Darkness, My Old Friend

[Cassius Droma]

For the life of him, Cassius Droma could never understand how he always managed to end up on Nar Shaddaa, the Smuggler’s Moon. It was damp, dirty, crowded… things the man would hate if he had the capacity to do so. And yet, here he was, navigating the dark streets once again, slinking past grizzled Trandoshan hunters and devious Devaronian dealers. A long, black rain slick concealed his identity as a Jedi, serving to keep him incognito.

A lot had happened to him since he’d been here last. He’d left one Jedi organization, joined another, and had started on a completely new path. And yet, here he was again, back to the place that had served as a sort of catalyst for his new direction in life. Ar’ekk had reached back out to him, merely requesting his presence. Considering how they’d last interacted with each other, the young Jedi had understandably hesitated. After a short time meditating, he’d made the decision to travel to the city moon once more.

He’d merely been told to come to Ar’ekk’s apartment – no other details. Always a cautious man, he had the Stardust Melody nearby, with T-4D4 at the controls, ready to come to his aid if needed. The big window out of the masked man’s apartment could prove a good escape route.

The young Jedi stood in front of the apartment door, sure that some sort of security device was monitoring him. His newly constructed lightsaber was clipped to his waist, ready to be deployed at a moment’s notice. Then again, as he reached out with the Force, he felt no malcontent on the other side of the door.

He rang the doorbell.

[member="Ar'ekk"]

 

[Arekk]

Time had progressed too fast for his own likeness. From their last encounter in the Smuggler's Moon, it didn't look like things proceeded to look great enough yet unbeknownst to Cassius the half masked man had changed. That evening would mark his last day in Nar Shaddaa, seeking to finally put an end to a reign of darkness and self pity. The light always prevailed in his heart and mind, and that's where he wanted to stay.

One of the luxuries of being filthy rich in a place ridden with scum and filth such as this was owning a massive penthouse above a hundred floors in the most exclusive sector of Nar Shaddaa. Its turbolift could take you up and down in a matter of seconds, the main hall covered with golden finishes and expensive designs. Once you stepped out of the turbolift to head towards Ar'ekk's apartment door, you'd find yourself in the most unthinkably beautiful hall that looked nothing like the one at the reception. Velvet carpets, marble walls with exquisite touches of sapphire diamonds and whatnot. A true millionaire's dream.

The doorbell rang loudly, alerting Ar'ekk of the presence of his old friend. A full-body scan was performed on the young man standing outside, veryfing his identity and providing all the information (a mugshot included) of whoever stood next to the door was showcased on the other end through a hologram. Its lock mechanisms opened up and allowed Cassius to enter. Ar'ekk stood by the large window at the living room, appreciating the bright lights that reflected upon the cold streets.

[member="Cassius Droma"]

 

[Cassius Droma]

For some reason, Cassius hadn’t expected such nice surroundings for a man who had once been called a crime lord. Images of a dirty hotel room with spiced out Twi’leks had come to his mind when he’d been asked to come to Nar Shaddaa. And yet, when he started to case the building, he realized it was the opposite. Of course, it made sense – the man had probably gained considerable wealth due to his criminal activities, why not buy a luxurious abode?

He felt somewhat out of place with his dark rain slick – the young Jedi had half a mind to stash it somewhere in order to blend in to the setting a little better. Moving from the streets to the higher parts of society, perhaps his wardrobe needed to change as well. His robes would look more than satisfactory, and he’d probably have less glances through his way.

As Cassius fully stepped into the entryway, his eyes constantly scanned the area around him. He also kept his senses in the Force as tuned as he could keep them, hopefully to warn him of danger should the need arise.

“Nice place,” he finally said, still slightly apprehensive. He was fully in the penthouse, now, his arms loosely by his side, and head on a swivel.

[member="Ar'ekk"]

 

[Arekk]

"The view is even better. All these flashing lights going back and forth, attracting the many people down there. But once you start mingling with the scum, you tend to wonder why you came to Nar Shaddaa in the first place."

