Roots

[Trextan Voidstalker]

He saw reflected in her expression that same awareness that had distracted him from his surroundings. He took her stepping away for a return to business.

“Worth exploring,” he murmured. Trextan turned back towards the edge of the outcrop the had landed on. The bones had almost been picked clean already down below. He could sense their attention return to the potential prey.

The young Justicar closed his eyes and stretched out with the Force. They were not complicated creatures. They could also eat quite a lot in a sitting when the opportunity arrived.

It was like threading through the eyes of seven moving needles at the same time. He had to bridge a number of connections at the same time to breach the pack mentality.

The prey is dangerous. Return to the nest.

It was a simple message and he tried to hammer it home with all his will. When he felt them start to turn he drew his blaster and fired a warning shot. That was it. They turned and fled as a group.

“Doesn't mean they won't be waiting if we come back this way.”

 

[Choli Vyn]

[member="Trextan Voidstalker"] would turn back towards the Rogue to find her with her brows held high and the corner of her mouth twitching. Amusement, one would hope. In here in the caverns, it was hard to discern just what sort of hue spun over the kaleidoscopic irises she had, but there were other tells Trextan likely was getting used to.

"Better than having to deal with them again." she added wryly, offering a ghost of a smile before the young woman turned towards the hovering V3 Scout Droid.

"Alright, let's see where this leads us.

The climb down was a little more precarious than Choli would rather have dealt with. Not to mention keeping quiet about it as they moved. As Vee Three had said, the further down they went through the tight opening, the more Choli could feel the temperature drop. Wasn't until about fifteen minutes of sliding and wiggling through that she felt the first stirrings of humidity. They were close.

Vee Three's servos gave a silent hum, stretching out further ahead.

[ We are here. ]

 

[Trextan Voidstalker]

Trextan didn't like moving through an even narrower space. When his clothing had snagged on a rock his pulse had raced a little in raw fear. When the rocks had above were so low that he couldn't lift his head or do anything but continue forwards for a few metres he had to calm his nerves by focusing on the Force. The Justicar had never felt particularly claustrophobic before.

Soon they were in the open again and as far as Vee had gone on ahead of them. By contrast the drone had an easy time navigating the tunnels. Trextan gave Choli a relieved smile as he took in their surroundings. The little droid illuminated an area beneath itself with a light.

In the centre of a roughly circular chamber was a very man-made shape. A smooth-bore hole perhaps six feet across dropped deeper than he could see. Machinery plunged into its depth and ran up above them. There was just a trickle of water on the far side of the opening. Perhaps that was all it took to be called a stream here.

[Up here] Vee called. A ladder ran to a platform. A metal door built into the rock face seemed to lead upwards.

“Go see who owns this?” Trextan asked Choli.

 

[Choli Vyn]

[member="Trextan Voidstalker"]

[SIZE=9pt]“Among other things..” Choli’s dry voice fell flat. Her lips twisted behind the swing of her breathing mask. Knowing that dust and such would rise, the young woman brought her free hand up, clipping in place the snap that would secure the apparatus back over her nose and mouth again. Here came the modulated voice again. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=9pt]Blaster in hand and ever so cautiously, the Rogue crept up and towards the ladder. The humidity was palatable, but cool. Choli could even smell the water. She knew that it hadn’t been natural. This was all the cause of outside forces. Someone else who deemed it their right to patch into the oasis and claim the water for themselves. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=9pt]Out in the Wastes, that was as much of a sacrilege as a death warrant. Water was one of the most hotly contested treasures, for survival and due to the belief by the clans that such oases were sacred places. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=9pt][ What do you see? ] Choli inquired, the slight metallic tinge echoing in her murmur anew. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=9pt]The hovering droid quietly went up the wall to investigate, there was a small open area. His sensors swept the din, picking up on three lifeforms.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=9pt]Coming back down, Vee Three, relayed the following, [ There are three guards. Heavily armed. I was unable to determine affiliation. ][/SIZE]

[SIZE=9pt][But they are part of the problem in taking the water.] a rather grim observation from the Rogue. Choli was anything but subtle when it came to dealing with enemies. However, she could move quietly enough to get a better look. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=9pt][Maybe one can answer a few questions…][/SIZE]

 

[Trextan Voidstalker]

“They might be able to,” Trextan replied. His tone had lowered to a whisper. “Or they might just be paid to guard a pile of machinery.”

