Finding Hope

[Steel]

Every night, the galaxy came alive with millions of burning stars. Each one a brilliant blaze of blinding light that blessed the heavens with an eternal glory. Yet, there was darkness between the stars, and when one was travelling through deep space, those magnificient balls of fire seemed to almost disappear.

To Rheas, it seemed as though the entire galaxy was falling into deep space. The Sith's stranglehold on the galaxy grew tighter every day. Each night seemed longer and emptier than the last. Even stars were burning out.

Rheas shook his head. This tour around the galaxy was getting to him. After getting away with a heist that had earned Rheas over 30m credits, the Kushari was travelling around the galaxy in search of a just cause to invest in. So far, he found himself in the slums of city worlds, feeding the hungry and sheltering the homeless. At sixteen, Rheas was too young to not be touched by the lives he saw. Lives ruined by the ever-hungry darkness of the Sith.

Deciding that a drink would help him, or maybe even the jazzy Cantina tunes, Rheas made his way to the local cantina. Cantinas with good food and upbeat music were not uncommon on Corellia, and soon Rheas had found himself a spot at a booth. Alone, and wolfing down an order of nerf strips.

 

[jamessour]

It wasn't often that Tarnit returned to Corellia. An occasional visit to his father being the extent of it. This time he descended upon the once proud world of Corellia on the anniversary of his Mother's death. His mother was an agent of CorSec during the Sith campaign again Corellia, and that same driven blood flowed threw Tarnit's veins as well; the same blood that would cause someone to keep fighting until death. He believed in his cause.

The ceremony was very informal. Tarnit and his Father went to the grave site, cried together for a few minutes and then had to leave, as Dannt, Tarnit's father, was still a fugitive on Corellia, and it was dangerous for him to ever be out in the open.

Tarnit walked the once glimmering streets of his home world with his head low. It was incredible to him how quickly the planet itself healed its wounds. Yes, there were still scars of war, but the ground, the earth had all but been healed. Tarnit's scars, however, still felt raw.

Looking up, the neon glow of a Cantina alive shown down on Tarnit's face. There was always something peaceful about being in a place that was in happy chaos. Tarnit fixed his shirt, stood up straight and walked into the bar; he was not going to appear to be dejected, but was going to find peace in the company of strangers.

Approaching the bar confidently, Tarnit looked around to take in his surroundings. Across the cantina, probably two-hundred feet, was a stage with lights, obscure aliens, and instruments that made incredible music. Right before the stage were tables that people were standing around, enjoying drinks and each other with raucous laughter that could only be made possible by a few drinks. To the right of the door were booths, with couples, and shadowy groups talking in hushed voices either about romance or drugs, Tarnit presumed. To the left was the bar that extended about halfway into the room.

Observing the possible seating choices Tarnit noticed the bar was all but full, and the open spots were less desirable as the beings next to them seemed either intoxicated or... intoxicating with their aroma. As he made eye contact with the bartender he said, "Corellian Ale." He then scanned the booths to look for an open seat. Grabbing his drink Tarnit made his way to a booth next to an Ithorian couple on one side, and a Kushari sitting adjacent. Tarnit sat down, sighed happily, smiled and took a long sip of his beverage.

 

[Steel]

A satisfied sigh cause Rheas to look up from his food. The Kushari noticed a smiling human take a sip of his beer. How long had thay guy been there? When Rheas ate, he barely payed attention to anything other than his food. Had the man tried saying something to the Kushari? Rheas did not want to be one of those rich people that ignored others. He smiled at the human.

"Hey, name's Rheas".

Rheas would have offered the man some food, but the Kushari did not like sharing.

"You seem like you got an interesting story to tell".

 

[jamessour]

One of the most satisfying things to Tarnit was meeting people, he enjoyed conversation with all peoples, even those he didn't yet know. He learned during his time in the war that allies are one of the most valuable things in conflict. Allies start with simple conversations, and conversations usually start with food and drink.

As the seemingly friendly Kushari addressed him, Tarnit couldn't help but smile a friendly grin.