Turning his view away from the window to properly look at Cassius, Ar'ekk brought him inside and patted his shoulder. It was good seeing him again, a friendly ally that reminded him of home. When he came to the Smuggler's Moon, the plan was to rebuild and give those weakened by the struggles of war a chance to survive and even though that plan worked for a while now... He was caught in a destructive path that was difficult to step out of if not properly focused. It was a close call to the darkness but the light prevailed once again.

It always did.

"Feel right at home, Cassius. I bet you were expecting a grimey mudhole in the middle of the city. This is an exclusive sector, away from all the villainy."

Inside the apartment, all the half masked man's belongings were scattered everywhere which wasn't uncommon for someone living alone. But at the same time, some of the things laying about weren't his. Someone was living here, even if temporarily, and Cassius could sense it through the Force.

[member="Cassius Droma"]

 

[Cassius Droma]

“To be honest, yes,” Cassius said in response to a comment about his expectations. “You seem to have done well for yourself.” He continued to look around the apartment as he took off his rain slick and placed it on a nearby coat rack. “Villainy comes in many forms – even from those who live in opulence.”

Another presence could be felt – faint, as if it was but a whisper. Someone else lived here, as they had been here so much that they left an impression on the surrounding area. It would be quite easy for Cassius to kneel down and use his psychometry abilities on an item to see who it belonged to, and from that he could determine just who else inhabited the apartment. Then again, he didn’t wish to pry. Unless it was a life or death situation, Cassius didn’t use that ability on his friends unless he asked their permission first.

Perhaps it was a woman – it would explain his turning a new leaf.

“I can only guess you didn’t call me here for idle chit-chat,” Cassius commented. If anything, the man probably needed help – help that only another Jedi could provide.

[member="Ar'ekk"]

 

[Arekk]

His lips felt dry as he tried to put the right words to what he was going to say. Having Cassius in his presence was something he highly appreciated after having to deal with the lowest of scums for several months, think you'd lose your sanity having to do that. Everyone had a problem but he wasn't a solver of such things. It didn't matter if it was for blood money or someone double-crossed you, death wasn't something he sought. There is no victory in that.

"No, I didn't. That's why I'll head straight to the point, Cassius."

He took a moment to ponder before continuing his monologue,

"I'm going to leave this forsaken planet and everything I've built. The foundation of the organization I run became something I didn't want it to be. We were supposed to help the weak and the impoverished. Yet... greed and lust for power destroyed that idea."

Turning to face the young Jedi, Ar'ekk removed the mask that continued to conceal the half side of his face. His eyes pierced through the apprentice's as if they stared right into his soul.

"Destroying my life isn't something I want to happen. I have other reason to live, one that saved my life and it means everything to me."

His hand turned into a balled fist but his eyes closed, trying to hold off the anger and fear of losing that precious thing he held now.

"I need your help, my friend. Otherwise I will lose everything I have."

[member="Cassius Droma"]

 

[Cassius Droma]

So, it seemed that Ar’ekk wished to dismantle the very organization he’d built from the ground up. No doubt, it had turned from his previous intentions into something rather sinister. Cassius could have told him that was going to happen – the base of operations was on Nar Shaddaa, after all. Still, the young man could only imagine the amount of enemies he’d accumulated over time, including those within the ones in the very organization he was abandoning.

Cassius raised an eyebrow as the man removed his mask. The young Jedi was pretty sure that was the first time he had ever seen the full face of his friend. This must be serious. When he mentioned that there was another reason for him to live, it pretty much cinched Cassius’s theory: definitely a woman.

“I’m sure that whatever it is, my friend, we’ll conquer it together. Just like Vjun,” he tried to remind him of a time where they had been successful, to instill confidence in the man.

“What do you need me to do?” Cassius asked.

[member="Ar'ekk"]

 

[Arekk]

The tales of old conflicts and battles always seemed to brighten Ar'ekk's heart, the reminder of Vjun's adventure being one of the memories that was glued to the Jedi Knight's skull. A fond reminder that the two of them came out stronger than ever in the face of adversity, just like they would now in the Smuggler's Moon.

"The organization has become too ambitious to destroy its core entirely. They'll continue to operate within Nar Shaddaa for the years to come but we can disrupt some of the businesses here, specially the records center. We keep a database within an encrypted HoloNet channel where we keep track of all transactions, amount of cargo coming in and out plus information regarding myself. If we destroy those records, they'll never know my whereabouts in the future or catch me if I ever decide to return here."

