A Visit to Alderaan

[Kamon's OOC]

Barrien, having recovered from the ordeal on Neimoidia, sat aboard a shuttle that was taking him through space to the planet Alderaan. Forze, his protocol droid, was standing beside him as he stared out the viewport at the whiteness of hyperspace beyond. Gradually that solid field turned into small pricks of light as they reverted to real space not far from the planet. He sighed in relief.

[I do not think there was any reason to worry, Master Siegfried.]

"I'm still not used to being in space, Forza. That's all. I'll be fine."

The reason for going to Alderaan was simple. He had been studying in the archives, looking for something that he wanted to build, when he'd come across mention of ancient lightsaber weaponry that some of the more elite had used in the days of the Old Republic. That weaponry required particular ores in order to be useful. Alderaan had one such ore, and so he'd arranged for a meeting with a broker in order to purchase what he could get so that he could craft the things he wished to have for future battles.

[We should be landing soon, sir. Then you will be more at ease.]

"I have no doubt of that."

The sooner he was on solid ground the better.

 

[Kamon's OOC]

As the shuttle settled down on the planet, Barrien issued a sigh of relief and stood from his seat. Forza was already making his way towards the door, so Barrien didn't follow too closely to the droid. He admired the machines. They could, theoretically, last forever, but most of them did not view themselves as vastly superior to the various peoples of the galaxy. They were just another galactic inhabitant, even if they were created by other races.

Into the sun they walked. It was a beautiful day on the planet, he had to admit. They were not greeted by anyone, and he had not expected to be. Instead, he followed Forza as he headed into the port and made his way to where they could get a ride out to the mining districts. The droid hailed them a ride, and climbed in ahead of Barrien.

[Driver, take us to the west mining district. Office of one Chorus Amdi.]

"Fare will be hefty for that ride."

[It will be paid.]

"Alright. Better be."

The speeder took off and Barrien said nothing. He looked out through the side windows and watched the city give way to the countryside. Having no way of knowing how long it would take to get to their destination, he elected to focus on taking in what he could see while he was there.

 

[Kamon's OOC]

The trip wasn't as long as he would have expected it to be, but long enough that he was able to take in much of the beautiful planet. Had the technology level been different, he would have seen a lot of the elements of Oaken Dawn within this world. It made him reminisce of home. A soft sigh escaped him as he looked forward to see that they were approaching the communities that housed the mining and manufacturing practices of the world.

Eventually, after entering the city, they began to slow until they came to a stop outside of a large building. He looked upwards, taking it in.

"That'll be 500 credits."

[500 credits! That's outrageous! The scam you are-]

"Pay him, Forza. It's alright."

He gave the droid a pat and then exited the speeder. It was a steep price for the trip, but it was a necessary one. What he was doing he felt compelled to do. Having now faced not only the Sith, but the Yuuzhan Vong as well, in battle, he knew that to be truly pacifistic in nature was not an option. He was going to have to fight against them, and if he was going to do that, then he was going to have to be prepared for it.

Forza stepped out after paying, and instructing the driver to wait for them. The two walked into the building and approached the main reception desk, speaking to the droid behind it.

"We are here to see Chorus Amdi. He is expecting us."

 

[Kamon's OOC]

"Baron Siegfried?"

"Please just call me Barrien. My title means little here."

"Would you please follow me? Mr. Amdi will see you now."

Barrien stood and moved to follow the young woman. Forza moved along beside and a little behind him as they followed her into a lift which took them further up into the building. When it stopped, they all climbed out and walked down a short hall to a door which was much more ornate than the others. Vanity seemed even more of an issue in the galaxy proper than it ever had on his homeworld. He supposed their technology level could contribute to it.

She opened the door and motioned for them to enter. They did so, and were greeted by a robust man sitting behind a rather expansive desk. He wore a chipper expression, what little of the hair there was on his head bobbing each time he nodded it to them.

"Baron Siegfried. It's good to finally meet you."

