Awakening

[Onith Trill]

"A failure." I hear a voice. "This project will be finished. But not by you, sadly." A click is heard, followed by a gentle hum. Darkness filled my vision, but now there seems to be a gentle blue light behind it. I hear a whir as the light travels up and down. Beeping in the distance.

"Intriguing. Cognitive functioning beyond any of the previous specimens. You do not fulfill your purpose, but you are still progress. More than the fodder of Aurek through Onith-Senth. You shall be re-purposed, but first you must be erased."

__________________________________

Cold. So very, very cold. And wet. My body is soaked. I open my eyes and see I'm in a tank. Bacta perhaps? I look around, try to see myself. I appear unharmed, what I can see anyways. My neck is in some sort of collar restricting my neck. I need to get out of here. Probably anyways. Still not sure why I'm here. My hands go up to my neck, trying to rip apart the collar. No dice. It's on there tight.

Maybe the glass. Maybe someone's behind it. I don't see anything, but maybe someone's there. I tap it with my knuckles and wait. Maybe I wait four minutes. Maybe four hours. Nobody's there. Nobody answers. Yet here I am awake. I knock on the glass again. Harder. Nothing. This contined for a while until finally I was simply punching the glass. To my surprise it cracked. Another blow, the cracks continued. A third and the glass was shattered, a hole maybe 10 centimeters wide now in front of me. Fluid leaked out as I tried to make the hole wider, giving me more and more room to escape, as well as more and more blood on my hands.

The only things attached to me were a breather, a pair of shorts and that frakking collar. Getting through the tank was as simple as a jump. A jump onto broken glass. I winced as the pain cut through my legs and walked, stumbling in pain through the darkness. A throbbing pain went through my toes as I plunged them into something metal. My hands scrounged about until I found it had hit a table's leg, and there was a chair near by. Taking a seat I fumbled around the table looking for anything that might be helpful. Metal. Cylinder. A switch. A glow rod? What luck.

Snap-hiss

A crimson blade beamed into existence and a low hum permeated into the room. I was lucky not to have aimed it at anything vital. Lucky to have a light source. And yet, the last thing I felt was lucky.

 

[Onith Trill]

A crimson blade beamed into existence and a low hum permeated into the room. I was lucky not to have aimed it at anything vital. Lucky to have a light source. And yet, the last thing I felt was lucky.

A lightsaber? Why am I here with a lightsaber? Who just has a lightsaber sitting on her desk? Feth feth feth. A braver man might cut off the collar on his neck with the plasma blade, but I am not that man. I hold the blade up and away from myself, and look around the desk for anything useful. All sorts of tools are in front of me, pliers, forceps, probes, and a datapad. I grab the thing that most resembles a tweezer and bring the saber to the floor in one hand with the tweezers in the other. I can see a red hue reflect through the glass in my foot, and for the next hour or so spend time removing glass and tossing it away. Afterwards I touch my feet to the ground and press. Still pain, still blood, but no sharp penetrating pain. Progress.

Next I turn my attention to the datapad, attempting to access it and look for any clue of where I am, or who I am. To my surprise it activates, now displaying a small holovid with the face of a black-haired man in his early thirties.

"Hello subject." There is a pause.

"Onith-Trill." A synthesized voice utters before the main one continues.

"If you are seeing this I am otherwise preoccupied for your awakening, perhaps even dead. In this room you should find some of my tools, a lightsaber, a hospital gown, a first aid kit, and a keycard. In the hanger bay there is a locked shuttle that will open it's controls to whoever possesses three keycards. The other two you must find. If you ration well you could probably scrounge up enough food to last you three weeks. If you want to live you will find these keycards. I would say good luck, but you do not need it. You need to prove yourself worthy. Goodbye."

The holovide ended, before a scratching noise was heard and smoke began to rise from the datapad. The smell of melted solder and circuitry entered the air. What the feth was going on? Who was this guy? What did he want? I cursed and found the first aid kit and bandaged my feet before putting on the gown. This was messed up. Royally messed up. But what could I do but play this man's game?

 

[Onith Trill]

The room I was in was some sort of medical lab, shut off by a single door with a key pad. The key pad was unresponsive to my attempts to open it, but the door quickly made way for me when I put the lightsaber against it, melting through the locking mechanism.

BLAAARP! BLAAAAARP!

An alarm klaxon began to resonate throughout the room Feth. Hurrying outside I found myself in a hallway, only illuminates by a crimson blade of blade plasma. Looking to my left right he spotted a series of rooms in both directions, each labeled only with a couple of aurabesh letters. Heading to the first door on the right I slashed at its lock, allowing for easy entry. Inside I found a room virtually identical to my own, save for the tank. Inside was not a man, but some sort of terrifying beast. Hunched together just barely fitting it had a tough brown hide, claws like daggers, and a tail that looked damaging as a whip. The feet were perhaps forty centimeters long, with eyes large as my palm.

What is that thing? I think to myself, when one of the eyes begin to move. Feth. I back up and shut the now unlockable door, heading back before hearing a shattering noise, followed a growl just barely audible with the klaxons around me. I ran before hearing a swing of metal, followed by a series of snarls and footsteps. I had a lightsaber in my hand. I could kill it. Maybe. If I were quick enough, and it didn't get me first with those big ole claws and . . . perhaps it was safer to run.

So I kept on running, making turns as I found them and de-activating the blade for a while whenever I made a turn at a fork, but the beast was not fooled by my efforts. Twisting and turning through this labyrinth of a facility I soon realized I was far off where I had started. It would be difficult, if even possible to find my way back.

Do I even need to go back? I need to find a way out, not back.

Even so, I wasn't making a plan on where I was going. Just making turn after turn, trying to evade the creature a few meters behind me. I came up to another fork, then took a left, and kept running, just long enough to hit a door. I could try to open it with the lightsaber, cut my way through, but by that time the beast would already be here. With a deep breath I turned around and ignited the blade.

