Light Corrupted Part 1

Author's Title : "Jedi Corruption"

Author: Darth En Ghedi

Origin: Portugal

Language: English

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Deception was his tool. At first it felt so odd to deceive, but eventually it became part of his nature. While the Force appeared so infinite, his resolution to create shadows around his persona became as standard as breathing. He had lost track of his personality a long time ago.
"In time you will tell me what I want to know, scum..." the Republic soldier whose name he never cared to know approached his face so close he could feel the stench of cologne camouflaging the intense smell of sweat and leather from his uniform, his breath was even worse when he added, "I broke harder thugs..."
Kael decided not to reply. He was too concentrated on his plan to give away that satisfaction to the officer. Instead, he smiled and looked directly into his eyes.
"Why are you laughing, pirate?" The Soldier asked with visible anger.
Johun Kael still kept the answer to himself. His grin still defied his current situation.
The soldier pulled his fist back and stroke the prisoner's chin as hard as he could. Kael, sitting on a chair moved back from the momentum but wasn’t impressed. This time it was the soldier laughing.
"Who's laughing now, eh?" The Soldier was massaging his sore fist.
The room was so dark that the brilliant glow rod on the ceiling only illuminated the two men. The cell walls were pitch-black, perhaps from years without a good wash. The smell of sewer and mildew certainly confirmed that theory. Kael could hardly see the faint line of light coming from the half opened door. But he needn't. He had other ways to guide himself out of that room. In fact, he was already free. But the soldier didn't know that. To him, Kael was as good as dead.
"You think you're tough, pirate? I've been in this room with far more dangerous scoundrels. They all ended up telling me what I wanted to know... and what I didn't!" A terrible breath.
Kael was getting bored. His hands were still restrained by some heavy binders, behind his back. With a slow movement he used the Force to release his right hand and for the first time he spoke.
"Take that bantha breath out of my face..." He said softly.
The soldier frowned at these words and felt insulted. He reached his fist back again for another blow, this time he added a bit more of hatred in order to finish this insulting prisoner. But has he did, Kael’s freed right hand grasped the soldier's fist with an inhuman speed and with such strength the soldier fought not to scream with pain.
"Give me your uniform..." Kael said, his voice calm and steady. The soldier appeared surprised and was speechless. Kael’s voice turned into a thunder, "Now!"
The Soldier stripped with his free hand, trying not to scream out the pain he was feeling from his right arm but he couldn't help to breath heavily and shed a few tears. So much for the strong muscled interrogator now.
It took him a few minutes to be stripped down to his under garments. By that time, Kael was up from his chair and was also taking his black armor off. Reaching out with the Force he grabbed the soldier's sidearm and aimed at his head, releasing the grip from the soldier's sore right hand.
"Put my armor on!" He ordered. The soldier was apparently having some delusions he could recover even before the threat of a Blaster.
Suddenly Kael realized the Soldier had his own little deception. The blaster was empty of ammunition. Knowing so, the soldier rose to charge at his prisoner. But no matter how quick he could be, he was no match for one trained in the arts of the Force.
His charge accompanied by a sounding roar was met by a raised hand that aimed at his neck. The gurgling sounds and both hands trying to grasp an invisible hand were the only evidence that Kael was using the Force to choke the man. He approached the man’s face, now sweating abundantly and turning red. His voice was unaffected by the latest attack.
“You will put this armor on or I will do it for you, but beware that you won’t enjoy it…”
The man rose floating in the air with the power Kael summoned from the Force. He stood there for a few seconds until the lack of oxygen almost made him faint. Then Kael released his grip and the man fell loudly on the floor.
“Do it and I will let you live…” The man was recovering his breath fighting for every bit of air. He was visibly weakened but still he had some spirit. He looked up at Kael and spat at his own trousers Kael was now wearing.
“You’ll have to get your hands dirty, Jedi!” The soldier said between suffering breaths.
The single word ‘Jedi’ filled Kael with anger. Still he couldn’t let go of his deception. Better to be mistaken by one of the Jedi Order than give away his true identity.
