Private The Unyielding Stone

[Arv'zorak]

Nar Shaddaa

Spoiler

Darth Libertas

Nar Shaddaa was a pestilent hive of scum and villainy. Worse even than the other Ecumenopoleis of the galaxy, it was a place where one could find anything no matter how unsavoury. Unfortunately what people mostly found was their own death and misfortune.



The large figure was pursued through the rotting alleys of a distant slum. They moved with a measured pace, their large footfalls and immense size making anyone in their way hurriedly move aside. Nobody wanted to start a fight with something as large as a Wookiee and even more broad.



Nobody except four figures which followed behind, moving across roofs and through the streets. These smaller, lither figures would normally attract unwanted attention, but they were armed and armoured and moving with grim purpose. Nobody wanted to get one of their shining blades pierced into them.



At last the pursued reached an apparent dead end. A large wall belonging to some monolithic tower blocked access one way whilst the pursuers filed in from both sides. Above was a mess of wires and cables hanging over the space. Some sparking junction boxes hung on one wall.

“It’s over, arish. Justice shall be served upon you.” The leader pushed back her hood to reveal an Eldorai female, scarred and missing an eye.

The large figure discarded her own cloak, a vast mountain of cloth covering an armoured Kar’zun. “That is what the previous assassins said before they died. However, the pleasantries must be observed. What is your name, Arvodai, so I might add it to my list?” The voice was a low, bass rumble.

“You do not deserve my name, arish. Know only that when you go to the fiery pit that justice has been done.” She gestured and her companions drew long blades or rifles and aimed them.

“Oh come now. Do I get to even know which of the thousand splintered little cults you belong to? Surely your great Queen would not appreciate this.”

“The ‘Queen’ is a weak and petty usurper, no better than a monkeigh. We follow the true law.”

“Oh, so you’re a Shadow Knight then?” her deep voice was full of mockery.

A look of utter hatred and disdain crossed the Eldorai’s face. “They are rebels and traitors. Now, are you so afraid you talk rather than fight, arish?”

“Not afraid. Just waiting.”

The Eldorai stepped forward, blade moving to an attack stance. “Waiting for what?”

There was a loud click overhead.

“That.”



Before any of the Eldorai could move the Kar’zun hit a switch. Arcs of energy shot down from the mass of wires above and the junction boxes flared. The four Eldorai found themselves blasted with debilitating energy, each of them momentarily paralysed.

A massive sword sheathed on the Kar’zun’s back came free and she moved with surprising speed, like an avalanche upon the slopes. The blade chopped once, bloodily caving an Eldorai in two. It swung again, but this Eldorai backed off, falling backwards but a second blow drove their guard aside so an armoured foot could kick her in the face. A scream, a mist of blood, and the blade pierced her side and the scream ended.



The final two Eldorai though, including the leader, had recovered. One of them, with a gun, opened fire with a hail of shot. Unfortunately they had chosen, for whatever reason, to use the old Eldorai staser rifle. It had been a good weapon, but lacked penetration especially against the armour and tough skin of the Kar’zun.

With a roar the Kar’zun charged, but her enemy moved away and the Eldorai leader, a former Angelii, moved in to attack.

Blades clashed, and in a mode not unlike the ancient days of the Final War. The faster Eldorai had no chance of competing with her enemy in strength or resilience, but in speed they had an undeniable edge. The heavy blade ripped overhead, she parried, and then slashed. Her Sarix tore a gash through the armour and into the stony body below.

And so the battle might have gone. The Eldorai knew they had to wear down their opponent. If they could shoot and slash the Kar’zun enough it would eventually be open to a killing blow. With two left they might be confident in victory.



Then everything changed.



The Kar’zun had backed up slightly. Cuts and dents criss-crossed the armour and the rocky skin beneath. However, as the shooter lined up her gun once more the Kar’zun extended a hand. Powerful invisible tendrils surrounded the Eldorai and she was dragged forward kicking and screaming and into the path of a savage slash. Her cries were abruptly ended.