It's now or never.


Gulp.

 

[Onith Trill]

The beast in front of me could be described in many ways. Hungry. Large. Carnivorous. Clawed. The word I would choose is "terrifying". The snarls, the claws, it was all a bit overwhelming. So was the fact I had a crimson colored cylinder of plasma at my disposal. Hopefully they would balance each other out. I took a breath. Another. Another. So quick, I needed to calm myself. Breath slower. I had my breath down for a moment before the creature pounced, and hyperventilation came right back.

I swung wildly, with all the grace of a noodle curling in boiling water. The blade did not pierce through as it did the door, it's hide having some sort of resistant property. I could smell it burning, but the creature merely pushed back the blade. I tried to push back and did, but heard the whirring of servos as the creature bested my strength. Cybernetic perhaps. There was no time. The blade was getting closer and closer to my chest. A thought hit my mind and I pivoted my right foot across my left before deactivating the blade and shuffling to my left. The creature slung forward as I gained a little distance, taking a moment to reactivate the blade and lunge forward. The thrust held a bit more force, but ultimately didn't burn through the hide like I'd hoped.

It was now I noticed how natural the cylinder felt in my hand. How the humm of the blade quieted the alarm klaxons. The feel of the current of energy in the plasma. Why did it feel this way? Feth, what was I before the tank?

Ugh-largh!

The beast snarled before lunging at my face. I pulled the blade to parry but was too slow. Claws ran against my cheek, followed by a pounce on my body. I deactivated the blade before it was pushed against me by the beasts burning hide and tried to fumble it away from myself and ignite it again as I rocked back unto the ground. I lunged at it's gut and it swiped at mine before opening it's fangs and coming over me. I hear a shot and the beast stops moving. I breathe for a moment.

"Drop it!" A scream enters my ears. The klaxons stop and I stop with them, dropping the lightsaber that almost saved my life. Frozen in fear I wait as the creature is thrown off of me and I spot twin barrels, eight guage, pointed at my skull. Another body, human I think, picks up the lightsaber.

"You are going to anssswer my questionsss or experienssse the thrill of buckssshot to the fasse. Underssstand?"

 

[Onith Trill]

"What are you doing here?" The Trandoshan asked, her voice in a short hissing tone.

"I don't know! I just woke up in the tank." The words came out as quickly as my mouth would throw them.

"Where isss tank?" Her tone didn't change.

"Umm. South maybe? That thing chased after me and I took a lot of turns."

"Pfft." The trandoshan snarled, unhappy with my response. "Why the lightsssaber. You a Sssith? Jeedai?"

"No. I just." I sighed. "I just found it in the room I woke up in. I used it to get out, cut through the doors, and then I tried to swing at that thing. I've never seen it before then." The trandoshan snarled again at my response.

"You are not being ussseful right now. Do you know anything that can help?"

"I . . . There was a datapad in the room I woke up in. It said that I needed three keycards to get out of here. I had one, but I dropped it trying to lose that thing. It wiped itself after it played, but I think the other keycards are supposed to be with other . . . people?"

"He's an experiment Luva. Probably doesn't remember anything before waking up." One of the rest of the group spoke up. The one who took the lightsaber.

"Experi-" I took a punch to the gut midway through my word.

"I asssk not question, you no ssspeak." The Trandoshan ordered. "Experiment could have programming. Desire to kill, even not knowing why."

"It's not his fault if he does." Another being, a Selkath spoke. "If this place was made by who we think it was this man could have been abducted or created with no will or knowledge of what he was doing, then wiped clean."

"Do you ax-ept the risssk?" The trandoshan's thick accent flooded into her basic.

"I have binders. Minimize the risk." A large togorian, the final member of the crew spoke. The trandoshan hissed, before raising to a stand and lowering her shotgun.

"Bind him behind back. Mergo, you ssspoke for him. You're resssponssible for him." The Trandoshan said, as the human lifted me up and the Togorian bound my wrists together, me being silent throughout the process. It wasn't ideal, but these four seemed to have an idea of what they were doing, and hopefully how to get out. Plus, I had a lot to think about.

I'm an experiment?

 

[Onith Trill]

What I witnessed for the next hour could be ebst described as breach and seize. The Trandoshan gave directions. The Selkath sliced open doors. The human took inventory and holophotos of what was found, while the togorian made destruction of unseized property permanent. They all carried whatever they found of value. They all killed whatever beasts they encountered. Thus far I was the only "native" sentient that was found alive. I was still bleeding a bit on my face from the beast's claws, but I kept silent. Mainly because they were all silent as well. They didn't wear uniforms or standardized equipment, but they moved as a unit, swift and silent. They had to have disabled the alarms while I was chased by the beast.Signaling was left to hand motions by the trandoshan for simpler thoughts, whispered codes for more complex plans. From what I could tell "drum" meant to break out armor piercing equipment.

It was all rather strange. The looting implied raiders, yet the efficiency implied paramilitary. Unless the contents of this laboratory, and this entire facility seemed a laboratory, were extremely valuable or powerful. And what did that make me? Why was I hear with all of these creatures and weapons? What purpose did these scientists have for me? I don't feel particularly dangerous or powerful. There had to be more at play here that I just wasn't seeing.

"Boss." A whisper penetrated the silence. The Trandoshan looked over to the human and waited. "There's a room on this hallway that was cut through." The Trandoshan made a hand signal and the team motioned over, with me bringing up the rear as silently as I could. It was the room I'd escaped from. They went in and surveyed the area for a moment, before taking the datapad I'd accessed and torching the room. Perhaps I should have been sad, but I wasn't. My past was unknown to me, and my future? I don't even know where I'll be in two hours.

Experiment. The thought still crawled in my head. People were accidental. They may have been created on purpose, but no one created a specific being on purpose. No one selected what nose, hair color, finger length, gender and metabolism their child was. They just got whatever nature gave them. But a clone? A droid? An experiment? They were all created with a purpose. Traits were selected to further the creatures ability towards their purpose. I was made for a reason, who's to say I would like it when I found it? Who's to say I had a choice? Maybe it was like the Trandoshan said and I had some sort of latent programming in my head accomplish this goal or that objective.

