Star Wars: Heroes of Another Kind

[Ankh-Morpork Guard]

Chapter 463: The Other Half

“How many in your employ work for the Peace Brigade?” the question was direct, pointed, and also a very dangerous one to ask. But Marix had a way with words, and knew exactly how to talk with the scum of the galaxy. She showed no apprehension and made sure to keep an air of strength around her, using Venda, who was under claw and foot still, to her advantage that way.

Gorla’s jovial mood seemed to have passed, as his two large eyes narrowed and he responded with a question of his own, “Why would that matter to you?”

“Why isn’t important, Gorla,” Marix growled, “But thank you for answering truthfully.”

The fact that the question seemed to make him nervous meant that a great many of his men did...if not Gorla, too. She had him now. Now it was a matter of pushing hard enough without getting the Hutt so angry that he’d simply kill her. That meant she couldn’t be too threatening. Instead...she had to use a different angle.

Marix tilted her head up so that she was looking down her nose towards Gorla, “My organization has had its borders violated by Peace Brigade ships. We have allowed them to come and go for our own reasons but we will no longer tolerate it. I was sent to put a stop to this, one way or another. I would prefer this matter be settled peacefully...I believe you would agree with me.”

A long, slow look was leveled on her from Gorla. He was trying to read her; trying to see if she had been bluffing. Marix was no fool. She had kept some truth in the lie, enough that it might just prove to be real. The kink in her current plan, though, was if Gorla did decide to negotiate...she would have to tell him where this violation occurred. She would have to shown him where the Gateway was.

She realized how stupid that was, walking herself into a corner like that. It was a stupid slipup and now it was too late. Marix had cornered herself and...and what bothered her the most about it is that it was something she never did! Jyren had done that constantly because he didn’t think ahead, just going with things as they went. Marix realized, then, that she had been doing exactly that since she’d left Alraxia. She’d not planned ahead at all. It was why she had bounced from target to target with no real destination.

There was no destination.

There was just some damned loose connection of occurrences and she was following them like she was blind! Running around the galaxy when her children were back on Alraxia traumatized because their father was dead.

That was it.

He was dead.

She hadn’t accepted it and simply had...gone on. Their link had been cut off so many times that it was easy to convince herself that he was alive, somewhere. He’d do what he always did and show up late to the party, but at the same time exactly when he needed to show up. It wouldn’t make any sense...it never did, but he’d be there. And as Marix looked at the disgusting Hutt in front of her, she realized that Jyren wouldn’t be there. That he was really, truly gone. That running around the galaxy like he would without someone to guide her around, as she had always done for him, would not bring him back. Nothing would.

Nothing would bring Jyren back.

Nothing in the galaxy could make things the way they were again. Marix’s other half was gone. Jyren had been a moral compass, of sorts, for her. Idealistic and stupid to the end, but he saw things in a way she couldn’t. He always tried to do what was right, no matter what obstacles were in the way. He was so...different than she was. And yet, they balanced one another perfectly. Her faults were his strengths, and his faults were her strengths. And he was gone.

Marix was accustomed to death. Everyone close to her seemed to die suddenly, and this only added to why she had become so internal. What was the point in becoming close to someone if they were just going to die and leave her worse for wear after? But...but Jyren wasn’t just another person. From the moment she’d brought him back in a new body, he was a part of her. And now she wondered what was the point of any of this. She was half of a person now...and had charged across the galaxy trying to find that other half but now, finally, realizing it wasn’t possible.

The Force broke in, alerting her to movement behind her. Marix did not turn her head to look. That was it. She had pushed the Hutt too far. Blasters were being drawn and aimed at her all around. The two Trandoshan next to her had withdrawn large vibroblades. The worst part of it all was that Marix had been so distracted that she had not detected the signal that was obviously given.

Reacting quickly, she shifted her foot from Venda’s back to the ground, and yanked the Jedi woman up to her feet before letting go of her, extending her claws, and spinning to the side to slash the nearest Trandoshan across the face. He cried in pain, hissing like a snake as the claw slash blinded him, and Marix’s other hand grabbed the reptilian’s wrist, snapped it, then snatched the vibroblade out of his hand when his large claws let go of it.

It had only take a second, and she now spun to use her newly-acquired weapon on the other Trandoshan. A loud snap-hiss caught her attention and by the time she had turned to strike, a bright green slash nearly blinded her vision. The green-white light faded into the darkness and Venda stood there, lightsaber in hand and an angry look on her face.

Marix met her gaze, knowing there wasn’t time for conversation. Because of this, all she said was, “We settle this once we’re out.”

That was about the time the rest of the Hutt’s lackeys fired their blasters. But they were ready.

Marix was ready.

For a disturbing few moments, she had wondered why she should go on. Marix had wondered what the point of living half of a life was. But the moment passed, and an answer came. The reason was simple. There were two of them. They were on Alraxia. They were scared. They were alone. And now, more than ever, they needed her.

 

[Ankh-Morpork Guard]

Just made it to the end of chapter 379 at the bottom of page 12...