The man stood and offered his hand. Barrien shook it, not bothering to ask him to just call him Barrien. This man was going to be about formalities.

"I understand you want to purchase some phrik. Expensive material, but we have some. Can I ask why you want it?"

"No price is too high to pay in defense of peace and the safety of the people of this galaxy, Mr. Amdi. I need it to make the equipment necessary for me to help with such."

"Interesting. Well, if you have the credits, we have the ore."

"I am a man of my word, Mr. Amdi."

 

[Kamon's OOC]

"Well, I believe that completes our business."

"Actually, I have been led to believe you have the capability of smelting this material down and combining it with another into prefabricated molds. Is that correct?"

"Yes, we can do that. We will do it for free if you already have the molds."

Barrien glanced to Forza, who looked completely oblivious to everything that was going on around him for a few moments. This, he understood, meant that the droid was communicating through electronic transmission with someone or something. He never asked what it was because he knew that he would not understand the answer. Forza was a great protocol droid, but he was still overly verbose when trying to explain things to him.

[The molds are ready and can be delivered within the hour.]

"Please have them do so."

Silence for a moment.

[The order is placed. They will be here within the hour.]

"Excellent. Until then, may I offer any light refreshments," Mr. Amdi asked them.

"Do you have blue milk?"

"Naturally. I can offer something stronger, though. I have a fine selection of Corellian whiskey."

"I'll just have the blue milk, but thank you."

"Suit yourself. It's whiskey for me."

 

[Kamon's OOC]

Less than an hour later, as promised, the molds were delivered. Some of Mr. Amdi's staff took them into the smelting room and prepared them for use. The quantity of Phrik that Barrien had purchased was already in the process of being smelted down as he stood behind the transparisteel wall that separated the foreman's office from the heat of the furnace room. He had no desire to be burned by the superheated air within, so viewing from this location worked well enough.

He'd also had Forza get their shipment of turadium delivered to make the necessary alloy for the pieces that he was having poured. This combination had seemed like it would be the most efficient to strengthen the items, while maintaining the resistance provided by the Phrik itself.

"What are you having made?" Amdi asked.

"A forearm shield and a stave."

The man lofted a brow.

"Sounds like ancient technology to me."

"Everything around you is more advanced than what we have on my world. The concept is similar to our technology, but adapted to yours."

The man hmm'd at that, but didn't say anything further. Barrien watched as the pours commenced. They would have to wait for the metal to cool and harden, and then it would go into a blast chiller so that it could be cooled down to a temperature that would allow it to be handled. Barrien's hand went into one of his pockets and touched the very special crystal there. Soon it would have a home.

 

[Kamon's OOC]

It took some time, but the process of pouring was eventually completed and the molds left to cool in a cooling chamber. Once they were cooled enough, they were then reheated to harden the metal before being shoved into a blast cooler for rapid cooling. Barrien watched on without saying much. He'd had his fill of blue milk already, and Amdi had been called away to deal with other matters. Barrien had left with one of his guards, a quiet man who left well enough alone.

"Forza. You have my parts?"

[Right here.]

The droid opened a compartment in his midsection and pulled the parts free, offering them to Barrien who took them with a nod. He held them and waited for the cooled metal parts to be brought to him. When they were, he inspected them.

[The craftsmanship of the molds appears to have been superb. It looks exactly to your specifications.]

"They were very well done, I agree. Now I do the hard part."

 

[Kamon's OOC]

The shield was set aside. Strictly speaking it was fully completed. There was nothing that he needed to do with it other than equip it to the bracer on his arm. Perhaps he would see it painted in his family crest sometime down the road, but that wasn't necessary for what he intended. Still, after setting down his parts, he let his hand run over the shield once, feeling the smooth contours briefly before he moved on.

The stave was more than a simple stave. At the top was an opening that the parts would go into. First he snacked an ignition thread down to where the housing was, which he connected in accordance to Forza's directions, since Forza has the schematics for the electronic components within his mind.