He furrowed his brow as he thought about the situation. Choli was angry at what they had done, but he could understand that. The oasis had probably served as the source of water for a great distance. There would have been sand people - her people - who relied on it. Coruscant had so many people crammed into every kilometer. Food and water came from far and wide.

As they reached the top of the ladder he paused to hide both his saber and handcannon. They couldn't just go shooting up the place.

“Keep out of sight while I go for a chat? And don't let them shoot me,” he added with a very quiet chuckle. He headed up and into the space Vee had investigated.

Three faces turned to look at him in unison as he cleared his voice. Three blaster muzzles looked him down a moment later.

“Could we talk?” I'd like to meet whoever is in charge?”

“What the feth are you doing here?” Three pairs of eyes shifted from wide shock, to narrow anger and back to each other in incredulity.

 

[Choli Vyn]

[member="Trextan Voidstalker"]

[SIZE=9pt]What was he doing?![/SIZE]

[SIZE=9pt]For a few seconds, Choli would stare at Trextan’s departing form with incredulous eyes. It was quickly followed by the snap of her arm, keeping her blaster at the ready to cover his back if required. Her weight went shifting from her right foot to the left, brows furrowing down. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=9pt]Glancing up briefly at Vee Three, she gave a slight nod of her head as if to say, [/SIZE][SIZE=9pt]Keep an eye out![/SIZE]

[SIZE=9pt]Things were already growing in tensions and Choli wasn’t liking this one bit. A voice at the back of her head would remind her that this was Trextan, Jedi in training. Jusitcar, or whatever that translated to. Some type of law. That same voice would mull if Trextan was just being a bit too naive in this situation. Another added that maybe [/SIZE][SIZE=9pt]she[/SIZE][SIZE=9pt] was the one who was a little bit compromised. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=9pt]Lips drew thin. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=9pt]“Answer the question!” another yelled out at Trextan. This wasn’t good. If they got any louder….[/SIZE]

[SIZE=9pt]“How did he get here?!”[/SIZE]

[SIZE=9pt]“I don’t know.”[/SIZE]

[SIZE=9pt]“You were supposed to be looking!”[/SIZE]

[SIZE=9pt]“Not me, it was you!”[/SIZE]

[SIZE=9pt]This went back and forth for a few seconds before all three held blasters up at the teenager. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=9pt]Oh great. [/SIZE]

 

[Trextan Voidstalker]

[SIZE=9pt]Trextan's arms were kept out wide and he barely flinched at the blaster. That he had expected. There was just a spark of anger at the sight before him. A flame that once roared trying to spark to life and engulf his thoughts again. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=9pt]“Sorry, am I not allowed in here?”[/SIZE]

[SIZE=9pt]“[/SIZE][SIZE=9pt]No![/SIZE][SIZE=9pt] That's why there's a damn great fence around it.”[/SIZE]

[SIZE=9pt]“Oh, someone owns this then?” Trextan asked politely. They looked at him as if he was mentally deficient. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=9pt]“Yes...obviously.”[/SIZE]

[SIZE=9pt]“Then could I…” Trextan started.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=9pt]“...nah don't report him. Would make us look bad. Just be done with it and throw him out for the rats to pick clean,” another interrupted. This one had slender features and a cold, animal intelligence behind his eyes. Trextan was trying now to indulge the part of him that had been trained to meet a challenge head in with violence. He did permit it to decide that this would would be first to suffer if he couldn't keep a lid on the situation. He wished one of the more experience Jedi were here. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=9pt]“Just keep calm for now,” Trextan said. It was as much for Choli's benefit as theirs. He couldn't even sense where she had gone. “I think it would be [/SIZE][SIZE=9pt]easier[/SIZE][SIZE=9pt] just to take me in and have a think about it.”[/SIZE]

[SIZE=9pt]He could sense the future hanging off a knife edge. The three kept their blasters up and shared a look. Trextan prepared to stop trying to influence their thoughts and to push those muzzles away from his direction. But in which direction was Choli?[/SIZE]

 

[Choli Vyn]

[member="Trextan Voidstalker"]

[SIZE=11pt]Was he crazy? Likely, Choli told herself, pressing her back against the wall as she slowly made her way forward. Once they had drawn their blasters, Choli had already brought her own up, ready to send the bolts down range. Trextan might have a semblance of guilt over placing a bolt on their heads, but the Rogue didn’t quite have the same morale ethics when it came to those who lived in the Waste.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=11pt]Hesitation meant death. It was the harsh brutality of living in No Man’s Land. You were either the hunter or the prey. Water rights were fought over viciously for hundreds of years, since the Storytellers spoke of the first time the gold dune seas had taken over Tatooine. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=11pt]Peeking through the corner from a her perch, Choli managed to get a good line of sight of what was going on. There Trextan was, hands up and making those curious little sweeping gestures. She could feel the pressure of the Force, the persuasion in his words. It seemed to be de escalating the matter. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=11pt]Okay, so maybe not such a bad idea…[/SIZE]

