Ask It's the Little Things

[Zathria]

Zathria wasn't a Jedi Shadow, but she had seen her fair share of sneaking into enemy territories since being Knighted. She wondered if it just came with the territory of being a Jedi when the galaxy was this upended.

Zygerria had been struck some major blows over the last century with its prior king assassinated by Mandalorians and many slaves being freed. It was an admirable thing that the Mandos had done, but it was now overshadowed by their decision to ally themselves with the Sith and strike out to raid and pillage the galaxy.

And ultimately, the Zygerrians had recovered from their blows. Perhaps not in full, but enough to start dragging people out and sell them on the open market once again. It was such a massive and daunting operation that Zathria felt frankly overwhelmed by it.

And so she had turned to meditating. She had reminded herself to keep her mind on the present. The here and now and how she could help even the smallest people in the galaxy. So a ship had been selected - a rather massive cargo hauler full of slaves - and she and a fellow Jedi had been dispatched to assist in liberating those aboard. Easy, right? Right?

 

[Pêro Erval]

Recently, the Mandalorians had attacked the slave operations on Zygerria. The reports said that these attacks caused a severe blow against the Zygerrian slavers, one that they would never be able to recover from. Many individuals believed that it could be the end of this terrible practice on this part of the Galaxy. Being a pessimist, Pêro never thought that it would happen.

However, like parasites, the Zygerrian slavers were able to survive the Mandalorians and there were rumors that they were once again selling slaves. Even with his homeworld being a hole full of corrupt, Pêro was happy that slavery was abbolished in G’wenee centuries ago. He couldn’t believe how there were places on the Galaxy where you still could own another sentient being like they were some type of object.

With the Jedi being guardians of freedom and peace, it was their duty to fight against these slavers. Due to that, Pêro and another Jedi were dispatched to board a cargo hauler full of slaves that was leaving Zygerria to a planet controled by the Hutt Cartel. They were traveling through hyperspace in a ship from the Order, which was going to intercept the slavers before they could leave the planet.

Pêro watched his fellow Jedi Meditate. He knew that her name was Zathria, but he never worked with her before. Hopefully it would not be a problem. The rescue of the slaves was too important for distractions to disturb it. They deserved to be free and not under the possession of who could pay more for them.

His musings were interrupted by the sound of an alarm. “We arrived on Zygerria.” he said more to himself than to Zathria. Then he looked at her, uncertain if she would hear him or would still be in deep meditation. “Better we go to the cockpit, we need to land as soon as we leave hyperspace.”

@Phoenix

 

[Zathria]

Between the beeping of the alarms and the warning from her partner, she realized they had arrived at their destination. She could feel the pain of this world washing over her. The blood of the thousands who had been killed her called out and it was enough to make her nearly wince. It reminded her of the stains on Sullust. Even after she'd gone their to help liberate it, the marks that it left behind would never be truly washed out.

Yeah, she agreed, pushing herself up from her seated position and heading in the direction of the cockpit with Pêro. She took a seat as the ship was guided down to its location. The planet looked... rough. They weren't actually Zygerrians, which could make blending in a bit more difficult, but not impossible.

I don't think we'll be arrested on sight or anything, but I think it'd be best to stay out of sight as much as possible when we're down there, she said. Particularly after they got into areas they weren't supposed to be in.

The ship set down with a soft thunk, and she threw a poncho on over her clothes. It obscured the lightsaber hanging from her belt and gave her a much more unassuming vibe.

You done much infiltration before? she asked, heading for the exit ramp and descending. The smell hit her first, a combination of sweat, smoke, and sewage. It was... pretty terrible, and she realized they really, definitely had landed in the poor district. People who weren't even slaves lived packed in here in absurd numbers. She reminded herself that they were here for one ship, and that would be problem enough.

Do you sense something... off? she asked. She couldn't put her finger on it, but it was a vague shiver in the Force. A warning that could mean any of a hundred things. Or maybe it was just her imagination.

@LouJoVi

 

[Pêro Erval]

Together with Zathria, Pêro walked to the cockpit. He sat in a chair next to the other Jedi and watched her guide the ship to a place where it could land. “I agree. I don’t believe that we are going to find many free non-Zygerrians on this planet.” he was certain that the few that they see were going to be slave owners.