However, this distraction was enough for the Angelii to move forward and drive her Sarix deep into the side of the Kar’zun. The blade fell from the Kar’zun’s hand and she shuddered.

Then a savage roar broke from the Kar’zun’s lips and she seized the Angelii’s arm in a vice-like grip and slammed her to the ground. Desperately, she summoned fire to blast her enemy, but the Kar’zun did not blanche, and brought her other hand down onto the chest of the Eldorai with such force there was a sickening crunch. Then, the fist rose and fell, rose and fell until there was no life left in the Eldorai.



Growling, the Kar’zun got slowly, unsteadily to her feet. The Sarix was still buried in her side, but she pulled it free, grinding her teeth but making no sound as it slid free.

She headed to the far wall to seek a medical kit…something more akin to quick-dry cement than a kolto patch. With that working she leaned against the wall, waiting…but then turned at the approach of another which was appearing on the scene….

 

[Darth Libertas]

Arv'zorak

Eldorai were a curious species. Proud to a fault and with a strong penchant for cruelty and ideological hair-splitting...yet so utterly and comprehensively unaccomplished. It reminded Libertas of most Sith Acolytes, be they Confederate or Imperial. At least these groups, as effete as they were, had occupied a good portion of the galaxy, though they buckled when faced with real threats that actually fought back.

The Eldorai seemed to content to engage in fracticidal strife even after having been reduced to a species of refugees, whilst the rest of the galaxy ignored them. When it was not taking advantage of the Eldorai's proclivity for whoring themselves out to the foreigners they so scorned - literally and figuratively.

But the other species that had dwelt on broken, ruined Kaeshana was rarely seen. For good reasons. The Eldorai had been thorough. And they had not needed dark sorcery, superweapons and an 'Immortal Emperor' to commit genocide. Starvation, deportations and forced labour camps had done the job.

And so she stepped out of the shadows. Her arrival was heralded by the hum of servos and the whirring of gears. She wore simple dark robes, but it was immediately apparent that her body was more machine than organic.

"I mean you no harm, child of stone." The Twi'lek spoke Basic with a slight accent. "Hatred is a curious thing, isn't it?" her tone was strangely casual, as if she was having a polite chat and had not just watched the Kar'zun inflict brutal violence on a bunch of assassins.

"It empowers - it blinds. These four women could've done any number of things. Such as pool their energy into working against the downward spiral their species is so intent on engaging in. And yet they chose to throw themselves at you...for what? Because their mothers told them Kar'zun are vile and they need someone to blame for their species' inability to do anything meaningful." Her lekku twitched slightly. "But I see you handled them well. I'm afraid there's no paradise in the Nether." Peace was a lie; there was only the struggle for existence.

 

[Arv'zorak]

Darth Libertas

Bright green eyes levelled at this newcomer. Eyes so unusual in a Kar'zun. They narrowed slightly as they took in the sight and sound of the approaching Twi'lek. There was the sound of mechanism about her. Armour perhaps? She clearly was not concerned by the scene of carnage, nor showed any undue concern for herself.

"I know only too well that there is no paradise in death. There is only the eternal punishment of spirits to feed the thirsting maw. Their Goddess is naught but the fevered prayers of a people crushed beneath their own inadequate arrogance. Though, I almost wish Ashira were real so she might see how low her people have fallen."

Leaning on the sword she got to her feet slowly.
"Their sense of superiority led them into my trap, just like the others. Their hatred made them weak. Mine made me strong."

With a groan like the slamming of ingots she started to gather her possessions.
"You know much of them. It is unusual for one not caught in our little planet's petty intrigues to know of Eldorai as any more than knife eared slaves to festoon a Hutt's lair. My apologies if you wanted them for anything other than meat and bones, you came too late."
She glanced again, yes again she heard the whirr of servos and gears. Very curious indeed.