[SIZE=11pt]“Get movin’ kid.” a gruff voice and a nudge of the blaster indicated that the Rodian guard wanted him to head back towards the tunnel where the rat pack lay. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=11pt]“You gotta bled him a little first, Bedk! They’ll sniff him out quick!” [/SIZE]

[SIZE=11pt]So much for that. [/SIZE]

 

[Trextan Voidstalker]

[member="Choli Vyn"]

Well this was just embarrassing, Trextan thought to himself as he turned around and placed his hands on the back of his head. Apparently his skill went as far as keeping them from shooting him on sight, bit not enough for the outcome he wanted.

He started walking before any of them could explore the idea of bleeding him just yet. His eyes scanned for signs of Choli as he marched across the smoothly worn down stone.

After a few steps one of them said: "oh and check him for weapons!"

That was going to be a problem. He was armed. Trextan slowed to a halt and subtly planted his feet. One of the guards stepped around him and reached to pat him down.

His artificial arm came down and metal fingers clamped around a wrist. Trextan yanked so hard he felt the shoulder popping out of the socket. He twisted and threw the guard over his hip.

"Now!" He shouted. They hadn't stopped to arrange what 'now' meant. Hopefully it was taken as something. At the very least it caused the two guards behind him to look around for an ambush.

 

[Choli Vyn]

[member="Trextan Voidstalker"]

[SIZE=9pt]Now? [/SIZE][SIZE=9pt]Now[/SIZE][SIZE=9pt]? What did he mean by -- [/SIZE]

[SIZE=9pt]There was no time to think. Instead, Choli simply [/SIZE][SIZE=9pt]reacted. [/SIZE][SIZE=9pt] Two quick successive bolts went flying through the air, striking the guard behind Trextan with two small scorch marks right over his heart. Thump, thump! His large body gave a jerk to the right, the bolts catching him right on the chest. Best to aim for the largest target than fancy head shots. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=9pt]His body fell with a dull thud, the blaster he carried falling down on the ground. So much for trying to keep things from escalating. Then again, this was the Wastes. Escalation wasn’t a matter of ‘if’ but ‘when’.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=9pt]Vee-Three went zipping in, his motor sending him flying with a near soundless push. It managed to distract the second guard, who brought his blaster rifle up to try and distinguish where Choli’s volley came in. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=9pt]“Get him!” he cried, trying to make a grab at Trextan for a shield. [/SIZE]

 

[Trextan Voidstalker]

Trextan was - despite the situation - quite calm and focused. It was a very different young Jedi to the one who had crawled through the mud on Kaeshana following the sound of Jacen's voice as blaster bolts arced overhead. That calm lasted until the moment the rifle was pointed roughly in Choli's direction.

A little flare of anger pushed at the edges of his control, like a sharp breath stretching a balloon. The blasters around him shot upwards. The rifle nearly launched the guard skywards until he relinquished his grip. There was a crack as the blasters fragmented into finger-sized pieces.

Trextan kicked the guard who he'd thrown over his hip squad in the gut. He curled up and coughed, trying to nurse the broken arm.

The Justicar rounded on the final guard, glowering at him for just a second before a smile forced its way onto his face.

“Now...about that talk?”

 

[Choli Vyn]

[member="Trextan Voidstalker"]

The bolt struck the wall right over her head, prompting a curse from the Rogue along with a quick duck. That almost hit me! she thought, coming back up to catch sight of Trextan calmly smiling at the Rodian.

"Glad your plan worked out," her voice managed to sail over towards the remaining pair if a bit ruefully. Vee Three went zipping by her head to hover alongside the Jedi. Shaking her head, the young Rogue went hopping down to the ground. Her boots made a crunching sound as they struck, knees bending at the shock of the movement.

"Who are you?" the Rodian asked, his lips curling back in distaste.

"You are gonna pay! Machar is not going to stand for this!"

Machar? Now that was a name Choli wasn't familiar with.

"And who is Machar?"

 

[Trextan Voidstalker]

“Are you alright? You're alright,” Trextan said as she approached. There was a little nod and he tried to push his emotions back down. He had his own views on the Force and the Jedi, but allowing his emotions to rule him during combat was going too far. He was still confident that he could balance the two. Youth gave him more than enough confidence to go with the powerful swings in emotion that could come when Choli was as around.