It sounded like a suicide plan but they overcame many foes bigger than this one, not to mention a gigantic Rancor in the cave back in Vjun. The Force was strong within them and if they worked together as before, the duo would prevail over darkness.

[member="Cassius Droma"]

 

[Cassius Droma]

As Ar’ekk laid out the plans, Cassius furrowed his brow and crossed his arms, nodding along as he explained. They were going after information – always a much more valuable asset than credits or weapons, in Cassius’s opinion. Although, there was something about the plan that was a little off.

“If I may make a suggestion,” Cassius said, as he slowly paced over to the window to see the streets below. “If we just destroy the records, it would be a short-term solution to a long-term problem. This is an incredible intelligence-gathering opportunity. If we could merely steal the records, or somehow tap into them so that we can access them remotely, then we could track their movements. Or, better yet, hand it over to the Silver Jedi or Galactic Alliance and see if they can take care of it.” Cassius was sure that the Shadows would have interest in this sort of thing, but he didn’t want to make it seem like he was going to give it to a particular entity.

“We can still wipe your information from the records, of course,” Cassius turned back from the window.

[member="Ar'ekk"]

 

[Arekk]

"There's good people working there. Squad members, same warriors that fought with me in Malachor. If they let them go freely, I'll give up that information to whoever wants to deal with it."

The plan was flawed somehow, yes, but he was willing to feed Cassius's sources with information with a single condition as part of the deal. All of his friends were to be left alone regardless of crime commited. Getting rid of the information regarding Ar'ekk's whereabouts, known transport vessel and more would be crucial to put an end to this.

"Silver Jedi, huh? I never thought I'd hear that name ever again, still bitter for leaving me behind during the war time. It's something I will never forget."

[member="Cassius Droma"]

 

[Cassius Droma]

“Sound reasonable,” Cassius nodded, hoping that he could keep his end of the deal. If he simply handed over the information to another entity, he couldn’t guarantee the safety of his friends. He’d have to play it pretty close to the chest if he was going to honor his friend’s deal.

Hearing the disdain in Ar’ekk’s voice caused Cassius to avert his gaze for a moment. He was aware of the reputation that the Silvers had, and any faction had enemies and people that had been wronged by them, regardless of alignment or intention. “Ar’ekk, the Silver Jedi have changed since you last fought alongside them. Any slight they might have committed against you, I hope you can forgive them for it.”

“I suppose we should get started,” Cassius said, motioning towards the door. He hadn’t exactly expected to fight against an entire crime syndicate on that day, but if he’d learned anything in the past few years, it was to be prepared for anything.

[member="Ar'ekk"]

 

[Arekk]

"Good."

Short and simple. Just the idea of having to betray the people he considered family was excruciating enough but that wouldn't have to occur this time, only the rotten apples would fall down today. It felt like taking the bull by its horns or a Rancor's bone from its lair, having to overcome many obstacles on the way to achieve a succesful outcome to the permanent dismantlement of The Hawk's Circle as a whole.

"I have been grieving for almost a decade now and it's time to stop that. Yes, I failed most of my men on the battlefield but life goes on. We knew what we were signing up for and despite suffering deep losses, one has to keep going. After today? I'll be putting all my differences aside with the Silver Jedi."

The words coming out of the Jedi Knight's mouth showed how much his mindset had changed throughout the years and the maturity obtained after passing the Jedi trials, showing an incredible resilience and attitude to face many challenges.

"Let's go."

And just like that, the two of them headed for the turbolift that would take them to Ar'ekk's personal docking bay. The sight of the legendary Ebon Hawk surfaced as they travelled downwards.

It was time to put an end to this.

[member="Cassius Droma"]

 

[Cassius Droma]

Cassius was glad to see that Ar’ekk had the capacity to put the past behind him – it was better than some others that the young Jedi knew. As they made their way to the turbolift, Cassius said, “I have a medical droid that could be of some assistance. I can call him, if you’d like.” Currently, he was still with the Stardust Melody, waiting for him to call if something went awry.

