Private Robbing from the Rich || Dagos

[Judah Lesan]

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Wearing: xxx
Weapons: xxx x2
Tag: Dagos Terrek

Judah had read the reports. He was not interested in seeing Jedi medical supplies dwindle for the sake of a young padawan playing vigilante. The Corellian could have easily put a stop to it were it not for the fact he had done something similar with his younger years. Judah had been a member of the Army of Light, and some of those who he worked with then had founded the Silver Jedi Order. He was not one to sit on the sidelines when there was something to be done.

There was a line that if crossed could never be walked back. The Jedi Master was concerned that without guidance it would be too tempting to cross. The New Jedi Order had always been okay with crossing that line for the convenient sake of killing Sith. They did not hide their intention to do just that. No matter what the Jedi Council wanted to say about the matter, the actions taken to stop the Maw on Exegol proved the nature of where the order stood.

Judah was a relic of a different time. He was willing to do what was necessary, but he knew where the line was. Even if he did get to the edge, he never crossed it. It was his responsibility to make sure this young padawan did not use his talents and gifts to do something he would later regret, even if it was in the name of helping those who needed it.

The shadows were Judah’s domain. While Guardians fought openly, and Consulars kept to their studies and peacekeeping, Shadows hunted. It was a measure of darkness some might say, but in truth it was the Sentinels which found the balance of what it meant to be a Jedi. They were both soldiers and an extension of peace. A Shadow served as an extension of that calling.

He had been tracking the young padawan for a while, hoping he would lead him to whatever it was he was getting into. Judah knew of several opportunities which would be prime for the padawan to strike, but even as skilled as Judah was he could not predict the future. The Force did not work that way. Whatever path Dagos took, it would be his to take, and Judah would be there when he followed it.

The lower levels, the undercity, of Coruscant still smelled of crime and poverty. This was not a place he liked to frequent often. Judah had been spending more time among the downtrodden and vile in his assignment to discover the truth about the bombing which the New Way had taken credit for.

He sighed as he leaned against a damp wall. The duracrete was molding, and the odor of it was giving the Jedi a headache. Hopefully the padawan was getting to where he was going soon. Judah was feeling the need for a shower, and soon.

“Hurry up kid,” Judah muttered under his breath. “You’re not being followed.”

Which Judah knew was not true. He just wanted Dagos to figure it out and move on so he could get the night over with. He had his plan, and as long as the padawan stalled to get to his destination the more delayed Judah would be.

 

[Dagos Terrek]

"I'm going as fast as I can," Dagos said. "I keep getting this feeling that we're being followed."

That news elicited a series of concerned trills and chirps from the little BD droid that was clutching onto his back as Dagos wove through the alleyways of Coruscant's undercity.

The droid had good reasons to be concerned. first, it was rarely a good thing to have someone following you down here, usually, they either wanted your stuff or your life and most didn't have any problem taking both. The droid's biggest cause for concern was likely the fact that Dagos feelings were hardly ever just feelings. Dagos was touched by The Force as all Korun were and had even for a time been trained as a Jedi. That was the past though.

Dagos was no Jedi but he still trusted his feelings, so he had been taking the long way. Ducking in alleyways, doubling back on his route, all the tricks he had been taught about losing a tail. He could've done a more thorough job of it but he had somewhere to be and really couldn't be late, so he hoped either his feeling was off and it was just nerves or he had done enough to lose whoever might have been following.

Dag and BD made it to their destination, a run-down, abandoned-looking living space. The lights that lined most of every street or corridor in the undercity were curiously out on this block, hiding everything in darkness.

Good. He thought as he approached the home.

Dagos and BD made it to the front entrance of the home. It was too easy. Dagos hated that it was so easy. His breathing grew shorter and sharper and his heart thumped loudly. The voice of every teacher he had ever had –and there had been many – told him to focus. Be calm.

This was it. This was the moment. Weeks of small time busts, petty dust ups, following lead after lead to dead end after dead end, had got him here. Every bruise, cut, broken hand, and busted nose was all for this.

