Let the executions begin…

[Corvus Raaf]

​

As they boarded ‘Raven’ for what felt like the 2,000th time, Corvus was unusually quiet. She was surprised at all of the politics that seemed to have come with her new role on the Council and accepted the mission as a form of break from Ossus.

Fortunately Kana didn’t need constant dialogue to know what was going on in her mind. Having a best friend was like that. So she stowed her bag, thanked Corax for translating all of her recent messages – even though they’d all come in Galactic Basic to begin with and headed up to the cockpit.

Once her friend joined her she finally relaxed. She completed the pre-flight checks and then took the ship out of the hangar. Sighing audibly, she stretched her arms and stood momentarily before sitting again.

”OK, I know the basics but that’s it. Something about an illegal slave fighting arena that’s sprung up. Acklays, nexus, reeks, and mongworsts? To be honest, I didn’t even read as far as the planet before I accepted it. What about you, did you read the brief?” There was a weariness about Corvus that had never been apparent before. Although not exactly a holiday, it seemed the time away was long overdue.

[member="Kana Truden"]

 

[Kana Truden]

It was that time again, the time when Kana, and Corvus, and Raven, and the new guy would go away for a while. It was the time when the two of them would work together again, as friends. There was no telling how but they just knew each other sometimes. No need for words, no need to look, they just knew what the other one was up to. This, however, was not one of those cases. Kana shook her head as Corvus finally spoke up.

“Not even a skim. I mean you punched in the co-ordinates. I trust you were the one to pick-...” Eyes set on the flight destination panel again. A red flashing light blinked on the screen. ‘@#!!=?”§’. “Well, that can’t be good.”

Promptly kicked to work Kana tried to fix it but try as she might the destination would remain a secret for a while. She’d have to go into proper repairs later but it seemed like a waste of time when it was just that one piece that malfunctioned.

“Anyway, you still look good for a stressed-out teenager.” She looked over at [member="Corvus Raaf"]. “How’s the council settling in? Has there been any news on the grandmaster?”

 

[Corvus Raaf]

Corvus held the sigh in place – just. It was the one question she didn’t want to talk about. “No, no word…”

Corvus was aware of the weight of the silence. Even amongst friends – best friends – it can go on too long. But no more words were necessary. Corvus ran her hands over her face and pulled her hair back into a pony-tail before allowing it to fall naturally.

”Actually I’m – “ Corvus was saved by the bell – or at least a few high-pitched bleeps as the astro-droid informed them that the systems were fully functioning again. ”Thanks Archie,” she said and colouring slightly checked over the instruments.

”Hok. We’re going to Hok.” She pulled a face as if to say where in the galaxy is that? ”And Archie just sounded right, OK. Anyway, it’s a planet full of Grans and is essentially two halves. One side is a desert wasteland like Tatooine, and the other half is surrounded by pure darkness. Sounds great. And it just came to me, you know, Archie the R2 unit, OK. Anyways, why’d you sign up?”

Her skin was still rosy and her eyes were still on the now irrelevant controls.

[member="Kana Truden"]

 

[Kana Truden]

No word. That was troubling. As much as she would have held off the surprised ‘huh’ she couldn’t. The silence sucked. The sort of ear-deafening mood killer that could destroy any occasion. Thank fully the playful beeps of the consoles nearby accompanied them. Well, that and the beeps of yet another addition to the crew.

“You’re not going to get any remarks from me.” Corvus went on and Kana listened. Why was Kana here? “It was a while since last anyway. Call it a friendly trip together to check out… Not-Tatooine.”

Was there an awkwardness to the silence? Would it be awkward if it was pointed out? Probably.

“What’s the worst that can happen, right?”

[member="Corvus Raaf"]

 

[Corvus Raaf]

Corvus glanced at Kana and burst out laughing. "Yeah, what could happen. We could simply get killed before we infiltrate the arena. Get captured and eaten by an acklay. Or survive the arena and get shot once they know we're Jedi. Did I miss anything out?"

"But then it sure beats being bored, doesn't it?"