When the Ebon Hawk graced his vision, he took in a deep breath. It had been awhile since he’d seen the ship, and already his hands were twitching in the anticipation of piloting it. “I can only guess I’ll be allowed to fly it.” Just like their last mission together, Cassius had handled the flying, and Ar’ekk had been the specialist for the ground. It worked the best that way.

Going up the ramp, Cassius immediately went to the cockpit, sitting in the pilot’s chair and priming the engines. Although it was a pain to fly, given that it was four thousand years old, it was the historical aspect of the craft that made Cassius excited. Revan was one of the young archaeologist’s favorite historical figures, and being able to be in a space where he spent a lot of time was like visiting a museum. A flying museum.

[member="Ar'ekk"]

 

[Arekk]

Embracing the idea provided by his Jedi friend, he nodded right away. That was some good thinking if they, hopefully not, got into trouble once they reached the databanks. Most of the thugs of The Hawk's Circle didn't know that Ar'ekk was leaving the entire operation yet only a handful of people knew the true reason, that being his personal bodyguard and second in command Scourge.

"You're the greatest pilot I've seen, remember? I'm better on the guns."

A sly smirk surfaced on one side of his face and a wink, acknowledging Cassius' obvious talent to maneuever any type of ship by being proficient at what he does. If there was someone you could rely on to pilot and guide you through battles in space, that would be him only.

"Besides... I know you like to fly my ship."

Nudging his arm, he ran towards the Ebon Hawk's ramp that slowly opened to allow both inside. Rushing towards the cockpit, Ar'ekk took the co-pilot's seat and put on the wireless headset on his head. Marking in the navicomputer the coordinates of the record center they'd be hitting soon, located in the heart of the Red Light Sector. The Hawk's Circle controlled over ninenty percent of the territory and everyone knew the half masked man by sight and name, fearful of his wrath and short temper. It would be a walk in the park if they played it cool.

"Let's go there and use my personal docking bay above the Black Diamond Club. We shouldn't expect much company but be on alert."

[member="Cassius Droma"]

 

[Cassius Droma]

Cassius sent a short communication to T-4D4 to get the Stardust Melody to rendezvous and follow close once they got in the air. It would still be nice to have a back-up ship in the wings in case the Ebon Hawk became damaged or otherwise incapacitated.

The pilot made sure all systems were go before he engaged the ventral thrusters and the ship thrummed as they lifted up off the ground. “Sounds easy enough…” Cassius muttered as Ar’ekk explained where to go. An easy enough to follow course was plotted from the former crime lord’s apartment to the Black Diamond Club.

The Ebon Hawk flew through the nightscape of Nar Shaddaa like its namesake, still surprisingly smooth after all this time. Cassius of course preferred his own YT-1000 model, but that was probably because he’d spent so much time customizing it and making sure the controls were perfect.

He didn’t even have to wait for confirmation to land the ancient freighter in the bay – the small indicator light went green the moment he sent the request. They touched down in the docking bay, a small shiver running through Cassius’s spine. “Let’s hope your pull is as strong as you say it is,” he said as he put the ship in docking mode. He didn’t power down just yet, just in case they needed to make a quick getaway.

[member="Ar'ekk"]

 

[Arekk]

Watching the skyline of the Smuggler's Moon as the legendary Ebon Hawk flew above the high-rise condos and the flashing lights of the advertisements scattered throughout the city reflected upon the freighter, Ar'ekk gave the young pilot a reassuring nod.

"I hope so too. It's been only a few days now that I went pitch black on these guys. I sense something in the Force but I cannot tell what it is. We must be cautious."

The half masked man followed his instinct now more than ever, having saved his life countless of times in the past. If there was something that felt odd and he felt it was that way, then they'd have to be careful wherever they stepped into. Despite Ar'ekk being the leader of an uprising criminal empire, many of the enforcers and employees would be unhappy with the decision of him departing or simply going away without much notice.

Casually hovering over the Black Diamond Club, the doors to the docking bay slowly opened to tuck in the freighter and securing itself within as they landed safely. Strangely enough, no one was there to greet them which was unusual to say the least.

"The entrance is right in front of us. Once inside, we'll be in the female dancer's quarters so we gotta take the right path that will lead us to a side exit. If we make it through that, the Hawk's Circle headquarters should be a block away. The databanks are located underground so we will have to take a turbolift that will probably take us a little over a hundred floors downwards."