I let out a sigh. Before this paramiltary group left the facility I needed to figure out what that purpose was. But how would I convince them to look?

 

[Onith Trill]

This facility seemed to grow as we went through it. Room after room, beast after beast we continued onward. It was starting to become routine before we came to a room with nothing in it but a computer. A rather large one at that. The Selkath attempted to integrate with it for a few moments, then yelled vehemently in his native tongue. I didn't know the translation, but I was fairly certain it was a derivative of chit or shid. The Trandoshan snarled for a moment as she covered the door. Her patience was wearing thing.

"I'm trying I'm trying. Give me time." But he'd taken longer at this console than any other. I had noticed that. If I had noticed they knew it already. And they sure didn't like sitting and waiting any longer than they had to.

"Try it again with a For Loop. Add a Thetan Cross in your last function." I felt a swift kick to the back of my leg and went down. The Selkath stared at me for a moment, then went back to the screen then whistled.

"Unbind him." The Selkath spoke.

"What?" The Togorian protested.

"Unbind him." The Trandoshan let out. "And keep him clossse to Norgo. If it isss a problem than he will pay for it." The Trandoshan ordered, and the Togorian let out a huff, before removing my binders and shoving me towards the Selkath. He was unhappy, the human was antsy, and the Trandoshan seemed all business.

"I got through one firewall with the Thetan Cross of yours, help me get rid of this next one." The Selkath said in perhaps the friendliest tone I'd heard since awakening. Coming to his side I put my fingers onto the controls and went to work. More so than the lightsaber this felt natural. Working with computers, analyzing systems, finding weaknesses and exploiting them. The time passed quicker, or perhaps I thought faster as "Norgo" and I went to work. It wasn't too long before we were in, and I was analyzing the data that appeared. It only showed in flashes, but for some reason they stuck with me, at least bits and pieces. Whoever logged all of this data was obsessed with The Force, in a scientific rather than mystical sense. He used to fix problems in chemistry and biology, changing natural properties to unnatural in order to solve problems.

It was beautiful, in a way, how he had done it. Using the Force to overcome natural boundaries. Using nature to extend or limit the reaches of the Force. Was that my intention? My purpose? To bend the Force in an unnatural manner? I kept watching for some mention of myself until I saw it. "Onith-Trill" at the top of the screen. I didn't manage to get a good look at the report, just the big word in red, diagonally put across the main page.

Failure

 

[Onith Trill]

It was jarring. Not to remember anything, yet already know that you had been evaluated and been found unworthy. If I had remembered doing something, not doing something, putting something off, prioritizing one thing over another then it would be a little easier to deal with. All of those would be my choices. All of those could be changed in the future. But with no knowledge? No memories? How could I fix it when I didn't how I had failed? How could I fix it when I didn't know what I was trying to achieve in the first place.

Then it hit me.

Why did I need to please this creator in the first place? What had he or she ever done for me? I almost cursed at becoming so enamored with achieving the goals of whoever had made the monsters skulking about this facility. Who was he to declare me a failure? Who was she to say I couldn't improve? The whole thought of it made me angry. Part of me thought I was rationalizing away the failure, but another said forget it. I am more than what I was intended to be. Or was I? At the moment I was a prisoner at best, slave at worst. Feth.

"Bind him back. I got it." The selkath said as I heard the Togorian's powerful steps behind me. I put my wrists together behind my back. There was no point in resisting for now, but endearment might make them consider releasing me, or give me a moment to escape. "Thank you." The Selkath said, in a moment of gratitude. Part of me considered it weakness, he didn't need to thank me considering he was in a position of strength. But I also wondered if that wasn't how I was 'programmed' to think. The bits and pieces of the scientist's notes I gathered indicated that was how he thought. No morals, rights, or wrongs. Only objectives, tools, and setbacks. It almost made me feel sorry for him.

Heading out we went own another corridor, the breach and seize continuing, until the Trandoshan put up a hand signal she hadn't before and the group turned around. Going back we passed through previous rooms and corridors, hurrying rather than exploring. It took around 45 minutes of traversing the laboratory, but eventually we found our way into a cavern. From there it took another thirty minutes or so past a large variety of destroyed security measures before we spotted sunlight. We continue the hike for another couple kilometers before the Trandoshan put up another unfamiliar hand signal. Afterwards the Togorian pressed a button and a boom was heard in the distance.

"You okay?" The Selkath whispered.

"I never knew it." I replied. I haven't known anything yet. "What will you do with me now?"

"That is not for usss to desside." The Trandoshan replied from a couple meters away. "For now you sssit here. Later we will know. Norgo, keep watch on him." She ordered before leaving alone. The Togorian and the human set up camp, while I sat at the Selkath watched me. His blaster wasn't trained on me, but his hand never left his holster. I had the feeling he didn't think I was a threat, but he still had a job to do. Responsibilities to uphold. I couldn't blame him.

None of them attempted small talk after Norgo's question. They were all uneasy, though I couldn't tell if I was the reason or not. The Trandoshan came back after a couple hours, at which time they ate, and offered me a small portion. I accepted and ate half of a ration cube. They only had a half dozen or so, and the Togorian required three to every other humanoid's one. Their were cons to being over two meters tall with a developed frame, namely stealth and sustenance. Somewhat filled and tied up I went to sleep surprisingly quickly as the sun left us. Hopefully I would wake up. You never knew.

 

[Onith Trill]

I woke up to pain in my foot. Looking over I found the human applying a cream unto the bottom of my right foot. It was where I had cut into the glass of the tank as I broke out.

"Be still, it's just an antibiotic." The human said. "Hopefully nothing's infected yet with all of those places we walked around in."

"The facility was sterilized." I replied, somewhat in a daze.