For a while he sat there, fitting bits and pieces together. Then he produced the crystal and delicately set it within the housing. Once he was certain that it was aligned in accordance to what it desired, he went about finishing the necessities. In the end, all of the parts were hidden within the saber resistant shaft of the stave. But the stave was no longer a stave. It had slowly become so much more than that once he'd begun working on it personally.

Rising, hefted the weapon, satisfied in its balance and its weight. He twirled it once, brought it forward, pressed the switch, and a short lance of white emitted from the end. His saber pike was done.

 

[Kamon's OOC]

"Holy chit... You're a Jedi?"

Barrien looked up at the guard, whose hand had gone to his weapon, though he hadn't drawn it.

"I am the padawan of Grandmaster Corvus Raaf."

"You could have given us some warning of what you were doing."

"I didn't feel it was necessary as I mean to cause no harm to you or anyone here."

The man grumbled, but Barrien deactivated the weapon and reached around to slide it into the holster he had attached to the armor he wore on his back. With the specifications for the weapon, he'd had the holster crafted to hold it perfectly. In this way he could carry it with him without having to actually hold it in his hands. That left him free to draw one of his other blades if it was more practical and efficient.

He reached for the shield and affixed it to his bracer. It was a solid fit.

 

[Kamon's OOC]

"If you would be so kind as to thank Mr. Amdi for the use of his facilities I would appreciate it," Barrien said as he approached the lift that the guard was standing near.

"I will do so..."

The man was staring at him as if he was some freak of nature. He'd heard stories that some people didn't trust the Jedi, or looked at them as part of the problem with the galaxy as a whole. Given the Sith, he could understand the distrust of those that made use of the Force, especially coming from those who could not touch it. He did not agree that Jedi were the problem, but he understood that point of view and was willing to debate it if necessary.

"I'll make sure to send others to him if they wish for these kinds of services."

Forza climbed into the lift and the guard pressed the button for the main floor. The lift shot up and they climbed out. Barrien nodded to the guard and then walked out to the waiting cab. Forze climbed in on the other side and they left, their task on Alderaan completed.

 

[Kamon's OOC]

As they traveled back towards the starport, he did as he said he would, and watched the countryside. It was a beautiful planet. He would like to spend more time there. As he sat and pondered what life would be like if he lived there, he suddenly has a nautious feeling in his stomach. Something was wrong. He could feel it in the Force.

"Driver! Stop the-"

He didn't get to finish speaking before something slammed into the car and sent them tumbling. Barrien was thrown from the vehicle, as was Forza, who was sent into weeds along the road. He said nothing, nor did the driver, as they landed among strewn debris and natural foliage. He lay silently for a bit, his mind staggering through the cycles of assessing just how much of him was actually alive, how much he could move and maneuver.

[Oh my head. What was that?]

"Stay down, Forza. Give me a moment."

Everything felt alright. He could move. That was the best he could do. Now he had to figure out what had just happened to them.

 

[Kamon's OOC]

He reached around to his back for his lance, but it wasn't there. Frowning, he glanced around and saw the aft of the stave protruding from the ground. He reached out to it and called it to him with the Force. As it touched his hand, he felt other life forms nearby. Judging by the signatures he felt, none of them were Force Users. That gave him a shot at neutralizing this situation without casualties, at least he hoped that it did. The shield was still on his arm, at least.

[Sir, I think there's-]

"Over there! A droid!"

Barrien would recognize that metallic voice anywhere. Stormtroopers. He was wearing his armor, and had both the shield and lance. He could do this. He'd been trained to do this. This was why he'd become a Jedi. To protect not just others, but also himself. If he couldn't do this, then he needed to back to the beginning with his training. He knew better.

Pulling his legs up beneath him, he drew on the Force and he waited. They would come closer and he would spring the trap. The joke would be on them.

 

[Kamon's OOC]

"Come out droid!"