The droid BD-NRG hopped off of Dag's back and used the multi tool in its little foot to jack into the control panel at the entrance. A questioning trill emanating from the tiny droid. Dag took a breath and gave the droid a nod. Gears whirred and clicked then the door opened with a woosh.

"What the kark?" Asked the man who had been standing on the other side of the door. He was Korun like Dagos, dressed in green and wearing a dumbstruck look on his face.

"Knock knock mutha sucka." Dagos replied before using a Force assisted kick to send the guy crashing hard into a wall.

This was no ordinary house and Dag hadn't just assaulted some innocent dude. This was a stash house belonging to a gang of thugs. Dagos was about to ruin their day. The Force told Dag that there was half a dozen more people in the house at least plus if his intel was right a chit ton of credits.

Dagos made his way further into the home. He didn't know where chit was or the layout of the building at all and ended up practically stumbling into a living room where he was greeted by the puzzled look of four more green wearing tatted up gangstas.

"Break yo self!" The former Padawaan yelled only to be greeted with a round of blaster fire from one of the thugs.

Dag ran followed by the sounds of footsteps and blaster bolts. He ducked into the kitchen, overturned the table using The Force and dove behind it for cover.

"Y'all mutha suckas are in trouble now!" He warned as a blaster bolt sizzled into the wall above his head.

Judah Lesan

 

[Judah Lesan]

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Wearing: xxx
Weapons: xxx x2
Tag: Dagos Terrek

“Idiot,” Judah muttered under his breath before he leaped in through the glass on the roof of the building. His blue lightsabers came to life quickly as he blocked the blaster bolts coming at the kid. Placing himself between the guys shooting and the padawan, Judah ensured that he provided enough cover so the young Jedi could get to a place where the blaster fire would not keep him pinned down.

This is where Judah had a choice. It was likely the boy would run if he took care of the thugs, and that meant Judah would lose track of him. The other option was to trust that the kid wanted to shut the gang down badly enough that he would stick around and finish the job.

“You gonna help here, or leave all the fun for me?”

Maybe drawing him in was the best way to get the kid to stick around. Shifting to deflect the blaster bolts with one saber, Judah offered Dagos his second lightsaber.

“I hope you remember how to use one of these, otherwise tonight's trip to the medical wing of the temple is going to be an extended stay.”

Whatever Dagos decided was going to have to be quick. Judah had already turned his attention back to sending the bolts back in the direction of the lackeys firing them. A couple of them were already dead as a result. It was one way to get the gang to quit, but not Judah’s preferred method. Still it was them or him, and every time that decision came across Judah’s plate, he always chose the other guys.

“Don’t keep me waiting, kid.”

 

[Dagos Terrek]

Okay, so busting into a gang hideout and confronting the thugs inside was maybe not going to feature in Dagos' highlight reel of brilliant ideas but he had the chit handled.

Okay, he could admit that from an outside perspective, it looked like Dagos, an unarmed teenager who was stuck hiding behind a flimsy cheap table while being shot at by gang members was in trouble and yeah, okay, it could've been going better but the last thing he needed, wanted or expected was for a Jedi to come crashing through the ceiling.

Those thugs didn't expect it either because their blaster fire quickly turned to the newest intruder who made quick work deflecting blaster fire back at the bad guys with his lightsabers.

"I hope you remember how to use one of these, otherwise tonight's trip to the medical wing of the temple is going to be an extended stay." The Jedi said holding out one of his weapons to Dagos.

"Don't keep me waiting, kid."

"Say less." Dagos told the Jedi as he took the offered lightsaber.

Chit, these guys were in trouble now. Dag was armed and dangerous.

Dagos stepped from his cover and out into the blaster fire. The blue blade of the borrowed saber was a blur as it blazed and bent to bat every bolt back at the baddies.

Mutha suckas never learn.

Dagos deflected a blaster shot directly at one of the thugs, nailing the guy right on target. He dropped to the ground screaming and holding his groin. One guy left, Dag didn't hesitate deflecting another shot back at the idiot that fired it leaving a hole in the floor where the guy's foot had been. He too went down. Leave it to the former Jedi to respect the sanctity of life.