"I suppose you could say it that way." The human said with a bit of a chuckle.

"No, everything was sterilized. Couldn't you smell it? There was a disinfectant on the ground. The walls. The doors. The seals of the rooms prevented cross-contamination, at least until they were blown."

"You got that from scent?" The human asked. "I thought you didn't remember anything?" I could hear his suspicion. Feth.

"I don't remember doing anything. Learning anything. But I have knowledge. I know some chemistry but don't remember going to class. Know how to aim a blaster, and what parts are where, but I don't remember shooting anything, or taking anything apart." The man listened as I spoke, and shrugged.

"I guess that makes sense. Are you a techie then? Academic?"

"I think I was. Or was intended to be. I'm . . . I'm not convinced I wasn't altered or grown in the first place." I admit as I feel the man wrap a new bandage across my right foot.

"Either way don't matter. You're a new man now. Get to live a new life. Maybe. Depends on what the boss says." I feel the man start to wrap my other foot as he speaks.

"I thought the Trandoshan was your leader?"

"Eh. She is and she isn't. She doesn't give us jobs, but when we're out there she makes the calls. She's got a quick mind, like a trap that one. Doesn't take chit from no one either. She'd claw out yer insides if she thought you were a threat." The human said.

So she doesn't think I'm a threat now? That's good.

"I don't doubt it." I say a bit introspectively as I feel the antibiotic go over my wounds. "Why do you talk to me today when you wouldn't yesterday?"

"I was in the zone, y'know? Keep up with the job and yer good, make the wrong move and yer dead. Least in places like that." Places like where I came from. "Now that things are calmer it's not a bother. Yer also tied up a bit sturdier now, so that helps." Wonderful.

"Any idea on when 'The boss' comes and if I can be not tied up?" I ask and hear a little desperation in my own voice.

"It's not my place to say what'll happen, but I doubt you'll be waiting soon." The human says as he puts my left bandage back on my foot. "For what it's worth, I don't think yer gunna try and kill us, and I plan on sayin as much."

Hunh. I suppose that's one vote.

 

[Onith Trill]

"Qyze. We need to talk. About the experiment." Galen approached his Trandoshan leader, and she let out a small hiss.

"You know it is not my choissse. The creature will be free or dead by the mind of Oolok." The Trandoshan replied. The experiment was back at camp with Norgo, while Galen and Rreuk traveled with Qyze.

"But Oolok'll listen to you. He respects your opinion."

"What essss my opinion Galen?" Qyze asked, and the human fell silent for a moment.

"Look, do you think he's a threat?"

"Yessss. He fought with a lightsssaber. The red blade wasss not hisss but he sstill usseed it." Qyze replied.

"Using a red lightsaber does not mean he is cut from the same cloth as Carnifex." Rreuk began to growl.

"Do you trust him then Rreuk?" Qyze replied.

"No. I do not. But I think he deserves a chance to prove himself." The Togorian responded.

"I agree. He's been very co-operative. He's just woken up after being under for who knows how long. Doesn't remember anything. Doesn't know what's going on. Doesn't know what's been done to him, just saw all the other beasties in there. I don't think he wants to hurt us." Galen added.

"We do not know that Galen. We know what he claimsss. The sssith are many things, and often very good at lying. He could be genuine, but if he is not he is the greatest threat to the Ke'Dem. Becaussse he would be the first Sssith to make an organized attack on usss." Qyze said, ever cautious as she continued to hike.

"I sensed no anger in him. No hatred. It would be difficult to hide if he were wanting to kill us." Galen responded.

"And I felt nothing from him. No anger, no confusssion. Nothing. It is unnatural, and that ssscaress me mossst." Qyze replied as they came up to a ship. The loading ramp went down and out came an old and scarred Mon Calamari.

"How did it go?" He asked, and Qyze almost straightened, becoming a bit stiffer in appearance.

"No casualtiess. We found many beasssts and ended them. Many experimentsss. Metalsss. Devicess. This was a mad ssscientisssts lair as much as a Sssith. There was alssso a man. Human, trying to essscape. I do not know if I believe him, but he wasss helpful. Co-operative. I trust your judgement." Qyze reported.

"Take me to him." The Mon Calamari spoke, and motioned some labor droids to follow. It was a silent hike back, save for the whirring and turning of servos. They got back to find Norgo and the experiment sitting by the fire, the experiment still bound together by his hands. With haste the experiment rose from the ground, floating a decimeter above it as breath began to escape him. The Mon Calamari ignite a cerulean lightsaber and pointed it at his throat.

"I know that face." Oolok said, as the experiment struggled to breath.

 

[Onith Trill]

I tried to speak. I tried to defend myself. I really did, but no words came. Only gargles, coughs, and desperate gasps escaped my mouth. The Mon Calamari had raised a webbed hand and completely immobilized me. My hands were bound, my legs seized as I shook and squirmed, trying any and every movement to escape the choke.

"He is no threat!" The Selkath beside me screamed. "Don't blood your hands with this!"

"He is Warren Valik. The Alchemist who created beasts to slay us. Poisons to paralyze us, force us to the Dark Side. Made weapons to cut through our armors, blast through out defenses, shock us into a stupor so as to experiment upon us."

Warren Valik? I tried to think on it, but the only thing I could focus my mind on was the lack of oxygen I was receiving. I waited and hoped for more defense from the team which found me, but it took them time to process it. The luxury of survival.

"When we found him he was fighting a beast. He was losing to a beast. The Warren Valik I've heard of wouldn't allow that to happen. He'd have a contingency." The Togorian spoke now, his growl echoing deeply.

"He been compliant. Done what we told 'im and hasn't slowed us down. You can't even feel him." The human pitched in.

"All of which could be a plot to sabotage our work." The Mon Calamari continued, steadfast in his resolution.