She fiddled needlessly with the controls and stared at a few dials intently. "So how's the healing training going? Will you have to transfer to another Academy?"

[member="Kana Truden"]

 

[Kana Truden]

Well, she certainly painted a pretty picture. Death, Capture and death or just capture. It was good to know they had alternatives at least. Not that any of them were very pretty but beggars couldn’t be pickers or whatever the saying said. Did it beat being bored? Very much so, it was great to be together again. Something that nothing would break up. Not even the different roads they were walking along at this point.

“No, you won’t get rid of me that easily.” Kana smiled. “Ossus is more than well-equipped for it and I finally got help with it. From a ghost. In the archives. I think you know her.”

“I was studying the theoretics a bit ago when an apparition appeared out of nowhere and things kind of took off from there. I would never leave you. I could never bring myself to do such a thing and deep down you should know that.”

Though to say the thought hadn’t crossed her mind would be a lie. Kana had thought on Cato Neimoidia, but that temple didn’t have what Ossus had. [member="Corvus Raaf"] .

“Well, at least it’s good to know that if I do die today, I will die at the side of my best friend. Gallows humor fully intended.”

 

[Corvus Raaf]

Corvus smiled. Sometimes their conversations seemed really deep but in truth it was just them being very honest with each other. They were best friends and in a world where she'd decided not to have attachments, it was going to be the closest person she would ever have to be with.

Unless she decided to run off and marry Obi-Wan's great, great, great...well lots of greats-grandson. And that wasn't going or happen any time soon, like ever.

"You know I've been brooding about my family and stuff." It was a subject they'd covered a few times since Kana had returned from Hoth. "Well I've decided to go and visit them. I'll just turn up one day, unannounced. I'm starting to feel...well uncomfortable that I've never ever seen them. I know your family is different but I walked out on them. They didn't want me to go. And I've never, ever been back. That a lot of years. What do you think.?"

[member="Kana Truden"]

 

[Kana Truden]

Family. Kana had tried to tell her that family wasn’t the best of things to discuss with her. Still, it was her friend and listening and advising was one of the things Kana knew best. At least so she told herself.

On the question on Corvus’ family she couldn’t help pursing her lips and furrowing her eyebrows. It had been at least fifteen years since last they saw her. Even with the way things were it would never be a good idea to go about things this casually.

“I don’t know, Corvus.” It was the truth. “To show up after all these years unannounced is a bit… Wouldn’t it be best if you send them a message? I mean, it’d be a lot to take in when you arrive. To have them mentally prepared for it could be for the best.”

If only Kana would know the potential consequences of such things.

“If I was to see my old ‘family’ I would most likely send them a message. Not because I want to but because I owe them that much. Then again, they’re on Coruscant so the chances of that happening feels pretty slim.”

[member="Corvus Raaf"]

 

[Corvus Raaf]

Corvus listened to the advice. It was sound and logical – and if there’s one thing Corvus approved of it was a well-defined argument.

Except…

”I know what you’re saying and I agree with what you’re saying but I can’t do it. I must have written a not a hundred times over but I can’t bring myself to send it. What if they write back and say they don’t want to see me? I know you’ll say that’s better hearing in a message but if that’s what they’re going to say, I want to at least look them in the eyes. I owe them that much, surely?”

“And I’m not expecting them to turn me away. I mean I shouldn’t should I?” There was a look of genuine worry in her face now, but it quickly subsided.

”No, no. Of course now. Anyway – what’s the worst that could happen eh? So anyway, have you come up with a plan for the mission yet?”

[member="Kana Truden"]

 

[Kana Truden]

“I don’t know, go in, fight the beasts and then… Not-die?”

Kana dropped the previous discussion completely, no question about it. It was a topic that made her skin crawl and she knew that no matter what, she would never be able to see her family. Not even if she wished it and frankly she’d rather keep it that way. Perhaps in the end it was a blessing as a jedi to reject family as hard as Kana was.