They advanced. He could feel them coming closer now. It was time. He jumped then. Not straight upward, but full front. In fact, he barreled right into them. A group of four stormtroopers, though only in the sense that they wore the helmets. These were not troopers of the Empire that had joined with the Republic. In fact, he wasn't sure they were actually stormtroopers at all. They lacked the discipline of trained soldiers, and they were operating in buckets on a Republic world.

When he landed, he'd run one of them over already. That one lay on the ground, shaken up. Barrien was crouched a short distance away from the fallen one, the three others having skid to a halt when he made his appearance. He twirled his lance as he stood.

"You should drop your weapons and surrender now. It would be much easier for you all."

One of them laughed and lifted his weapon to point it at Barrien.

"Yeah? And who's going to make us, staff boy?"

 

[Kamon's OOC]

A flick of his wrist and the weapon jerked itself free of the mans hand and flew across Barrien, who let it fall harmlessly to the ground. He calmly watched their faces out of the corners of his eyes. The surprise was just as prevalent as when he'd jumped into them. Though, that surprise quickly turned to anger. These were the types of people that didn't like the Force. It was alien to them, and so they didn't trust it. That was great. Fanatics were always harder to deal with.

The others drew weapons and he was forced to act. He stepped swiftly left and let the stave portion of the lance slide through his hand to slam the butt of it into the face of the man who'd first drawn on him. He crumpled to the ground as Barrien twisted about to face the other two in time to bring his shield around to absorb the shots that were aimed at his head.

"The willingness to kill so easily is unbecoming."

He threw the lance forward in his hand so that he was holding the hilt and darted forward with the Force for assistance. Spinning between them, he swept the weapon around their legs and brought them both down to the ground.

"I told you to surrender."

 

[Kamon's OOC]

A blaster bolt slammed into his back, absorbed by his armor, but knocking him into a tucked roll that he came out of on all fours.

"Idiots. I have to do everything."

The first one. He'd forgotten about the first one. Instead of taking the time to deal with the first person he'd knocked down, he'd been focused on the other three. Apparently the first one had only been temporarily dazed, not taken out of the fight. That was a mistake. He wouldn't let that one happen again. Mistakes and failures were just ways to learn. Same as each and every scar he had told a story that he learned something from.

Pushing back to his feet, he faced all three, as the two he'd knocked down had risen. The fourth was fully unconscious, of that he was certain. He twirled the lance, refusing to activate the blade for the time being, and brought his shield up as he faced them.

"If you're going to shoot someone, the armor is usually not the best place to do so."

With that, he pushed forward and unleashed a wave of the Force to send them flying away. He wasn't far behind it.

 

[Kamon's OOC]

When they rose, Barrien was there. He slammed the butt of his lance into the gut of one, crumpling him, but not knocking him out. To finish him off, he slapped the weapon against the bucket that stormtroopers called a helmet. The combatant buckled, out of the fight.

Another had risen and he spun, his shield connecting with the side of the mans helmed head, sending him spinning to the ground.

The final one was starting to rise, but Barrien pointed the business end of the lance at his head. When he didn't stop, a thumb brushed the activation switch and the blade, pure white, shot forth, stopping a scant inch from piercing the front of the helmet. That was enough to make the man freeze in his tracks as Barrien stared at him. Though he ached a bit from getting tossed around like a rag doll, he was no worse for wear. These guys, though, were in serious poodoo.

"Cease and desist."

The man dropped his weapon and lifted his hands. For good measure, Barrien pushed it away with a swift kick of his foot.

"Now tell me, why are you here?"

"Credits. We just wanted your credits."

Mere bandits. Disguised as stormtroopers. The things people in this galaxy did for a little monetary gain.

 

[Kamon's OOC]

The blade remained pointed at the mans face as he heard sirens approaching. Swiftly, security force speeders swept to a halt. These guys had been too slow with their objective, and the explosion had drawn in the necessary attention. He did have to credit the fact that they'd attacked a vehicle carrying a Jedi as the reason they had failed. No doubt these guys had been enough to take down almost anyone else that might have come along.

