Mon Calamari/Dac

[Durose Roshan]

Roshan kept to himself as he mostly listened from the shadows to the yammering of the younglings. They knew nothing of war or suffering. He had been there. He had watched Coruscant collapse underneath his feet. He had seen the sky of Chandrila turn bright red from the streaking debris of once mighty vessels of war. They would know far too late that what they sought was not glorious at all. There is no glory in war. There was only fighting to survive with your honor and life intact.

 

After the ship landed, Ro helped unload the cargo. He figured it was only logical, although he was liking his half-cocked plan less and less with each passing minute.

 

“Good luck mister Jedi.”

 

“And may the Force guide you along the eternal battlefields of good and evil.”

 

It seemed like something wise that a sage like a Jedi would come up with. Ro had faced a Jedi once. Well, the original Dhonarr had. It was back in his bounty hunting days. Jedi were a fanatical religious cult that believed in doing good. But all his research at the time had led him to believe that the Jedi were more concerned with sounding smart and wise and giving you a fish rather than teaching you how to fish. Chandrila just reaffirmed that for him. They prided themselves on being the flashy centers of attention, but when it came to the less glamorous stuff? Suddenly they were off to the next big battle and were nowhere to be found when their messes needed cleaning up.

 

“We are to escort the supplies to the nearby clinic for dispersal. Will you be joining us?” 

 

“Doesn’t look like I have a choice,” Ro half joked as he boarded the vessel. Mon Cal was a peculiar world and this was an increasingly peculiar situation.

What was wrong with this planet anyway? It seems pretty normal to me. Is this how Jedi take "business trip" vacations? And come to think of it... where is everybody?

 

Ro reflexively ducked for a moment, reaching for his blaster but finding a lightsaber hilt in its place. He cursed silently to himself as he looked up in the same direction as the droids.

“Did they not know that all ships that arrive are quarantined for 14 standard days?”

 

“Woah, woah, woah. What quarantine?”

 

“I was under the assumption you had warned them.”

 

“Warned them about what?”

 

“I did not. It was not in my directives.”

 

“Preserving humanoid life isn’t part of your directives?! What sort of droid are you?!”

 

“The planetary patrols surely warned them. What fools those Jedi are. “

 

“Listen here you homicidal tin can--”

 

”We have arrived, Jedi. We will assist in offloading your supplies from the bus. We have other shipments to wait for.”

 

“Thanks. But I think I’ll take my chances. Where do these go?” the Former Watcher of the Link replied curtly as he grabbed two large boxes and began to carry them inside.

 

He was rather frazzled. As if the self-righteous Jedi weren’t enough of a problem, it seemed that he had been taken to a neo-Trade Federation world where they shoot Jedi ships out of the sky after asking for their help. This whole thing reeked of a trap. And while he maybe couldn’t totally blame someone for wanting to take shots at the Jedi, this was far beyond anything that he had in mind. And worse yet, he likely now had a target on his back as well.

 

Casually entering the building, Ro was, nevertheless, confident in his gameplan. If there was any advantage to be had in regards to the length of his trip from Nar Shadda to Mon Cal, it was that it had given him plenty of time to think. He was anxious to see who he’d meet first and improvise from there.

 

He goes nothing. Rose, wish me luck.

 

___

[Durose Roshan]

As the funny looking fish-like creature entered the back loading dock, Ro opened his mouth to speak. He was relieved to find someone that wasn’t a droid and looked like she was in charge. In fact, he had good reason to believe she was, in fact, a Jedi. Her attire and demeanor seemed to say as much. Perhaps things were looking up. That is, until her reaction. The two locked eyes for only a moment as she breezed by him. Ro spun and stood there, still holding the crates of supplies under his arms.

 

Unbelievable.

 

Ro shook his head. Even the Jedi on this planet were rude. Walking a few more steps forward, the former Watcher set down the two large boxes near the room's far wall and headed back towards the loading bay doors. He would have a word with this rude Jedi.

 

Ro grumbled to himself as he thought of his next set of actions. He would need to be smart about this for multiple reasons. So much was wrong. It didn’t take Jedi superpowers to realize that. They needed a plan. Moving back towards the door, a sudden burst of pain and terror knocked the hulking Cathar to his knees and left him dazed for a moment. 

 

What in the...

 

Slowly rising to his feet, Ro stumbled to the door only to have the Mon Calamari Jedi burst through it, almost knocking him over in the process.

 

“Have you lost your min--" 

 

"....Wooo!”

 

Ro could feel the force empowering Leena as she yanked him towards her as if they were comparable in size or strength.

 

Classic Jedi trick. If her plan was to show off I am only mildly impressed.

 

...a Neimodian with a blindfold. Get him. Take him out back. Do it now.”

 

He caught most of the important parts of what she said. At least, he thought he had. His head was still throbbing.

 

“Listen here, Master Jedi fish-face. I don’t--”

 

She was already gone. Normally, Ro was a fairly calm person. But the last few minutes had left him increasingly unhinged. He grabbed at the lightsaber from his belt. The next person who messed with him would be a fool if they didn’t think he knew how to use it. He had had quite a bit of time to practice since he initially discovered it in the dead Mon Cal’s belongings. His Echani arts and techniques actually complimented it quite well. The weight of the lightsaber, of course, was deceptive. There was an imbalance to the weapon that he couldn’t quite describe. It was enough to make it unwieldy for even the most expert martial artist. That didn’t mean it was impossible to use for someone like him. It was just sub-optimal. Of course, as long as he wasn’t fighting a melee weapons specialist, his deficiencies with the weapon wouldn’t have much effect on his overall ability to maim or kill someone. Still, it left him with the rather distinct feeling that this imbalance was, in fact, intentional and that force users were able to overcome it by means of their fancy “space magic” aka the manipulation of the Life Force. He was definitely eager to explore his hypothesis further.