I have to say I'm enjoying the story more now than I was before. Maybe it's the fact that you've linked your story to the Vong invasion, and thus that the story is now as much about the Vong invasion than Jyren and Mirax.I enjoyed the alternating between Jyren and Mirax chapters, especially when you left on a cliffhanger.

Glad to hear you're enjoing it more.

Though I have to point out something...Marix. Not Mirax. She was a smuggler, but isn't the daughter of a smuggler with a Star Destroyer...nor is she married to a Jedi/Pilot/former CorSec officer. Though I can see the comparison. And now I feel the need to drag my X-Wing books off the shelf again!

Some more thoughts about the Alraxian Empire - the more I read about it, the more it looks like a house of cards that will collapse at the faintest breeze. It's a wonder Alraxia became the head of an empire considering how pacifistic its inhabitants are. Also, the Tam'Day'U, the planet's most able defenders, being treated like dirt up until Mirax's reforms... Stupid. And while I can understand why living ships wouldn't like weapons incorporated into their bodies, they're going to be in real trouble should the Vong or any other species with heavy firepower decide to invade.

Like I said before...smart observations.

The real key to the Alraxian Empire's survival is pretty much soley a result of their isolation from the galaxy. With, essentially, one hyperspace route to the entire sector of space, they don't HAVE to worry about outside invasions beyond the Mrrakesh. Internal problems were solved millenia ago, hence the different species within the Empire being no problem at all or a reason to worry about uprising.

The Mrrakesh are the only real wrench in it all. The key to them not invading is that they're essentially the polar opposite of the Alraxian Empire. Where the Alraxians(and the other species within the Empire, though to a lesser extent) are a sort of hivemind and united very firmly. The Mrrakesh, on the other hand, are much more like the rest of the galaxy. They're very individualistic and their entire society is based on the strong taking what they can. In a sense, its a hyper-capitalist society. And because of this, they don't really band together at all to take the Alraxian Empire(not to mention not knowing the location of Alraxia for thousands of years). One group couldn't do it.

Now...if for some reason the Mrrakesh ARE united and brought together by a strong leader(they do have an elected leader, though the power he holds is completely dependant on the strength of the leader), THEN they become a major threat to the Alraxians.

Course, Alraxia isn't COMPLETELY defenseless. Their reason for development to the point they have reached is thanks to the help of the Jendari, who are an EXTREMELY powerful and advanced race. They're the strong pacifists, and have been the ones to help the Alraxians grow since they were created and pushed them to the same ideal. But the Jendari have protected the Alraxians before(the ancient Darkwing Wars), which means they are capable of stepping in if necessary.

Speaking of the Vong, you managed to reproduce the aura of unknown but powerful threat they had at the beginning of the NJO. I've never liked that the Vong's coralskippers were more agile than even A-Wings... But hey, the Japanese had better planes than the Americans when they started fighting in WWII.

Hopefully I can keep that up.

While a lot of people hated the NJO, I loved it. Probably some of the love is because I've always been a huge fan of Jacen Solo(and I should also mention that Traitor is probably the best Star Wars novel I've read...and reread...and reread...etc), but there's something about the Vong that I always enjoyed.

I especially love how similar they are to Alraxians, while being completely different at the same time. The whole 'living things as technology' that they both have going and their aversion to metal(for different reasons). In a way, the Vong are what the Alraxians could have been without the guidance of the Jendari.

Also, I've just thought of something... If Jyren's lightsaber is human-sized - as it must be since it was his mother's - then wouldn't it be a rather short weapon for a three meter-tall Alraxian?

...technically, yes.

Though lightsabers are usually big enough to be comfortably held in a two-handed grip for human-sized beings. They would be a bit small, but it wouldn't be too much different from say, a Wookie with a lightsaber. Two handed grip would be hard to do, but it wouldn't be a problem to weild a lightsaber in one hand.

...but if I were in reaching distance you'd get a No. 9 boot to the tail for that one.

 

[Krafus]

Well, I've caught up with the latest updates...

Wow. Didn't expect that Jyren would have to sacrifice himself. Especially when it seemed he was finally starting to mature. Ah well.

Looks like you've replaced him with Rulae and Tobias' POVs. I have to say I'm really enjoying Tobias' POV - I like to see Jedi training. His Master is also an interesting character, and I hope you'll develop him in upcoming updates. I also hope Tobias will develop a particular skill of his own, like Marix's rapid regeneration.

Speaking of Marix, I know I've misspelled her name a number of times - and yes, I've read the X-Wing novels and know who Mirax Terrik (now Horn) is. But you have to admit, it's an easy mistake to make. Oh, and has Rea exceeded her leave time?

So the Alraxians' military weakness finally caught up to them. I could barely believe my eyes when I read the part about thirty Kanyaks attacking the Mrrakesh. That's all?! I thought to myself. In an Empire numbering billions, one would expect at least a few tens of thousands people able to fight at the very least. Hopefully the Jendari will be able to compensate for the Alraxians' weakness. Btw, did you model the Jendari on the Caamasi? The former reminds me of the latter, with the exception of the Jendari's military bent.

 

[Ankh-Morpork Guard]

Well, I've caught up with the latest updates...