"I'm Tarnit. It's nice to meet you Rheas."

Tarnit then moved into the booth to share it with Rheas, in a cantina this loud, a conversation can really only happen when people share space. Moving into space, especially another's, creates a sense of vulnerability and common ground that Tarnit always desired when having a conversation. He just needed to be careful. As he has fought for the Corellian Resistance during the fighting a couple years back, talking to the wrong person could bode extremely ill for Tarnit.

"We all have great stories if we know how to tell them, do we not?" Tarnit sipped his ale again. "My story is a war torn one, like most of this galaxy. I came back for a memorial service of my mother, who died a few years back," Tarnit decided to see how Rheas responded before he gave away to much of his motive,
"What brings you to this broken planet, my friend?"

 

[Steel]

The man Rheas was talking to was a careful one. While Rheas would just simply shout over the noise of the cantina, Tarnit would rather get close and keep the conversation to themselves. It was as if Tarnit thought the galaxy was run by murderous psychopaths. A theory that was actually quite true at the moment. Rheas decided to play along with being a super-spy. The Kushari pulled his ears back and leaned in so that his nose was almost touching Tarnit's.

"This way, nobody will hear us", Rheas whispered. His nose began twitching, an indication thay the Kushari was laughing.

Then Rheas leaned back. His companion had brought up some serious topics.

"Sucks about your mother dying. Mine died too when I was very young".

After a short pause, Rheas continued.

"I'm on this broken planet to fix it".

Rheas knew better than to tell Tarnit how the Kushari was fixing Corellia. Rheas was using his massive wealth to feed the hungry and find homes for orphans. It was a noble cause, but if the Kushari told Tarnit about Rheas' wealth, then he might be inclined to explain to Tarnit just how Rheas had gained all those credits. Rheas did not exactly want to go into detail about how he had gained those ill-gotten funds.

 

[jamessour]

This Rheas seemed very pleasant, a fun, caring kushari. He intrigued Tarnit, and Tarnit did not mind having a friendly conversation, in fact it seemed exactly what Tarnit needed.

"This is a planet that requires fixing." Tarnit smirked, sipping his ale. "I am from Corellia, and it's weird walking around a place with so much destruction that I used to know as home."

Tarnit sat up in his chair, "Tell me Rheas, how do you plan on 'fixing' Corellia? I also find myself trying to find some retribution and... justice. I am on my own journey to 'fix' Corellia as well."

 

[Steel]

Before Rheas could answer, a man who looked a couple years older than Rheas burst through the cantina doors. The man was breathing heavily, with a loaf of bread being clutched desperately against his chest. The man took a glance behind himself before looking nervously around the Cantina.

"Somebody really wants a drink", Rheas joked.

Faint shouting could be heard from outside the cantina. The man risked another glance behind himself before rushing into the washroom.

"Ah, the ever-dire need to use the fresher", Rheas mused once again.

 

[jamessour]

Tarnit's eyes immediately darted to the sudden movement. It's like the entire cantina had stopped to take a breath. Everyone stunned that their private little lives were interrupted. Tarnit squinted. It seemed like the man was clutching some type of food, like a loaf of bread. His eyes panicked, breathing heavily, sweat on his brow. This man was on the run.

Tarnit barely noticed Rheas's comment. The entire Cantina stood still as the man ran to the refresher, and then the life of the cantina started once again.

"Ah, the ever-dire need to use the fresher," Rheas mused. Tarnit's eyes were fixed on the door, ears tuned to the apparent ruckus outside. Tarnit's hand dropped subtly down to his waist to check if his pistol was there. Releasing the clasp on the gun, he took a breath. He felt secure knowing that his defense was now a moment away.

Two men walked in, both looked like the new Cor-Sec. These men were not like the men that Tarnit served with, they were puppets of the empire.

"Looks like we have some unexpected company," Tarnit whispered to Rheas, nodding to the two military police members. It was obvious that Tarnit's body was anxious, ready. Memories of friends, and a mother, being killed and slain in a war; a home-world being taken over and destroyed.