“You're just kids!” The rodian exclaimed. The shooter might not have been; it was hard to tell in the robes, but he made the assumption.

Trextan took a breath. They'd nearly shot her, he thought to himself again. He put that aside.

“If you don't tell us, I'll just tear the information right out of your mind.” Trextan slowly crossed his arms over his chest. The rodian looked from him to Choli and then to the pieces of weapons scattered across the ground. He knew of the Jedi academies around the Galaxy. They just didn't often show up this far out into the wilderness. The rodian started to imagine that he could feel the Jedi already working his way into his head.

So he talked. He found himself telling the pair everything. The small-time operation being paid off by some criminals elements to distribute water to the moisture farmers at a premium to pick up their shortfalls. And no one reported them for it because it kept the sand people away from their land.

They left the trio bound and circled the heavy machinery that ran in a column through several chambers down to the deepest tunnel they'd entered from.

“So, what do we?” He asked. Because he had absolutely no idea.

 

[Choli Vyn]

[member="Trextan Voidstalker"]

[SIZE=9pt]If you don’t tell us, I’ll just tear the information right out of your mind. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=9pt]Briefly, Choli recalled that Trextan said there was only a few things he could do. Tearing out information wasn’t one of them. He was bluffing. Good thing she had her breathing mask on, because her lips gave a twitch at that. A bit of humor that went dancing along with the growing irritation.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=9pt]The crunch of boots on gravel came to a stop as Choli came to a halt beside Trextan. She kept her blaster out, eyes right at the Rodian. He might have called them kids, but they were doing anything but what normal kids would be. Well, for anyone not from Tatooine. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=9pt]“How many other guards are here?” her modulated voice burst out in question. “What are your rotation schedules?”[/SIZE]

[SIZE=9pt]Irritation had long since grown into a simmering ire. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=9pt]In her mind, Choli had already connected the dots. The only way for the Tusken Raiders to be kept away meant that they would have to deal specifically with the tribes when they came in to attempt and regain them. They could have fought any one of the tribes, even her own. [/SIZE]

 

[Trextan Voidstalker]

“In an hour,” the Rodian replied. Vee ignored the conversation and floated away.

“He's lying.” This time Trextan wasn't bluffing about what he could achieve. What he couldn't sense was the anger beyond Choli's words. It left him with no idea whether it was a calculated move or just her frustration growing.

“Three and a half. Five do the night shift because that's when the tusken scum tend to try their luck. When the motion sensors go off we need more guns up top.”

Trextan gave a curt nod, but he turned to Choli quickly. He couldn't see her face or eyes properly, couldn't sense her thoughts. Again he mentalled wrapped Choli in the garb of the sand people to change the perception of them held by those in the settlements of Tatooine. How many young men and women had died trying to take their water supply back?

With a low whine Vee returned to the room, staying just above head height. “They have a little control room ahead. Cameras around the perimeter and…”

“Motion sensors,” Trextan interrupted. He crossed his arms over his chest trying to look authoritative. “Watch them a moment please Vee.”

“Understood.” The little drone even had a clipped military tone to his vocaliser. The three were well bound so Trextan didn't seem much risk in leading Choli just out of earshot.

“Try and dismantle the place?” He asked with a shrug.

 

[Choli Vyn]

[member="Trextan Voidstalker"]


“Among other things.” Choli replied, the young Rogue’s mind naught but a mental lockbox to the Jedi. What he didn’t realize is that the young girl woman was already thinking of how to break apart this little operation. Kaleidoscopic orbs went drifting up, looking around at the underground cavern. One that likely had stood for generations. A place that these opportunist decided to use for their own profit.

Anger went rolling through her. Then went pooling into determination.

“Where is your entrance?” She inquired, swinging back at the Rodian. He seemed to already feel as if this wasn’t going to turn out to his liking.

“Eh… ey! Why? Why are you thinking?”

Choli didn’t reply, instead she took a couple of steps forward, following the natural curve of the cavern towards where the hum of engines and pumps lay.

“Hey, you don’t want to mess with any of that! The boss won’t be happy!” He cried, wiggling in his bindings as if that would allow him the freedom to stop her.

“Hey!! Mess with that and the Sandpeople will over run us for the water!”

At that Choli paused, her head swiveling around to look at the guard. The beige scarf hung around her head and looped around her neck, barely covering the gunmetal gray of her breathing apparatus. Her expression was somber, perhaps, a bit cold.

