[Flashback] Stop on Nexus Ortai

[Ten10dix]

Kazimir Kuzuma looked out at the crowd of civilians that had gathered to hear him speak. He was standing on a podium, around a meter from the ground. Automated cameras flew around, recording for some sort of news channel. The good thing about this part of the Galaxy is that censorship is very low. He remembered trying to give a speech on Mimban. Later that day he very nearly go assassinated, and the recordings were never shown to the public. That was only on the borders of Imperial Space, he dared not imagine how bad it was inside their territory. Even here, on Nexus Ortai, it was risky to speak against them in public, but it needed to be done. Defiance is a good trait to show to the public, especially in the face of such a large foe. It gave him a good image, which was always a nice thing. He continued on with the speech.

"As I was saying earlier, the Galaxy has been in enough Wars. We all know why: It is the selfishness and greed of the Religious Sects known as the Jedi Order and Sith Order. They fight their Wars as Generals, as Admirals, as Supreme Commanders over us, the little people. We are the fodder they send to get slaughtered because they want a few more credits, or a few more planets.

Why should we stand for this? Why should we just nod and follow them blindly to our deaths? Why can't we just turn to them and say "No!"?

The Sith are perhaps the worst example of this: They have managed to oppress or manipulate their people into giving their lives so that they may grow fat on their thrones. The Jedi are very similar, they say they will protect us yet then they run as soon as things go bad! Do you realize how much power they wielded? And why? Because they earned it? Because they were voted in? No! Because that is the way it has always been. Force Users on top, the rest down below. But remember this: We hold the true power. They are a minority. A single uprising, a revolution, could at the very least make them realize we are not puppets to be used, or playthings to be tossed around without hesitation.

My book, "The Galactic Solution", explains me idea of an ideal society, a utopia in which the People are the rulers, and the Government is simply their to protect. It also goes into more detail about the Jedi and Sith, and why they should be removed from power. It is available in local libraries, and I recommend you borrow it for a quick read. No need buying a book you'll only ever read once, eh? If you are enthusiasts like myself, though, then I encourage you to buy it. It should be in most book stores. The good ones, anyway. I thank you for your time, good day!"

He gave a big smile, waving his arm as he walked off stage. The crowd was shouting and clapping, though then again they would. Most of the people who came to see him would be people who agreed with him, right? He only had a few more hours here, he couldn't stay long for fear of Imperial Agents catching up to him. He didn't know if they were out to get him, but better safe than sorry. Next stop was Bothawui, and he was only staying there for a few hours too, enough time to give his speech. After that he would be investigating rumors of a Rebellion recruiting party present on Ryloth. He couldn't do much on his own, and on the plus side he might be able to find people who were willing to fight against the Imperium and who agreed with his views. He knew people who had one or the other, but few people had both.

He started to walk towards the starport which housed his ship, The Solleu. He didn't like staying in hotels, his ship was far safer and much more private. He shook a few hands of people who came over to see him, thanking him for "opening their eyes" or congratulating him on a "very moving speech". He smiled and spoke with them for a few moments. He didn't really care what they thought, but he had to give a good image. He wanted fighters, not sympathizers.

 

[Jax Vos]

Fais Raak stood among the crowd of people watching Kazimir Kuzuma give his speech. It was very moving for her. It told her that there were others looking for a life without the influence of the Jedi. That this man was wanting to get the people to break free of the bonds that the Force-sensitives were putting them under.

Fais pushed her way to the front as the man finished his speech. She had found her chance. This was the man who would bring her to the Rebellion. However, she needed to gain his trust. How she was going to do that was far beyond her grasp. Fais pushed through the last few people and attempted to intercept Kuzuma on his way out.

However, the Togruta was stopped by one of the bodyguards. Listen, I need to speak with Mister Kuzuma.

I am sorry ma'am, but Mister Kuzuma doesn't speak with just anybody. If you want to see him, make an appointment. The guard proceeded to move Fais out of the way.

The purple-skinned Togruta grabbed the 1.9 meter tall guard and held him in place. Now, you listen to me. I have been trying to see this man for the past two years. If you don't let me see him, I will fight you. And don't think for a moment that my size will affect the outcome of that fight. Now, I'm getting through.

 

[Ten10dix]

Kazimir was close to the starport when a Togruta grabbed one of his guards, Hans, and his other guard, John, immediately drew his pistol out and pointed it at the attacker. Kazimir turned, confusion briefly crossing his face. John asked for orders. Kazimir thought for a few seconds. If this Togruta was an Imperial Agent, she would have killed or captured him quietly, not attacked him in public. The fact that she was only making threats and made no attempt to directly attack him told him she wanted his attention. He had met many people who had wanted to join up with him during the last few years, but they none were qualified enough. He had almost stopped trying to look for such people, instead accepting he alone would have to bring about his dreams. Yet something made him want to speak with this women. She seemed... Different. Smart yet also dangerous. Someone like her could be very beneficial to him... He spoke out.