The cantina started to scatter. At the mere sight of police, low-lives always ran, and this place was filled with those who were scared of the law. Tarnit wasn't scared of law, but he held a healthy respect for the troopers training and weapons. The troops made their way to the bar, and addressed the bartender with words that were just out of earshot, but the content was obvious: they were looking for the man.

"Time to find out what's going on, huh?" Tarnit said, eyes fixed on the police, but the question obviously directed at Rheas.

 

[Steel]

Why was everyone so...tense? The other patrons of the bar had just scattered when the police had shown up, as if there had been a major drug deal that the police had walked in on. Did the other patrons know that the police were not after them, and that by running you provoked the policr to chase you. Rheas shook his head, he had stolen over 37 milion credits and he did not piss himself whenever a blue uniform showed up.

Then there was Tarnit, who looked like he was about to explode from all the tension in his body. Rheas wanted to shove another ale down Tarnit's throat, loosen him up a bit. Maybe it would help him see the undeniable humour of Rheas' jokes.

"Here's the plan", Rheas began, using the same mock secret agent voice he had used before, "You check in on bread-boy, see if he needs toilet laper. I'll talk to our heroic men in blue".

Rheas would wait for Tarnit to approve of the plan before the Kushari burst into action.

 

[jamessour]

To say that Tarnit was impressed with how relaxed Rheas was would be slightly inaccurate. He literally couldn't understand how the Kushari was still making subtle jokes, it was almost terrifying. "Here's the plan," Rheas began in another impression before he relayed it to Tarnit.

Tarnit nodded, "Right. Listen Rheas," looking straight at him now, "The Sith killed my mother... I am always tense around them now. I don't trust them. And you seem like a pleasant fellow... just keep your head straight, and be careful." Tarnit usually was full of fun and extroverted, but his conditions would seem almost like PTSD to anyone who know about such a disorder.

"I'll head to the fresher, but I'm ready incase anything goes down." With a firm, military nod, Tarnit excused himself from the booth and stood up. He reached down and poured the rest of the ale into his mouth before turning and slowly walking to the fresher to check on the man.

He opened the door, and shut it slowly behind him. He heard a scuffle within on of the stalls. "Hello? My name is Tarnit, I'm not here to hurt you." Tarnit was met only with silence. Grimacing, Tarnit slowly walked further into the fresher. All the stall doors were open, and he began looking in each one.

As soon as he looked into the last stall, a fist came flying to meet Tarnit's face. A brash, untrained left hook was not the hardest to avoid. He ducked, grabbed the arm and pulled the assailant out, and twisted it behind the bread thief. He then forced him, quickly toward the counter - holding his head firmly down so he could not throw another punch.

This was met by extreme struggle. "Listen, Listen!" Tarnit said in a hushed, yet firm voice.

"Let me go!" The man struggled.

"They'll hear you," Said Tarnit releasing his grip and backing away. This startled the man. He was finally starting to believe that Tarnit wasn't the enemy. Tarnit looked him up and down. This man had been running for awhile. Dirty, and sweaty, his clothes were stained. He had no weapon, but he was still grasping the bread tightly in his right hand.

"I'm Tarnit, and I'm here to help you." Tarnit spoke softly to try and calm him down with his tone, "What's your name, friend?"

Nervously looking around the man replied, "Kurt. I'm Kurt."

"It's nice to meet you Kurt." Tarnit then looked around, the window in this place was too small to escape, the only way out would be the same way he came in. "We will get you out of here." With that Tarnit was hoping that Rheas was making some progress with the cops. He led Kurt closer to the door, waiting to see how Rheas handled the situation.

 

[Steel]

As soon as Tarnit was safely in the fresher, Rheas got up and slowly approached the two officers. Seeing as Rheas and the officers were the only ones left inside the cantina, they noticed him almost immediately. As Rheas got closer, the officers fingered their blasters. Rheas' size made him appear a little intimidating.

"G'day officers. Sorry everyone ran out on ya. I'll have a drink with ya if you want".

