idea how things work on this world ya dumb broad?” The man clenched his cuffed fists on the table, glaring at Jaida.
The female bandit couldn't surpress a faint grin starting to appear on the corner of her lips. She took a nearby seat amd put it in front of the man, the backseat facing him so that when Jaida sat, she could sit, lean and rest her arms.
"Oh darling, I think I know just as much about our homeworld as you do. Difference is, I chose my side, and I'm not the idiot sitting in this room as a prisonner right now."
The man didn’t respond, instead turning his head to look at a wall.
Jaida got up from her chair, instead setting a foot on it and leaning on her leg as she stared at the captive trying to ignore her.
"You tell me if I have any idea how our world works. Well then, let me give you a glimpse of what's going to happen. You'll stay here as a prisonner of war. You're going to stay silent. The Republic is going to hold you on trial, because they are idiots like that. Then the fun part begins. Whoever hired you will want you to remain silent. So they'll either hire an assassin to infiltrate this base and kill you or threathen to murder your dear family."
Jaida then gave the man a chuckle "if you knew any better than me, you and a few of your buddies wouldn't have negotiated a loan with Teratect. If you ever get out of here, I'm pretty sure you'll come out with no home, nothing. Who knows? Maybe they'll even take your own precious younger sister as slave for paying back your debt.
The man began tapping his foot anxiously, and he’d broken out into a cold sweat. “If you know how things work here then you know that if I talk they’ll do far worse than any of that. Why should I give you anything when I just stand to lose no matter what?”
Finally, a reaction she was looking for. All this time digging for information paid off, the silver-tongued lady mused to herself. "Because they're the freaking Republic! Remember, about a hundred years ago, when they just started out as a bunch of rebels? They blew, like, two planet destroyers, countless warships and even brought down the galactical Empire. If they can do all this, what's a planet full of corrupted assholes to them now that they grew even bigger?"
Jaida sighed, taking her hat off and sitting back in front of the captured gang member. "Look man. We both know how shit Gamorria is. Fuck, you even know better how much of a shithole it is if you had to resort to getting a loan from Teratect. But the Republic is trying to bring change here. I'm trying to help them do it."
Her fingers tapped on the chair she was sitting "If you talk quickly enough, we can get to those asshole quickly enough to deal with them. Even better. I'll have these guys here guarantee your safety and your family's before they fall in the wrong hands. Tell you what, I'm even willing to fetch your sister and take her here with us. I can probably call a few friends of mine and have her shipped off this planet somewhere safer, like Coruscant or Yavin, while we are dealing with the situation on Gamorria."
Feeling like she said enough for now, or at least to make the guy reconsider his stance, Jaida put back her hat and lazily leaned up front on her chair, staring him in the eyes. "So, what's it going to be, hun?
The man's breathing had quickened, he placed his hands in his ragged hair as if he'd find some solace in it. "Fine, dammit..." He looked Jaida in the eyes. "You better keep your word." He placed his hands on the table. "Some guy in a robe came to us, I don't know what he looked like, he had a hood on the whole time and I only saw him once. He said he worked with the big boys in Gamorria, and that if we took out the Republic installation there'd be a spot waiting for us. I don't know how he knew, but he told me specifically about an entrance in the back, he even knew the code to get in." The man clenched his teeth and his hands tightened into fists. "But it was all a setup, this base was more well defended than we were told. He just used us."
When the captive finished speaking, it took a bit of effort for the young woman to not look dejected. She let out a sigh as her hat briefly concealed her eyes rolling. Of course. She should have known. Why would it be any different in the Republic? The feeling of safety suddenly dropped for the hopeful huntress. Bastards really managed to infiltrate and corrupt everything, huh? And that robed man... maybe that "Blank" guy?
Well, this wasn't a lost cause, yet. Maybe she could place her trust in some of the people here. Or perhaps she shouldn't trust any of them. What with robed Jedi or whatnot taking side with the crime syndicates of Gamorria, could she even trust the Jedi who came here, pretending to bring peace to the planet? Between those "peace guardians" and a handful of questionnable mercenaries, her choice of allies was limited.
"How did that guy entered in contact with so many rival gangs? How did he even manage to unite them into a single assaulting unit? I can't believe he just walked up to all those people with only a single offer you all accepted."
"That's exactly what he did. When They... Those at the top, when they give you an offer, even if you just know it's impossible you take it. To be in with them is to be a made man. Debt? Gone. Want women, speeders, a new ship? It's yours. There's more than a few people willing to risk throwing their life away to get in." The man clicked his teeth and shook his head. "All of that and I don't even know who the hell runs the joint."