Wow. Didn't expect that Jyren would have to sacrifice himself. Especially when it seemed he was finally starting to mature. Ah well.

Well, we can't have Jyren being mature...had to cut that one off before it got dangerous for everyone.

Looks like you've replaced him with Rulae and Tobias' POVs. I have to say I'm really enjoying Tobias' POV - I like to see Jedi training. His Master is also an interesting character, and I hope you'll develop him in upcoming updates. I also hope Tobias will develop a particular skill of his own, like Marix's rapid regeneration.

Oh, and has Rea exceeded her leave time?

I'm glad you're enjoying Toby's stuff. My real worry with that is it could come across as the whole amazing kid syndrome that can take over too many things. But yes, Rulae(who I, personally, love), Toby, and Master Ral are going to be sticking around for a good long time. Same with Rea and most of the surviving Zephyrs. After so much time with it only being Jyren and Marix, its about time some others stepped into the picture.

...and yes, Rea has been gone a while. To be honest, though, the passage of time isn't exactly accurate throughout. So if she has been gone too long, it isn't by much.

So the Alraxians' military weakness finally caught up to them. I could barely believe my eyes when I read the part about thirty Kanyaks attacking the Mrrakesh. That's all?! I thought to myself. In an Empire numbering billions, one would expect at least a few tens of thousands people able to fight at the very least. Hopefully the Jendari will be able to compensate for the Alraxians' weakness. Btw, did you model the Jendari on the Caamasi? The former reminds me of the latter, with the exception of the Jendari's military bent.

Technically, the Jendari aren't mine so I didn't create them/model them after the Caamasi. I can see the resemblance now that you mention it, though, but they're more the stereotypical 'wise, elder race' type. They're like most similar races in that they are peaceful and heart(hence pushing the Alraxians along that path), but at the same time they were around for the first Darkwing Wars...they know the value of defense. In a sense, its Jyren's mentality in an entire species: They will fight the fights to shield the other races in their care from having to be forced into the fights.

 

[Krafus]

I'm glad you're enjoying Toby's stuff. My real worry with that is it could come across as the whole amazing kid syndrome that can take over too many things.

Don't worry about that. I've read about enough Mary Sues/Gary Stus to know Tobias isn't one. For one thing, he actually has to work to gain new powers, and is taking his share of bruises along the way, instead of having every shiny new thing and ability dumped into his lap in a tidy package. (If you ever want to read about a Mary Sue in a novel, I recommend, shuddering, Elizabeth Haydon's Symphony of Ages trilogy, where a woman named Rhapsody is the very incarnation of that cliché.)

 

[Angcuru]

Well, we can't have Jyren being mature...had to cut that one off before it got dangerous for everyone.

Of course not! One day, comprehending rational thought, the next....who knows? *waves around crazy Jyren as Galactic Emperor picture that doesn't actually exist*

 

[Ankh-Morpork Guard]

Chapter 464: Choices

It felt like it had been years since Tobias had seen hyperspace. But now he sat in a small shuttle next to Master Ral, staring out at the swirling, blue tunnel that seemed surprisingly unique every single time. Somewhere out there, not far from them, was Rea in her X-Wing. They had left Yavin IV not an hour earlier, heading for Bothawui to meet with the fleet that was, apparently, gathering there.

But something about that was bothering Tobias.

“You should rest,” Master Ral said quietly.

Tobias turned to see that the Omwati Jedi Master had his eyes closed and, to everything he could tell, was asleep. But the latter was obviously not true. Sometimes Toby wondered if it was the fact that Ral was a Jedi Master or an Omwati that made him so hard to read. At first, he’d assumed it was the Omwati end of things, but the more he got to know the man, the more he started to think it was part of being a Jedi.

“Something is troubling you,” the Jedi Master said in the same voice, but this time opened his eyes.

Though there was no spoken question, Tobias could feel one being implied. He nodded and then did the intelligent thing and got straight to the point, “Master, what are we doing?”

Master Ral shifted slightly in his seat, adjusting the heavy robe he wore and then said in a matter-of-fact way, “To assist the New Republic.”

“Yes, but...” Toby sighed, knowing he should have expected this to be harder than just asking a rather vague question and getting the answer he wanted. So, after thinking it over quickly, he attempted a more direct approach, “We aren’t part of the military, though...and...isn’t this a Navy operation? What good are we to that?”

Tobias had a feeling that Master Ral knew what he was asking the first time. However, with this more specific question, the Jedi Master outwardly acknowledged the question’s depth, “You know there are Jedi among the fleet. They feel divided between Jedi and military allegiances. Despite this, they are Jedi. We are going to meet with one such Jedi that is stationed aboard one of the ships currently waiting at Bothawui. Beyond that, the Force will guide us.”

“But...” this next part Tobias was almost afraid to say. But when he noticed a change in his Master’s expression that showed a detection of this fear, Tobias quickly just said it, “But don’t they blame Jedi for Ithor? For...for not doing what they think we should be doing? For every little thing anyone can?”

A solemn expression passed over the blue face of his Master, who slowly nodded, “Times are tense, Tobias. You know that people will panic in times like these...as we were once protectors of the galaxy, we are an easy target for blame. But this does not mean we cannot help. Nor does it mean that the military will not accept our assistance.”

