Every step I took to the common area felt like a landline going off in my ears. I had no idea what I'd find and really hoped I could back out of it before I was noticed. I approached the end of the hallway that divided the common room in half and slowly peaked on the right of it. One side of the table had an overturned chair and scrap marks on the ground. On the other side was Shaddoc who sat looking down at his hands like he'd lost a part of himself. It was the most broken I've seen the man, even more than when we saw the Temple destroyed and finding out the Jedi were basically Enemy Number 1. I didn't want to start a conversation with him after everything that's happened but I really needed food. So I braved the open space and headed right for the kitchen side of the common area.
The man didn't even glance at me.
I busied myself with putting together a meal which was mostly dehydrated food being rejuvenated and some finger food from a shelf kept in the open. The entire time I stole glances at the man and not once did he change his posture or even acknowledge I was there. When I had everything together I booked it back to my room and made sure the door was locked, finally breathing a sigh of relief that I was in safer territory.
I took my time eating the food not wanting to mess up my already degraded body any further. I didn't want to think about anything that had happened since I was kidnapped from my home but that was easier said than done. It at least kept the nightmares of my upbringing away, not for any good reasons but it was refreshing to not have it on my mind 24/7 anymore. After the meal I stripped out of my clothes and stepped into the refresher before falling asleep easily. I wish I hadn't.
My dream consisted of multiple flashes of people, the new Emperor was in one as he leaned over a table with some robot on it. Another had a figure wrapped in a brown cloak riding some kind of creature and holding a bundle of something in its arms, but both faces were obscured and hazy. And finally I stopped on my planet, my home.
I looked over it like a god looking at his believers. They all walked around like nothing was wrong but there were now metal walls surrounding the city and even a moat was taking shape. There were people hard at work digging it at this very moment. I stared at them for a few moments before someone noticed me when they glanced up. I couldn't hear them but shouting in any language was obvious. As one, every head I could see turned skyward and looked directly at me, they stared for a second before they all funneled back into the city from a gate in the metal walls. Turrets sprang up sporadically along the wall but they were ramshackle and basic components. Blasters were brought out and aimed up at me and I had no idea why, but then a shadow formed around my head on the ground. I turned and above me a fireball tore through space and into the atmosphere. It barreled right at my face and in my shock I shut my eyes and waited for it to hit me. I even felt the heat of it but it passed through my face. By the time I realized I wasn't the target I turned around and stretched out my hand, trying to grab the thing before it hit my home. I just barely got my finger tips on it though and it was gone, traveling to the ground with the intention of destroying everything. The closer it was to the ground the bigger it became until it completely engulfed the entire place from my point of view. I squeezed my eyes shut, not wanting to see but knowing what would happen anyway and even felt the huge amount of heat wash over me.
I awoke drenched in sweat and my body on fire. The heat was everywhere and I stripped out of my clothes yet again and rushed to the fresher. I turned the water as cold as it would go and as soon as it touched my body steam exploded everywhere and filled the space I was in. My breathing the entire time was out of control and I was gulping in huge amounts of air but nothing was doing anything for me for a few seconds. That's when I realized I wasn't really breathing and just mimicking the motions and finally took in a real breathe of air. The process of breathing became easier after that although I still had to consciously make it work to be sure I wouldn't suffocate again. Slowly but surely my breathing came back under control and I could feel the freezing water on my skin. I let it cut into my bones for a while longer to make sure I was rid of the memory of insane heat in me. Once I felt like I was ready, I turned it back to lukewarm and just stood there for a while longer.
[~About 40 minutes later~]
I finally stepped out the refresher and stared around the room that I was given. There was an open minimalist closet to my right where all the clothes I bought hung and a floor locker under the bed that had pants and another set of shoes next to it. I dressed slowly, trying to remember the whole dream, or vision….or maybe it was a mix of the two? Maybe it was just a culmination of my paranoia of what would happen to my home since I've left and the events that have hit me one after another since. I still didn't know how to handle the information of me being a Sith instantly and automatically made me an enemy of Shaddoc and Wamo. It seems my "Master" didn't think to get around to that part of our lessons, thinking he was perfectly safe in our home and history wasn't an important thing to teach. I'm going to have to find a way to fill in my gaps in knowledge, and flesh out my skills, that woman was more of a one trick pony if anything.
*Knock**Knock*
"Hey Zavart, you awake?"
I started at the voice of Wamo but calmed myself. I strode over to the door, unlocking and opening it in one.