“That is the law of the desert. Her water belongs to no one, but all.”

 

[Trextan Voidstalker]

That phrase seemed to catch the Rodian off guard. His iridescent eyes turned from one to the other.

“A Jedi wouldn’t let savages tear this place a…”

There was a white-blue flash and the rodian stiffened. He tetered before falling heavily to his left.

“Nap time now,” Trextan said. He slid his handcannon back into its holster and offered Choli half a shrug. He turned and headed back into the complex before he had time to feel embarrassed for the slightly rash action. There was a tunnel dug into the side of a chamber that housed machinery. The heavy door suggested something of importance.

Inside was strong natural light that he had to shield his eyes against. It beamed down from a hole in the centre of the room. A ladder led upwards into the light. Around the room were several stations and monitors. This was the control room Vee must have mentioned. Trextan bounded up the ladder, squeezing his eyes tight against the light. It turned out that above was a small, squat bunker.

Barely any light actually filtered in through the slits for firing out of but Trextan had long acclimated to the darkness below. He pulled his goggles down and peered out. It was just smooth, empty dunes. Almost no cover at all to make an approach. And even if the sandpeople did get on top of them would they have been able to break in? After a second he saw shapes. Possibly devices staked into the sand. Something else that was a more complex shape, but closer to the dunes in colour.

Trextan blanched a little when he realised those were skeletons long picked clean and left to the sandstorms. Humanoid skeletons. Perhaps left there as a warning.

“Just a small pre-fab dome - or bunker - they can shoot of up there,” Trextan explained as he climbed down the ladder. He hoped she wouldn't need to look.

 

[Choli Vyn]

[member="Trextan Voidstalker"]


“Is he right?” the question was tinged in a slight metallic drone, coming from the Rogue just as Trextan came down the ladder. It was Choli. She stood beside the small stash of monitors and stations. While she hadn’t turned to look at him, it was clear that the young woman was still very attentive of the Jedi.

Vee Three gave a little hum as he flew up and over towards the ramshackle bunker. He was small enough to be able to slip through the slits.

[ I will survey this section. ] he said, his blue and white body whirring to scan the surroundings.

In the meantime, Choli gave a small tap of her gloved finger against the screen of a crude security monitor. No visuals but movement sensing.

“That a Jedi wouldn’t let savages tear this place apart?”

 

[Trextan Voidstalker]

Trextan canted his head to one side at the question. He could tell that it wasn't as innocuous as it might have seemed.

“Vee, see if they have a speeder somewhere,” he called after the little droid. There was a reason for the question. He stepped up behind Choli and placed a hand on her left shoulder. He looked over her right and pretended to look at the screen.

“Think the sand people could do that? Or we need to try and take the machinery apart? Is there any kind of law enforcement we can drop them off with?”

It was probably a string of naive questions. Even if they managed to provoke a little spark of anger he still wanted to find a way to do what felt right.

 

[Choli Vyn]

[member="Trextan Voidstalker"]

[SIZE=9pt]If there were ever a time to showcase Trextan’s naivety, it was then. The corner of Choli’s mouth gave a small twitch, although the humor didn’t quite meet her eyes. Trextan likely saw things through the lenses of a citizen of Coruscant, where there were laws and regulations and people to call to whenever there was a need. Or maybe, it was through the worldview of a Jedi, where there were specific avenues to go to based on the situation. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=9pt]It was curious, considering his time in the Sith Academy. Then again, what did Choli really know about what the Sith philosophy maintained other than what she read in Chloe’s data and holocrons. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=9pt]“There are no laws in the Wastes.” Choli replied, moving forward to press a few keys and get into the monitoring system. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=9pt]“That’s why they call it ‘No man’s land.’” oh there were groups that kept the peace in the cities. Mos Eisley and Anchorhead were seen to by Arceneau Trade. Mrs. Arceneau had a distinct interest in keeping the peace there. But Tatooine was as wild as any land could be. It is why so many came here to disappear from the galaxy. Even the knowledge that Tatooine was under the Galactic Empire rule did nothing to dissuade the Exchange, the Hutts, or any other criminal elements that made the desert their base of operations. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=9pt]“There isn’t a comline to call the Justicars if that is what you are asking,” a few beeps and confirmation lines went blooming across the screen in front of Choli. Okay, she was in. Not that these fools had any sort of security in place. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=9pt]They weren’t expecting Tusken Raiders to know how to manipulate a dataconsole.[/SIZE]