Viknid's Adventures: 1

Spd7693

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A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away...

The confrontation between the Republic and the Sith Empire is still going on. The most outrageous fights are in the OUTER RIM, but this doesn't stop the Empire to try and seize control over the small territories they have in the CORE WORLDS.

As both sides are trying to re-colonize the Outer Rim world of TARIS, a former city-like planet, destroyed centuries ago, the world has become an ideal place for smuggling, pirating and other out of law activities.

VIKNID, a young JEDI KNIGHT, is setting course to the planet in order to investigate the presence of another Jedi, the Order troublingly never knew about...

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Viknid's ship landed on Taris' first new colony after the reestablishment attempts. As he asked around, he received information about that other "Jedi" was operating around the pirate fields. Supposedly just trying to fend them off and bring back things they had stolen. He knew this person could have good intentions. But a disturbance in the Force troubled him. He rapidly mounted a speeder and raced towards the suspect's last known location.
 
“What’s a Jedi doing this far from the core worlds?” Saadro Vatriph heard as he felt the muzzle of a blaster press into his back. Letting out a deep sigh, he placed some credits on the bar. “Buying myself a drink.” He said as he moved to slowly turn around. As he did he felt the blaster press firmly. “Don’t move. Try anything funny and I’ll blaster you full of holes.” In one swift motion Saadro’s lightsaber disconnected from his belt and the blue blade ignited through the blaster the would be attacker’s torso. Just as quickly as the blade extended, it retracted and reconnected to Saadro’s belt. He didn’t even turn to see the assailant. He could pretty well sense what was occurring in the room. Hearing the body crumple to the floor, he motioned to the bar tender for another drink.
 
Just at that moment Viknid was entering the bar. He managed to recognize the sounds. He smiled at the sight he was seeing. Slowly he approached the person as the attacker was carried away. The Miraluka registered all that were looking at all this. "You could have persuaded him not to shoot, my friend." He said to the other one. But he felt strange. The Force really was radiating from this person. Something seemed wrong.
 
As the Jedi entered the bar, he swore internally. He had gone so long bouncing from outer rim planets, avoiding Jedi, only to have to blown now. When the Jedi addressed him, he finished his drink and turned slowly. Putting on a brave face. Steeling his emotions and making himself as hard to read as possible. “The people out here only understand one language, and once someone draws a blaster, it’s pretty much assumed someone’s going in a body bag.” He looked the other Jedi up and down. Young, but no braid. Only freshly a Knight. Play on his insecurities. “Where’s your master? Surely the Council didn’t send someone so young to a place like this?”
The crowd in the bar was getting restless. A few of the less brave patrons had already started to quietly leave. A few of the braver or dumber patrons had moved their hands to their blasters, seeing the payout they would receive from the Sith Empire for two Jedi knights was an enticing offer.
 
Just as Viknid thought, the pair would start to attract attention. "I heed what you said." He responded, but still didn't put a hand on his lightsaber, because he still didn't think he needed to. "I think this is not a conversation to have here. But still I'll tell you my master has some Core World business." He sensed he would be a fool to tell them where Master Murak was. "And I feel we're attracting attention. Especially me." He himself knew how angry Lord Talaran was at him for imprisoning his assassin. He expected to meet him at some point, knowing what Sith were capable of.
 
“Then take a seat.” Saadro motioned to a nearby empty booth. “Everyone on this planet has a price on their heads, so they know better than to jump a couple of Jedi.” He turned and ordered himself another drink. “Loosen up, you’ll cause a scene.” He said as he walked past the blind Jedi.
 
Viknid grinned. He followed where the person he was talking to directed him to. "I figured. Taris has never been a nice place as some other Jedi mentioned. And what are you doing here?" The Miraluka asked. He ordered some Tarisian ale since he had never tried it. "I hear Tarisian ale is making money all through the Galaxy once again." He didn't want to be invasive to the strange "Jedi". After all, if he could make him his ally, it would be perfect both for the Order and the Republic.
 
“That’s above your clearance.” Saadro lied. Careful to keep his intentions hidden. “Speaking of which,” he paused to take a drink and steel himself. “I wasn’t made aware of any Jedi being dispatched out to Taris.” Saadro bluffed. If he could turn the line of questioning back towards this new Jedi, maybe he could get away without much of a fight. It would be such a shame to have to kill the young Jedi. The order would surely send more to investigate the death of one of their own.
 
Viknid chuckled. He sensed the mild fear and the hidden intentions in his conversation partner. Pushing would only make matters worse. 'This man might have a bounty on his head. And definitely not placed by the Hutts.' He thought to himself. So he spoke up about some of the tasks he had given himself upon getting on Taris. "I heard Taris has been turned into a big slave market and big hub for selling smuggled goods. So... Have you freed any slaves recently?"
 
“The Jedi order doesn’t care about slavery.” He took another sip of his drink. “Or smuggled goods. Otherwise the Coruscant Underworld wouldn’t be ridden with crime, and large swathes of the Outer Rim wouldn’t be owned crime families.” He paused. His eyes drawn to the window to their side. Glancing back at the Miraluka, he quickly grabbed the Jedi’s head and slammed it into the table, with probably a little too much force. Just as the blind Jedi’s head hit the table the window shattered and a blaster bolt whizzed past right where the blind Jedi’s head had been, and would have been if Saardo hadn’t acted. “You’ve got some ballsy enemies, or powerful ones.” He stood up and started walking towards the door. He had to get to the lower city.
 