"Yes, I'm guessing we're almost to Nar Shaddaa?"
She simply nodded, "Just came out of hyperspace actually. The Captain wanted everyone in the cockpit so there's no disagreement on where we go later."
"I'm fine with that, lead the way."
She nodded again and turned around. I followed and we past through the common area, where things looked back to normal again and continued to the cockpit. The Captain sat in her usual chair and Shaddoc was copiloting for her, the Kid sat closest to the doorway, curled up on the floor actually. He could become a very small ball when he wanted to apparently, that wasn't normal for Lasat's. He looked up at me when we entered but quickly brought his attention back to the front when Wamo took the seat opposite him so as to have a better view if she needed it. I sat in front of the Kid.
"Please tell me you all can sit in this confined space without yelling at or trying to kill each other."
I glanced at everyone but none of the other three met my eyes. They all just stared ahead.
"I think we should get planetside as soon as possible," I gave the Captain the only answer it seemed she'd get.
"Terrific."
The ship dipped and we entered the atmosphere, the fog covered the sight for us but it soon disappeared. And as she had said, this place really was like Coruscant in that everywhere I could see it looked like it was all one city. But the difference was that this had a different vibe to it. There was no wealthy looking towers that gleamed silver and shines with the sun, everything here was dark and depressing and sucked the life out of the air. This was a dark place and I didn't even need to reach out to the Force to get the impression of that. You did not come to this planet as a vacation spot.
"Check the sensors, look around for an open landing pad. Hopefully we can find one where no one wants to take my ship when we use it or charge double my ships worth."
I didn't think she was all that serious but after the first two hours, looking for a landing pad made me reconsider second guessing her life experience. Every landing pad we've tried to stop on would either try and rob us of the ship or charge us so much money the Captain said she could buy another ship. One time another ship cut us off to the landing pad and we had to find another. We were very impatient and in desperate need of fuel when I saw it.
"My family," I whispered.
"There!" I suddenly yelled, pointing out a place off to our right. "Land there!"
Ilawatizo gave me a look that said it all, "You're crazy. That landing pad is owned by a shell company of Zeal's Hope. We are not landing there."
"You have too, I can get us on."
"You don't know the first thing about the galaxy or have any real life experience in it. I highly doubt you can get us on there without being blown to bits."
"Captain—" I started.
"The answer is NO Zavart. We are NOT going there."
"What makes that landing pad any different from the others we've been Captain?" Shaddoc asked her.
She sighed and shot an angry look at me, like it was my fault he was asking questions.
"The landing pad, and building attached to it, and probably this whole sector is owned by Zeal's Hope. A very LARGE and very SECRET organization. They back or outright buyout hundreds of other gangs or crime lords and have a hand in basically everything legal and illegal. I've done a few runs for them and have been given exact directions on what to do when approaching, landing, loading and unloading cargo, and leaving. Their Ugnaught slaves are in the thousands and they are not an organization we want to mess with because they will kill or capture us for the bounty without a second thought."
"Still want to land there?"
"Hmmm—"
"Yes," I replied instantly reaching over and activating the comm and tuning it to their frequency.
"Do you have a DEATHWISH!! Get him back before he kills us all!"
Two sets of hands grabbed for me and tried to pull me back but the damage was done.
"Yes? Whose there?"
Those three words froze everyone. I reached out again to hit the comm and talk but the Captain swatted my hand away.
"What the kriff do you think you're doing!? You're going to get us killed!!"
"We will only die if I don't answer back! I know what I'm doing Captain!"
"Zavart you said it yourself, you've never stepped foot off Gentes, what would make you think we should let you even try communicating with these people?" Wamo sternly asked me from behind. She had a good hold on the back of my tunic, ready to overpower and pull me back in a moments notice.
"Yes? Whose there?" the voice repeated but no one answered yet.
I grit my teeth and looked at Shaddoc who flinched slightly at me. "Look at their symbol! Look at it and you'll know to let me do my thing!"
The man blinked and slowly turned his head to the building passing on our right. I saw him scan it for a moment and then recognition dawned on him. He let go of his hold on me.
"Do as he says."
The grip slipped on my back as I guess Wamo didn't believe the man was really taking my side but I took it. I got to the comm button just as the voice asked their questions once more.
"Yes? Whose there?"
"Idling hands returning home from work," I answered back from memory.
Their was a silence as everyone else held their breath.
"And why should these hands be allowed entry into my home?"
I looked pointedly at the Captain who just motioned with her hand for me to keep going. I tried to not be smug about it all.