 

[Darth Libertas]

Arv'zorak

Suddenly and unexpectedly, Libertas laughed. Not a cackle, actual laughter. "I have no use of them. Their evident stupidity makes them poor assets, and I have no desire for whores, chained or otherwise." Libertas, unlike the vast majority of Sith and Jedi alike, was chaste. Indeed, since it had recently been revealed that the Jedi of old had not been celibate, just forbidden to get attached, she probably stuck to the spirit of the law a lot more rigidly than they did. One wondered whether Yoda had ever solicited a Zeltron lady of the night.

"You, however, are more interesting. A few moments of your time, if you would. I gather you are here by circumstance rather than choice." Educated guess. No one liked Nar Shaddaa. Well, except the Hutts perhaps. But those slugs who had a vision tended to dump it the moment they could. "These Eldorai targeted you deliberately. I would know why they hound you. There are few of your kindred left for them to murder, but successive groups of assassins would not pursue you if you were like any other Kar'zun."

 

[Arv'zorak]

Darth Libertas
Kar'zun in general had trouble understanding the obession fleshies had for procreation and mating. It seemed to pervade their culture, speech and actions to an unreasonable degree. Therefore it was good to hear someone who claimed similar. It might of course be what she wanted to hear, but it set a good tone.

"This is true. They are poor assets, bound as they are by their pettiness and ego."

She leaned on her sword a moment. It would not hurt to talk, at least broadly. There were no police who might happen upon this scene. Unless you killed a Hutt or crime lord's goons nobody cared.
"I am in no hurry. My injuries will take time to recover for my departure in any case. I came here not entirely by choice, it is true. Or rather, I have stayed here not by choice. I would have departed some five days previously, but matters delayed my departure."
A glance at the mangled dead. There was more to it, but this would do for a start.

"They hound me because I am their enemy. The Eldorai have wronged my people, and myself, and so now I strike at those who continue to believe their ways are right. I have a name for myself amongst those unrepentant goddess-botherers among the Eldorai, and there is a rich bounty for my death."
There was more to this as well, but it was all true. The fact she'd blown up several of their leaders probably had something to do with it.

"And you, Twi-lek? What brings you to this pestilent section of a damned city? You seem to show no apprehension of walking these streets. The inhabitants do not bother me because they do not recognise their chance of accosting me successfully as likely."

 

[Darth Libertas]

Arv'zorak

"Then their foolishness at least serve a purpose. It is adversity and struggle that empowers us. Many fail during the climb because it is arduous, but those who complete the ascent, casting all that holds them back aside, are liberated." Libertas did like to go off on a tangent.

She tilted her head slightly. "My kind and the Eldorai have one thing in common - more often than not, we achieve little more than being playthings in the pleasure chambers of humans or Hutts. We just haven't invented a self-serving mythology to puff up our ego. Or committed as many pointless acts of slaughter, for that matter."

"I'm here because this blasted moon produces opportunities. And people who have embraced their strength because it's that or perish. I chose a different path from most of my people. That of breaking my chains. I have what I believe your kind calls the power of the spirits." Or Sciia, as the Eldorai would say. Or the Force, as virtually everyone else did.

 

[Arv'zorak]

A pause. A most unexpected comment, yet still one that the Kar'zun felt herself drawn to.
"And we who fought and lost so long ago have forgotten what it is like to fight. Caution, perhaps warranted, held us back from striking at our oppressors. But now we need not serve any Queen of Arvodai. We must make our own way in the galaxy. Yes, we must break the chains of deference, fear and doubt. If the Kar'zun are ever to be greater than we are there is no time for delay and caution."

"I have seen many Twi-leks on this world, but I do not know their origins. Were they once like the Eldorai then, and were conquered and dispersed?"