“Fine!” He finally said. Raising his hand, the Soldier was forced to rise from the floor by the invisible hand again. Only this time he flew around the air to violently hit the wall with a grunt. Falling on the floor, Kael picked his head and literally used his face to clean the spit from his borrowed trousers.
He placed the black armor on the unconscious body and sat him, hands tied on the same chair he was previously tortured in.
Reaching out for the soldier’s helmet he frowned for the even worse stench. A necessary torture to achieve his goal. He reached the half opened door to find a large corridor completely silent and empty. He followed the dim failing lights that emitted an eerie stroboscopic effect that could cause nausea to any man. But not Kael. His focus on his goal was more important that any physical complaint, even the obnoxious smell of his borrowed suit.
He reached a large thick door that he knocked with the same rhythm he had heard the other soldiers knocking to get the door open. A hissing sound followed by a metallic clang confirmed his ability to reproduce the signal.
Stepping out, he finally saw what he had felt through the Force when he was brought to this detention facility. It was a Republic vessel, filled with Republic Soldiers that apparently had the terrific mission of gathering the scum of the Galaxy. From Duros to Gungans, every scoundrel who felt the Republic was too zealous of its laws. “Broke another, hey Sarge?” A Soldier sitting by a small desk aside the door asked.
“That one will be least of your problems!” Kael said looking down the ship’s main deck.
“Could you sign the detention documents, sir?” The Soldier stretched out a holopad.
“I don’t have time for that, now… I’ll do it later!” Kael was still looking, searching for a hint on how to reach his goal.
“It’s protocol!” The Soldier said.
Kael sighed and still wouldn’t face the man. He needed to move quickly before his disguise was discovered. Not that he worried. He could take down every man in that vessel, but he couldn’t waste time with this nonsense.
“Fine! When was the prisoner delivered?” Kael asked, knowing that delivery records were often overlooked.
“I would have to check…”
“Well then, I’ll wait!”
Kael could use the Force to persuade the man to let him go about his business. But there were too many soldiers around and worse, there were too many security holocams.
The soldier looked below to his computer screen and typed a few words. When he finally had a result he looked up to call the ‘sergeant’ but he was long gone.
“Damn torturers! If only the Senate knew about this kark they do around here…” He said.
Kael was now deep into the crowd of Soldiers, Marines, Security Officers and other Republic personnel. With no war to fight, the Jedi sent the armed forces to every corner of the galaxy to clean up the mess the previous wars against the Sith had created. These missions ended up being simple police operations that became fearsome campaigns against organized crime.
The Senate, without any wars to decide using the political way, could only agree with fear the crime could reach the Inner Rim territories, or even the Deep Core where the beloved Coruscant stood with hypocritical peace.
None of that mattered for Kael anyway, since he had other pertinent issues at hand. For an instant however, he felt disgusted to see so many men trying to make their way within a visibly packed starship. It looked like the ship’s maximum capacity was overlooked. The efforts of enforcing were becoming anxious attempts to suppress uprisings and eventually a large number of soldiers would suppress anything.
He halted at a familiar door. He was never aboard that ship, but he had seen its images and schematics so many times he knew exactly where he was and where he was supposed to go.
This confusion was actually helpful as no member of the crew would bother to control every single soldier around the ship.
He reached the control panel and entered the sequence he had previously memorized. The door slid open and lights were lit inside the small room.
As he entered the door shut behind him and he finally got rid of the stinking clothes. Underneath the workbench he found the package where it was supposed to be.
He emptied the box revealing a large dark cloak, armor plates resembling his previous one and a shiny cylinder, his lightsaber. It felt good to feel its grip again. He had travelled without it and was arrested with a mere blaster to conceal his true identity.
He consulted his holopad and smiled confirming he was ahead of his schedule. There was still three standard hours for his pickup. He needed to be precise and work time to his advantage. Too soon in his strike and he could be overwhelmed by the amount of foes, too late and his ship would leave.