 

But the blindfold guy. Yes! Right! The Blindfold guy.

 

He had no idea what way to go or where to find such a random person but Ro figured that the alien would be hard to miss from the general description Leena gave. Heading in the direction that he saw Jedi go, Ro ignited "his" lightsaber and began walking.

 

The blue glow of the lightsaber contrasted nicely with the red glow of the hallway lights. The hospital was clearly on emergency generators.

 

What were we hit by?! Some sort of newtech EMP?!

 

Ro began to break into a jog as he tried to catch up with the mission orientated Jedi and clarify her instructions. Her scent was distinct as it wafted through the air. He had been distinctly close enough to pick it up from her moments ago. But he could also hear something more insidious. His senses were on full alert as the adrenaline pumped through his system. What began so quiet that he could barely hear it over his breathing grew steadily louder as he turned the corner. He hoped the hissing sound wasn't what he thought it was.

 

A Neimodian with a blindfold. She wasn’t making that up. Now I’ve seen everything.

 

And then came the sound. Ro dropped his lightsaber momentarily as he covered his ears. He hated loud klaxons. They were clearly invented by people who were half deaf or simply had no regard for the hearing of others. All the same, Ro reached down and picking the hilt back up, motioned towards the colorful woman and the Neimodian standing next to her.

 

“Over here! This way! Move to the exit,” He roared over the sound of the alarm. 

 

He cringed at the sound. Putting his lightsaber away, he continued to push forward but he was losing the Mon Cal’s scent. Panicked patients, staff, and family members were now beginning to flood into the halls. Pointing directly at Sara, Ro repeated his instructions as he approached them.

 

“Pretty lady,” because flattery never hurt anybody, “Will you please escort the blindfolded pedestrian to the nearest exit as per the Jedi’s orders. Thank you.”

 

Truth be told, he did really phrase it like a question. It was more of an order. And he wasn’t concerned about whether she followed it or not. He was still looking for the first Jedi.

 

Of course, what he now saw in front of him was a madhouse. Raising his hilt high into the air, he ignited his lightsaber once again. It caught people’s attention for a moment. That was all he needed. His growling voice would do the rest.

 

“Everyone,” he bellowed, “Please follow the red looking lady to the nearest exit immediately! No one tramper her or you will never make it out and you all will die! Orderly fashion and respectful distance and she will protect you and lead you to safety!”

 

He was making this up as he went. The Jedi wanted him to get the Neimodian out of there. With her leading the way and them staying at a respectful distance, there was a good chance that the red lady and the blind guy wouldn’t be trampled as they stumbled along and led everyone else to the exit.

 

Only not everyone would make it at this point. It simply wouldn’t be enough. There were still those bound to their beds being left behind.

 

He looked around himself in the chaos. A young woman of fishy complexion came scurrying towards him in a panic.

 

“Jedi! Jedi! Please help! I’ve lost my son! I’ve lost my son! Please help!”

 

She tugged at his robes. This was Coruscant and Chandrilla all over again. His glanced stopped firmly on the female as the klaxons and streaming of people continued. Her large, goggle-like eyes continued to plead with him. They were a funny looking species with their high-domed heads and webbed hands, but Ro know that they could feel the same sense of loss, fear, and pain that any other sentient species could. Of course, the brilliance of her white pigment made her especially beautiful for a Mon Calamari. And her light complexion matched that of child he had seen getting bounced around in the panic only moments before.

 

“Was your son about yay big and yay tall and with the same white skin,” Ro yelled back as he motioned the proportions with his hands.

 

The Mon Cal female nodded back, crying so hard at this point that she was unable to speak. He was sure he had just seen the kid. Pushing through the crowd, he pressed on deeper into the building. As the building began to power back on, Ro feared that he was running out of time. And right about the time he found the boy huddling in a corner crying, the shake beneath his feet confirmed that his fears were accurate.

 

The first explosion shook the ground only slightly but the following series of cascading explosions soon began to consume the building. He didn’t have much time. Dragging the two into a nearby room, he throw the door shut and looked around. There was a tray of heavy monitoring equipment setting next to one of the beds. Grabbing it, he made a running start towards the nearby window and hurled it with all his might. The equipment cracked the window before thudding on the ground.

 

“Screw it.”

 

The rumbling was rapidly approaching now. Powering on his lightsaber, Ro wildly slashed at the window, destroying the glass in the process. He looked out the window as he yelled for them to come to him.

 

“Come here! Hurry!”

 

It looked like they were at least a story, maybe two stories up. There wasn’t time to judge this fall. His hair was standing on end. He could almost sense the flames coming. Scooping up the woman and the child, he squeezed them tightly and leapt out of the window, just in time to see the flames explode through the hospital room door. He could feel the flames' hot, prickly tickle as the fire leapt out the window after them and shoved him even farther from the building.

 

It wasn’t the falling that bothered him. It was the landing. He shifted his body so that he could protect the woman and her child as best he could. But that meant he would take the brunt of it. He wasn’t looking forward to that part but at least he didn’t have to wait long.