[member="Cassius Droma"]

 

[Cassius Droma]

Cassius left the shields and weapons on as well, flicking their switches to the standby position. He also checked the blaster on his thigh – full charge. As Ar’ekk explained their route, he tried to envision it in his head. It would certainly make for a difficult escape, that was for sure. Hundreds of floors down? There wouldn’t be any windows to jump out of like last time. If for some reason they were caught down there, they’d have to fight their way out. And it wouldn’t be pretty.

He undid his crash webbing and stood, looking out the transpirasteel viewport. The hangar was empty, weirdly. No maintenance droids. No mechanics. Nothing. Adjusting his tunic and belt, his eyes darted around to see if there were any obvious signs of surveillance equipment around.

Stepping down the ramp, Cassius kept his head on a swivel. As the sound of his footfalls echoed across the hangar bay, and with the bright lights overhead, the young Jedi felt very exposed. He kept a telekinetic lock on his lightsaber just in case he needed to draw it quickly.

[member="Ar'ekk"]

 

[Arekk]

The complete silence in the docking bay made him feel at unease almost immediately, even though things seemed normal for the time being. Usually, there would be a dozen of armed battle droids and hired guns patrolling each part of The Hawk's Circle headquarters to be avoid any unwarranted visit and/or retaliaton from opposing criminal organizations. Who knew what they would be doing now? This didn't seem to be okay at all.

"Through here, act normal. Don't look at the Nikto's eyes when you're about to enter."

A tall Nikto holding the biggest blaster in his hands was guarding the door they would be using to enter the nightclub whom'd recognize Ar'ekk right away from just looking at him, straightening his stance to salute him. However, he made Cassius stop right on his feet and grunted angrily. Speaking in Huttese the Nikto guard would begin questioning the young Jedi apprentice:

"Ah'chu apenkee?" ('Who are you?")

[member="Cassius Droma"]

 

[Cassius Droma]

The rain slick thankfully concealed his identity as a Jedi, but it didn’t make him any less uneasy as they made their way across the hangar. He tried to reach out with the Force, but found it more difficult than usual. Perhaps that was why he disliked the Smuggler’s Moon so much: with all of the death, decay, and dark energy surrounding it, it deadened his senses. That just meant he had to rely on his old instincts.

Cassius had heeded Ar’ekk’s warning about the Nitko guarding the entrance, choosing to just look straight ahead, perhaps giving off an air of arrogance that make the guard think he was so important that he didn’t even need to look at such trivial people as guards. Despite this, the Nitko practically shoved his blaster into Cassius’s chest as he did his job. The harsh tongue did not deter Cassius, however. He merely looked at the man’s shoulder.

“A friend of Ar’ekk’s,” Cassius said in Basic, knowing that he would understand. There was a little Force power behind his words, hoping to nudge the man’s consciousness a certain way without being too forceful. “You don’t want to make him wait, do you?”

After a brief, yet tense moment, the Nikto practically spat and stepped to the side. Cassius continued course behind Ar’ekk, his hand twitching somewhat. It had been ready to draw his saber at a moment’s notice, and despite them being past the first stage of security, he didn’t make the mistake of relaxing. Danger lurked around every corner, especially in the criminal underworld of Nar Shaddaa.

[member="Arekk"]

 

[Arekk]

Thankfully, the Nikto guard behaved properly once Cassius uttered the name of his boss and leader of The Hawk's Circle. Moving aside and allowing entrance for the young apprentice, the Jedi duo made their way into the dancers' quarters. There was a big chaos as expected from an establishment like this as a bunch of Twi'leks and female humans walked back and forth with the most exorbitant and spectacular dresses you could see, some of them half naked at times. Most of them winked at Ar'ekk and approached him to give him gentle kisses on his cheek or simply to hug him, which seemed like reaching cloud nine for most men of power.

Turning back to his young Jedi friend and shrugging, the half masked man pointed at a door on the left side that would take them to the back alleyway of the club. Once outside, they'd have to walk towards the back entrance of the Hawk's Circle HQ and make use of the turbolift that'd take them towards the records section hidden underneath.

"That was really close. Something is not right."

[member="Cassius Droma"]