Tobias sighed, still not understanding, “But they hate us.”

“They do not understand us,” Master Ral corrected in his usual calm voice, “But how they feel towards us does not change what we must do...only how we go about it. If the commander aboard the fleet does not wish for our help or for us to board his ships to meet with our Jedi friend, then we will find more indirect ways to assist him...and we shall meet with our friend on the surface of the planet before the fleet leaves.”

It was hard to fight that. There was something disturbingly reasonable there. The logic was simple, but it made perfect sense. Still, it amazed Tobias that despite the current anti-Jedi bent that the galaxy, and the New Republic’s government, seemed to be taking, that the Jedi were willingly throwing themselves into the fight. He was unsure whether he could do that without the push from someone like Master Ral. Maybe that was why he was still an apprentice. Probably at least one part of that, at least, though he doubted that was the only reason.

Then an odd thought popped into Tobias’ mind. He started to find himself wanting to be back on Yavin IV. At least there he knew what to expect...mostly. But now he was heading into an unknown. Master Ral wouldn’t take him if he wasn’t ready, but that didn’t change how Tobias felt. He still lacked so many things that he knew a Jedi needed. And now he was going out to the rest of the war-torn galaxy, to a battle fleet preparing an ambush of the Yuuzhan Vong. Nothing like that had been tried so far, to his knowledge.

“Master,” he found himself speaking as the thoughts trailed off, “What do you...what do you feel about this?”

Not how. What.

Master Ral shifted again to regard Tobias. He understood the question well enough, and after a moment of considering, said softly, “I believe that we are coming upon a very important moment in this war. I cannot say for who or what that means at all...but what happens here will change the war.”

Tobias bit his lower lip, “The last person to say something like that was my father. And then...then the Vong attacked our home and he went and gave his life to protect our home.”

“He saw a point in the Force that he had to act on,” Master Ral answered, drawing on the various things that Toby had told him and what sounded like his own interpretation of things, “You know that the Force calls to us. If we follow its guidance, we will usually find ourselves at a point where we must make a choice. Sometimes these choices are small, but that is rare. If you are calm and at peace, you can discern what the Force requires of you...” he paused a moment, then brought it to the more sensitive subject, “Your father had to decide what to do when he found himself at a critical point that the Force had guided him to. He did what he did because he felt it was what the Force was telling him. It does not mean the choice was easy, but the important thing in those moments is to trust the Force and to trust yourself.”

Tobias managed a slow nod, trying to ignore the sharp pain that this discussion had brought about in him. It was his own fault, but that didn’t change the fact that it had reopened a still fresh wound. He could see Jyren’s face as Marix was dragging him out. As he was screaming and clawing at her. And Jyren looked like Tobias had never seen him. There was a pain clearly visible, but at the same time, something oddly calm there. He knew the choice he had made. He could have walked away and left with them as Tobias had wanted, but he didn’t. Jyren stayed and made sure that the Alraxian Empire was safe.

“I don’t ever want to have to make a choice like that,” Tobias said quietly, more to himself than to his Master.

But Master Ral heard him, “Some of us never have to. But we must learn to listen to the Force and understand it so that if that day ever comes...we do the right thing.”

 

[Ankh-Morpork Guard]

Chapter 465: Both Sides

Four bright flashes of white dashed across the green blaze that had crossed Marix’s vision, accompanied by a sound that was quite unique...but she knew it well. In the blink of an eye, four of Gorla’s lackeys were dropped by their own blaster bolts. In that same blink of an eye, the two targets of the remaining blaster bolts had moved, and the rest of the shots hit the wall just to Gorla’s side, getting a surprised noise from the Hutt.

Venda had ducked and gone left, her green lightsaber trailing behind her as she charged straight for the nearest pair of legs which looked to belong to a Trandoshan and a Rodian. A clean sweep of her lightsaber removed their legs from the rest of their bodies, and she was up again to deflect another pair of blaster bolts...though this time just away from her, without any time to actually aim them back at their origins. She was face to face with a myriad of very angry looking beings, all of whom were holding some kind of weapon. While she didn’t really want to kill any of them, this group didn’t look to feel the same.

The Force screamed at her and she swung her lightsaber towards the warning, taking off a green hand that was coming at her face with a vibroblade. The owned of the hand screamed and fell back, and Venda had no time to identify its species before the Force was yelling at her again. The chaos was almost too much for her, but she sidestepped the blaster shot to her face, sending her right into a large, wrinkled Weequay. At this point, her danger sense wasn’t letting up and Venda wasn’t able to discern what, exactly, was going on...so she simply let the Force guide her actions.

She stepped left, away from a jab from the Weequay’s vibrodagger that would have easily dug into her stomach. Her left hand let go of the lightsaber and she sent an elbow into the Weequay’s face, while her right hand sent the lightsaber into a long, sweeping arc that cut across three other figures that she had no time to identify. An elbow was not enough to stop the Weequay, and had only give her enough time to take another step away from him. Already, he was diving in at her, and Venda quickly responded by calling on the Force.