 

The next thing he knew, Ro awoke with people standing around him. He was a little bruised and bloodied but he had survived. He looked for the Mon Cal and her child.

 

“The female and her child?” he asked in a half-delirious panic.

 

“They made it thanks to you,” one of the onlookers replied as he helped tend to the others that escaped. “You are one crazy dude, Catman. I’ll give you that.”

 

Ro laughed but abruptly stopped when he felt a shooting pain in his side. He winced. Dragging himself to his feet, he began to survey the crowd.

 

“Has anyone seen a Mon Calamari Jedi? Does anyone know if she made it out alive?”

 

“Yeah. I seen her! Saved a bunch of people, too. I think she went that way,” one of the bystanders replied as he pointed in the direction of a set of warehouses a few blocks away.

 

“Thank you,” Ro replied as the man from before rushed up to him.

 

“Whoa there, buddy. You really shouldn’t be moving around after a stunt like that.”

 

“Don’t worry about me, sir. I’m a Jedi,” Ro replied as he faked a smile as best he could.

 

The truth was that outside of his size and bulk, all Cathar had rapid healing abilities and wounds that might take others out were not nearly as detrimental to a Cathar. This didn’t mean they were invincible or devoid of pain receptors, however, or that he preferred not landing on his feet. But Ro had an increasingly bad habit of relying on his healing factor in emergency situations. In fact, it was beginning to almost feel like it had become a form of self-punishment. He couldn’t afford to think of that now, though.

 

Holding his side, he hunched over as he hobbled towards the warehouse. Thinking to himself, he laughed a little bit and pain shot out from his chest.

 

That sounds like something Rose would do. Running around impulsively, jumping out of windows, not sticking to the plan. Maybe she’s rubbing off on me after all. Thanks for being my guardian angel.

 

He entered the first building that he thought he could hear people. Or maybe he sensed them. Or may it was that Neimodian’s peculiar scent that had lend him here. It was hard to know anything for sure at this point with his head still ringing. All that mattered to him right now was finding safety and a spot to lie down.

 

Oh. And that Jedi. I need to speak with that Jedi.

 

Entering the building from the side, Ro could see that this building was some sort of makeshift housing location. He imagined it was probably for the sick. But he could care less. He just wanted to find the Jedi. If she wasn’t here, he’d keep looking until he found her. 

 

And that’s when he saw her. Nestled between two full cots, Leena stood beside a strange droid with the Neimodian and Sara not far in front of her. Ro grinned to himself contently.

 

You can’t get rid of me that easily, Jedi.

Straightening up in spite of the pain, he held his breath as he walked forward as casually as possible towards the group. He was happy to see that the others had managed to survive as well.

 

There might be hope for them after all.

 

___

Edited April 7, 2020 by Durose Roshan

[Durose Roshan]

Ro glared at the figure in a flight suit that seemed intent on brandishing his weapon and making threats. What exactly he was or what his involvement in all this was remained a mystery to Ro, but it seemed that his companion had gotten in his way at any rate. 

 

Taking advantage of this momentary respite, the Cathar moved to approach the Mon Calamari Jedi but when he looked back she was gone. He was slowly losing his patience with this situation and the pain wasn’t doing his temper any favors.

 

Then out of the corner of his year, he saw it.

 

UN-CRINKING-BELIEVABLE.
 

Angrily removing his robe and tossing it’s dead weight aside, Ro pushed through the crowd.

 

“She is right, master Jedi. These people need our help. Taste the fear here. Put your weapon away so we can go back to helping right the wrongs here.”

 

More droning and juvenile posturing. He had it with these Jedi. Bullying his way through the people there like a bull in a china shop, Ro finally interrupted their “party” with reckless abandon. If this was going to be a lightsaber measuring contest, he liked his odds.

 

Igniting his lightsaber and moving between Leena and Mjan, the oversized Cathar growled.

 

“I don’t know what Jedi reject camp the lot of you morons came from, but we got bigger fish to fry right now! If you want a fight to see who is more regally stupid then let’s get that over with now. Because last I checked, they shot a Jedi vessel full of younglings out of the sky, have their droids joking about it on the way here, a hospital full of Jedi conveniently just blows up, and they are supposedly the ones who called us all here in the first place! Any of you nitwits ever heard of a T-R-A-P. Sorry. Let me spell it out for you. TRAP!”

 

Ro took a breath. That adrenaline felt good. At least the pain was good for something. He had wanted to make this a private conversation but the continued incompetence around him had forced his hand. He was nothing if not a survivor and he’d seen enough incompetence kill people to last him a lifetime. He still had no idea what plague they were actually supposed to be dealing with at this point but he’d just as well assume that was a farce, too. The sooner these naive children stopped bicker and realized their situation, the better.

 

It seemed that recent events had collected quite the band of questionable characters in one place and Ro wasn't planning on being caught with his pants down. Of course, the addition of more suspicious droids made him even more leery. They needed a plan and he could only hope that this Mon Calamari and Tote’ma-Staff were more rational than they were overly authoritative and semi-suicidal. It might have been a lot to ask from a Jedi, but at least the little Nautolan girl seemed at least decently reasonable. Perhaps their common sense was directly proportional to their lack in physical size.

