Nar Shaddaa

[Durose Roshan]

The trip had been much longer than Ro had expected. The galaxy was a different place than the Watcher's memory engrams had once remembered it. It was one thing to watch the changes from behind a desk on Coruscant. It was another to explore it first hand. Most contacts had shifted places since the destruction of Coruscant, as well as the Alliance's occupation of Nar Shadda. Truth be told, finding someone to help them get a new transponder code had become a wild goose chase of sorts, dodging government patrols while trying to track down the necessary underworld figures. Of course, once located, Durose's old contact -- a sleezy backwater Mon Cal named Bon Vox -- was capable enough to do the job. The price wasn't cheap, however. Ro had little choice but to dip into Rose's assets as his money had been tied up in the banks on Coruscant since that entire world's collapse. Hopefully she wouldn't miss 10,000 credits too much.

 

Since Dhon could care less about the new name, Ro renamed the ship “Rose’s Gambit” and had it put in Durose Roshan’s name. Before long, the process was finally done and the two Cathar bid Bon Vox farewell.

 

At last.

 

Weeks had now gone by since they had begun their journey. By the time they had arrived on Nar Shadda, Ro was wary. Rose plagued his dreams. He had relived at least three different variations of her death in his dreams, each time being unable to save her as he watched her die in his arms. Her smile haunted him. But perhaps the most haunting dream of all was the one he kept having every few nights.

It was always on an idyllic beach. The sun was setting as the waves rocked rhythmically in and out, crawling up and down the shore. There was the sound of children playing but every time he followed it around the bending palm trees he was always met by Rose.

She is standing there alone. And as he approaches, another man appears from the bushes behind her and embraces her. He kisses her tenderly on the cheek. Ro can never quite make out the man or his features. It is as if he is always just out of focus, Ro's gaze fixed firmly on Rose instead. Rose, meanwhile, just stares at the former Watcher with that same haunting hint of a smile that she died with. 

 

But when he approaches, she suddenly frowns and say to him, “Why didn’t you come find me? Why did you let me die? Why did you fail me, Roar Roar?”

 

He always argues that he did not mean to leave her or lose her or fail her. But the words are never enough. It doesn't matter what he says or how he says it. She always point to the ocean when he finishes and he looks to see ominous explosions in the sky as if the world was collapsing and the Mandalorians were coming to destroy their pretty, beach-side getaway.

 

And then he smells it. The smell of burnt flesh. And when he looks back, there stands his Soo'Gah'Wee. But everything is wrong. The world shakes as the air swirls the sand around them. Rose’s pale body now has a hole in her chest and there is blood rolling down her lips. Durose always tries to run towards her in a moment of panic but he finds that his feet are heavy as if he has been suddenly trapped in quicksand. As the ground shakes beneath Rose, pale, faded blue hands of buried cadavers would reach out of the ground and grab at her ankles, pulling her slowly underneath the sand. Starting at her feet and spreading upwards, Rose's vibrant flesh slowly tints to match the hands of the dead holding her. He locks eyes with the helpless Durose as she laughs at him mockingly and begins to sink out of view.

 

Then he’d wake up, striking with an overwhelming sense of fear and loss. And then he'd remember that Rose was, in fact, gone.

 

But now here he was. He had finally arrived on Nar Shadda. Armed with the lightsaber he had found on the ship and a new wardrobe Ro had purchased along the way, he was finally ready to seek out his destiny. Standing on the edge of the YT-2400's ramp, Ro looked back once more at his Cathar “twin.”

“Don’t forget my stipulation. Return the helmet to the woman and the ship is yours.”

 

“I gotcha, bud. Don’t worry about me. Me and nannybot 3000 got this covered.”

 

“That’s not her name.”

 

“It’s name,” Dhon replied, rolling his eyes a little. “I can call it whatever I want. Finders, keepers. It’s the law of the wild.”

 

Ro gave Dhon a look of frustration, the sort of look you give someone when they say something that is completely ridiculous but you don’t have the energy or interest in breaking down just how many things are wrong with their statement.

 

“Just take care of it alright,” Ro replied as he turned and takes a deep breath.

 

As Dhon started to walk back up the ramp, he paused for a second. He then smiled back at Ro.

 

“You know... It was fun, Watcher.”

 

Ro craned his head skeptically, “Fun? What are you talking about now, Dhon?”

 

“You know... running around the galaxy. Doing shady things. Interacting with unusual characters. The wilderness of Cathar is nice. It’s home. But I forgot... well... you know...”

 

“What the life we never had was like?”

 

Dhon shrugged, “You know. 'Core-UH-sont,' 'Core-uh-SANT.' What if we lived it? What if we didn’t? It’s our memories, bud. The rest is minuciosa.”

 

Ro squinted his eyes at Dhon, “You mean ‘minutia’?”

 

Dhon laughed.

 

“See. There you go again! This is what I’m talking about! Live a little, bud. Memories or not, we only live once. The fact that we have diverged from the original Dhonarr proves that, Ro! You do you and I’ll do me.”

“Are we done here?” Ro replied with defeat in his voice.

 

Dhon chuckled a little to himself before he pushing the bottom to retract his new ship's ramp. Shaking his head a little, Dhon yelled out to Ro before it was completely closed.

 

“Don't you worry, pally! We are done here, bud! You have my word, and we both know what that means! Oh! And one last thing!”