Another pause. Arv'zorak had a somewhat unorthodox training in the spirits. Her talents were those of one who sensed the feelings of other, manipulated the world around her, but she lacked ability or training in the powers of the elements. Still, she reached out with her senses and found the Twi'lek before her was powerful...likely she was allowing her to sense her strength.
"As do I. Though whom do you serve? I have heard of many in the galaxy who feel the communion of 'Force'. There are Je-di, Sith and many more, all of them strange to me. I serve no master, for my goals are ones none of my kind dare to act towards...."

She detected no malice from the Twi'lek. Curiosity perhaps.

 

[Darth Libertas]

Arv'zorak

"Dispersed, but not to the same extent. Ryloth is no tomb world. It's been passed from one foreign ruler to the next. Republicans, Imperials, Confederates." Presently Ryloth was controlled by the Confederacy of Independent Systems. It was an effete nation controlled by Business Sith who took offence at being called Sith. Not so long ago, a chaotic group of anarchists had managed to drive the Confederates from the planet. It had been a grave humiliation.

While the Confederacy claimed to be a great power, it had not dared counterattack the rebels without a cause. One had to give the Confederates credit where it was due. They had managed to convince many Jedi and other stalwart defenders of 'freedom' to be their servitors. Then again, Jedi were infinitely gullible, so this was no real achievement.

"A great many make a living selling their own kind. Some have convinced themselves that the path of sloth, and weakness is our lot in life. A few are so degenerate they revel in self-debasement. But the Force helps those who help themselves. As for your other question, I serve no one. Fulfillment is not to be found in bowing to a throne. What have you heard about Jedi and Sith? I'll admit I don't know of any of your kind who joined either, though I've heard of a scant few Eldorai who became Jedi."

 

[Arv'zorak]

"I see. My condolences then for your people, Twi-lek. I see now why you are so determined to break the chains that enslaved your people, and why you find common cause with us."

A pause. The question about Jedi and Sith was a vexing one. She answered only what she knew.
"I admit my ignorance when it comes to many ways of the galaxy, but from what I understand they are long time enemies, like Eldorai and Kar'zun. The Jedi often serve as the priest-warriors of republics, enforcing peace with their Force. The Sith meanwhile tend to lead or direct empires and form a ruling caste."
It was not quite accurate and a very different perspective on these ancient enemies from an outside.

Almost as an afterthought she added, "I believe there is also a belief in a light and dark Force which I do not fully understand. It seems to go beyond ideology into a belief in the spirits being moral or immoral rather than the wielder being so themselves."
Any of the Eldorai and associated races along with the Kar'zun had a very hard time explaining the Light and Dark side. And the fact it was merely a side point to Arv'zorak rather than the defining feature showed her priorities.

"Twi-lek, I am named Jade in your language," she introduced herself with a slight bow.

 

[Darth Libertas]

Arv'zorak

"The greater the struggle, the sweeter in victory," Libertas remarked. Her people were mostly pathetic, but it was more rewarding to raise oneself - and the few worthy - from a wretched existence than growing up safe and powerful without having contributed anything to it.

"The Jedi would tell you they are guardians of peace and servants of the people. But which people? The ruling caste of these galactic republics. They do their bidding, and in return get a monopoly on Force use in these lands. Many worship harmony so much that when war comes, they either cowardly flee from or commit atrocities the Eldorai's tyrants would approve. The Sith would say they are power incarnate, the embodiment of strength and fredom. But many fall short of that. These embrace servitude of a different form by becoming slaves to their rage or a so-called immortal emperor who got where he is by preying on weaklings. If the average Jedi fetishises passivity, the average Sith does the same with killing frenzy. Most on either side regurgitate dogma about light and dark without having put a iota of thought into it. Some Sith strive for a higher purpose than butchery, and some Jedi strive to be real knights."

In contrast to the denizens of Kaeshana, the dichotomy between Light and Dark was real to Libertas. However, she viewed it philosophically rather than spiritually. A Sith did not serve darkness like they were the lackey of some kind of evil demon. They were agents of Nature's law - that of eternal struggle and change. Strong Jedi were a necessary component because without challenge, there was stagnation. Furthermore, she had learned that simply preaching about the dark side tended to give Sith acolytes the wrong idea because they took it as license to act out school shooter fantasies.