She shook her head, barely. She was lying to herself again. It had left a burning hole inside of her. No master, no family, there was just Corvus and now her friend was contemplating visiting her old family. Envy played part in it, that she at least had that chance and someone who cared.

“I say we do it like Kenobi and Skywalker did it.” A smile at her friend. She was bound to know what Kana meant. “Except the whole part about Republic intervention. We could be upfront about them, we’re jedi. Just the two of us. If we can fight their monsters and live, they quit. If we fight the monsters and don’t die, well, at least we’d put on a show.”

[member="Corvus Raaf"]

 

[Corvus Raaf]

Corvus nodded and then laughed. "So if I'm Kenobi, at some point I have to cut your arms and legs off and toss you into a volcano right? If you ever get the urge to go to Mustafar, you fight it, OK?"

"But I like the plan. But perhaps we give a back-up saber to Corax here in case they confiscate them. Then, when the time's right he can throw the sabers to us? I've still got Elara's shoto and the saber I got from a mission years ago. Plus my shoto."

She gave Corax a glance. He was built for protocol, not for throwing. His joints looked like they could allow him to maybe pass the sabers to them. "Well OK, he holds them and we can Force Pull them when we need them?"

She looked expectantly at Kana. The 'other' subject was dropped.

[member="Kana Truden"]

 

[Kana Truden]

“So I have to be Vader, huh?” Kana laughed along with her friend. “You and your Kenobi.”

“But yeah, we could enter the arena and have the droid toss you your saber. It’s worked before in situations like this. Tatooine and Skywalker comes to mind. In any case I might be able to get it inside without much of a fuss if I just trick them into letting me keep it.”

It would be her first attempt in the field though. The mind trick was one of those things she never really got to use. In fact she was still unsure on how it worked. Perhaps it was for the best to not use it.

“Actually, no. We should go with your plans. I will hand your droid my saber, you can hand your droid one of your sabers. In the end we really ought to be upfront about it. We have the sabers and that is how we go about it.”

 

[Corvus Raaf]

”Only one of us can be Obi-Wan right? And as plans go, it’s set. She unclipped her saber and along with Kana’s handed it to Corax. It was to be his first ‘mission’ and she hoped he wouldn’t freeze under the circumstances.

Corvus kept her own shoto on her belt and found Elara’s and gave it to Kana. ”We’d look pretty odd if we don’t have a saber on us.”

As they exited hyperspace and approached Hok, its duality was evident;. One half of the planet was quite literally permanently dark due to its orbit and the other was a barren desert. Why the Gran chose to locate here was anyone’s guess.

As they approached the hangar, Corvus wondered who was behind the criminal organisation. ”You know this doesn’t feel like a Gran thing. You know? Perhaps they’ve changed having been away from their homeworld for so long, but I wonder if there’s an off-worlder behind this?”

[member="Kana Truden"]

 

[Kana Truden]

“Could be they have. Makes no sense though, seems to me the Gran are most proficient with thermal detonators and punching people. What would they gain from this? Seems kind of like a sharp turn in their culture.” Kana shrugged. “Then again, I’ve never really been here so I wouldn't be able to truly tell.”

So the plan was set. Kana had to admit she had her reservations on the chances of success, but they had done more outrageous things before, right? Actually, no, this was probably the most craziest thing she and Corvus had ever agreed on doing. Were they crazy? Maybe just a little.

“So, I’ll take us in for landing then.” Attention on the controls, again. “I hope this works.”

Or they’d be kind of not-alive at the end of the day. The ship shook upon re-entry, but only a little and the anxiousness mounted as the ship touched ground.

“We ready?”

[member="Corvus Raaf"]

 

[Corvus Raaf]

It was much like Tatooine. The heat and the desert landscape could have been Anchorhead. What made it different was the industry. Mining was no doubt big business here and the hangars were full of engineering and mining ships, corporate types here to maximise their invesments.

The other difference was the volume of Grans. Yet what connected them were the various bars and restaurants named after the planet's most famous son - Mawhonic - who competed in so many famous Podraces including the infamous Boonta Eve Classic.