"He's an experiment. We have data on him. If that face is Warren Valik's he must be a clone, some sort of scapegoat. I can show you." Norgo said, and the Mon Calamari's blade deactivated, though his invisible vicegrip remained. He clipped the saber to his belt than pulled out a pistol and fired. I felt woozy, dizzy, then another shot. And another. Then everything went blank.

 

[Onith Trill]

The next time I awoke I was bound not just in hands but also feet. The collar I had forgotten about since waking up had been replaced with something akin to a shock collar. Still clothed in a dirty hospital gown I didn't lay on soft dirt but cold durasteel. As I moved I felt my head hit metal. There wasn't much room here. Nor any light. My eyes began to adjust just before the door opened a crack. I saw the eye of a feline look at me for a moment. Confirm my consciousness. Then the door was closed. I tried to prop myself up but the fine motor skills necessary to do so were not yet returning to me, and as such I sort of swerved my body around like a drunk until the door opened again. It was the Mon Calamari. Feth.

"My name is Oolok." The Mon Calamari began. "And you are at best a friend I've wronged and at worst a man I should have killed already." He said in a tone of utmost seriousness, one that many expected of Mon Calamari. And feth if I needed more intimidation than waking up in what was probably a ship's broom closet. "I'm going to ask you some questions, and you are going to answer to the best of your ability. Hopefully for you that'll be enough." Oolok said before clearing his throat and letting out a deep breath.

"We'll start with something simple. What is your species?" The fish asked.

"Human." I responded. Simple enough question, simple enough answer.

"What is your gender?"

"Male."

"What is your profession?"

"I don't remember." The Mon Calamari looked at me. "I remember waking up in that facility. Three days ago maybe? Assuming I've been out a day that is. I don't remember ever working, just surviving." The Mon Calamari's expression changed a bit. I may not know the subtleties of all alien facial expressions, but the one he was giving now? It looked like he knew exactly what 'just surviving' was like.

"Alright then, do you remember your name?" Oolok asked, and I cringed slightly.

"I'm not sure I had one. I woke up in a tank. Bacta maybe, maybe not. I could have been captured and thrown in there, but I might have been made in there. Grown. There weren't any reports or references in the room I woke up in. I could be anybody I suppose." I said, and the word Failure popped back into my mind for a moment. Feth that scientist.

"I was told you picked up a lightsaber after waking. Do you remember anything about it?" Oolok asked.

"I know what a lightsaber is, but I don't recall how to use it, or how to use it well rather. I cut a door and swung at a beast with it, but I don't know the techniques associated with it." I said, neglecting to mention how natural it felt in my hand. Otherwise all of what I said was true, I wasn't a swordsman.

"The rest of the facility. Did anything in it seem familiar to you?" Oolok asked, never spending too much time at one subject. I noticed now that he held a small chip in his hand. He was probably recording everything I said.

"No, nothing seemed familiar. I didn't know what was going on anywhere, but I sort of understood what the scientist was trying to do sometimes."

"Explain." The Mon Calamari said with piqued interest.

"Well I'd walk into a room, and I'd have no memory of anything, but if I looked at a pile of chemicals? I'd be able to look a them and make a couple guesses as to what they were trying to do, or at least the properties of the compounds. Most of those guesses involved making some sort of poison." I answered as best I could. The Mon Calamari though as I answered.

"Do you think that's why you were there?"

"I. Maybe. I hadn't thought on why I was there. I'm just happy to get out." I replied, and the aquatic alien's expression changed again, slightly. Approval perhaps?

"What do you want to do now?" Oolok inquired.

"Other than not be in binders and a hospital gown?" I ask, and the Mon Calamari doesn't respond. I sigh. "What I saw in there. I didn't like it. Part of me just wants to be at peace. Settle down somewhere far away from it. But that doesn't fix anything. My life may have been ruined because of that place. Or, more frightening, it might exist because of that place. I'd rather not let that happen to anyone else. Not let people wonder about their existence like that."

"Everybody wonders about their existence kid." The Mon Calamari said with a solemn tone. "That's all for now. I'll see you soon."

 

[Onith Trill]

"Soon" was of course a word meant to tease me on. It had been hours, or perhaps minutes or days since Oolok had left. I had no way of knowing. I was trapped in the perhaps-a-lockable-broom-closet room after all. But it felt like it had been a while. Maybe he was talking things over with the other guys. Maybe it was going well. Maybe it wasn't. The Togorian seemed suspicious of me, while the Trandoshan seemed cautious in general. Norgo and the human seemed to be in my camp, but who knew how much pull they had? Neither of them separated the Mon Calamari from his invisible choke hold. They both spoke but it took time to convince him to let me go. Even then he didn't, he stunned me. I needed to begin thinking of an escape plan.

In this time my eyes had adjusted to the darkness, and now I could accurately discern my surroundings. Their were a few plasteel containers, and a vent up top. A bit more awake and now possessing the muscular finesse needed to wiggle around I brought myself to a stand slowly, attempting to make little noise. I wasn't the most graceful being in the galaxy, but I had learned a few things by watching this paramilitary crew I was behind. Turning around I explored the crates with my hands. It was difficult with them being bound behind my vision, but I had to try. I found some creases from where the lid met with the box and attempted to pull, to no avail. Continuing to circle around the container I found a lock. Feth. Of course they wouldn't leave me with unlocked containers full of supplies I could use to escape. Still, perhaps I could try to climb.

Pulling my hands up I left them a little room before sitting on the container, coming to a sit around three quarters of a meter above the ground. From there I brought my knees up to meet my face, then brought my feet to the container and pushed up to a stand. The plasteel didn't seem to have issue bearing my weight, and I was close enough to be within range of the vent. That was, if my hands were in front of me. Leaning forward until my back made around a right angle with my legs I put my wrists to the back of my knees then sat, before pulling my calves over my hands. Hands forwards now, still bound. Standing on top of the containers again I reached up for the vent and went to try and pull a nail or screw and then felt an electrical current run though my neck. The shock collar. Feth. Must be synced with the exits. And apparently synced to the crew as well, as the door opened shortly afterwards. Or perhaps it was the noise of my fall after experiencing the pain. It was the Togorian. Perhaps he was my guard.