She inclined her head ever so slightly when the Kar'zun introduced herself. "You can call me Libertas." Engines could be heard from afar. It was probably not connected to the shoot-out from earlier, but still. "Now, Jade, you are clearly capable of handling yourself. I have some business on Nar Shaddaa to attend to. So I propose you aid me in this venture, and after that you either take your reward and go on your way...or you take your reward, listen to what I have to say and our cooperation lasts a bit longer."

 

[Arv'zorak]

Darth Libertas

"There is no point is seeking idle sloth out of fear, nor submitting to evil. All they do is prolong the inevitable, and many times they do not even seek to escape their chains even if they can."

Jade listened carefully. The Jedi sounded not unlike her own people's priests. A small group which supported the ruling elites. However, the difference was of course that the priests had never wavered from their dedication to their own people. The Sith though were curious.

"It seems that both lack moderation," she said after a moment. "Extremes on any side leads to disaster, chaos and destruction. The irony of a wanted terrorist and insurgent saying that is not lost on me, but I am only as extreme as my enemies have made me."

"Libertas...a code name?" she asked the last to herself but since she was a Kar'zun it'd be audible even without the cyborg enhancements the Sith had.

"What is this reward that you speak of? I do not feel I have done anything which merits reward from you, unless you were seeking these wretches too, which I feel you are not."

She leaned down and collected the Sarix as well as any other valuable items the dead possessed. The armour and stasers were not of great use to her but the Sarix would sell to a collector or arms dealer well.

 

[Darth Libertas]

Arv'zorak

To be a true Sith is to decide who you truly are and embrace it, regardless of what expectations your species, society or even your fellow Sith heap upon you, or what obstacles you face. 'Through victory my chains are broken' is a metaphor for the inner struggle to overcome your own constraints, whatever those may be. Empires, corporations, wealth - those are just tools. Even the struggle against the Jedi is just a means to an end.

"Yes, something like that," Libertas responded with an air of amusement, though the Kar'zun had more been talking to herself than to her. The Sith had good hearing and Kar'zun were quite loud. Their voices sounded like the pounding of hammers- "And, no, I wasn't. The reward would be for helping me in a quest of sorts. It can be in credits or something more tangible."

While Arv'zorak looted the corpses, Libertas picked up the Staser and examined it, then tossed it away dismissively. "I guess they had to break out the museum pieces," she remarked dryly. "So, interested?"

 

[Arv'zorak]

Darth Libertas

Jade looked down at the street, then back up at the Twi'lek.
"I am interested in hearing more about this quest," she rumbled. "I have need of resources." And more especially money. She had enough to fuel her battered old freighter, but little beyond that.

"They believe that using new technology is impure, fully ignoring that the space ships which took them here were far beyond anything they had ever made. Hypocrisy, lies, misplaced fervour, these are their hallmarks."

They walked from the scene. It did not take long for the vultures of the city to descend when they were gone. Figures emerged from the shadows and unceremoniously looted the dead for anything intact and then would dump the bodies. The few credits they'd earn from the gear would keep them going a little while longer.

Jade had turned back to watch, brow creasing slightly. "They merely prolong the inevitable. At least the carrion beast is honest about their purpose and direct. These creatures are just parasites, leeches. Rather than merely existing they should try to lift themselves from this misery, yet they do not. Is continued existence worth this?"
A rhetorical question. Of course it was to most. That is why most revolutions came from below only at the moment of utmost crisis when there was literally no other choice.