After the ship landed, Perô picked a long coat with a hood. For centuries, the Zygerrians and the Jedi Order had problems with each other. Being identified as one by them would put this entire mission in jeopardize. The coat would hide his Jedi robes and face, this way he would be able to stay undercover while they looked for the slaves.

Zathria also seemed to understand it, with the poncho that she was wearing being able to hide her lightsaber. “I never did infiltration before.” Pêro confessed, while they walked down the ramp. The missions that he did so far never needed for him to go undercover. However, he believed that he would be able to do it. “Have you done this before? he was curious to know it, perhaps she could instruct him how to properly act during this type of mission.

Once outside the ship, Pêro was welcomed by the vision of extreme poverty that existed in the place where they had landed. It reminded him of the slums from his homeworld, with people dressed in rags and dilapidated buildings that could crumble at any moment. There was even sewage spilling on the streets.

“Yes, I feel something.” it was as if the Force was trying to warn him, but he didn’t know why. Looking around them, the Knight saw nothing that could be a danger for them, there were only the poor people trying to survive on this place. In other occasions, Pêro would say that it was his paranoia. However, if Zathria also felt it, he wasn't sure if it was something of his mind. “We need to be careful.”

@Phoenix

 

[Zathria]

They're not my specialty, but I did it at Sullust, she said. These days it was getting more and more common for Jedi to learn how to infiltrate areas so that they could attack weakened Sith locations. The same principle worked on Zygerria.

The confirmation that he sensed something wrong as well was unsettling.

For the moment, she simply continued onward, keeping her eyes open and keeping toward the backalleys as they made their way to the port. It wasn't long before it came into view.

The loading area was a large area below them where cargo containers were being loaded onto the ship. She could only assume they were all filled with people. They had a good vantage point, but that was only half the battle at the moment. They still had to get down there and onboard.

@LouJoVi

 

[Pêro Erval]

Pêro only nodded when Zathria answered his question. Sullust had been under the control of the Sith, so she probably participated in its liberation. With their Empire spreading, the Jedi needed to act in several different ways in their mission to stop the Dark siders from making the Galaxy fall under their power. Infiltrations like this one would be more necessary in the future.

While they walked toward the port, Pêro would pay close attention to their surroundings. At any moment, they could be ambushed by a group of Zygerrians jumping from the shadows of one of these alleys. He still had this feeling of wrongness coming through the Force and he wasn’t going to ignore it. Since he was a Padawan, the G’weneen learned that the Force was the greatest ally of a Jedi and a warning coming from it should never be ignored.

After walking for some time, the two arrived at the spaceport. While they were hiding from the view, Pêro saw the slavers moving several containers inside the transport. It was the same type of container that merchants used to transport organic products. Any one that saw it, could think that inside only had some type of vegetable or livestock, nothing terrible.

However, the G’weneen was certain that the slaves were inside these containers. Who knows how many sentient beings were piled inside these things. He felt sick thinking about what was happening with these innocent people. Most of the containers were already moved inside the transport and it would be gone soon. They needed to free the people immediately!

“We need to find a way to approach it without them noticing.” Pêro whispered to Zathria. At the port, he could see some Zygerrians carrying blasters. The Knight had seen seven of them, but probably could have more. There were also some empty containers scattered on the place “Do you have any idea?”

@Phoenix

 

[Zathria]

Zathria surveyed their environment, trying to find a way to board the ship without being noticed. I think we should take it while it's in flight. Maybe even in hyperspace, she said.

That way they can't call for reinforcements and risk us being overrun, she said. It seemed like it would be easier to take down a ship's crew than an entire planet.

Her eyes finally settled on a possibility, and she pointed up.

That crane's loading cargo. It'd be a hard climb, but we could get up there and use it to climb aboard and into the cargo hold, she suggested before pushing herself up and making her way in the direction.

The crane was controlled by a droid, and droids seldom seemed to care about what anyone else was doing unless they were security droids.

She pointed over toward a ladder that led part way up, but the rest of the climb they would have to make along the outside of the crane... on the far side of the ship so that no one would see them.

@LouJoVi

 

[Pêro Erval]

Pêro nodded in agreement. If they acted now, these guards would move against them.Taking the ship while it was flying would also avoid having all the Zygerrian slavers of this planet coming after them. He wasn’t afraid of fighting against these foes, but such fights could hurt the people that were inside the containers.