He looked around the room and studied the ventilation shaft he was supposed to crawl inside to complete his mission. It was large enough to accommodate a man. Not that he felt anything close to claustrophobia but he needed to move fast to evade the zero degree temperatures.
He sat on the floor with his legs crossed and waited for the right time. Closing his eyes he reached through the Force feeling everything and everyone in that packed ship.
As he expected he felt that ship was beyond maximum capacity. He found that some soldiers were resting in the hangar bays and there was a general feeling of boredom and fatigue. He circled the vessel through the Force and confirmed his previous torturer was still sitting on that chair unconscious and unaware he was covering for his prisoner. He was still alive, barely, since the cell had vital signs sensors. As long as he breathed no one would care if he was in pain.
Moving his concentration to more vital parts, he felt the holding cells were also packed with every type of villain he could imagine. Assassins, robbers, pirates, all generally miserable and a whole bunch of them in various different types of pain. Apparently none of them were exactly innocent. Some he knew from sight or from the Holonet news. They were all scum. And like he was briefed, most were bounty hunters or henchmen of various crime lords.
So it was true. His competition was being harvested. The Republic was apparently effective, but this was a rogue ship that applied wrong methods and, according to his hirer, the one behind it needed to be taken to justice.
So, he was only satisfied when he finally found his target. The being was like a beacon of light surrounded by darkness. A deep and terrifying darkness. He was at the Command Bridge and was unaware of Kael’s scrutiny.
Scanning his surroundings, Kael felt that the security surrounding the bridge was heavy with several armed soldiers and… another beacon of light.
Kael knew what he was feeling. His target was a Jedi Master and he was accompanied by his Padawan learner. This just made things a bit worse.
Still, he needed to concentrate in order to keep his mask to the Force. His whole operation was about deception and any slip in his cloak would be uncovered. Not that he feared to be caught, but he needed to complete his mission.
Suddenly his senses were alerted to someone that knocked at the door of the small room he was sitting.
Trying his best not to give away his position, he felt his cloak faint and clearly sensed both Jedi felt the disturbance he caused in the Force. He was compromised but not discovered. He needed to act fast in order to keep his whereabouts secret. He reached for his saber and igniting its red blade he hit the lights off and pressed a few buttons on the control panel to unlock the door. As it slid open he pulled the figure inside throwing it to the cold floor and aimed the saber to the neck while he shut the door and lit the room.
Marn Rem’la raised his hand shaking in surprise.
“Marn, you di’kut!” Kael said in his native Mandalorian language, shutting down his lightsaber.
“Sorry, Master, I came sooner. I see you found the package!” The human said, still recovering his breath, “I hope that soldier wasn’t too much trouble.”
“No trouble at all!” Kael let out a sigh, “The ship’s ready?” He asked.
“I had trouble with the release documents. We might need to delay our departure!” The human shrunk as if expecting a reprimand for his failure to keep the schedule.
“Fierfek!” The Mandalorian word was as famous as any other curse word in any language. Kael crouched to meet his counterpart’s face, “Focus, Marn! You almost ruined this whole operation!”
Rem’la frowned to the newfound smell his Master emanated.
“What’s that odor, Master? Did someone died in your armpits?”
Kael wasn’t known for his humor. Still he couldn’t help but smile at his servant’s observation and he conceded the moment. Even though he got rid of the smelly clothes, the stench appeared to be persistent.
“Perhaps a new fragrance for the Hutt clans…” Rem’la said.
The Corellian pilot had been Kael’s aid throughout every mission they had been hired. Even though this one was particularly messy, Kael relied on Rem’la’s skills to infiltrate and move unseen. He was wearing a standard issue Officer garment.
“Where did you steal that?” Kael pointed his uniform.
“You don’t want to know, Master…” Rem’la lowered his eyesight with guilt.
“How delayed are we?”
“I don’t know, but there are several ships departing right on scheduled time. Ours has been lowered in the priority list.”