"You wish to speak with me? I could spare some time for you, if you do not mind us conversing in my ship. I would also appreciate it if you would let Hans go, no need for things to escalate any further."

 

[Jax Vos]

Fais released her grip on the man and walked toward Kuzuma. The guard nearly bent over, but composed himself before anyone noticed. Finally, she was able to talk to him. After the long wait, it was finally over. She was not sure where to being but she figured that it did not matter yet.

Thank you, Mister Kuzuma. I'm sorry about your guard sir, but I really need to talk to you about what you've been saying all over independent space.

Fais hoped he understood why. She never liked being forced away from things, especially moments that have the best timing. Fais knew that Kuzuma was being guarded for a reason. However, she knew that there was always a chance he would want to speak with her if she made a display of some sort.

Fais remained quiet until they got to inside the ship. She was hoping that he would allow her to go with him once she expressed her interest in his ideas about government. She knew that she would likely have to show more of herself than she would prefer.

 

[Ten10dix]

"People have wanted to speak to me before. Various reasons, though none of them have ever attacked me to get my attention. Not only that, but you seem... Different, somehow. Stronger than most, a lot more determination. I admire determination."

He got up from the table they were sitting at. The room itself was decorated with many different pieces of art, and it was equipped with a large television which was built into the wall. Small cabinets were scattered around, and Kazimir opened one and took out some refreshments, food and drinks. He placed them on the table, gesturing to the Togruta to help herself. He sat down again.

"This ship is my home now, and I try to make it look nice and comfortable but it pales in comparison to the home I once had on Naboo."

He smiled at her, taking a small cup and pouring himself a drink.

"Now then, you already know who I am, but I know nothing of you. What is your name, and why are you here?"

He brought the cup to his mouth and drank its content, keeping his eyes fixated on his guest.

 

[Jax Vos]

Fais stood, listening to Kuzuma's remarks. When he opened his cabinet, she waited for him to indicate that she should take something. She grabbed a glass and poured herself some Tihar. She then moved to a seat and sat down, facing him.

Fais smiled. How much should she reveal? For the moment she had decided to tell the truth, but to keep it simple.

Well, my name is Fais Raak. I was born on Shili, raised in the Core worlds due to that I eventually became a soldier. Had my share of near death experiences, worked a lot with Jedi, learned that they tended to "advise" the Alliance government for their own personal gain.

That's why I'm here. I want to support you in your ideas about government. To keep the Sith and Jedi away from politics, the people need to realize that that they don't need them. I want to help you show them this. Fais felt something at her side. She looked down to see a cylinder attached to her belt. She moved it, hoping that he would not notice.

 

[Ten10dix]

"A veteran? An Alliance veteran at that? Interesting, most Alliance soldiers I've encountered all tend to regard my views very negatively. Patriotism is just as bad as faith when it comes to narrowing ones perspective."

He went silent for a few seconds. She seemed capable enough, and from what she said she was a supporter of his own ideals. Then again, he had had numerous requests from various people who wanted to join up with him, some fighters, others normal working class civilians. From this initial first impression, she was definitely better than most others he had spoken with, probably due to her being a former Alliance soldier, but he still felt there was something else. The way in which she held herself, her voice, her general presence. She could become a good leader, and could also add some military experience to his entourage. His guards were good for security, but nether had fought in any major battles. Still, he had rejected many other candidates like her. He couldn't bring everyone with a gun and the knowledge to use it on his ship.

"I'm sorry, while I am sure you are very skilled and experienced, as you can see my ship is very small. I have had offers for people to join me more times than I care to remember, and I will say to you what I said to those I deemed right for this sort of business."

He took a card from his pocket and handed it to her.

"You may use this number to contact me, if ever you feel you have information that may be relevant. If you can give me a means to contact you, I can call you if ever I require your assistance. I normally give these out to individuals who I believe would make good revolutionaries, but like I said: I just don't have the capacity or resources to let you all help me personally. I would only consider such a thing for an exceptional case. Don't think this means I am disregarding you, though. I make a habit of contacting people such as yourself every month or so, just to make sure they are safe and still available."

He smiled and got up.