"Does the name 'Blank' ring any bell to you?"
"No, is that the name of that creepy bastard? When he showed up me and some of my boys drew our guns on him and he didn't even twitch." The man sat back in his chair. "Are we done here? I need to make a call, and you need to get your Republic buddies to take care of me and my family."
"No wonder. If that asshole can redirect a hidden sniper's shot, bet he won't fear blasters held out in the open." Jaida slowly stood up, stretching her back. What a pain in the ass. She didn't learn very much fron this interaction, and now she was bound to uphold her end of their deal.
"You'll have to deal with the soldiers here for that call. As for your family, I'll get to work on that right away."
Glancing at Fufuro, Jaida gave the lieutenant a nod, indicating she wanted to talk outside the interrogation room.
Fufuro opened the door for Jaida, allowing her to exit the interrogation room. "So this Blank guy knew how to get into contact with the leaders of the lower gangs, and had enough pull to convince all of them to join in on their plan to attack us." She slumped her shoulders and looked to the ground. "I knew this assignment was gonna suck."
The bounty huntress nodded in approval. "What's worse, he's probably got someone infiltrated in here." Jaida looked thoughtful, removing her hat as she passed a hand in her raven-black hair. "How many soldiers know of the backdoor entry and its access codes? Are the codes regularly changed too?"
"They're not exactly a secret, even though they've only been told to a few people it's been spread around. I told them to stop treating it so lightly but no~ No one ever listens to Fufuro. She's only here so she doesn't embarrass her senator father, she's an idiot who's only in the military due to nepotism... I mean sure, they're right, but that doesn't mean they have to talk about it when I can hear them ya know?" She took a deep breath and looked to the table where she'd left her candy, it was gone. "Oh... That figures." She let out a sad groan and looked back to Jaida. "I heard from Jayce that his drone was able to find where the ship that Blank escaped in landed. I bet the commander is gonna want to send someone to investigate..."
"Don't sell yourself so short yet, love. Who cares about those idiots? As long as you trust in yourself and your skills, it's all that matters." Jaida gave Fufuro a friendly nudge on her shoulder with a smile. She caught sight of the girl looking towards her desk, and while she wasn't exactly feeling remorseful for the candy, she chuckled as a bold thought crossed her mind. "I think one of the Jedi we have on hand here would be best suited for the job. At least if they get caught, they can handle themselves better than a simple mercenary, if the stories hold any truth to them. And in any case, I've got to uphold the end of my bargain. I'll grab someone who wasn't part of the factory raiding party and have them accompany me, Less chances of attracting unwanted attention with fewer numbers."
The reassurance given by Jaida bounced off of Fufuro as if it were a grain of sand flung against the side of a star destroyer. She simply nodded halfheartedly and checked the device on her arm. It was a message from Gallowin that had been sent to her and all of the others that had arrived recently.
The ship that aided in the escape of the individual known as Blank was seen landing in a scrap junkyard. Those that are able are to investigate, though you may do so at your own discretion. The location of the junkyard has been pinpointed on your maps._____
Lahana stepped aside to let Anari in, not yet answering her questions. She gave a stilted wave to Surta as she walked out, somehow forgetting to ask where she was even going. She walked over to her bunk bed and sat on the bottom mattress. She didn’t want to talk about this, not right now, but she couldn’t put it off forever. Before she began talking she saw Gloopra approach Anari. She didn't know what had happened in their meeting, but apparently he felt the need to apologize. She didn't care to ask what it was about, she had her own thoughts to sort. “The mission was going smoothly at first.” She started, her voice low and her eyes to the ground. “But then he showed up… no, it’s more like I finally noticed him. I think he had been inside the warehouse the entire time, only he had no presence. It’s strange, I could sense what felt like the dark side on him, but something was… Wrong. It was like looking at a copy of a painting, it was the same, but I could just tell it was fake.”
Lahana began cracking the knuckles of her right hand with her right thumb, it was a nervous habit she’d developed a long time ago. “He killed the last remaining men when they tried to use him as a hostage, then he tried talking with us, even offering to answer questions. That’s when Jaida took a shot at him. Gloopra tried to deflect it with his lightsaber, but I…” She was about to say that she didn’t know what had come over her, but she knew exactly what it was. “This man who called himself Blank, he said he was going to report to his boss about us, I didn’t want him leaving alive, so I blocked Gloopra’s saber. He deflected the blaster shot, causing one of our people to be killed.”