___

[Durose Roshan]

As the three "Jedi" stood facing each other in a silent stand-off, the tension was palpable. A RHTC-560 Hunter Trainer was trying to talk them down. It clearly couldn't be trusted. It made Ro even more suspicious as to which of these "Jedi" had the droid on their "payroll." And then the blindfolded alien spoke. There was a common theme. 

 

Why do they keep talking about more authorities. Why would authorities detour to a random warehouse when there is a exploded hospital to deal with? Unless the Mon Calamari "Jedi" and her team of hitmen are behind the explosion in the first place!

He would be a fool to trust anyone here. But it was still wise to keep his enemies close until he knew who was the biggest threat. It would not be surprising if the Jedi had been infiltrated by the Sith for all he knew or cared. The alien behind the mask looked more like a monster when he removed it. Perhaps that's why he thought maintaining order was threatening people he had no jurisdiction over. But the man was right. This wasn't a lightsaber measuring contest. This was a battle of Jedi hubris. 

"You are no better! You think this is a trap, and yet you draw your weapon and try to goad us to a fight! What good would that accomplish? We'd simply have even more dead Jedi. Not to mention the scores that still need our help, trap or no!"

Ro's thoughts were momentarily detoured by the little Nautolan. She made him smile as he postured a bit more defensively. She was the only genuine person he'd ran across yet. Allowing the red skinned Mr. Tote'ma-Staff to finish with his temper tantrum, Ro began to back away in the direction of the Nautolan Jedi. She seemed like the only trustworthy person here. There were "Jedi" running around covertly like Sith and hiding their friends in the rafters, Jedi blowing up hospitals to make themselves look heroic, Jedi waving around their weapons like this was the Clone Wars. Only he and this small alien female had the balls to stand up to them and think about the refugees all around them.

Ro continued to back away towards the Nautolan (@Nia Doarr). He spoke over his shoulder, keeping his lightsaber raised in case the Mon Cal (@Leena) or Mr. Tote'um (@Mjan) decided to send in their goons.

"Little Jedi, you will have to excuse me as we do not have a proper introduction. But you are wrong. The good it accomplished was protecting you if necessary. We are surrounded by evil. And the Jedi have long fallen from their ways of protecting people. I saw it first hand on Chandrilla. They... we... left thousands upon thousands to fend for themselves and die after we repelled the initial Mandalorian assault. Coruscant was little different."

Ro cringed as it hurt his soul to say "we". That was one lie he was proud was not actually true. He was not the one who sentenced countless refugees to death. But in a way, he was still party to their sins by his own inaction. He was helpless to save them just like he was helpless to save Rose. The Jedi had left him fighting a losing battle and he had suffered greatly because of it.

"I know you want to save people, but we are not safe here. We need to leave and make a plan and reassess who we can trust. And away from a place where more lives are put directly in the line of fire by Jedi hubris or arrogance. We have to think big picture now..."

Having backed far enough a way from the confrontation and towards the girl, Ro turned off his blue bladed lightsaber and offered it to the Nautolan. It was dangerous turning take his eyes off of the enemies at his gates but it was a risk he'd have to take. 

 

Looking her dead in the eyes, there was tiredness in his expression, "If you don't trust me, take my lightsaber. But they, whoever they is, shot my younglings out of the sky even though I was the only one who set foot on the planet. We are no safe here. And the sooner you realize I'm trying to save the actual Jedi worth saving, the better. I could careless if the violent and unworthy want to cull themselves from our ranks."

____

Edited April 12, 2020 by Durose Roshan

[Durose Roshan]

The girl was impulsive and perhaps a little foolish, but her heart seemed to be in the right place. Ro smirked a little to himself as he headed to leave the warehouse.

 

This reminds me a little of myself... maybe even Rose if she was raised by parents who loved her and taught her what was right...

Calmly following Nia out of the warehouse, Ro stood there for a moment as she attempted to assist others in need. He allowed her to engage in a few moments of futility. She seemed to need the distraction. He wasn’t sure what the fallout was between her and her red friend was something that had been brewing for a while or was a sudden spark of emotions or if it was even truly him that she was mad at. All the same, it seemed like she could use a little space.

 

He respected that she cared. She was the only one attempting to de-escalate things when her companion had tried to start trouble. As far as the former Watcher knew, she wasn’t necessarily dressed like a traditional Jedi. Still, from how she had said Ro believed that she was, indeed, part of the Order and quite possibly the only one here acting like a Jedi should. Her ideals might have seemed naive but wasn't that the point. The Jedi were supposed to be symbols that people aspired to, even if those ideals were impossible to perfectly fulfill.

 

What's the point of being cynical "super heroes"? How would that make the world, any world, a better place?

 

Finally stepping in front of her, Ro finally opened his mouth to speak. He was no longer carrying himself as if he was unhurt. His body was slumped forward and his expression was one of weariness. The blood on the fur of his face and the smokey odor that swirled around him bared silent witness to the horrors he had endured in his short time on this planet. And he was confident those horrors were only the first of many if he did not choose his next steps and allies wisely.

 

“You are right, Jedi," he began with a sigh. "You want to help these people and that is the right idea. That is what Jedi are supposed to do. I would never condemn you for that. You might be angry at your companions. You might be angry at me. But you were in danger as far as I was concerned. If you want to lump me in with the others then so be it. This day has been weirder than most. But what I said stands.

 

Now outside, Ro points to the sky with one arm and holds his side with the other. Outstretching his arm forces him to wince a bit more than he expected.