"It has been a pleasure meeting you, Miss Raak. I look forward to speaking with you in the future, however at the moment I am pressed for time. We are already behind schedule due to a few technical issues. I would normally invite you to dinner for a small talk, but that will have to be postponed. Good day."

She would be a fine addition to his small group. He only had a dozen or so other people like her, which he hoped would someday form the core of his revolutionary party. Whether she stayed or not would be decided over diner, though. While first impressions were important, he wanted to get to know her before he made any rash decisions.

 

[Jax Vos]

Fais could no longer take it. He was rubbing her off. Not technically, but she was not going to wait. She grabbed her lightsaber and ignited it. The orange blade hissed to life. She let it go and willed it to hover in front of her.

This was so unlike her. She had never revealed herself in this fashion before. Does this change your mind at all? she said sitting in a meditation-type pose, the lightsaber still floating in the air.

 

[Ten10dix]

Silence.

Kazimir tried to remain calm, but his eyes betrayed him, wide open in shock. A Force User? He had met many before the fall of the Alliance, mostly Jedi, and a few even sympathized with his views, though he suspected most did it to be polite. This women, Fais Raak, she was what he had been looking for. A Force Sensitive who actually agreed with him, and was willing to accompany him on his journeys. All he could do, after the initial shock had faded away, was smile.

"It might."

He sat back down, now taking the whole thing a lot more seriously. The main question was: Was she a former Jedi or Sith? Or something else entirely? The impulsiveness might suggest Sith, but then again she could simply be a frustrated Jedi. The fact that she had pretended to belong to the Alliance military, or rather, that she was an Alliance foot soldier, would support that. Plus the obvious fact that a Sith would have no reason to be here, they were either too greedy and ego-centered or blinded by patriotism to approach him. A Jedi, however, who lost faith in her Order would fit the bill perfectly. Selfless enough to want to help the People of the Galaxy but also able to see through the fog that covered the Jedi's philosophy and see it as it truly is.

"I must apologize for my lack of manners, but I believed you were another simple revolutionary. Not that I have anything against them, of course, but like I said, my ship is too small to take them all on. You, however, I think we can make room for you. We must depart for Bothawui very soon, but we can come back to collect your belongings in a few days, if you wish. I assume you are a Jedi? We may talk more during dinner, you no doubt have many questions, I certainly do."

He turned his head to Hans, who was standing by the door.

"You'll have to bunk up with John, I'm afraid. If Miss Raak does indeed wish to accompany us on our voyage, she will need a room of her own. Nothing too special, even if this is a luxury cruiser. Most of the money I get from the book sales go into our resources and... My work. You can either go and have a rest in your room, Hans will show you the way, or I can show you around the ship. Whichever you prefer."

 

[Jax Vos]

Fais opened her hand, and the lightsaber landed gently in it. The orange blade hissed as it disappeared. The Togruta stood up as Kazimir sat down. No apology is necessary Mister Kuzuma. I had just been hoping that I would be able to convince you without revealing myself. Yes, I was a Jedi. I left them after the Battle of Tython.

Fais was about to object when Kuzuma told Hans that he would have to bunk with John if she stayed. She felt that he was being to kind to her, but knew that the former politician had his reasons. Kaeri Vanay would not have allowed him to do this to his soldiers. But Fais Raak was different, she would not contradict a host's generosity. She did not exactly like putting Hans out, and knew that he might come to resent her for it, but she could not help it.

That's very kind of you Mister Kuzuma. I think I would like to see the ship. It has been so long since I was on a vessel like this one, and I should see how she is. Fais placed the lightsaber on her belt again.

 

[Ten10dix]

OOC: This is loosely based on the wookiepedia article, but I have no idea what the interior would look like or how each room is placed. Making it up as a I go along...

Also feel free to comment/respond to stuff he says as he does the tour, I thought it would be eaisier if I did it in one go.​

"Excellent! As you can see, this is the main recreational area, but also where we eat. As a diplomat's vessel, each chair is equipped with holographic technology allowing much more smoother communication between myself and whomever I am talking to, whether it be contacts or friends. Normally both. If you would just follow me."

He got up from his chair, went over to the door Hans was guarding. He quietly asked him to move his things out of his room, shaking his hand and patting him on the shoulder as he walked past to exit the room. They found themselves in a small corridor, with a door on either side of them and a larger one in front of them.

"The turbolift in front of you leads to the upper level, which contains the armory, cockpit and two bedrooms. To your right is the kitchen and the supply room, where we keep our food, and to your left are two more bedrooms. In the original design for this ship, it was only a single large bedroom but I modified it into two. More practical. You'll be sleeping in the one on the right, and I sleep in the other. The reason for this is I think it best if the pilot sleeps near the cockpit and either Hans or John sleep near the armory, for safety reasons."