The blaster fire stopped as the screaming continued.

"Bee-Dee!" Ragos called over the sound of the injured men. "Door!"

The little droid made its way to Dagos who was standing in front of a control panel locked door. Schematics of the house would show that this door led to the basement. The control panel told him this was essentially the safe. Ill gotten credits lay on the other side of that door and that's the chit he came for.

BD worked his magic and the door opened with a woosh, revealing a darkened staircase.

"Thanks for the assist old timer but we got it from here." Dagos said to his unlikely savor, tossing the man's lightsaber back to him.

Judah Lesan

 

[Judah Lesan]

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Wearing: xxx
Weapons: xxx x2
Tag: Dagos Terrek

Judah looked at the padawan with an almost incredulous look. Say less? Did he really chastise the master Jedi after he saved the kid's butt? If he did not realize he was dead meat tucked in that corner then he had another thing coming. It was fortunate there were still some thugs to take care of.

The master Jedi watched as the younger took care of the rest of them. His skill with a lightsaber was actually pretty good, and he still seemed to value life in a way that a lot of the Jedi Judah interacted with recently did not. He chewed on the inside of his cheek for a couple seconds before the lightsaber was tossed back at him. The action pulled Judah from his thoughts.

"Because you had it so under control before I dropped in…"

Judah was clearly being sarcastic. It was something the boy would likely understand. The Corellian had no concern over whether the kid was offended or not. The situation had not been under control, and that had been obvious.

"You did pick up the fact I was following you, or at least you seemed to suspect it. Your skill with a lightsaber is not bad, but you drop your guard too much."

The Jedi surveyed the room before walking out of it. He pulled out his personal data pad and sent a message to the local CorSec precinct about where they could find the gang members.

"Right, so now the gang is no longer your problem. CorSec will handle it from here. You and I are going to have a little chit and chat about why you keep sneaking into the temple for medical supplies if you're not even a Jedi anymore…"

It wasn't a question or suggestion. If Dagos was smart he would pick up on that, and do the quick math. There was no way he was getting out of it.

"I'll be on you like a fly on bantha fodder until we do."

Judah pointed toward a nearby diner. A favorite greasy spoon of his.

"How about you let me buy you something to eat and we talk… hmmm?"

 

[Dagos Terrek]

"Because you had it so under control before I dropped in…"

Dagos kissed his teeth, he was about to start explaining that he did have that chit under control. This wasn't Dag's first time, hell it wasn't the smoothest but he would've found a way out on his own. He always did. Now, he owed this Jedi something though, and that chit bothered the young Korun.

"You did pick up the fact I was following you, or at least you seemed to suspect it. Your skill with a lightsaber is not bad, but you drop your guard too much." The older Jedi told him.

"Man, I —" Dagos started to complain but the older man just walked out of the room.

Somehow Dag forgot just how frustrating it was dealing with Jedi Masters. He had no doubts that this man was a Master. He sure as chit was condescending enough.

Dagos followed the Jedi out of the room. BD beeped a query at Dagos. The droid knew the plan was to get the credits the gang had stocked here but now that plan was clearly out the window. His savior confirmed as much when he mentioned CSF being in their way.

"How about you let me buy you something to eat and we talk… hmmm?"

"Fine." Dagos said with a shrug. He didn't see a way out of it. Best just to get it over with.

Judah Lesan

 

[Judah Lesan]

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Wearing: xxx
Weapons: xxx x2
Tag: Dagos Terrek

The Jedi was quiet throughout whatever protest the padawan made. There was no reason for him to say anymore. Sure, the young man could think he was condescending or whatever, but that did not change the fact Judah was correct in his observations. Of course there was not much protest, and the walk to the diner was actually pretty quiet. It was a good thing, because deciding not to argue was the first smart thing he had done since running into the gang.

Judah slid into the booth in the back corner, keeping his back to the wall, and his eye on the entrance. It was a habit of his. One which had saved his life on several occasions.