"Our home is open to all who know."
"Know what? Speak up or be denied entry."
"Know that the pursuit of strength is through knowledge. The pursuit to a Master is through labor. And the pursuit to pass it on is our eternal hope we strive for."
There was a quick moment of silence.
"Hmmm, Basic is one I haven't heard in a while. Still, You know the words and have found your way. Enter, so I may accept you into my home Brother."
I stepped back towards my seat and let Ilawatizo and Shaddoc do their piloting thing.
"We're being hailed with a landing pad on the building. It's on the far side."
"What was that Zavart?" Wamo asked.
"That was our ticket to all our problems. Or at least, the one where we find a landing pad. Now, no one be jumpy and just ease us there before we run out of fuel. And let me do the talking, this is something I know how to do."
Everyone kept quiet after that as we made our way around the building and land. The platform then slid into the building as the ship powered down. Through the viewport we saw an Ugnaught standing a ways from the ship, bare chested and tattoos covering his torso. This guy was a mountain though, easily towering over most of his species by a good head and half of height. I stood from my chair and started taking off my top as I made my way to the ramp.
"You must be joking."
"Zavart please listen to reason. We don't know what he will do when you go out there. This could all be a ploy to capture us."
"What did you mean by 'my family'".
That brought everyone up short. I stopped, just about to take off my undershirt.
Shaddoc's question brought me back to reality, "When you took me from my home, in my little slice of the galaxy, do you remember where I was living?" Yes I was going to be back with my family again but I was only here because of the Jedi, and my anger at them returned.
"It was a small village on Gentes, the Ugnaught homeworld."
Wamo cut in quickly, "We had thought it was the perfect place for you to hide and carry out your plans for war. No one goes there except slavers and corporations looking for the brilliant minds of Ugnaughts—"
"Who are also slavers!"
My yell shut them up. I was almost fuming now but tried to keep it under control, I was barely able to.
"You didn't answer my question. Do you remember where I was living?" I turned back to the group and my tunic was slightly open at the front, my tattoos were just peaking out.
"It was a small village. Very peaceful from the feel of it. A thing not many get in the Outer Rim. Everyone there regarded us warily but once they knew we were Jedi that mostly passed. What was strange was that people looked to be, not totally getting ready for war but something akin to an attack. And that symbol," here Shaddoc looked out the viewport to the huge banner displayed against the building behind the Ugnaught. It was of a broken hammer looking like it was smithing a sword with a bird on fire behind it. "That symbol was everywhere there. Almost like a Clan but also more."
I nodded at him, "Thank you for paying attention to my people before kidnapping me. I can only hope they are still that safe."
I walked out of the cockpit then, taking my undershirt off the rest of the way. I managed to get it off as I reached the landing ramp and threw it aside as I hit the open button. The process was slow and I heard everyone come up behind me. There were a few gasps as well.
"Zavart—"
"One moment Captain, I need to make sure we have safe passage here."
The ramp reached the landing pad and I walked down, shoulders back, posture straight and focused entirely on the burly Ugnaught just outside the ships perimeter.
"You have some problems there Small One?" The Ugnaught rumbled out as I neared him.
"Just having to make some things clear to the people who kidnapped me."
He raised an eyebrow and flicked his eyes towards the ramp behind me seeing the others descend it but stay on the ship too.
I waved my hand to alleviate his concerns, "I'll explain after you've deemed my rank worthy. Please, allow me to become judged?" I bowed my head.
I could tell his gaze lingered on the group at the ship for another moment but in the end he focused back on me. "True, you know the ways and I'll grant you your wish. THE JUDGEMENT BEGINS NOW!" He raised his voice suddenly and clapped his hands above his head and a corridor of panels raised itself along the landing pad leading back into the building and blocked the outside world. Ugnaughts spilled out of the building and walked towards us hurriedly but in a measured pace. Immediately I lowered myself to my knees and prostrated on the ground, my arms reaching above my head and out in the open. None of the Ugnaughts gave any sign this was correct and simply continued to follow their own path.
In a few moments they surrounded me in layered circles and threw off their tunics male and females alike, all with different amounts of tattoos on their bodies surrounded me, but that was all what I imagined. I had closed my eyes and didn't look up once I laid my upper body on the ground. The ceremony was explained to me by the Ugnaughts that I lived with but I'd never seen it firsthand.
"OUR BROTHER HAS ASKED US TO JUDGE HIM AND HAS EARNED THIS RIGHT! RANK ONE! STEP FORWARD!"