"Get on your feet." The feline ordered in an expedient tone. I grumble but come to a stand, and the he waves a hand that looked as large as my stomach for him to follow. I sort of hopped along a few steps before the Togorian stopped and picked me up, carrying me the rest of the way. The cat made it look easy, but not quite as easy as I expected it to be for a creature his size. Strength deficiency perhaps, or am I denser than I should be?

"Lay him down." The Trandoshan ordered, and I was lowered to a seat. All five of them were present, but they looked withdrawn. Other than the Trandoshan all of the original crew seemed apprehensive, though if it was the fault of the Mon Calamari or myself I did not know. Oolok of course was the first to start serious conversation, doing so by pulling out a holo.

"This is Warren Valik." The holo showed a man, the same I'd seen on the datapad when I awoke. "He is a scientist and alchemist with a penchant for death machines and cruelty dating back to the first Sith Empire since the 400 years Darkness. He hasn't been seen in a couple of years, but he ran that lab we found you in." The Mon Calamari then motioned to the human, who pulled out a mirror. "This is you."

My face. It was the same. A bit younger perhaps, but the same. I recoiled as the realization came to me.

"You are a clone, as far as we can tell. However you don't have the skill or potential in the Force that he did, not as far as I can tell. Perhaps you were an early invention and he didn't figure out Force Sensitive cloning, or perhaps he intended for you not to have it in order to fulfill some function I can't see. In any case I believe that you don't remember anything. That you didn't sign up for this. However I also don't know if you have anything built in you that'll trigger memories or commands imprinted in you. So for the moment you are free to be a member of the crew of this ship, and nothing else. You will report to me first and to Qyze." He motioned to the Trandoshan. "Second. If I see any problems I will not hesitate to kill you, though I hope very much not to have to do that. Welcome to the Ke'Dem, team Esk, you poor unlucky bastard."

 

[Onith Trill]

Team Esk. Ke'dem. Feth. What did all of that even mean?

"Before you start to ask questions I'll do some explaining." The Mon Calamari began. "The Ke'Dem are a paramilitary organization dedicated to killing Sith, destroying their bases, stealing their toys, selling or destroying them, and in general doing what is necessary to eradicate them in a manner which is profitable enough for us to continually do it. Many of us, I'd even wage most of us, can touch the Force, but we believe the Sith way is detestable and that the Jedi are largely fools not invested enough to solve problems." He barreled through his speech in a way that commanded authority, and kept me from asking questions. His tone, his attitude. He'd 'been there before' as one might say.

"The Ke'Dem are not organized in a hierarchy, there are no generals or colonels. There are teams, like the men and women who found you, and agents like me. Agents find jobs and network teams while the teams do all of the dirty work. You will be part of this team. You will take orders and with time you will earn your keep, and if you're lucky our trust." The Mon Calamari continued, and then waited. "Now, what haven't I answered?"

I looked around and thought for a moment. I was an intern on house arrest, but all things considered that wasn't the worst thing that could happen. It made sense, it was safe, for them anyways. Test my 'loyalty' or 'virtue', whatever you'd call it before turning me loose and letting me do all of those things my creator, my genetic brother, had done.

"What will my job be?" My first question, out in the open.

"I'm not sure yet. For now we'll assess your abilities and get you some combat training. Whatever your job is you'll need to be able to defend yourself, and kill if necessary."

"But only those who deserve it?" I ask.

"Only those who it's necessary to. As often as possible I intend for those two to be the same, but it is not always that easy." The Mon Calamari said, letting a twinge of sorrow into his voice.

"Will I continue to room in the closet?"

"For a while. When we hit port we'll be buying an autoprint lock and throwing it into the quarters and you'll have a roommate, but you'll be unable to leave unsupervised." The Mon Calamari said in a matter-of-fact fashion. I sighed.

"When is our next job?"

 

[Onith Trill]

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Plick.

A slap to my face. The human, Galen, is quick. Efficient in his movements. I am neither at the moment.

"Come on, you've got to recognize commitment, not movement. If you fall for every little feint you'll lose your head before your first real fight." He instructs, and I offer a grunt.

"Again then." I command, and Galen chuckles, then clenches his fists. A quick jab at my face, I step left and guard with my right hand, putting it between his fist and my face. A chop at my stomach, guarded by my left hand. His right hand pulls back and his left angles up. I swing my body left and put a right jab towards his stomach. It lands a blow, and a twinge of curl sneaks unto my lips. It lasts only for a moment, as I am too slow to recoil my fist and Galen grabs at my arm, on hand above my wrist and another below my elbow. He pulls and I twist, feeling tension grow across my arm as stress comes to my shoulder.

"You hit hard. Especially with that noodle of a frame you've got. But you can't be happy or surprised, or anything that keeps your focus on a moment. You've got to constantly be looking at what's coming." He says before releasing my arm. I swing it about and do a couple circles to loosen my shoulder.

"Easy to say when you've got near-precognition." I counter.

"You don't have to see the future to learn to fight, but you can't stay caught in the past. You have to look at it like you've been there before." Galen responded.

"But I haven't. I've swung a lightsaber at a monster with no other options, and I've traded punches with a . . . . co-worker in a cargo hold." I responded, a little anger pouring into my speech.

"And when you fight a Sith Lord she may have techniques you've never seen before. He may use a weapon you haven't fought against. A power you've never heard of. You'll need to adapt anyways." Galen insisted. I let out another sigh. He was right, and I knew it.

"Again."

 

[Onith Trill]

"So what is this exactly?" I ask as goggles are strapped to my eyes and little probes are attached to my hands.

"It'ss a program. Bassically it's going to sshow you a fake world, with fake thingss." Qyze responded as she put one of needles in a little deeper. I winced. "Part of being a Ke'dem, of fighting Ssith, of ssurviving in thiss galaxy iss notissing thingss. Important thingss. They may come up later. You musst learn to be aware alwayss."