 

"I just watched younglings get shot out of the sky. And then I lept from a two story building holding a woman and child in order to save them from an exploding hospital! Nothing about this planet has seemed right from the moment I arrived!”

 

Ro grimaced a little remembering the impact of his fall and still feeling the throbbing pain of his ribs. He let out another sigh as he lowers his arms, head, and eyes in an expression of near defeat.

 

“I don’t say this to brag. I know you want to help people, too, and maybe even be seen like I’m sure your father was," he began with his eyes staring down at the pavement.

But now raising them, the injured Cathar stared into Nia's globular black eyes as he continued, "But we can’t do any of those things if we are dead. And if we waste our efforts treating people and not the cause then more could die in spite of our best intentions.”

 

Stepping aside, Ro had said his piece. She was free to take it or leave it. Giving her a little space, he looked for a clear spot to sit down.

 

“You are your own person, Jedi. If you need to do whatever it is that you need to do... so be it. But when you are ready to try and do some real good to help the most people, I’ll be here,” Ro finished as he sat down on the ground to center himself a little and push the pain out of his mind once again.

 

___

[Durose Roshan]

At this point, Ro was thoroughly confused. A random twi’lek woman had just slapped him. In fact, from the looks of it she had hurt her hand a little, too, doing just to do it.

 

Did she really just slap me?! What did I do? Who is she?!

 

Interestingly enough, it wasn’t often that someone managed to slap him. It was one of the random perks of to being unnaturally tall, even for a Cathar. Of course, there were also a lot of downsides like standing out in a crowd or buildings and cockpits clearly being sized with Bothans in mind instead of tall people. And then there was finding proper clothing and armor. He was short for a wookiee but too tall to be a stormtrooper. It was an awkward height to be, honestly, when he wasn’t trying to scare or intimidate people. 

 

So sure. He was clearly slappable in that moment. But why him and not a plethora of other buffoons present? Perhaps he had bumped into her in the crowd? She sure seemed to know Nia. 

 

Maybe she is with that devilish looking alien man?

 

In all honesty, he only had himself to blame for even being slappable. Had he not decided to sit down and meditate for a moment, it was doubtful she would or could have even attempted it. Still in a bit of shock, though, he made no attempt to unfold his legs or move from where he sat. But the violent little twi’lek had his attention now, at least once the shock of her actions started to all subsided.

 

She was on some sort of tirade when she it seemed that she accidentally let slip out that the devilish, "Mr. Tote’ma-Staff" was, in fact, a Sith. This was a shocking revelation, indeed. Probably something she would have been wise not to admit around a bunch of scared refugees, much less “two” Jedi.

 

Has the Nautolan really been serving under this man this long and not realized he was a Sith?! It would explain the lack of Jedi robes perhaps.

 

Ro was so caught up in the implications of all this that he was no longer really listening to the Twi'lek as she spoke.

 

“...outcasts, traitors in hiding...different outlook of the Force... Mjan is a traitor in their eyes...”

 

Ah! So that is Tote’s name? Mjan! And it would make sense, I suppose. Being a traitor if he was a Jedi and joined the Sith? Okay. But then why keep a Jedi as an ally or apprentice or whatever she is to him?! None of this makes any sense.

 

Of course, Rose's lecture was far from over. Paying better attention, Ro caught most of the rest of what she was saying over the din of the crowd. 

"But he's still Sith, Nia. He fights to control his nature everyday, a nature that has darkened the hearts of his ancestors for thousands of millennia. And he's a soldier, torn between duties between his heart as a Jedi and his mind as a Lieutenant as well as his attachment to you, his Padawan. Nothing is ever black and white, and even the greatest of Jedi's had their struggles, especially during times of war."

 

This was making even less sense all the time. Was he a Sith that had duties to the Jedi because he was a Lieutenant in the Alliance military? Was that even possible? Ro shook his head in confusion as he started to get to his feet. He knew it wasn’t probably his place to speak as he was technically eavesdropping. But he couldn’t resist.

 

Moving towards them, he interrupted, “Excuse me, Miss...”

 

And then came an unnatural rumbling, followed by panicked screams and the eruptions of manholes, sewer lines, and hydrants of all sorts. Water sprayed everywhere as Ro spotted a manhole cover wildly twirling in the direction of the two women. Breaking into a full sprint, Ro managed to just barely shove the two ladies out of the way as the coin-shaped cover. Spiraling like a flipped coin, the cover violently collided with the backside of Ro’s left shoulder and back. It was an intentional choice, of course, for Ro to use his good shoulder to absorb the blow. He figured it would be much less painful than using the side he had already landed on some time earlier. 

 

The moment the manhole hit him, however, Ro realized just how much he had miscalculated the object itself. Yes, his body did successfully absorb the manhole's momentum and ricochet it away from the ladies and others in the crowd. But the speed in which the manhole had sailed through the air made it look much lighter than it actually was.

 

Rocked by the impact, Ro was plowed head first into the ground and sent into a momentary tumble. A sharp, radiating pain exploded up from his upper back as if he had been hit squarely in the shoulder by a bolt of lightning! But before he could fully register the extent of the damage, Ro’s eruption of agony was abruptly followed by numbness throughout his extremities.

Face down, he tried to prop himself up with his arms but he couldn’t move them. In fact, he could barely feel anything outside of his physical form, currently gasping for breath. But he was not completely alone. There was also a familiar, encroaching darkness beginning to suffocate what was left of him. 