Zathria’s idea about the crane was good. The droid controlling it would not mind their presence, being busy fulfilling its programming. They could easily use the Force to increase the speed of their movements, this way moving without being noticed by the guards. Of course, there was the risk that one of them could still notice the two Jedi, but it was their best option.

Before he could say anything, Pêro saw Zathria move. Not wanting to stay behind, the G’weneen followed her. He moved fast and carefully, in an attempt to not be seen by the guards that were patrolling the place. Soon he would be climbing the crane with the other Jedi.

Nodding, Pêro followed Zathria’s instructions. He climbed the ladder, moving along the outside of the crane. The G’weneen was still apprehensive that they could be seen, but the Zygerrians seemed to be more concerned with the containers, with the guards not thinking that someone could use the crane to enter the ship without being noticed.

After moving on the far side of the ship, the two Jedi would finally reach the cargo hold. Now they would only need to jump inside it and wait for the ship to leave the planet.

@Phoenix

 

[Zathria]

Zathria scrambled up the ladder first and then jumped up to the side of the crane, climbing several more rungs before starting to shimmy along the side. She glanced back, making sure her partner was with her and glad to see he was keeping up.

She took a deep breath in, trying to make sure not to slip, fall, or otherwise botch this move. After only a few more feet, she was over the cargo hold and she glanced down. No one was there and she dropped, pulling the Force to herself to slow her descent and hit the ground softly. She smiled, darting off toward the side of one of the cargo containers and waiting for him to follow.

We need to find a place to hide, she whispered. This was where things got complicated. As if it hadn't been difficult enough already.

She could hear rustling from inside the cargo containers and grimaced, trying not to think about the people locked up inside.

And we need to try to get a crew manifest, she added.

@LouJoVi

 

[Pêro Erval]

Pêro watched Zathria move on the crane until she was over the cargo holder, then she jumped inside it. Now was his time to do it. The G’weneen moved carefully and soon he was in a good position to jump. Like his fellow Jedi, he also used the Force to slow down his descent.

This way, the Zygerrians didn’t hear when his feet connected with the floor of the ship. The cargo hold was full of containers, probably more than a dozen of them. While he moved to where Zathria was, Pêro passed near some of them. He could hear the occasional sound of scratching and muffled murmurs coming from them. It showed that indeed there were slaves inside of it. The Knight felt revolted with how these people were being treated like objects.

Now that they were inside, the two Jedi could prepare for the next part of their mission. Looking around, Pêro tried to find a place that the two of them could use to hide. He noticed that there were some empty containers open in a corner. "Perhaps we could hide inside these." he pointed to the containers. "Even if it's closed, or sabers would easily cut it off."

"If this operation is like any trade business, someone will come here to see if all the products are there." how he hated talking about people this way. However, hate wasn’t the Jedi way. He needed to calm down and not let his anger dominate him, or they would not be able to help these people. "Perhaps we can take this person by surprise and take their manifest."

@Phoenix

 

[Zathria]

Zathria could sense his frustration in the Force and... frankly, she couldn't really fault him for it. This was a disgusting practice and one that the Jedi should have worked to deal with many, many years ago. During the height of the old Order, they had turned a blind eye to countless worlds that still bought and sold people like livestock. She had no real reason for this to be so close to her heart, but for one reason or another it stung her more than one might expect.

Yeah, that's a good idea, she said with a nod, slipping quietly through the cargo hold and trying to block out the thoughts of the people in the containers. As she slipped inside, she was immediately consumed with how dark it was. Despite knowing that it was only the two of them in here, it was unnerving in its own way and she forced herself to take a deep breath to calm down.

A few moments went by before she took a seat, letting her mind open up to the Force and reminding herself she didn't really need to see. And then she decided to occupy her mind with something else.

So how did you come to the Jedi? she asked quietly. It was an odd question given their setting, but she'd prefer to think about something other than their present situation.

@LouJoVi

 

[Pêro Erval]

Pêro followed Zathria toward the empty containers. While he walked, the Knight once again heard the muffled sounds of the slaves, needing all his willpower to not use his lightsaber to free them. For the sake of the mission and for the safety of these people, he needed to wait. Acting prematurely would cause more problems than good.