The police looked at Rheas with quizzical expressions on their faces before on of them responded. Rheas noticed his badge declared his name to be Tu'mac.

"No, we're not here to drink. We are looking for a someone".

Rheas blinked innocenty.

"You're not looking for me, are you?"

"No. We are looking for a thief that stole a loaf of bread and ran in here. Should we be looking for you?"

"Nah. I'm clean as a space station. And while I saw a whole bunch of people run out, you can see that there's nobody else here. Do-"

Before Rheas could ask why one loaf of bread was such a big deal, the second officer cut him off.

"Why did your friend rush into the bathroom?"

Rheas thought for a second, trying to think of a plausible lie.

"Well, you see, he has authoriphobia, which is fear of authorities".

Neither one of the police looked convinced. The second officer began walking toward the fresher. Tu'mac put an icy hand on Rheas' shoulder, causing the Kushari to nervously twitch his tail. There was only one thing he could do.

Rheas quickly turned and delivered a hard uppercut aimed at Tu'mac's jaw. There was a sharp crack as Rheas' paw connected with skin and bone. The officer crumpled to the ground. The second police officer turned away from the fresher door and pointed his blaster at Rheas.

"You should not have done that".

 

[jamessour]

As Tarnit peered through the door, he saw Rheas whimsically engaging the officers in conversation. This guy is good, Tarnit thought. He noticed the body language of the officers getting anxious. Tarnit grabbed his blaster and looking down at it, thumbed it to stun - as much fun as it would be to kill a sith officer, stunning him, Tarnit assumed, would be wiser in this case - not lethal, but very effective.

Tarnit came around the corner, Kurt right behind him. At that moment, Rheas delivered a lightning quick uppercut to one of the officers. As the other guard turned to Rheas, Tarnit brought up his blaster and squeezed the trigger sending a tight blue circle into the officers side.

With a dull thud, the officer slouched to the ground. Tarnit quickly holstered his weapon and approached Rheas, Kurt in toe

"That escalated rapidly." Tarnit said with a grin as he poked one of the guards with his foot. "This is Kurt," he said motioning to the now petrified man, who was stammering on about how Tarnit and Rheas assaulted the officers, "And this wonderful Kushari is Rheas. Nicely done. I owe you a drink. But we need to get moving, and get Kurt to saftey."

 

[Steel]

It was nice to know somebody that knew their way around a blaster. Rheas flicked his tail to thank Tarnit for the timely help.

"Thanks dude. I owe you one".

Turning toward the muttering thief, Rheas put what was hopefully a comforting paw on Kurt's shoulder.

"Heya Kurt. You stole some bread, we took down a few cops. We're all fugitives together! You're gonna need to be strong now, cuz now things are going to get steamy".

Turning to face Tarnit, Rheas' fsce became a little urgent. The Kushari was not stressed, but staring down the wrong end of a blaster tended to make one a little edgy.

"I got a nice luxury ship if you want to escpae on that. What are you flying?"

 

[jamessour]

Tarnit chuckled at Rheas's question. Tarnit never learned how to fly a starship, that was his brother's forte. Tarnit had been lucky enough to avoid trouble on public transport - even too and from Imperial controlled worlds. Events like this had a way of ruining public transport.

"I came on public transport..." Looking down at the cops, "I doubt that would be a good way for me to leave. I'd love a ride. Plus we need to figure out how to get Kurt safe - authorities are going to be looking for him, no doubt they reported him." Tarnit walked to the door and peered out. The empty Cor-Sec speeder was left idling, but so far there was no back-up.

"We should get moving quickly. Where are you parked?"

 

[Steel]

"I'm at a spaceport a couple blocks from here. Getting there should be easy, but leaving will be tough".

Rheas used his head to indicate that Tarnit and Kurt should follow the Kushari as he approached the police speeder. Rheas licked his lips.

"The perfect escape speeder. I'll drive, Kurt in the middle, and Tarnit in the back".

After pulling himself onto the speeder, Rheas reved the engined a few times. It might attract more officers, but Rheas seldom though of things like that.

"We can all leave Corellia together. Yo Kurt, you ever been off-world before?"