Corvus looked around, trying to work out where the underground money was, where the criminal element hung out. A split-second later she filed this in the 'too hard to work out' category and decided to aska local.

"Tell me, if I wanted to put money on a death-match, where would I go?" She smiled politely in the hope it would help. It didn't - but the fifth person she asked was more forthcoming - pointing to a neon monstrosity of a bar that shouted 'dirty money.' It was simply called, "Dug Cheated" and had an luminous image of a green Podracer on each of its windows.

"Shall we?"

[member="Kana Truden"]

 

[Kana Truden]

The second they stepped outside of the ship there was little Kana could do but regret it. Warmth sucked and it was uncomfortable. Kana rolled up the sleeves of her jumpsuit and thanked the force for the winds. Kana caught sight of the ‘Dug Cheated’ as Corvus began asking around for the underground cantina. First attempt to point it out was left unspoken, as were the second, and the third, and the fourth and fifth. Truly Kana didn’t know whether her friend did it on purpose or not.

“It was pretty obvious that was the one, Master Raaf.” Kana pointed at herself. “I should know, I wasn’t always in the Order, remember?”

She followed her friend to the entrance. “Let’s.”

The doors hissed open and the two jedi took the first few steps inside. It was like being ‘home’ again, for better or worse.

[member="Corvus Raaf"]

 

[Corvus Raaf]

Corvus laughed – she forgot about Kana’s background. In fact she forgot about everyone’s background. But now would have been a good time to remember.

“Point taken,” she said. “From this point forward you’re in charge. You blend in so well.” She was going to joke about her friend’s outfit but decided she liked her head where it was. And bed-hair was perfectly fine too.

The inside of the establishment wouldn’t have been out of place on Nar Shaddaa. It was neon from floor to ceiling. The energy bill alone could have fed a small planet. But where there’s money, there’s crime. This was clearly the right place.

So Corvus raised an eyebrow. The one that said, off you go then…

[member="Kana Truden"]

 

[Kana Truden]

Ah yes, it was just like being home again. Not that the homecoming felt particularly nice. In fact it felt quite the opposite. She had forgotten what the smell was like. That insufferable smell of people from both spectrum of the law as they mingled together in frowned upon convenience. Bribes being handed, deeds being done. It was no place for jedi but duty always came first, didn’t it?

A quick look around the locale had her searching for the one in charge of bets. It didn’t take long until she spotted a shady gran in a very remote corner of the room being approached by several other men. Money got passed around and a smirk grew on Kana’s lips.

She subtly pointed at the man for Corvus to see. “See that man? He runs the bets, but we’re going to need an excuse for the way we look.”

“I’m thinking Sith converts wanting to prove themselves in the ring. Or we’re, you know, upfront and honest with the guy about jedi. Your call.”

 

[Corvus Raaf]

Corvus considered the options. The closer they got to the criminal element, the harder the calls became. This place made her skin crawl and if there was anything that might seal her decision it was that this was the last place any sane Jedi would come to.

"OK, I like the Sith converts angle. We need to prove we're worthy before the Sith will have us and what better way? And you know how good I am at playing undercover." She smiled and raised an eyebrow a few times. What that was supposed to mean was anyone's guess.

[member="Kana Truden"]

 

[Kana Truden]

Kana raised her eyebrow. “Sure you are, I remember the auction pretty well.”

The two jedi walked along the cantina walls to circle around the people around the bar. It was primarily a move to avoid attention. They could get a pretty good feel for what kind of people came around here. The crooks, thieves and whores. The down-on-their-luck slummers. The two women easily blended in with their vagrant-looking apparel.

The line to the betting man dispersed as they approached.

“We’re full, no more bets.” The man called out.

“We don’t want to bet, we want to fight.” Kana gave the man a bitter look as she pointed at Corvus. “Darth Ater and I, Darth Magnitas, seek to prove ourselves for our master in the ring.”

The people around gasped as the bouncer raised his eyebrows...

[member="Corvus Raaf"]