As he spoke he entered the relevant rooms, giving her a quick look at them. They then entered the turbo lift.

"You won't have to worry about food, we keep our stocks full and Hans, John and Jennifer, our pilot, all assure me my cooking is adequate enough."

The lift opened and yet again, they were in a corridor.

"In front of you is the cockpit, to your left are the bedrooms and to your right is the armory. Nothing too fancy, a few pistols and one or two rifles, a few grenades. Basic combat armor for Hans and John We try to avoid combat, you see."

A women emerged from the recently opened door. She smiled at Kazimir, briefly asking him how the speech went. Her eyes then turned to Fais. A grin appeared on her face.

"Who's she?"

Kazimir rolled his eyes, trying his best to stop a small smile appearing on his face.

"This is Jennifer, our pilot. She has the mind of a child and it is nigh impossible to get any serious work done with her around. I keep her confined to level 3 most of the time. All the technical engineer stuff is down their. Jennifer, this is Fais Raak. She will be joining us on our travels."

Jennifer glared at Kazimir as she approached Fais, a large smile almost tearing her face apart.

"And how are you doing, Miss Raak?"

Her voice went all flirty and she looked Fais in the eyes, extending her hand to the Torgruta women.

"Just once can you introduce yourself to someone without trying to seduce them?"

Jennifer glared at Kazimir again, but her reply was a simple smile. Kazimir rolled his eyes again, turning back to Fais.

"Sorry about that, Miss Nar just can't help herself. Anyway, that's about it. Any questions?

 

[Jax Vos]

Fais remained quiet throughout the tour. She found it interesting and decided that she would have to listen to see if there was more information than she was given.

The pilot, a very beautiful woman, was quite the image. Fais, who had vowed never to be with a woman again, found it hard to resist Jennifer. She took the woman's hand and shook it. Fine thank you.

She turned to Kazimir as he apologized for Jennifer's flirtatious actions. No need to apologize. I understand how she is. I'm used to it. Fais stopped.

She thought back over what Kazimir had told her. Everything seemed to make sense, except for one thing... Why am I in the room next to you and not with Jennifer? she whispered in his ear. It seemed strange to her that he would put the only alien on the ship next to him. She could be a good bodyguard, but she had not agreed to do that yet.

Fais smiled at Jennifer. This human was interesting. They would have to get to know each other sometime while they occupied this ship.

 

[Ten10dix]

Kazimir whispered the answer back to her.

"Privacy. Hans and John are good friends, they won't mind sharing a room together. You don't really know anyone on board, I thought you would be more comfortable settling in if you had a room of your own. To gather your thoughts, or to meditate. The reason you are sleeping next to my room is because I believe it to be more prudent to have Jennifer near the cockpit and Hans and John near the armory, for security reasons. If you wish to bunk up with Jennifer, that can be arranged, I am sure she won't mind."

He raised his eyebrows at the young women, who simply smiled back.

"That'd be fine!"

He turned back to Fais.

"It is your choice. Don't let it be said that we are not hospitable, eh? Jennifer, we'll be leaving for Bothawui soon. Make sure the ship is ready to leave. After that we will return to Nexus Ortai to collect Miss Raak's personal affairs and finally head to Ryloth. There a rumors of a Rebel recruiting party in the area, I trust you have no issue with joining this mysterious Rebellion?"

 

[Jax Vos]

Fais smiled. He thought she still did Jedi things. I haven't meditated in seven years, I don't think I'm gonna break that record soon. I think I could handle Jennifer while on board.

Fais nodded at Jennifer and turned towards the bedroom that Kazimir had indicated was Jennifer's. Fais did not understand why, but she felt that she owed Hans a favor. Letting him stay in his room was not exactly going to make up for hurting him and threatening him, but it was a start.

 

[Ten10dix]

"Very well then. I'll go tell Hans to stop moving his stuff, and help him move it all back. He'll probably be a bit grumpy, but just ignore him. He's always grumpy. We have dinner at 7, if you need anything I'm sure Jennifer will be glad to help. If she is working, then John can be found either in his room or in the armory, he's a bit more helpful than Hans would be. I'll be working in my own room, or possibly the meeting room, if you want to talk to me. I look forward to the times ahead, Miss Raak. Things are looking up!"

He smiled, turning around and entering the turbo lift. His tiring tour was nearly done, support for his ideals was gradually increasing, he had the first reliable bit of information about the Rebellion in ages and a Force User would now be joining him to help him in his work. Things were indeed looking up...