"Is that why all I see is black?" I ask.

"No, you musst wait for me to turn on." Qyze said, before an image materialized around me. I was in a waiting room. The walls were covered in paper, a blue backdrop and a series of repeating animals throughout. Looking around there were chairs all about, and four other groups of people were sitting down. A Bothan, a Verine couple, a Devaronian mother and child, and a Chadra-fan. The Chadra-Fan was seated on my right. There was a small hole on one of the walls where a window was mounted, with a Quermian in scrubs behind it. A doctor's office then? Would explain why nobody was talking to each other or smiling, just sort of minding their own business. The Chadra-Fan was drawing on something while the Verpine couple were utterly silent. The Davaronian mother was wiping food off her son's mouth, while the Bothan looked keen on taking a nap. What was he supposed to see here?

After a few minutes the door opened and a Gungan female walked in, then took a seat. The Quermian called a name and the Chadra-Fan got off the chair and headed over. I continued to sit there until the simulation ended a minute later.

"Is that it?" I ask. "I was expecting to get shot or shanked or something."

"What color sshirt was the person next to you wearing?" Qyze asked.

"Uhhh, brown?"

"Was the person male or female?"

"Male."

"How many blasterss were in the room?"

"None?"

"How many exitss were there?"

"One."

Question after question after question was fired by the Trandoshan, and I didn't have suitable answers to most of them. There were two blasters in the room, the Chadra-Fan wore a red shirt, the window was an exit out of the room, and one of the Verpine periodically looked around the room to see if it had changed. The Trandoshan informed me of all of this and didn't seem mad at my lack of knowledge, if anything she had used it to shellshock me, to tell me what was important. To make me know what failure was like before I could succeed. Afterwards she played with her controls and then booted up another scenario. You never have two shots at the same moment after all. Couldn't cheat by knowing what I was getting into.

 

[Onith Trill]

"Wake up." I heard the Togorian growl. I looked over at the direction of the voice with middling consciousness, followed by state of increased alertness as I realized a backpack was being thrown at me.

"Oof!" I replied as I caught the pack but only slightly stopped it's impact on my chest. "What is this?"

"It's your gear. Put it on, we have a job to do." My Togorian roommate ordered before finding his own gear and stripping down.

"Woah, woah." I recoiled and turned my head at the sight of more fur than I was expecting to see upon waking.

"It's okay kid. Togorians make all humans feel small. We'll move past it." He said and just kept on going. I coughed and realized the futility of my positioning, then opened up the bag. All told it appeared to be street clothes. Pants, a t-shirt, a hoody. Everything was a lot thicker than normal clothes would be, but I certainly wasn't getting any plate armor.

"Armorweave?" I asked as I unzipped and rezipped up different pairs of trousers.

"Yeah. We're doing reconnaisance, not a heavy raid. Don't want anything too conspicious." Rreuk answered.

"Do I get any details?" I ask as my chest is covered by shirt and then jacket. I try the zipper and hoody. Decent fits, but nothing tailored.

"Qyze will decide what you know and when." He finished putting on his suit. It was a bit heavier armored than mine, but that wasn't conspicious for a Togorian. Maybe. I didn't remember a ton of history, just science. Mathematics.

"Is it a good thing I'm coming on a mission so soon?" I decide to ask after waiting a moment.

"It means we don't trust you on the ship when we're not here and we have work to do." The Togorian put bluntly.

"I see." I respond a bit more softly. "I appreciate your honesty." I continue.

"I appreciate your silence." He responded curtly, and I took the hint. We finished equipping ourselves and he opened the auto-printed door, letting us out to see the rest of the crew equipped and ready to go.

"Everyone'ss been briefed but you. We're going to a planet near Hutt SSpace called Ganath. Their planet has been a Kingdom ssince the days of the Galactic Empire. Once ruled by a Jedi, a real trendssetter for the Royal Jedi causse. We've gotten reportss a noble there has been sselling sslaves to the Hutts. One of those sslaves esscaped and sswore up and down the noble tortured him with lightning coming from hiss fingerss. It was reported he overdossed on a variety of sspice the next week, so the chargess were largely ignored, but we're to invesstigate. At besst we kill a budding SSith and at worst we sstop a sslave ring. You will lissten and obey. Undersstand?" Qyze debriefed, and then asked.

"Let's do it."

 

[Onith Trill]

Ganath was quite the interesting planet. Certainly not one I remember being flash-trained about, it was a bit out of the way of the rest of the galaxy. Hard to find, not well known, and things here? They were different somehow. There were no droids, there were few non-humans, the technology was different. Primitive. It was like their technology had evolved in a different branch than the rest of the galaxy. As he continued onwards with the group he eventually figured out what it was. Rather than power packs or electricity this society's energy was based on steam. And yet one of them had engaged in slaving with the Hutts?

What ingenuity must have been required for them to overcome such a primitive power source.

I thought on it for a while as we reached some sort of public transportation hub. Qyze turned around, looked at me and asked if we'd been followed.

"By a couple of kids. Maybe 12 standard years. They've mainly been staring at you, Norgo and Rreuk though. Probably never seen non-humans before." I responded. Galen put up a little grin, Qyze nodded, and Rreuk huffed as we got onto the transport. It was basically a train, heading to the noble district of the city. As we sat and waited I discovered from various conversations and news displays that the planet was ruled by a King Bardos. They had found a more efficient way of using steam-power and were close to getting a hyperspace-worthy vessel. Some Count had just broke ground on a new amusement park that would bring thousands of credits and hundreds of jobs into some city. It wasn't a lot of information, but it was a baseline of information to work with. I also knew how many weapons were in the room and who looked on edge. It probably wasn't as much information as my co-workers were absorbing, but it was a start; I didn't feel lost on mission. Other than the whole "not having a real assignment yet" business.