 

It was that rising feeling. The same panicked feeling that washed over him on Chandrilla. He couldn’t breath. He couldn’t move. All sound around him had dropped to little more than a hushed buzz.

Am I even still conscious?

 

Truth be told, Ro had been practicing breathing techniques to control his anxiety ever since Chandrilla, especially after losing Rose Cariadus. She had promised him that he was not alone. But she had recklessly gotten herself killed and abandoned him. He was trying to do this without her, but look where that had gotten him. Everyone had left him. Durose, Victoria, Rose. Even the Jedi who were supposed to be Chandrilla’s saviors. He had been on his own for so long. This was nothing new.

 

Now, he was on his own once more. Ro could feel the writhing of his body, the body’s natural gasping and gagging reflex try to desperately keep him alive. But no air was coming. 

 

Instead, Ro finally felt a moment of peace in the silence. Honestly, he could best describe it as no longer being inside his own body. Like he was floating high above the warehouse and the city, watching as the little "ants" ran and screamed and panicked, showered with puddles of foaming liquid as they slipped and fell and squirmed and wriggled. He may have failed his mission. But now he could finally leave. It could finally be over. His suffering was at the end.

 

But as he floated higher and higher above it all, a familiar voice suddenly whispered into his ear, “Wake up...”

Hit by a sudden rush of adrenaline, Ro felt as if he was literally freefalling. Without warning, his consciousness came crashing back into his physical body with an agonizing burst of pain. Then, his lungs finally filled with air and his eyes instantaneously popped open. 

 

Ro silently cursed his genes. They just wouldn’t let him die. Not yet, anyway. He wouldn’t get off the hook that easily.

 

___

Edited April 17, 2020 by Durose Roshan

[Durose Roshan]

"...Now, if you wish to join me I will not turn you away, but you must promise not to harm or to threaten anyone else."

 

Her words echoed in his head as the former Watcher of the Link looked up to see the small Nautolan standing over him, the warming touch of her hands steadily dulling some of his pain. He could tell his body was healing but he was not the one responsible. 
 

“Thank you,” was all he could manage to muster at first.

Then rising a little, he added, “If you will have me, I promise I will not harm you. But we must--”

His next words were cut off as sniper fire began raining down on the crowd of off-world refugees. As if things weren't bad enough, now they were being shot at!

I swear I am going to murder each and every Quarren on this planet!!!

Struggling to get to his feet, Ro’s chest burned and strung and certain movements stabbed him with sharp pains but at least his legs were still usable. Hunched over from the pain, it also gave him the added bonus of being a smaller target than if he had been standing upright.
 

Way to look on the bright side, buddy!

In the midst of the frenzied hysteria that was beginning to rapidly reach a crescendo, Ro heard the Twi’lek bark out orders, “There is no time. Run Nia. Now!”

He could feel her doing something to his backside as she spoke but he was in too much pain to look behind himself and see what she had done. For a split second, Ro tried to point out the uncovered manhole. If they hurried, perhaps their small party and some of the off-world survivors might be able to make it down into the tunnels before these government assassins murdered everyone. But before he could say anything, Nia and Rose were already off to the races and waving for him to join.

 

Kark.

 

Pushing through the screaming masses was painful but he was aided by the renewed adrenaline that surged through his body as helpless civilians were dropped by sniper fire right and left. 

Nothing like murder, death, and impending doom to get the blood flowing!

But even with his head still ringing, Ro had the sneaky suspicion that he was somehow missing something. He could see it in Rose’s eyes as she looked back and fired off her rounds at the local “law enforcement.” It was as if she wasn’t actually looking towards the snipers. It was more like she was looking up to the sky instead for some reason.

As he pushed himself to catch up and avoid the weapon fire coming his way, Rose frantically motioned for him to run even faster. Still a little bit groggy, he begrudgingly complied, showing off a little as he managed to pass Rose. Now in the middle of the pack, Nia remained in the lead while Rose attempted to provide the group with cover fire.

As they neared the edge of the third block, Ro could feel the exhaustion setting in. It hurt so much to breathe. He was doing his best to control his breathing but dashing through the crowd and over any obstacles or dead bodies that were lying in their way made it almost impossible to do. 

Where are we even going?! How much further! Why don’t we just take cover behind one of these nearby buildings and regroup!!!

But even as he tried to figure out what their next move could be, Ro suddenly witnessed a flash of light dance across Nia’s moist skin followed abruptly by a deafening roar. Eyes wide, Ro looked back.

Karking Kark.

An explosive wall of fire mowed down the terrified survivors like they were overgrown blades of grass. Ro’s life flashed before his eyes. His conversations with Durose when he was brought into his world. His first day at the Link Headquarters. Meeting Victoria for the first time. Fighting that tenacious little blue-haired Mandalorian while Coruscant burned around them. Singing to Rose as she died in his arms.

As he watched the flames streak towards him, his pace began to falter. He missed her. Maybe he even loved her. He didn’t know. He was never given the chance. He would never get the chance.

 

If she was here... if she was here... we could have... we could have taken on the world together! Force Drukit, Rose! Force Drukit!

His eyes began to tear up. He wondered if it should have been him that had returned the helmet. Perhaps this was his punishment for all his sins and failings and transgressions.

He could feel the Twi’lek mercenary pushing at him to move faster as the flames consumed everything in their view. He moved his body to shelter Nia from the impact, hoping that at least one of them would make it. He closed his eyes.