Kael thought about their current odds and he felt this new turn of events, along with the Jedi now aware of a disturbance in the Force could rush the whole mission to a complete failure. Still, Kael felt the mission was still recoverable, if they moved fast.
“You will commandeer one of those ships on the schedule!” He finally said.
“What? I can’t do that, master!”
“It’s the only way to avoid the tractor beam. If the ship is scheduled, we will fly its slot out of here. You have one standard hour!”
“But…”
“No ‘buts’, di’kut!” Kael approached again. His finger close to his face like a powerful weapon. Rem’la could swear he felt a small jolt of lightning coming out of the finger. “There’s an outcome I wasn’t expecting.”
“What?”
“Our targets are Jetiise…”
The word was pronounced with disgust in Mandalorian. Rem’la had learned never to pronounce the word in basic.
“Jetiise… This changes things, uh Master? Should we abort?”
“No!” The sole idea to let go of such bounty was preposterous. “If Black Sun wants this particular Jetii, it could mean he isn’t exactly a conventional one. And if he isn’t, he’s breakable.”
“You said ‘Jetiise’, there’s more than one…”
“Probably a Padawan…”
“You need my help, Master?” The Corellian looked up to meet Kael’s second smile of that mission.
“No, I need you to take that ship, you fool!”
Kael picked his lightsaber and ignited it against a ceiling panel concealing the ventilation shaft.
“Right on the mark, hey Master?” Rem’la smiled.
“At least this you did right, picked the right room. If that wasn’t the case, you would be dead by now.” Kael’s look at the Corellian was enough to mean business. The Corellian felt a chill down his spine.
Rem’la swallowed dry. He had seen his Master in action before, he knew better than doubt his Master cruel thoughts. But couldn’t let go of his humor.
“Come on, Master! What would you do without me?”
Kael paused for a moment preparing his jump inside the shaft. Before he did he finally replied.
“I would probably perform clean missions for once…”
And he disappeared inside the shaft.
Rem’la waited a few minutes in order to understand if his master was alright. When he heard the previously agreed radio signal, the two taps that indicated he was on route and progressing with ease, he finally moved.
The Corellian composed his uniform again. He concealed the worn soldiers clothes, replaced the shaft panel and shut the lights. Opening the door he moved quickly within the crowd and was lost in it on his way to the hangar area.

Kael found the shaft pleasantly wide and that helped his movements towards the Command Bridge. He couldn’t tap into the Force now. The Jedi would be alerted to a disturbance, now. Any attempt to use the Force would be a beacon that would endanger his attempts to continue hiding.
Still, he needed to use the Force to move swiftly in the ventilation shaft, where any being would either be lost or cold dead, since the temperatures were incredibly low. Kael instructed the Force to warm his body. The other way the Force was helping him was by orienting Kael through the maze of pipes and shafts.
It wasn’t the first time he chose to infiltrate using this method. He had been close to hypothermia twice under these circumstances, and it was enough to make him master this way of using the Force. Even Rem’la felt this was dangerous and had suggested he used an environment suit. But eventually those suits constrained his movements and could interfere with the air flow revealing an obstruction to the various sensors, alerting maintenance. No! It was preferable to feel cold and move fast enough to escape that place than move slowly and risk being stuck.
But this particular mission was different. His usage of the Force could endanger his safety. For a moment he wished he had a holomap and an environment suit.
As he approached the final kilometer of shaft, he decided to stop using the Force and move by instinct. He concentrated harder to maintain his cloak and could feel the Jedi scanning the ship beyond normal perception. Their scanning, however, was apparently ineffective to find him.
There was light down the shaft. Nervous voices were overheard and he could swear he heard screaming. He couldn’t use the Force now, not this close. He relied on the fact that perhaps they were searching for something using the ship’s sensors and he could guess that the military were either puzzled to be looking for ‘something’ or confused by the Jedi orders.
The shaft ended in a large grid. Kael could see clearly beyond it, but avoided to reach closer. The light was too intense and would reveal him inside.