Lahana slouched and held the right side of her face in her hand. “I got her killed Anari, if I had just thought about my actions for a second…”
Anari’s attention left Lahana only briefly to glimpse at a vaguely familiar face stepping past her and out the door, equipping a mask and a dark cape over her shoulders. Were the matters ahead of her not so important, she might’ve asked Lahana for an explanation. Making a friend isn’t against the Jedi Code, but her choice of clothing was strange even for a planet this far in the Outer Rim.
Before a single step was taken into the room, the deliberate steps of Gloopra caught her attention next. Knowing that he was likely coming for her, she paused and turned to him expectantly before listening to what he had come to say. His assessment of fear being the reason his methods were so dramatic was a fair one, and one that would make future counsel unreliable and dangerous. What she needed was a fellow thinker. Were she after methods to cause disorder and fear, she’d ask him. Until then, all Anari could offer him is the curtest of nods, and decline to return the bow.
Once certain Gloopra moved on, she entered Lahana’s room and eased the door shut, then looked back to the Padawan expectantly. Once seated, she explained her side of the events that was missing. The pieces were somewhat filled, however they begged more questions than before.
“Then it’s settled. I need to meet Blank for myself. I don’t trust Gloopra’s feelings, and I feel that you are too remorseful to offer a clear recollection. Pick your head up, Lahana, right now.” Anari said, voice firm. She brought her arms together, her jaw tense with irritation. “You are only a learner so it is to be expected that you don’t know better. You hold no blame in death, only impulse. The failure is in the hands of Gloopra, and Jaida.”
Growing restless, Anari began to pace back and forth, eyes forward. “Blank offered information if asked. Jaida took the shot. Jaida sacrificed that opportunity for bloodshed. Blank defended himself by redirecting Jaida’s shot, when he only wanted to talk. From the sounds, this is Jaida’s failure. Yours was not controlling your feelings.” She stopped, turning her head to the seated Padawan. “Not a single person asked a question? Not even Gloopra?”
Lahana flinched and looked up at Anari as she was told to raise her head. She'd felt compelled to comply with direct orders for as long as she could remember. As a child she would take them from any adult, as it had been beat into her. It took her years to learn to resist the urge to submit. The compulsion was for the most part absent, barring a few specific exceptions. Those she looked up to, respected, she couldn't help but listen to them. An order felt like a tug on a collar around her neck. She didn't have to obey, but it was easy to do so. She bit the bottom of her lip and clenched her right forearm. She couldn't look down, but she averted her eyes from Anari.
"Right..." She simply said as the woman began to pace. She could not be held accountable for her actions? Was she that far from becoming a knight? She really was still a child. As Anari continued, Lahana stopped gnawing on her lip and loosened the grip on her arm. Her feelings, of course. Everything always came back to her feelings. Her combat prowess was on par with a master if Kale was to be believed, but her base instincts still ruled over her mind.
"Jayce." She spoke, just barely audible. "He asked him if he knew why we were there, and why he was there. He knew how we had gotten information on the warehouse, from spying on it's workers, and he knew why we were on the planet. Though I think everyone knows why we're here." Lahana spoke in an orderly fashion, as if giving a report. She had to speak this way, otherwise her words would fumble and the anxiety she was feeling would pour out like fluid in a cracked decanter. "Other than that, no questions, things escalated too quickly." She finally brought her eyes to Anari.
"Anari, would you?..." She swallowed a lump in her throat, she couldn't speak of personal troubles as if it were just a report. "Do you think I could ever become a Knight? I feel as though I, um." She nearly tilted her head down, but caught herself and straightened it. "I'm never going to be ready, I wonder if I'm even meant to be a Jedi."
“Maybe if he wasn’t shot at, we’d know more…” Anari dwelled on the unfortunate events that led to this. They were being watched, something Match made clear based both on his entry into the base and his own words. The only truth thus far is that Blank could use the Force and that he acted in self-defense. The assault team were in the wrong, both paranoia and impulse ruling the Jedi involved and the one that pulled the trigger. Were Senator Ordo hoping for a peaceful resolution, the raid may have rendered it pointless.
Were she not in the company of Lahana, she might have sat on the stupidity of others for the rest of the evening and vanished from the base to do actual field work. Now the learner asked a question about her status in the Order and what she would become. It was enough to change her feelings from cold contempt for lack of intelligence, to understanding a student’s plight. She let the tactician in her subside to make room for the mentor she hoped to become one day.
“It’s that sort of negative thinking that holds anyone destined for mastery back. You are tearing yourself down and questioning your place, and for what? Because you’ve made mistakes? Because you’re not there yet, in the eyes of both your mentor and myself?” Anari asked. “I failed many times as did Kale. We are who we are now because we did not let those failures become who we are. Let’s go over an example.”