Once the two Jedi entered one of the containers, the G’weneen noticed how dark and small it was. Pêro could feel that Zathria was uncomfortable being there, and he doesn’t blame her. These things were claustrophobic and staying inside it too long could only be considered a torture. The experience of being inside it, only made the Knight more determined to safe the slaves.

His musings were interrupted by Zathria’s question. “Well, there isn’t much to say. I lived with my mother at the city of Sa-Palus, on G’wenee. There she had a shop where she sold cakes and sweets.” talking about it made him remember about his mother. After his homeworld joined the Sith Empire, he never saw her again. The Knight hoped that she was fine.

“One day, when I was six, a Jedi Knight called Dolreith Chiili appeared at the shop. He was visiting the planet and had stopped there to eat a cake. My mother makes the best cakes in the Galaxy!” Pêro sounded childish saying it, very different from his normal stern personality. It was the effect of talking about his mother. However, what he said was true. The cakes that she made were delicious. Only thinking about it made the G’weneen’s mouth full of water. Perhaps he could make one when they returned to the Temple. Like Noela, he also had some talent for baking. However, his cakes didn't compare to hers.

“When Dolreith was there, I used the Force by accident and stopped a plate from falling. He saw it and later talked with my mother. She agreed to send me to learn how to be a Jedi.” his story isn’t much impressive, but telling it was good to make him forget about the slaves inside the containers. “So, how did you join the Order?” now was his time to ask Zathria the same question.

@Phoenix

 

[Zathria]

Zathria felt the ship shudder beneath them and begin to lift into the atmosphere. The natural gravity of the planet transition to the artificial pull as her body was tethered to the floor by mechanical means. That meant it was almost time.

She listened to his story about how he came to the Jedi, and nodded along, though in the darkness it was virtually imperceptible.

You miss her, she said knowingly, hearing the tone of his voice change. She didn't need to use the Force to be able to tell. Zathria wasn't familiar with the world he was from, but she got the impression it had been some time since he had seen his mother.

I'm from Eshan. I started showing an affinity for the Force when I was a teenager. Here and there I would use its power. Eventually the Jedi showed up... I think my parents called them, but they never actually told me. I went away with them and have stayed with the Jedi ever since, she said.

She had been in contact with her family since coming to the Jedi, but she found the Jedi to be her home now. It gave her a sense of satisfaction and purpose.

We should get moving. We'll need to clear the whole ship. Back to front? she suggested. She'd have preferred front to back so they could take control of the bridge, but given they were already about as far back as they could be, it didn't seem feasible.

@LouJoVi

 

[Pêro Erval]

While the ship moved, showing that it had left the ground, Pêro listened to what Zathria had said about him missing his mother. ”Yes.” the G’weneen never admitted that he missed her before. Until sometime ago, he was still able to maintain contact with her. However, since the Sith conquered his homeworld, he lost any possibility of talking with her.

“While the Order is my family now, I really miss her. My homeworld was conquered by the Sith and I lost any contact with her. I don’t even know if she is still alive.” Zathria would not be able to see him due to the darkness, but if she could the Echani would see that Pêro seemed to be lost in memories of his mother. Sometimes he wanted to take a ship and go in secret to G’wenee, only to see what happened to her.

Pêro listened to Zathria’s story about how she joined the Jedi Order. Her parents' reaction was very different from what his mother did when Knight Chiili asked her permission to go with him. She was very reluctant and nearly didn’t allow him to go. It only happened because he begged her.

He always thought about what would have happened if he stayed in G’wenee. Pêro would probably continue to study to one day go to a University, perhaps gastronomy. Seeing his mother baking everyday, sparked an interest in him about it. Even now, he wasn’t a bad cook. However, now that his homeworld was annexed by the Sith, nothing of that would have happened. He would likely have been conscripted to serve the empire as an Acolyte.

His musings about his mother were interrupted by Zathria saying that they should start moving. “Yes. Going this way, we can take any guard that can be on the ship while we approach the bridge.” the Zygerrians would probably patrolling the corridors now, certifying that no slave escaped. Without the guards, they could easily take control of the bridge.

However, before they could left their hiding place, the two Jedi would be able to hear the sound of heavy boots hitting the floor. Someone had entered the cargo holder and didn't was going to leave. Pêro turned to Zathria, waiting her reaction. If they acted now, the two would need to ba careful to not alert the entire crew of the ship.

@Phoenix