 

[Darth Libertas]

Arv'zorak

No sooner had they left the scene of battle than shabbily dressed figures descended upon the corpses to loot them for anything even remotely of value. Libertas spared the beggars and urchins a glance. The Kar'zun's question was clearly rhetorical, but she answered anyway. "The sentient beast wants to endure. Weakness is easier than strength, and when left to their own devices, sentients will choose passivity. The most insidious chain is not one a master puts on us, but the one we do. It's why revolutions are instigated by a small vanguard with the will to see things through and galvanise the masses into action. The first foe of the revolutionary is often not the oppressor, but the indolent and the moderate."

Her lekku bristled. "I know of a death camp where the inmates were being murdered in industrial fashion for asinine ideological reasons. In their heart of hearts, they knew that they were doomed. But they kept hoping that surely their oppressors would spare them if they made themselves useful; that a rescuer would come; that their deity would not forsake them. Some informed on would-be escapees in the hopes that this would avert the worst. Then their oppressors, fearing defeat in a war against an external foe, accelerated the killings. Their victims had nothing left to lose, so they rebelled. Fittingly, the uprising was instigated by the prisoners who had been forced to dispose of the corpses of their dead fellows. They knew there was no hope - and that they would be purged soon, just like their predecessors."

That anecdote complete, she turned her mind to the matter at hand. "The quest concerns two Jedi. Unusually competent crusader types, with a couple local helpers. They have become troublesome for some of my endeavours."

 

[Arv'zorak]

Darth Libertas

It was clear that Libertas was not waiting for the uprising of the people, and rightly so as the galaxy had rarely seen any sort of mass movement. Such rebellions as had occurred were either the occasional (but rare) slave rebellion or insurrections motivated by the powerful.



Her words seemed to resonate with Jade.

“It is true. My people were defeated, but even after a thousand years they had no desire to fight again. Perhaps it would have been futile, perhaps it would have led to our final destruction, but is pitiful slavery worth it? There is a difference between frantic, futile aggression and servility. But regardless, my people have taken the chance now given and have scattered or reformed some of the old clans. I am happy to see they are taking to freedom once more. I hope that it lasts.”



The revelation that they would be fighting Jedi was not something which unduly worried Jade. Unlike most of the galaxy she did not have the rose tinted view of the Light Side and the defenders of truth and justice.



However she had a more practical concern.

“I will not simply attack them on command. I would hear what they have done to offend you, and I would hear their side of the story. I will also require a day or so to properly recover from these injuries and repair my armour. If these terms are acceptable I will accompany you.”

 

[Darth Libertas]

Arv'zorak

Libertas shrugged. "By all means, recover and form your own views." It was in a way a test. She would, of course, take precautions, just in case the golem decided to develop morals or something silly like that. "As for the nature of my quarrel with them, they've been disrupting my efforts to raise up former slaves and waifs of this miserable moon. The Jedi would have rather have them be chained by weakness than discover their inner strength." That was the truth, from a certain point of view.

 

[Arv'zorak]

Darth Libertas

Jade considered her explanation. "I see. It seems there is much more to this matter than I had considered. I am currently parked on pad 1187 in the Trygon District. Come to me there or choose a location tomorrow and I will be there, you have my word."

With that she would depart, heading back to her ship. The rust bucket was hardly the best craft around. She'd had to do some complex reworking to even fit into the cockpit, and now with little fuel and parts even leaving this miserable moon would be tricky.

However, as the Kar'zun settled in to recover she selected some records she had acquired. She found the holonews incredibly unreliable. Too given to over emotional declarations for her more logical mind. She did find more information on Jedi and Sith though. The result was interesting, like studying a distant civilisation for the first time. Either way, when she met Libertas the next day she would be less ignorant. She did not know Libertas was a Sith but given the way she discussed matters it was certainly a conclusion which could be drawn!

Regardless Jade would go where Libertas requested, her armour repaired and her wound at least a little recovered.

 

[Darth Libertas]

Arv'zorak

Libertas bid the Kar'zun farewell and made her way out of the slums. The air was rank with smell of feces, rubbish, desperate living and despair. The sounds of blaster fire and explosives could be heard coming from just a street away. The unmistakeable scent of ozone wafted into her nose. But life continued as usual.