 

[jamessour]

Tarnit helped Kurt sit in the middle and then hopped in the back of the speeder. He reached down and grabbed his pistol again. Rheas was great, just reckless, and a pistol in the hand is always faster than on the hip. He leaned his head back, Tarnit wasn't expecting to get into a firefight with the authorities this morning.

"Easy Rheas," Tarnit muttered at the roar of the engine, opening his eyes and becoming fully alert once again.

"Yo Kurt, you ever been off-world before?" Rheas asked.

Kurt, his whole body shaking, managed to stop for a bit so his head would nod. "I-I-I," he stuttered,"I came to the core worlds from Tatooine for money. I have family there."

Tarnit couldn't help but pity this poor man. How many others are suffering at the hands of this war... Tarnit thought back to stories his father used to tell him and his brother. Often the stories were of Corran Horn. He was a legend for those who were deep in CorSec. Horn was a Correlian Jedi that also flew in Rogue Squadron. Horn was an incredible fighter, investigator, and a Jedi. The Horn legacy ran deep in Correlian blood, and as a child, Tarnit often dreamed about being a Jedi, and as the fighting increased, new that Jedi would be one of the keys to ousting the Sith from their system - if only he knew where to find them.

Other sirens sounded in the distance, and Tarnit sat up. "Rheas, buddy. Get us out of here."

 

[Steel]

"Aye aye, Captain", was Rheas' response, "Tatooine it is. This place was a duml anyway".

With that, Rheas gunned the engines and the speeder shot forward into the busy Corellian streets. Rheas was not the best driver, and the ragtag group of fugitives had numerous close calls as the speeder narrowly brushed by other vehicles.

Soon Rheas abandoned the streets all together, instead choosing to weave in between pedestrians as the speeder zoomed above the walkways. It was a miracle that the Kushari did not hit anyone. After clearing the walkway, Rheas let out a loud 'whoop'.

The spaceport eventually appeared in view about forty feet in front of Rheas and company. Unfortunately, three police speeders appeared behind Rheas, Kurt, and Tarnit. Glancing back, Rheas tried to take evasive actions, but this resulted in him almost flipping the speeder and throwing out its riders. Rheas would need to trust Tarnit to take out those police speeders. The man was good enough with a blaster, as evidenced by his performance in the diner.

 

[jamessour]

The speeder zoomed through streets, which was terrifying enough. Tarnit had ridden on enough speeders in combat to not freak out to an excessive amount, but Kurt was a completely different story. The bread he was once clutching had turned more into croutons. Wide eyed, teary eyed, this man's life was now much more exciting than it had ever been in his entire life.

Tarnit smiled and put a hand on his shoulder, "It'll be done soon." Kurt was less than comforted, and even less comforted by the Kushari's "WHOOP!"

After minutes of dancing through people and cars, the spaceport appeared. The police however were still actively pursuing. The Kushari's ability to pilot the speeder was limited by the speeder's capability, as it almost flipped. Rheas looked back and Tarnit knew that it was his turn.

He looked down and checked his blaster. He didn't care to kill the police, but the stun setting would do nothing to the speeder's lightly armored exterior. He changed the setting to it's standard lethal setting and slowly peered out the side of the speeder. The officers had yet to fire on the speeder, but that would quickly change. Aiming quickly, Tarnit shot at the head speeder.

Tarnit was a decent shot, but he was trying to make them slow down, or crash. His shot skimmed past the nose of the head speeder, just clsoe enough to make it evade and slam on their breaks. This caused the speeder behind to crash into the head speeder, eliminating those two. But that was the easy part.

The third speeder was now addressing the rogue speeder as a lethal enemy. The copilot, now armed with his own blaster, started taking pot shots at the run-away speeder. Tarnit fired back, but his pistol was not doing much but keeping the pursuing officers at bay. Tarnit also theorized that, now that they had fired, more support would quickly on the way.

"Step on it, Rheas!" Tarnit shouted back towards his furry companion as he held on to the back of his chair, bracing for the climax of this chase.