 

“What’s that?”

“Good luck, Mr. Roshan.”

 

As the ramp closed behind him, Ro could feel a sense of finality. It was as if a chapter in his life was finally over. The last vestiges tying him to Rose and Victoria had been left behind. He could only look ahead now.

Wading through the crowded streets and various vendors, he headed to an eating establishment that he heard some force users frequented. Walking right up to the bartender, Durose pulled out the lightsaber in full view of everyone and set it on the counter.

“I’m looking for the Jedi Order. Might you know where I can find them?”

___
  &   

[Durose Roshan]

((considering the time that has passed... legal double post... detour of plans after all...))

As Ro sat at the bar, looking left and right for any reaction, the female twi’lek bartender approached with a bit of a chuckle and a smile on her face.  Ro glared at her while she cleaned off a beer glass with her towel.

 

Shaking her head, she rolled her eyes at him, “You want me to believe haven’t heard, padawan?”

 

Ro raises an eyebrow at her, “Padawan?”

 

The bartender pursed her lips and gave him a knowing glare, “I know what you are, cougar. That robe didn't fool anyone the moment you walked in. Don’t try to play dumb with me and act like you and your Jedi friends caught me in the middle of anything. You can tell your masters that everything has, is, and continues to be above board in my establishment. They don’t need to keep watching me like a hawk.”

 

“What gave it away?” Ro replied with a satisfied smirk.

 

She shrugged. 

 

“I don’t know. Maybe your clothing underneath your robes? Or your holier than thou attitude," she rolled her eyes at him again. "I like to play games as much as the rest of um, but to be honest, I’m surprised the Jedi sent you to waste your time harassing on me. Don't you have very important business to take care of?”

 

Ro gave her a confused look, “What do you mean?”

The Twi’lek eyes him with irritation, “I wasn't born yesterday, Jedi. What? Don't tell me your masters found you too brain dead to bring along!” 

 

Ro frowned at her in response, “You got quite the mouth on you, you--”

 

“I’m not stupid, padawan! You really are dense if you don’t think I don’t know about the general call for emergency help sent out to the Jedi. Or that the bacta shipment you guys are sending is in the middle of final preparations to leave.”

 

“I--”

 

“Don’t worry,” she began with a wink. “The bar will be safe and sound while you are gone. All Nar Shadda will be just fine without you. It ain’t like this place is suddenly a den of thieves with you all gone or something.”

Waving at Ro, she gave him a coy smile, "I think you have somewhere to be, Jedi. Have a safe trip. I'll be here if you get back."

 

That’s the Nar Shadda spirit I remembered.

 

Snatching up his lightsaber, Ro left a few credits with the bartender and flipped up the hood to the robe he was currently wearing. Before arriving on Nar Shadda, Ro had done a little shopping and gone to great lengths to have the Jedi robes of the Mon Cal that he had come across on the Traitor’s Gambit recreated in his size. It would seem that they perhaps had belonged to a padawan that may or may not have gotten very far in the Order. Clearly, this costume and his ruse had work. At least to the uninitiated. He wasn’t thrilled by the idea of what he was about to do next, though.

At least one thing has gone right. My tailor was actually worth the money. Small victory but I'll take a win at this point.

 

Dashing back towards the spaceport, Ro asked one of the passer-bys for directions to the aid transport. Following their directions, he soon found himself in a restricted hangar bay. Attempting to casually walk by, Ro was stopped by one of the Alliance guards standing there.

 

“Excuse me, sir. Can I--”

 

Dropping his hood, the former Watcher opened his robe to reveal a lightsaber attached to his belt.

 

“Uh... sorry, Mister Jedi. I thought that all of you had already been assigned and left with the first wave of transports.”

 

“At ease, soldier. Easy mistake. I had a few errands that were required of me to handle for the Jedi before I could join the others. You know how the Jedi Order can be,” Ro ended with a grin.

 

The guard smiles, “I know what you mean, Mister Jedi. You guys are busy people. And if I may say so myself, I really respect what you guys are doing. It’s heroes like you that give us regular people hope.”

 

Ro nodded, “That’s our job, soldier. Aiding people and providing hope to the masses. Like on Chandrilla.”

 

Ro nearly bit his tongue holding back his sarcasm.

 

The guard gleefully nodded in agreement before leaning in towards Ro and whispering, “Between you and me, I’d be a little terrified to head to Mon Cal if the news turns out to be half as bad as the rumors I’ve heard...” 

 

Shrugging a little, the man leans back at attention before adding, “But then again, I don’t have all those fancy powers, right? Glad it’s you and not me! I would probably be peeing my pants if the Jedi sent me there. But I guess that’s why I’m still a guard and you are a Jedi hero.”

 

Smiling and nodding to the man, Ro headed into the hangar. At this point, boarding the transport and interacting with the crew would be relatively easy without another Jedi present to identify him as an imposer.

After all, if we were headed somewhere as bad as that guard was making it sound, who in their right mind would try to impersonate a Jedi and stowaway on this death voyage? 

Roshan decided to laugh to keep from crying. He was feeling less and less thrilled about whatever he was walking himself into. But then again, he had survived the destruction of Coruscant and the attack on Chandrilla.

 

What could possibly be worse than those two unmitigated disasters?

___

Edited March 30, 2020 by Durose Roshan