An invisible hand took hold of the unsuspecting alien and flung him away, into a larger group and putting a good ten people out of the fight for at least a short time. When her eyes returned to her lightsaber and the rest of the attackers, Venda watched a grey blur shoot across her vision. Two Twi’leks were dropped, bleeding far more than should have been possible, before her eyes were able to catch up with the movement and identify Marix.

The Alraxian had quickly dispatched five of the larger creatures that were around them, finding that her new vibroblade, which was more a dagger in her hands, was quite a good weapon. Even with the sonic vibration turned off, she felt it was cheating and had thumbed off the power switch the second the weapon had entered her hand, Marix had no trouble cutting through the tough hides of the many Trandoshans that Gorla had in his employ. With the two Twi’leks down, both of which had been drawing blasters, Marix reversed the grip on the blade while ducking under a punch from another of the reptillian Trandoshan.

Being taller than the scaled alien, she had to duck a long way, but it was easy enough and Marix quickly whipped the vibroblade across its stomach and them back across his chest. There had been armour, but she was strong enough to cut straight through it without even worrying about the Force. Something touched her tail, which had been extended for balance, and Marix didn’t even turn to look at what the offending object had been before spinning around and kicking out the legs from under the approaching attacker.

With a heavy thud and a loud grunt, a pig-like Gamorrean fell onto its back. Marix was currently in a very focused mode. The threats needed to be completely eliminated as fast as possible before one of them got a lucky shot in. Because of this, she was immediately on the Gamorrean when he hit the stone floor, driving her blade into her neck to make sure he wouldn’t get up.

There wasn’t time to care about just knocking people unconscious. It needed to be fast. The small part of her mind that was able to think while the rest of her was on autopilot was glad that Venda wasn’t lecturing her on some Jedi ideal about not killing. Not that Jyren ever had, but he’d thought it a few times.

A loud thrumming sound went straight over her and Marix hesitated before getting to her feet again. She glanced to the side, seeing another Twi’lek drop, but this one with a long, red-orange burn streak across his chest. A lightsaber wound. This Jedi woman seemed to know how to fight, at least. Sometimes, Marix couldn’t help but wonder if Jedi knew how to do that through all the philosophy.

When she was up again, her ears caught a sound close by to her. Eyes darted to her left to see a metallic sheen moving towards her outstretched arm. A split second was all Marix had to decide on a reaction, and what she chose would, later, surprise even her. Instead of simply allowing the blade to cut into her arm, her arm remorphed. The sound of metal hitting metal echoed through the stone chamber and a shocked Rodian staggered back. He never knew what had happened, because before he was able to take a second step backwards, Marix’s vibroblade slashed across his upper chest.

Her arm returned to its normal flesh before anyone could have been the wiser. But as Marix turned to find another threat, she realized the attack had died. The only other standing being in the large chamber was Venda, holding her green lightsaber out in front of a group of about twelve humanoids of various species who were sprawled out across the ground. They looked like they wanted to find a way to attack the Jedi woman, but seemed to be realizing that they wouldn’t get far before losing a limb like many of their companions had.

Marix’s eyes scanned the ground. Limbs were more common than bodies. The former were all close to Venda, while the latter were from Marix’s path. So she was a Jedi after all. Maim before killing. It was quite a noble idea, but cutting off one arm, or hand, of an assailant usually just left them one armed, and angrier than before. Whether they were ambidextrous or not didn’t seem to matter, in Marix’s experience, as they’d find a way to attack one way or another. Oh well. Beyond the other groaning beings on the ground behind her, it seemed that Venda had the able-bodied ones under control.

Silvery-violet eyes turned on the stunned Hutt, “I have tried to be civil, Gorla. Apparently, that is not possible with you. So you have a choice now. You can tell me what I want to know or I can kill you and dig it out of your database.”

“You couldn’t break the encryption!” the Hutt bellowed at her, though there was something in his voice that made him sound very uneasy.

Marix took a simple step forward, standing in a way to let the vibroblade in her hand come into view. It was still a mess as she didn’t bother to clean it off at all. A subtle show that she was not playing anymore, “You are not in a position to make such assumptions. Perhaps I cannot break the encryption, if you even bother to have one in your little hole, but I can kill you and find someone to break it for me.”

The Hutt said nothing. His eyes remained just as wide as they had been since the fighting had stopped. That was signal enough to Marix.

She motioned to Gorla with the vibroblade, “What do you expect to gain by working with the Vong?”

Back to questioning, though this time she had a feeling she’d get more direct answers.

Of course, Gorla didn’t respond right away. So Marix took another step closer to him so that he was nearly within her reach and narrowed her eyes, “You would not sign a treaty with them if you did not have something to gain. You also would be on your so-called beautiful homeworld of Nal Hutta if you truly believed it. So you’re playing both sides, then. You do not trust the Vong, do you?”

Again, Gorla said nothing...but he didn’t need to. Marix could see his reaction. Hutts were not easy to read, but she’d had years of experience to know that she was practically taking the words out of Gorla’s head. Not that she was, Hutts were surprisingly difficult to read through the Force, but sometimes instincts were just as good, if not better, than the Force.