A whore tried to entice customers. Libertas pitied the wretched thing. If plague did not kill her soon, drugs would. Small children begged pedestrians for money - and may or may not liberate them of their purses in the process. A man hang from a lamp post, with a placard around his neck proclaiming that he had stolen from a Hutt. Just another day on the Smuggler's Moon.

Her comm link beeped. "Yes," she stated simply.
"I followed the Jedi," a slightly accented voice responded. Nur Jahan was not the type to waste time with pleasantries. Not the most stimulating conversationalist, but effective. "They've been seeking out the slaves."
"Did they see you?"
"No," the Mon Calamari replied firmly, pausing. "It was close. They're skilled. Not like most."
"Competent foes are the most rewarding. Pity we'll probably have to dispatch them."
"They're Jedi."
"Good ones are hard to find. What's the mood of the slaves?"
"Wavering. They're split. The right display could tip the scales."
"Keep an eye on them. I may have another asset to bring in."

 

[Arv'zorak]

Jade made her way through the streets with a determined pace. Kar'zun were not exactly fast, but they were relentless. The organic smells did not trouble her in the slightest, any more than the scent of marble or limestone would be noticed by a human.

No one bothered the Kar'zun. Not when she was showing the gleaming armour, the large sword and a hulking figure which would make even a wookiee step back.

At last though she arrived at the location determined. She could not see Libertas yet, but that was not a surprise. The Twi'lek, despite her cybernetics, could clearly move with some stealth.

As she was waiting a beggar approached, driven by desperation to approach the monolithic figure.
"Please sir, spare some credits?"
Jade looked down on the young female Twi'lek. The contrast with Libertas was astounding, not just in appearance and manner but also in posture. This was someone beaten down by life.
She did not comment on the gender, it was not something important to correct. "And what would you use it for?"
"Food of course, sir!" she said. "And my little brother is sick and needs medicine."
Jade contemplated the Twi'lek for a long time. So long that she shuffled back a step as if expecting a blow.
"And tomorrow you will need the same, and again, and again. You are trapped without strength in this abyss, and there is no escape except through death or the threat of death."
She said nothing in reply. Perhaps she was used to lectures or being rebuked, but not like this. Unexpectedly then Jade reached into a small bag at her side and pulled out a few credits, for she had few enough in reality.
"I prolong the inevitable by doing this. Yet it is your choice how to use this, Twi-lek. Unless you wish to be here forever you will have to make more of your life. Or not, I doubt I will see you again. Go."
The beggar took off, and Jade turned again to await the other, rather more stately Twi'lek.

 

[Darth Libertas]

Arv'zorak

The next day was like any other in Nar Shaddaa. The air was thick with smog. Indeed, at this level one could not even see a real sky. Libertas' arrival was heralded by the servos of her cybernetic body. The Twi'lek noticed a beggar scurrying away. The waif was of the same species as her, but Libertas did not feel a particular kinship with her. She honestly disdained the wretched state of her people.

But what she disdained even more was how they kowtowed to it - or in some cases embraced their degeneracy. Pitiful, she thought. Her gaze fell upon the big Kar'zun. "Jade, I see my offer has held your interest," she remarked once she had crossed the distance.

The Twi'lek had, however, not come alone. Accompanying her was a Mon Calamari female who seemed to be in her twenties, and was practically dressed in trousers and a tunic, though it looked like she wore some light armour beneath it. Her gaze was stoic and penetrating. Her skin had a dark pallour to it. Mon Calamari were commonly stereotyped as being Rebels - preferrably Admirals. She was a Rebel too, from a certain point of view. "This is Nur Jahan, my associate."

She cocked her head slightly, indicating a Weequay girl. She looked like she was in her late teens, but she had the scars and the thousand yard stare of someone who had been forced to grow into an adult long before her time. "And this is Kiera...one of the ex-slaves."