Death, however, refused to grant him his rest. Like a fickle mistress, she had cheated on him once again with someone else. While the wall of fire tickled the edges of his borrowed energy shield, that was the farthest it came before promptly collapsing in on itself and leaving a leveled, acid-scorched wasteland in its wake.

 

Behind him, the others that had also managed to outrun the explosion were yelling and barking at one another. Many were still running. Others were catching their breath. Some had even collapsed on the ground from exhaustion. Leaving Nia for a moment, Ro ran back towards Rose.

 

As she dropped to her knees with an almost unintentionally eerie smile and then fell forward, Ro slid to his knees and caught her. She wasn’t a very heavy woman but the impact made him grimace for a second. Her back felt like hot coals and stung to even touch. Instead of initially trying to move her, he just froze in that position, allowing her body to rest against his chest. He tried to think of something to sing to her. But he couldn’t do this again. Tears rolled down his cheeks as his voice let out little more than a dry croak. There were no more songs left for the dead here. What had happened was no less than mass murder. 

 

Someone will pay for this. Someone must pay for this!

 

Ro couldn’t bring himself to look upon the twi’lek’s actual burns. Truth be told, as long as these burns weren’t too deep and she hadn’t been filled with shrapnel, it was possible to survive an explosion like that. Sure, she might have lost feeling or consciousness. But even if she had third-degree burns on 75% of her body, she still stood a 50-50 chance of survival if she could receive care in time. If he could find some bacta or a Jedi healer, her odds might even be much better than that. What Ro wouldn’t give to have that power right now.

 

3...2...1...

 

Ro wrapped his arms around the body, her backside searing into his fur and flesh, her weight pressing against his lungs and chest.

 

“Arraaahhh!”

 

He couldn’t help but shriek a little as he lifted the two of them off the ground. It wasn’t a shriek of pain. It was more of intense frustration and anger. Pressing his hands against her backside, he yelped a little as he re-positioned her over his right shoulder.

He was in so much pain between his previous injuries, the searing heat from her burnt flesh, and the compression of his chest from her added body weight that the blazing anger swelling within his heart was the only thing keeping him upright. He simply refused to allow anything else to matter to him in those moments. 

Looking back, he didn’t see Nia. Ro felt a sudden rush of panic.

Maybe she had headed to safety? Or did the fire get her? No. No! I was there. She had. She must.

Ro’s breathing was labored. The pain was making it hard to think. He could worry about Nia later. This Twi’lek woman was his priority. He owed her that much for saving his life. He began walking back towards the devastation. He needed to cool her down. There was water wherever those manholes led. It was their only hope. He just needed to push a few steps further.

Just a few steps more. I can see it. An opening in the ground. Must. Just a few.
 

Reaching for the comm unit still attached to her person, Ro put it to his mouth as he spoke with labored breaths, “Bombs--Explosion--I’m--going--to--take--your--friend--to--the--sewers--need--medical--please...”

 

Between his ribs and the swelling and the Twi’lek’s body weight, Ro was starting to become increasingly dizzy. He blinked hard as the ground in front of him behind to blur and wobble. But he was there. He had made it to a nearby opening. There was still a chance. 

 

Dropping the twi’lek down into the water below, there was a splash followed by an ominous sizzle. At the very least, the water would help cool her body down and maybe buy them a few minutes. He could speak to whether she’d manage to keep both lekku but perhaps she was lucky enough to have them absorb a lot of the impact. He still couldn’t bring himself to visually inspect the damage. It didn’t really matter if they didn’t find a healer or bacta soon. If she was still alive, by now every system in her body was undoubtedly freaking out. Her metabolism had surely gone haywire and accelerated, her immune system was probably undergoing changes, and her cardiovascular system was about to falter. And then there was the catastrophic loss of fluid through the burned area by evaporation and through leakage from damaged capillaries.

 

She was on borrowed time if she wasn’t dead already. Of course, Ro wasn’t in much better shape. His body was screaming at him to rest so he could finally heal a little. Dropping down into the sewer tunnel himself, he wade over to the alien woman and pulled her tight to his chest again, this time pressing the burnt part of her body against his. She was much cooler now. At least that was something. Moving a little further down the tunnel, Ro soon found himself in darkness. He fiddled with the comm unit. He hit what he thought might be a locator for Mjan to track their location. But he was too tired to know for sure anymore.

 

Moving along the tunnel wall until he felt the railing of what he believed to be a ladder, Ro removed his belt and used it to tie the twi’lek’s arms in the air above her. With her secure, he leaned her head backwards and let it rest in the water. With his cat-like senses, he wasn’t completely blind in the dark but he still felt around her face to make sure that it wouldn’t sink beneath the water with how he had set it. Satisfied, Ro slumped against the adjacent wall.

 

All he could think about was sleep. He had to sleep. He needed to sleep. And right as he began to drift off to sleep, the funniest thing hit him. He had done all this work but in his entire time, he had been so focused on himself and his pain and just getting them out of there that he had never checked to see if she was breathing.

 

Huh.

___

Edited April 25, 2020 by Durose Roshan

[Durose Roshan]

Ro jolted awake to the sounds of explosions and blaster fire coming from above. He was uncertain how long he had passed out. But he could now hear the sounds of deprave Quarren fascists squealing like lecherous pigs in their native tongue. They were close. Slowly getting back to his feet, Ro approached Rose’s body. He was unsure how long he had been out but he felt notably better moving around. He was in no way close to 100%. But it was nice to feel a little better after all he had been through recently. At least, minus the headache he was getting from the smell of fish urine and feces that flowed through these tunnels.