That made him thankful it was him they'd targeted.

"Cease all hostilities at once. This area is now under the control of Alderaan security."

Barrien thumbed the blade off and brought the lance back to his side as he straightened and relaxed once again.

"Officer these men assaulted my vehicle as I made the return trip to the starport. I'd like to see them remanded into your custody and charged with attempted murder and theft."

"As you say, Master Jedi."

Everyone assumed those that carried a blade was a Master. He decided not to correct them. They had work to do. As did he.

 

[Kamon's OOC]

"Forza?"

He looked around the field, but still didn't see the droid anywhere. By now, since the fighting was over, he expected that the droid would make itself visible, but it hadn't. Frowning, he walked around towards the direction he thought he'd heard the droids voice emanate from earlier.

[Over here, sir.]

A metallic hand rose from the tall grasses and Barrien moved towards it. When he reached it, he saw the problem. Shrapnel had blown clear through the droids midsection. He was quite the wreck of wires and bobbly bits. In fact, he looked like he belonged in a scrap heap on a world like Ord Mantell or something. Suffice to say, Barrien was a little perplexed by this fact, as he had no idea how to repair droids.

"Well, looks like you're going to need some new parts, Forza. Hope you weren't too attached to anything."

[Very funny, sir. Maybe the driver knows how to repair droids better than he can drive.]

The driver.

"Oh sithspit."

He spun about and ran back towards the exploded speeder.

 

[Kamon's OOC]

He'd forgotten all about the driver in the mess that ensued after they'd been struck by what he assumed was a rocket. While he and Forza had been ejected, he hadn't heard a peep out of the man that had been driving them around this entire time. That could be good, or it could be very, very bad. Given the wreckage of the speeder, he figured it was probably going to end up being the latter, even before he got there.

Running right up to the driver side door, he grabbed the latch and pulled. It didn't budge, so he used the Force to reach inside and nudge the latch out of place, popping the door up and out. As soon as it hissed open, the driver fell out and landed on the ground without making any noises of acknowledgment.

Barrien knelt down beside the man and reached to touch fingers to his neck. The quickening of his own heartbeat made it hard for him to feel anything, and his training in this was minimal at best. Either way, judging from the blood on the mans side, he could only assume the worst. When he reached through the Force to the man, it confirmed his fears. Their driver was dead. He groaned and sat down on the ground. The loss of this mans life was hard to take, even if he had been gouging them.

"Driver didn't make it? We'll notify next of kin. Did you know him personally?"

"No," Barrien said, shaking his head. "Just our driver."

"Your droids in a heap of a mess. We can take you somewhere to get him fixed while we take you to the station to get your statement."

"That would be helpful. Thank you, Captain."

"Alright, round 'em up. Watkins and Durcal, you stay here with the wreckage until the salvage crew and the hospital team arrive. We're heading back to town."

 

[Kamon's OOC]

Forza was hauled into one of the speeders. The criminals were piled into another after being put in binders. All but one of them was still unconscious, but at least they weren't dead. They would serve tough sentences now, since the driver had died in the assault. Murder raps never went over well, regardless of what planet it was. They would be lucky if they were sentenced to a life in service of the people in order to pay off their debts.

Crime doesn't pay.

Barrien climbed into the speeder that the Captain had arrived in. He lay his lance across his lap and sat back in the seat, letting his head roll back until he was staring up at the ceiling. No moonroof in this speeder. Closing his eyes, he allowed his mind to drift away as they rolled out. Everything had gone from smooth to hell in a matter of seconds. The worst part, innocent blood had been shed.

If only the galaxy could see the foolishness of crime and war. Then things would change.

But they would never see the truth. Blind as could be. The galaxy was a tough and brutal place, his father would say. His father had spent ages trying to fix things, and he'd not managed to do much more than save lives. The galaxy was still in turmoil. Barrien didn't know how he was going to make a difference, but he was going to try.

Someone had to.