There wasn't a word as they made the right stop. Qyze just got up and started moving, as did the rest of us. Rreuk followed Qyze, Norgo went off by himself, and Galen grabbed at my arm enough for me to know I was supposed to follow him. We kept going from street to street, before Galen stopped at a food truck and ordered some sort of grilled fish. Fish was the prevailing food of the planet, having extensive oceans. Perhaps why Steam had developed as it did. More water to heat, less coal to burn. Less minerals in general. I took some of the fish as well and we ate off to the side.

"Mind telling me what we're doing in this part of town?" I ask.

"Investigating the noble, as Qyze said." Galen replied as he put a fork into his fish.

"That's a crock, and you know it. You've all been training my awareness remember? Norgo went by himself, Qyze and Rreuk are two species known to be enforcers for the Hutts. We're both human, and blend in the most here. You and I are on a certain part of the job, and I'll be better at it if I know what it is." I say and he lets out a conflicted groan. Happy and annoyed at my progress if I had to bet.

"Alright, you're right, you're right. That doesn't mean I can tell you what's up, it's not how it works. I'm not rocking the boat." Galen admitted, but held his ground.

"Well, trouble's coming to us five o'clock." I said, as two larger men began to approach us. They were trying to be stealthy, but they were muscle. Not assassins. It showed.

 

[Onith Trill]

Galen kept eating at his fish. Nonchalant then? I guess I'll play along. I go back to my own meal and one of the men stops behind me, while the other sits next to us. Intimidation technique perhaps, though I couldn't say I was afraid.

"Y'all are new in town." The man says in an upbeat but condescending tone. "At least this part of it anyways. You're not nobles, you're not junkies, and you move with too much purpose to be sight see-ers. What did y'all come over here for?" He asked, and Galen kept at his meal, didn't even give eye contact. I kept at my plate as well, mirroring him.

"Oh so we're gonna play that game hunh? That's okay, I think I can get you to talk." He says and looks up to his companion behind him. I look over at Galen and he gives a nod as the man's hands grip at my arms. I don't know what a nod means from Galen; I'm not literate in their signals yet, but I don't think it means stop. Which means I'm not playing weak, at least hopefully.

So I pull my arms together, let my forearms cross each other. I grip at his arms and bow my back out, bringing it closer to his chest. A backwards headbutt goes at his chin and he loses an ounce of grip over my arms, enough time for an elbow jab to his gut. He's recoiled back now, lost his grip. I get out of my chair and turn and by this time he's recovered enough to get a punch into my face. I take it, but see the next one coming and grab his arm, then lock it up. He's a tough guy, but he telegraphs his hits pretty bad. Anybody with training probably could beat him in a fist fight, or maybe Galen was just a very good trainer. I wasn't about to bar my experience on a thug from a world with little outside contact though.

"I didn't come here to step on your bosses territory. I came here for a job." Galen said and looked up at the man finally. "My associate is going to let your man go with his arm in one piece, and you are going to go tell whoever you report to that if he wants things done he'll come to me ready to talk numbers. I'll be at the Starlight Hotel in six hours." Galen said, and then waved a hand. I let the man go and he stepped back, then the other one did from his chair. The two looked at us for a moment, then headed off. I sat back down when they had gotten enough distance.

"That was poor." Galen said to me. "He shouldn't have landed a punch on you. Makes our stance weaker." He criticized.

"I thought I handled myself pretty well considering the last time I couldn't kill a lizard with a lightsaber." I replied.

"You did, but there's a difference between 'well' and 'good enough'. You may have done the second, may not have. We'll see." Galen replied.

"Well next time I can play the brains and you can play the brawn." I smirked, and Galen's nose crinkled.

"In time maybe, but for now let's keep it simple for you." He said before cleaning up and tossing his dish. "Now we head over to the Starlight and wait."

 

[Onith Trill]

The wait at the Starlight was boring and uneventful. Despite my questions Galen insisted that Qyze was the only one to decide what I needed to know, and questions about Galen's personal life were "better asked between missions." I spent my time reading up on their local news, perusing about their local politics. The King was the official ruler of Ganath, but their were an array of dukes and duchesses that were essentially city governors. This "Noble Quarters" was a misnomer, it wasn't the fuedally elite lived high lives, it was where they met to negotiate laws and policies that concerned the planet as a whole. The King held a vote and the Ducal Senate held a vote, which was a fancy way of saying the Dukes and Duchesses had a say, but no real power. A 'Duchess Valessa' was pushing to change that, but such talk was difficult to say openly. Every word she said could be interpreted a couple ways. Politics at it's finest.

About thirty minutes before the meeting was supposed to transpire power left the room Galen and I were staying in. We both sprung into action, knowing that was never a good sign. As we exited the room and headed into the hall we found a similar story. It seemed power to the level was cut. I tip toed my way forward with Galen at my back, then heard something at the stairs. I motioned to them before they burst open, a few thugs pouring out. Galen reached out a hand and one of flew back down the stairs while I went up to meet on of the others in a bout of fisticuffs.

I came with a quick jab to his jaw, which planted firmly. He recoiled a bit, not expecting a hit of that force perhaps, but came back in earnest with a couple thrown punches of his own. This one to his credit was a better fighter than the first, quicker motion. More efficient. Less perceptible. One on one I'd have probably beaten him, but there was another man at his side. He came around and put a fist square into my gut. I coughed but held on, and the man shook his fingers afterwards. In the spare moment he'd gained the other man put a kick into shins, putting me a bit off balance. Galen should have been coming to my aid but I saw from the corner of my eye that more thugs had come from another stairwell. We were cornered. I could run, I could have, but I'd have no way of finding Qyze, Norgo, or Rreuk to help.

I threw a punch at the one at my right and connected at his chest, before the one on my left came around and threw his arms around my chest. I went to step for his foot but a blast hit my gut, and weariness came. Another shot and I was out cold. So much for that job we were getting for intel.