 

Feeling for the twi’lek’s pulse, the former Watcher’s fears were quickly confirmed. There was no pulse. All his efforts had been for naught. In fact, she was probably already dead before he even dropped her down into the “safety” of this muck and mire.

 

Ro could feel his anger boiling over. On Coruscant, he had blamed the Alliance and Jedi for not being there to save everyone. On Chandrilla, he blamed the Jedi for only doing a half-baked job and leaving the refugees to fend for themselves. But on Mon Cal, it was the local authorities that were the true villains. Perhaps it was fitting that this was an Alliance planet. A theme was quickly developing.

 

Rummaging around Rose’s corpse, Ro found a few grenades strapped to the front side of her belt (fortuitous or she might have blown herself and those around her to bits during the bombing explosion). There was also the blaster pistol she had reholstered on her hip before shove Ro and Nia out of danger and the blaster rifle that had partially “melded into the flesh of her back.” Pulling at the rifle like plucking a piece of pepperoni from a sticky slice of cheesy pizza, the blaster rifle took bits of flesh with it as Ro dislodged it from her corpse.

 

Examining it, the flash of the explosion had eaten into her back quite brutally but the burst was too short to melt the metal that her blaster rifle was made of. At least, it definitely looked like it was still functional. At this point, he’d take his chances. Untying her from the ladder leading up to the surface, Ro retied his utility belt around his waste as he watched the body of the twi’lek slowly drift away. It would undoubtedly follow wherever this water was leading and topple down wherever these poop shoots led. Unceremoniously, the twi'lek would be forever to be lost as if she had never come here in the first place.

 

It was a sad end for someone with a good heart like her. She deserved better. This had become a recurring theme as of late. There were lots of people no longer in Ro's life that left this galaxy deserving better. And there were a lot of scum still breathing that deserved a lot worse.

 

You were right to fear, Nia. But I was right to warn you.

 

Removing his tatted and soiled Jedi tunic, he let it hit the water with a slash and begin to drift away. Ro then methodically climbed up the ladder to the manhole above him. He carefully and calmly strained to move the manhole aside. He attempted to do it quietly but in all honestly, with all the blaster fire and screaming going on, no one would have likely noticed even if he hadn’t. Peeking his head out ever so slightly, Ro surveyed his surroundings. 

 

The Imperial Legion?! What in the...

 

Ro paused for a moment. Deep down inside he hoped in his heart of hearts that the Jedi had realized that the Mon Cal crazies had shot down their Jedi transport full of younglings and that they had, for once, acted to render justice against the tyrants of this planet that had clearly been allowed to treat this place like their own xenophobic fishbowl. But no. It wasn’t the Jedi. It wasn’t the Galactic Alliance. It was the Imps.

 

The Imps are here to save the day?! You know what. Screw it...

 

Pulling one of the Rose’s frag grenades from off his belt, Ro examined the positioning of the local law enforcement. With the Imps advancing on them, a nice little collection of officers had found themselves pinned within the rumble of the blast zone and some more had taken cover just outside of the blast zone. Ro himself was on the edge of the blast zone at this point. But his positioning had turned out to be rather fortuitous. Ro suddenly found himself behind enemy lines. Of course, the real poetic beauty of it all was that these serial killing Quarren terrorists were so occupied with the Imps that they surely had no idea that they were about to be flanked.

 

Well, Nia. I’m glad I didn’t promise you not to harm anyone else... because then I’d have had to lie to you.

 

Tossing the grenade into the middle of the largest group of Quarrens, Ro quickly pulled himself up and activated the personal shield Rose had given him when all the initial chaos had started. It felt like a lifetime ago now. But all the same, the Quarrens were caught completely by surprise by Ro's surprise present. A few of them screamed and one or two even caught sight of Ro’s smirk before their bodies burst into a mixture of fire and bloody mist.

 

That one's for Nia.

 

Ro raise the blaster rifle as he back peddled towards the backside of the nearby building to his right. He smirked again as he picked off a few more Quarrens before they could figure out that they had enemies firing at them from all sides. Behind the corner, Ro found a large industrial size garbage receptacle. Straining and grunting a bit, he swung it outwards, creating an almost “T” like formation with the building as the top of the said “T”. Having the receptacle positioned like that would give him cover if anyone decided to approach him from behind but it also significantly hampered any plans for retreat. 

 

He was fine with that, however. He was always retreating. He had lost everyone and everything retreating. It was time for something new. It was time to hold someone accountable. And it was time for the bad people to die so they couldn’t kill anybody for the good people. And as far as he was concerned, the only bad people had tentacles for faces.

 

Posting up against the wall, he peeked around the corner and picked off another Quarren while its friends frantically scrambled to find better cover. They had to know it was helpless by now. He had ruined their best positions of cover and the Imps would surely overwhelm that in no time. Especially if the Quarrens still had to worry about Ro shooting them in the back.

 

Fleetingly, Ro almost felt sorry for the Quarrens. Some of them were probably "good people." Some of them were just following orders. Some of them were maybe even innocent. But they lost their opportunity for Ro to treat them on a case by case basis when them and their bosses decided to indiscriminately murder a warehouse and several streets full of innocent refugees. They could all go and burn in whatever fishy afterlife those vile creatures believed in for all he cared.

___