“Two caf’s,” he said when the server walked by. “Order what you want, and if you don’t like caf anything else to drink. Dinner, breakfast… it’s on me.”

Did he think Dagos was a charity case? The kid was too street smart to be that. No, Judah thought he was a padawan that had been let down by the system which the Jedi had in place. It was no one person’s fault, or maybe it was and the kid had every right to keep the chip which was evident on his shoulder. Either way, Judah was very interested in the young man, and the potential he had to offer. Just because there was relative peace in the galaxy, it did not mean the Jedi could afford to lose good members from their ranks.

Was Judah trying to rescue Dagos? Not even the Jedi knew the answer to that question. Maybe he was doing it for himself. Judah would be the first to admit his track record with padawans was not great. Dagos was as much another chance for Judah as Judah was for the kid. If he could get the boy to see that, then maybe they were in business.

“I was not kidding when I said you have good instincts, and that you just about picked me up. Not sure what path you were taking, but have you ever thought about coming back and giving the Shadows a shot?”

Down to business. Judah did not see any other way. It was not like the two were about to play the getting to know you small talk game. This was not a date, and Judah did not need things to be any more awkward than they were already. Dagos would say no, or he would say yes. Either way the kid was still getting a meal. His answer would determine Judah’s next steps however. The proverbial ball was in the padawan’s court.

 

[Dagos Terrek]

Dagos silently followed the Jedi Master trying to come up with the right things to say that would, first, end their conversation as quickly as possible and, second, keep him from getting into trouble over his trips to the temple and their convenient timing when compared to medical supplies going missing.

The elder Jedi led them to a booth in the back of the diner. Dagos did not fail to notice that the Master Jedi placed a wall at his back and kept all visible entrances in his line of sight. Dagos thought the man was being a bit…theatrical but then again, they were only a few hundred feet away from a gang hideout, a hideout that they had just trashed and essentially robbed, so maybe caution wasn't the worst play.

Once the two of them were seated Dagos immediately began idly playing with a few sucrose packets and fidgeting in his seat. There was a crack in the polyester of the booth's backrest that kept poking him annoyingly. But the true source of his restlessness was the Jedi sat across from him. No doubt the older man could sense his discomfort, Dagos wasn't trying to hide it.

"Two caf's," he said when the server walked by. "Order what you want, and if you don't like caf anything else to drink. Dinner, breakfast… it's on me."

The server, a droid, turned its head expectantly toward Dagos who picked up a menu.

"I'll have…the… 'Good for a Gamorean platter." Dagos told the droid. Was it more food than he could possibly hope to eat in a week let alone this one meal…yes…but it was also the most expensive thing on the menu and Dagos would be damned if he wasn't going to make this Jedi get his credit's worth for Dagos' time.

Without waiting for even the caf to arrive the Master Jedi began his pitch.

"I was not kidding when I said you have good instincts, and that you just about picked me up. Not sure what path you were taking, but have you ever thought about coming back and giving the Shadows a shot?"

"The path of least resistance." Dagos joked as he sat there covered in bruises, blood, plaster dust, and broken glass.

This was the last conversation he had been expecting to have. He was sure that he was going to be chastised for the missing medical supplies, or the times he would sneak into the temple for a place to sleep, or be given the third degree over violating citizens rights and you know punching them in the face without things like due process or the fact that Dag had literally zero authority to be punching these citizens in the face, regardless of their status as law-abiding or not.

"The shadows? You mean like being a spy?" Dagos asked.

He knew a little about the Jedi Shadows. Dagos' first instructor, Jairdain had been a Shadow but they hadn't talked much about what that meant. They certainly hadn't talked about what it meant for him. Being a Shadow never crossed his mind, hell, being a Jedi was never something that he truthfully took seriously. Dagos introduction to the Order was not one of his choosing and he had basically fought against it since day one but here now he was being given a choice…maybe.

"No. Never thought about it." Dagos told the man whose name he did not know. "Any reason I should?"

Judah Lesan