Even so, Marix moved within a meter of the oversized slug, “It is amazing that you have not learned that you cannot play both sides in a war. Staying neutral is one thing, but you want to gain something from both...which means that no matter who ends up victorious in this war, you lose,” she let that point hang in the air before reaching up with the blade again, putting it just against the Hutt’s leathery skin.

“Marix...” that was Venda, from behind her and obviously not liking where this was going.

Marix didn’t care.

Though her eyes couldn’t narrow anymore, her ears flattened slightly instead and Marix said through very sharp teeth, “If you do not tell me where the Peace Brigade is based, I will cut out your eye.”

“There...there is no base...” so the Hutt was listening, after all.

“Why are you working with them?”

Gorla’s eyes glanced to the blade that was a little too close, “Jedi...they...get in my business...Peace Brigade keeps them out...”

Now this was going somewhere.

“So the Peace Brigade aren’t just Vong sympathizers, then,” she said softly, but in a voice that could cut through a Star Destroyer, “You want the Jedi out of your business...ignoring the fact that this has obviously failed, why do you go to the Peace Brigade for that?”

Gorla just stared at her. Marix saw something in his eyes. They shifted just slightly, away from the blade. Movement.

Before the Force could even warn her of the attack, Marix was moving. She went up, jumping straight over the powerful tail that swung through where she had been. Of course Gorla wouldn’t give in that easily. Fine. This was over with.

Marix hit the ground and dug the vibroblade into the nearest piece of Hutt she could find. It was just above his eyes, and she immediately dragged the blade down and went through with an earlier threat. Gorla cried out in a massive roar that nearly shook the entire chamber, thrashing as he did. Not wanting to be hit by the tail, Marix moved out of the way as quickly as she could.

Venda was yelling something indistinct that was hard to hear through Gorla’s cries of pain, but Marix didn’t care. When she found what she was looking for, she hefted a blaster pistol, silently cursed the damned things, then unloaded what was left of the power pack into the Hutt.

He had died long before she had finished depleting the weapon’s power.

She dropped the blaster to the stone floor and turned to see a shocked Venda staring at her. Marix just looked past the blonde haired woman and to the group she was keeping at bay, “Where is the data center for this place?”

It was a Twi’lek that answered her, though his voice was shaky, he obviously didn’t want to see what else Marix was capable of, “Do...down the corridor...its...fourth room on the left...”

“Guards?”

He managed to look embarrassed, “I...was the guard...”

Good.

Marix picked up another blaster pistol as she walked over to the exit to the chamber, and as she passed Venda said simply, “I am leaving.”

She then left the room, not even waiting for Venda to answer. Marix had what she needed, and before she left she’d destroy all of the computers and databases that Gorla had. Any record he might have of where Alraxia was would be wiped out. And now she knew that there was more to the Peace Brigade than it had seemed at first. Perhaps this random trip around the galaxy hadn’t been such a childish adventure after all.


((Sorry for the delay on the update...longer than usual and I ended up wanting to post something with it so it had to wait. So...attached is another of the cast images I've been working on plus a little something extra: The last thing Gorla and his lackeys saw.))

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[Ankh-Morpork Guard]

Chapter 466: Coming and Going

Rulae Nok stared blankly out the viewport to the scene in front of him. Hyperspace. Emptiness. Not an hour earlier, he had reached the transports on the ground and been taken, aboard a New Republic troop carrier, up to one of the Navy’s medical ships. He had been quickly treated, thankfully his injuries didn’t warrant any long term care, and by the time he was released from the ward they were in hyperspace.

He never even had a chance to see what the battle in space was like. He did know it was still going. The small amount of reports he was able to get said that the New Republic was doing their best to push the Vong back, and were even having success in some areas on Gyndine’s surface. Part of Rulae couldn’t help but wonder why so much effort was being put into defending that planet. It was a refugee center...get the people off and use the already stretched Navy to protect more important planets.

Rulae let out a sigh and shook his head. There was a reason he was just a squadron leader. Politics started to heavily weigh in any decision once the ranks went past that position.

But, at least there was some good news. While resting in this small observation lounge aboard the ship, an officer had stepped in and given him a datapad with rather important information on it. His two red eyes turned down again to glance at the screen on the small device.

So the New Republic was finally taking action. The higher ups had a plan. It looked like that, while the fighting would still continue on Gyndine, they were assuming it would be lost. From there, two very major planets were left open to direct hyperspace jumps: Corellia and Bothawui. Both very far Coreward compared to the current Vong activities. Both were planets that the New Republic couldn’t afford to lose. But instead of defending each planet, which would not be too difficult, High Command was setting a trap.

The New Republic fleet was currently at Bothawui to draw the Vong to a wide open Corellia. And it was a very large fleet. From the quick look of the ships amongst it, there were at least three fleets consolidated into one. Not only that, but the report said that other fleets from large systems were possible additions. The most notable was a possible Hapan fleet. Apparently it was still being negotiated, as the Hapan were attempting to stay out of the war if they could...some probably hated them for it, but Rulae couldn’t blame them.