Anari closed her eyes, remembering the earlier confrontation between the New Republic and the gangs that raided them. The sight of dangerous bolts being reflected by her blade were still clear in her mind. A high-speed descent from a reckless Padawan came into view, closing in towards the ground.
“You chose to leap from a high-speed vehicle at a life-risking altitude, all to join a battle that was more than won. We were not going to lose it. We were not at risk of death. Whether you did what you did or not, that battle was ours to win.” She opened her eyes, meeting Lahana’s scarred face. “Your life is worth more than the deaths you risked it for, and only the most ignorant of people would praise you for what you did. You were not being heroic, Lahana, you were being reckless. You did not determine if what you did was necessary. You did not weigh the good and the bad that could come from a decision so monumental. And rather than confront your failure to think wisely and to choose wisely, you are desperately left here wondering if you’ll become a Jedi Knight.” She paused, taking a breath. “Sit there for a minute, and tell me if you’re ready for what it means to be a Jedi if you can’t even face your errors like all Jedi should.”
"I..." Lahana looked up at Anari from her bed, unsure of what to say. The question was rhetorical surely. She shouldn't need to think about this for long. She wanted to be a Jedi Knight, but why? She still wasn't sure, she just knew that she had to. She had this power, and instead of using it for selfish means it was better to be of use to people. That was all, right?
"It's just. So hard." She said through clenched teeth, her brows furrowed. "I don't know what's supposed to be normal and what isn't." She stood up. "I'm sorry, I won't ask you that again, it's a stupid question." She felt like a fool for even bringing it up, Anari would only think less of her now. "I'll do better, I promise. Thank. You." She spoke in stilted lines.
“Admitting your ignorance isn’t stupid, it’s intelligent. The truth is that you don’t have every answer you want. Neither do I. There is no reason to think less of yourself for not having one. Yearn to find the answer you want and learn as you do so.” Anari easily read the signs of frustration and tension that emanated from the Padawan. None of them vanished, so her words rang hollow. Reassurance meant very little. She wouldn’t fall for it.
“If being a Jedi was a simple path, we would all be called Master. You have battle-hardened skill, certainly, but the strongest of Jedi possess a powerful mind and an unshakable resolve. You lack them.” Anari narrowed her eyes closely. “Lahana Sunset can leap from a starship to land uninjured, and end a battle by throwing an explosive-laden truck. What she cannot do is afford to sit in her room and feel sorry for herself while good people suffer, people who will one day need her help. Her wise counsel. Her reassuring smile. Her strength in the face of darkness.”
Striding forward, her hands came to rest atop the tall girl’s shoulders. She clutched them tightly, the way a warrior would to another.
“Learn from every mistake but never surrender to self-doubt. Your worth is not measured by a title. Only yourself,” Anari said, loosening her grip and returning her hands to her sides. “But, if you must have the word of another, then know that I believe in you.”
Lahana shuddered slightly as Anari's hands gripped her shoulders. She quickly reminded herself that these were the hands of a friend and the tension in her body relaxed. She was lucky, she really was. Someone like her did not deserve this, there was so much blood on her hands, innocent blood. She wasn't a good person, she was a murderous tool pretending to be something she wasn't. Even still, having Anari and her master believe in her made her want to keep pretending, perhaps eventually her acting would become genuine. Anari's hands left her shoulders, and for a moment she found herself missing the comfort.
"You're right. I have no reason to be acting this way. Thank you for coming to see me, it means a lot." Lahana spoke, this time her words coming out clearly.
Anari’s gaze remained on Lahana for another moment before she allowed herself to let the matter rest. This conversation should have been Kale’s to have. His student, his responsibility. The physical skills she gained were impressive, but the Order needed Jedi with more than brute strength. Perseverance was a must. Lahana was strong only in the areas that mattered to inflict hurt on another. That, in her mind, was Kale’s failure.
“I didn’t come strictly out of concern for you,” she admitted. “I need to know what Blank looks like. I asked Gloopra but he was more determined to bring war than enlightenment on our situation. Think back for me; any detail at all, something that may set him apart physically, maybe the tone in his voice when he spoke to you—think hard. This is important.”
Lahana explained all that she could about Blank's appearance, though the only notable thing about him were his tired eyes and his nonchalant attitude. It was then that the two of them received Gallowin's message. Anari had been given a separate message as well, instructing her to investigate the club Neon Glow on her own.