Viknid didn't realize what was happening as the other man slammed his head into the table. He had been focused on reading the other one's words. There was no time for caring if his words were true or not. Immediately as he got up, he headed towards the window to look for his assassin. It was clear. This man either was aware this trip would have been used as a trap for the Sith to capture him, or had set the trap himself. One thing was sure - only a smuggler could talk like that. Unless they saw the Jedi ally with him, they weren't fond of them. Viknid knew he had powerful enemies. But these here seemed to be very talented. He rushed through the broken window, seeing his enemies. Not aware where that man was going. He would thank him when the time allowed. At the moment he had a goal in mind, so he sheathed his lightsaber the moment he was outside, waiting for more blaster bolts to be directed at him.
 
Saardo left the bar out the front door, and turned walking across the front of the building. His path taking him directly behind the blind Jedi. “Put that thing away, a scene is the last thing we want.” He roughly grabbed the back of the other Jedi’s collar. “This way.” He said curtly before letting go, making sure the other force wielder was following. He quickly removed his cloak and discarded it in the street. “There’s only one sniper with enough talent and balls on Taris to take a shot like that in broad daylight, and he often doesn’t hunt alone.” He explained. He was of course referring to the bounty Hunter known as Caleb. It wasn’t Caleb that had Saardo worried though. Having worked with him in the past, Caleb was little more than a skilled marksman, with a big ego. It was the Trandoshan Twins, Vesk and Dusk that had Saardo worried.
 
Viknid heard his companion. So it was not an entire army following him. He put his weapon away and finally followed. He wondered why he never felt those, feeling like a total fool. How didn't he feel any of this coming? How had he defeated a squadron of seventy Mandalorians if he was just being made a fool by one simple sniper? How did he take a few Sith Assassins only on his own? Why weren't his instincts working? What was this problem? "I understand. If this was not for you I would have been dead. But why do I sense nothing about it? I only sense... Presence. Presence of somebody strong." He didn't know who the target was or who would at all have this much bravery on Taris. He knew nothing of this Caleb or the two Trandoshans with him.
 
“Precisely because you’re looking for some big threat.” The human said as he was weaving through the crowd of people. Acutely aware the Jedi was following him. “A human sniper that has learned to mask his intent, is easy to miss. It can be as simple as reciting sabacc moves to keep your mind off what your doing.” He was making a bee line for an elevator. “You have to calm down. Think about what’s happening. Now, why did you come to Taris?”
 
Viknid relaxed, but knew this man could be as dangerous. He had to tell him as masked as needed, but knew the human already knew the truth. He had to say something as quickly. But the reason wouldn't be only one. "First of all, I sense I already completed the task the Council gave me. They're simply troubled by the fact they know there is a Jedi here, they don't know of, and wanted me to investigate this case. They also gave me an order to see how the new colony was going and what improvements should be done to it. Thirdly, to investigate if there really are Imperial colonies on Taris. And the last one is a task I gave myself. Republic scouts told me as I landed here in the last few months a few ships - the very same ships - are making regular trips between here and Kashyyyk. One of them looks Corellian and looks as if it has a writing "Barmaid" on it and some sort of a woman drawn on it. I can't see it for real, but... This was the reason I asked if you have freed some slaves. I have the feeling these ships are smuggling Wookiee slaves." And everybody knew of Kashyyyk's strategic location. Probably the Wookiee homeworld was going to be Viknid's next destination once his job here was done.
 
Saardo stopped in his tracks at the mention of potentially the Bar Maid. “A modified ZEUS X-31?” He asked, trying to confirm that was indeed his ship. While it wasn’t of Corellian design, he could see how the similar round shape could be mistaken for a YT series light freighter to an inexperienced spacer. His attention drawn to the Jedi’s words about what was likely the first real lead he had on his ship in over a year. He didn’t even notice that there was a seemingly dead patch in the force moving towards them. Not until he felt a sharp pain in his chest and found himself looking straight into a Trandoshan’s eyes. He looked down to see a Vibro-knife in his stomach and a Ysalamir strapped to the Trandoshan. He raised his hand in a futile attempt to call upon the force, but they were well inside the Ysalamir’s force negating bubble.
 
"That's how they described it." Viknid said, but then snapped. "Look out!" He managed to shout, but then he would feel crumbling. The Ysalamir almost made him lose all his vision. The fact he couldn't see enraged Viknid. The Miraluka would always feel in a really unpleasant way if they interacted with those. When he felt his other Force Powers diminished, he could do nothing else. He would know they could easily be captured by whatever was there, so all he could do was trust his instincts. He reached for his lightsaber. A few seconds later the Trandoshan's head would fall at the human's feet, but still Viknid couldn't react to the Ysalamir or see if there were more than them. He guessed why it could have been he couldn't sense Caleb back in the cantina. "W...Where... W...Where is that Ysalamir!" He said, not knowing what at all was happening to the other man, except that he felt hurt.
 
Grunting as he pulled the knife from his guts. “What in the tides of the force is a Ysalamir?” He said with contempt. He could taste the familiar metallic tang in the back of his throat. He stuck two fingers into the wound. Grunting, using the pain to steel himself. “You don’t fight like a Jedi.” He said gently nudging the dislodged Trandoshan head with his foot. He pushed on, careful not to let them get caught off guard again.
 
Only then Viknid realized what he had done as the Ysalamir probably was going away or also was dead. Only then he realized what he had done. But he didn't care. That Trandoshan had stabbed a friend, so it was OK to kill him. He smiled at the comment. "I'll... say later. You're bleeding!" He said and immediately picked him up. He attempted to run as fast as he could, avoiding some things. As he got to his speeder, he managed to get some bondages and a colto canister to help the other man. "Ysalamirs are worm-like species, known for absorbing the Force. They often negate all sorts of Force powers. We, Miraluka, don't like being around them since the Force is our only way to see." He said, while tending the other man's wounds. "My name is Viknid."
 
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