Of course, the most interesting part of the entire report was the part specific for him. Apparently Zephyr Squardon would be in the air for the ambush. Or at least, the four of them that were around would. To his surprise, they would not be attached to another squadron but would operate as one despite being a third of the size they should have been. That told Rulae the higher ups were serious about this ambush. They were going to win this fight and cause the constant advance of the Vong to stop suddenly.

The hope seemed to be that recoil from a sudden victory would given the New Republic time to mount an all out offensive and take worlds back. It was a good plan.

Whether it would work, though, was another question entirely. Either way, though, Rulae was glad that he’d be back in the cockpit.

* * * *​

“Don’t you have your own way off this planet?” Marix asked as she turned around to see Venda stepping out of Gorla’s little enclave deep under Ryloth’s surface. She’d made sure to check the remainder of the place, which was surprisingly small considering the amount of people that Gorla had working for him, and made sure to completely destroy every computer terminal. There would be nothing left to salvage. She hadn’t bothered checking them for information she could use, as she was simply not a slicer and wouldn’t be able to get around the defenses that would definitely be there.

The Jedi woman still held her lightsaber in hand, though it was deactivated. There was an almost disgusted look on her face, “What was that, in there?”

Marix rolled her eyes. It was like Jyren was back from the grave, except blonde, female, and somehow a thousand times more annoying, “That was doing what I came here to do.”

“You’ll just kill anyone that gets in your way?”

Again, she rolled her eyes. But this time she motioned past Venda towards where they had both just left with her vibroblade (it was a good blade and Marix didn’t have the heart to just leave it behind), “Those kind of people will kill you if you turn your back on them.”

“I left that group alive,” Venda said in a voice that was even more annoying than before. It was almost as if she was trying to prove she was on higher moral ground than Marix...damned Jedi, “And they didn’t kill me when I left.”

“They didn’t kill you because they couldn’t see me,” Marix growled at the woman, “Like it or not, its over with. I’m not some idealistic little idiot who’s going to get themself killed trying to hold to some stupid ideal without any thought to how the galaxy actually works!”

By the end of the sentence, she was yelling. The outburst caused Venda to just stare in surprise. But then, after a moment, the woman’s expression somehow softened and she spoke in a much quieter voice, “I’m sorry. I didn’t realize I was that much like—“

”If you finish that sentence I will cut your throat out,” her voice was ice cold. There was not a blank expression on Marix’s face. Instead, it was an obvious attempt at holding back something much closer to rage than anger. The silence held, and then Marix finally lowered the blade in her hand, turned, and started to leave. She clearly remembered the path to take to get back to where she’d come down into this level.

She also clearly heard footsteps behind her. After a few turns to reach the larger shaft that looked to be some kind of underground transport between Ryloth’s major cities, Venda finally spoke up from a meter or so behind Marix, “I came here on a civilian transport following the rumours about a Hutt that helped broker the deal with the Vong.”

So Venda didn’t have a way off the planet.

Marix’s mood had not calmed at all, but she still had enough control over herself to keep her voice perfectly even, “I must return to my home. I found what I needed to find.”

That was only partially true. To tell the full truth, she would have to openly admit that she had left Alraxia to find Jyren despite knowing he was gone. Maybe accepting that, despite the anger it was fueling in her now, meant she did find what she needed to. No. No that was just even more infuriating!

The Force damn him! She couldn’t even think straight...

“And its all his fault!” suddenly lashing out, Marix slammed her fist into the stone wall and dug a good sized hole into it in the process.

Again, she caught herself too late.

Marix’s mind was a mess. The usual calm was suddenly gone and she couldn’t stop the chaos. She barely understood any of it, and even after a decade of truly getting used to having...well...emotions and feelings, they still didn’t make any sense to her. Living without them had been so easy. Everything made sense. Do the job, come home. Repeat. No care about how people felt or any trash like that. Nothing ever got in the way. She had been effective!

Even during that time she was effective enough...though emotions would get in the way she would still do the job! But now...now this damned emptiness was causing a pure chaos that was beyond anything she’d ever experienced!

Closing her eyes, Marix bit her lower lip so hard that she could taste blood. Quietly, she whispered, “Damn you, Jyren.”

“I can find my own way off of this planet,” Venda said from about the same distance back. Hopefully she hadn’t hurt the whisper...but she probably had...

“No,” Marix shook her head, wondering right away why she was saying it. She found a rational for the thought, though whether it was a lie she was telling herself or not, Marix didn’t know, “Word is going to get to Gorla’s lackeys soon that he’s dead and that we’re behind it. You stay, you die. Jedi or not.”

Marix said nothing else. She managed to compose herself, outwardly at least, and continued on. She was too busy trying to put her mind in order to care about the fact that she had just told Venda to follow her.

 

[Ankh-Morpork Guard]

Chapter 467: Change of Plans

“Faban Sunrunner has resumed his contact with the Mrrakesh despite the heavy security around him. How he managed this is still being worked out, but for the moment he is under constant watch and hasn’t left the sight of his guards. It is unknown how much he has relayed to them, as the only way with know of this at all is because of your cousin, Kato, coming forward that she was contact by him. However, he did not relay her any vital information at all.

“The damage is already done. From what Kato gave me, all we know is that he is attempting a power grab again. He seems to feel that he needs her if he wants any power at all. You know that the Empire wouldn’t just accept a random ruler in your stead, and Kato is still the next in line until Andrea is old enough. I wouldn’t expect he has many backup plans but that does not matter.

“The Jendari have been alerted to keep a close eye on the Mrrakesh border, but they report no increased activity. Since their guarding of the border has started, the Mrrakesh have kept their distance and that looks like it has not yet changed. Despite this, though, I am worried and I am unsure of what action to take. It is possible that Faban is not acting with the entire Mrrakesh Combine’s wishes, and simply a small group. But if we act at all against any of them, with the current situation they will band together against us.”

The image of Jyren’s father, Navik Kero shook his head and looked down slightly before looking back up, “I know it is dangerous to send this message to you, Marix, but there was no choice. I am sorry that it seems to be one problem after another...” he sighed and made an effort to not look exhausted, “The twins are doing well...but they miss you. I hope that you can return to us soon. If not for the Empire, then for them.”

And then the image faded, leaving the cockpit and viewport to be seen clearly.

[I can...drop out of hyperspace soon and change course.] Loki said very carefully. He had noticed Marix’s mood the second she and Venda had come aboard, and was doing his best to just be helpful and not make things more difficult. This news didn’t seem to help. He had received it not long after she had left, but had simply waited for Marix to get back to tell her about it and hadn’t even looked it over himself despite the boredom that came with sitting around in a hangar for hours.

Marix considered this.

They were headed for Yavin IV to drop off Venda, who was currently in Loki’s small galley meditating or something like that. It wasn’t much of a detour to go to Yavin first, but it would add at least a day to the trip...depending on the war. The longer it went on, the harder it was becoming to move to and from Alraxian space, which was towards the entrance corridor the Yuuzhan Vong had taken into the galaxy.

After a few moments to think it over, she decided there really wasn’t any choice and said in a soft voice that Loki wouldn’t have heard if he wasn’t the ship, “Yes...yes do that.”

Loki went about checking their relative position and noting that it would be a short few minutes before he was sure they were in empty space to drop out into. While he waited, he found his focus shifting again to his old friend, Marix. She had returned with the human woman in a mood that he’d only ever seen in her once before.

Back then, they were both children. Very young children and she probably didn’t remember it very well...but Kanyaks had strong memories even from their early years. It had been roughly an Alraxian year before she was taken by Faban Sunrunner to be trained as a Tam’Day’U, and her older brother, Tobias, had died. She had just closed up and hadn’t ever been the same since. The Tam’Day’U training didn’t help that.

[Marix...]

Her ear shifted slightly to the side despite the fact that the voice was completely in her mind. In the same quiet voice, she asked, “What is it?”

Loki was as inexperienced with these kind of things as Marix was. Despite that, though, he felt like he had to at least try. [Is there anything I can do to help...? I mean...beyond heading home right now.]

“Just gets us home, Loki,” Marix said softly as she got to her feet and started out of the cockpit. She stopped, though, and put her hand on the bulkhead that divided the small corridor from the cockpit. After standing there a moment, she gave the bulkhead an affectionate pat, “Thank you.”

Marix then made her way to the galley. She found Venda sitting at the single table that was against the wall and the Force was resonating off of her. But when Marix stepped into the small room, the strong feeling in the Force faded and Venda opened her closed eyes. She looked up to Marix curiously, but didn’t actually say anything. Like Loki, she knew something was wrong with Marix...but unlike Loki, Venda had no experience dealing with Marix and from the outbursts earlier, decided it was best to leave her be.

“We’re changing course,” Marix said in a droid-like, flat voice, “It is necessary for me to return to my home without delay. When we arrive at the Gateway I will attempt to find you a ship to take you back to Yavin, but I cannot promise that one is available.”

Venda at least knew a small amount about the Alraxians. It was a great deal more than most of the galaxy knew, and it mostly centered around their isolation. Because of this, she felt the need to ask, “If there isn’t one?”

Marix held the human woman’s gaze for a short time before saying something she knew that later she would regret, “Then you will stay with me until there is time to find you a ship.”

The Jedi managed a half bow while she was still seated, “Thank you.”

And that was that. Marix didn’t have the willpower to care about anything beyond what needed to be relayed, and so turned and decided to head to her quarters and try to get some rest. But as she stepped out into the corridor, Venda’s voice stopped her, “I know that we barely know each other but...can I help at all? I can be an ear to listen if nothing else.”

Marix stood there at first, but never turned around. Her tail flicked slightly, but Venda likely assumed that just happened and would have had no idea that it showed Marix was annoyed. Everyone wanted to help, it seemed. It was like being surrounded by Jyrens...the last thing she needed at the moment.

But her voice remained in the same flat tone and she said simply, “There is nothing either of you can do,” unbeknownst to Venda, Marix was also speaking to Loki at the same time, “Unless you can talk sense into the dead or change the past, there is nothing you can do.”

Without waiting for any response, not that one would come from either of the two listening, Marix walked off to Loki’s small, makeshift hangar. It was not the original plan, but at this point it seemed like nothing was going as planned, anyway.