The ventilation shaft ended in the ceiling of a large v-shaped room. The Jedi were standing next to a console apparently looking at surveillance recordings. The screaming he had heard earlier came from one of the recordings. They were looking at the holding cells.
“Fierfek!” Kael thought. They would soon discover his movements. They would send someone to the cell where his torturer was now beingmheld unconscious and they would soon trace Kael’s plan.
He moved slowly to scan the room. He counted eight officers and seven soldiers. This was not going to be easy.
He needed a plan. A distraction, perhaps.
Kael picked his holopad and checked the time. His long progress through the ventilation shaft had caused the loss of precious time. He only had 10 standard minutes until Marn Rem’la would rendezvous with him in the upper docking bay.
He tried to create a quick plan. It needed to be effective, otherwise his whole efforts would be in vain.
Suddenly his commlink came to life. He heard Rem’la screaming into his hear.
“Master! I have a problem here!”
Kael couldn’t reply without giving away his position. He tapped his microphone twice.
“I managed to grab a ship, but they didn’t like it much.”
As he said this, a loud claxon was heard throughout the ship. A nervous voice was heard between the alarm waves. “Alert, Intruder hijacked diplomatic vessel. All stations on alert. Fighter squadrons one and four scramble to intercept”
Kael smiled at this. Rem’la had inadvertedly created the diversion he needed. He looked below to see all men, including the security enforcers, surprised by the latest alerts. The Jedi were the only ones suspicious enough not to fall for this. So when Kael finally made his move, the ripples in the Force had already alerted the Jedi to move to a defensive stance, blue lightsabers ignited.
Surprisingly, the Jedi didn’t move to protect the soldiers when Kael stroke them with powerful lightsaber strikes that had no reply and jolts of lightning from his fingers finished those still standing. When Kael finished the military, the Jedi were still holding their stance. Their lightsabers instinctively followed the attacker.
Kael was puzzled trying to decipher what he saw and felt. The Jedi were serene. Yet, the Master felt like he was expecting this attack… and accept it. He knew this encounter was inevitable.
Without warning, the Padawan attacked. Kael deflected every move with ease. The Master took advantage of this sudden burst of distraction and tried to surprise Kael by his flank. Again and again he was able not only to deflect their strikes but also managed to strike a few precise blows that sent the Jedi away. They were no match. In their despair they committed mistakes that actually amused Kael. The young Padawan was skilled and fast. The Master was experienced and precise. Still they lacked what Kael had mastered: Dare.
The combat was good training for Kael who didn’t have the opportunity to practice his lightsaber skills that much. But the image of a medium sized starship appearing outside the main window, flying dangerously close and being hit by heavy blasts from other starships was enough to alert him. The incredible timing was perfected by the sudden entrance of several soldiers into the command station.
Time slowed down for Kael. Without thinking he transmitted to Rem’la.
“Open the main cargo door and hold your position!”
The Corellian knew better than challenge his Master and although the order sounded strange, he complied. The word “Done!” was heard and Kael decided not to wait any further.
With a swift move he sent his lightsaber flying beyond the Jedi who ducked from the strike. Kael moved fast and kicked the Padawan aside grabbing the Jedi Master by his hood dragging him towards the window. The Lightsaber crashed against the window shattering it. The sudden leak of air threw objects flying out the window and into the vaccum. Kael jumped with the power of the Force, taking the Jedi Master and grabbing his lightsaber in mid air.
The transfer to the commandeered starship took a split second, but was enough to confuse the Jedi Master while his men fought not to be sucked into the vacuum before the security blast shields could secure the cockpit.
Inside the cargo hold Kael jumped to the control panel to shut the main door, still holding the confused Jedi by his hood. Before he could react, Kael took his lightsaber and used the hilt to hit the Jedi Master into unconsciousness.
He ran to the cockpit to find a sweating Rem’la.
“Master, I don’t think we’re going to make it. Even with your ‘space walks’ and all!”
“We just did, di’kut! Get us out of here!” Kael said.
The new ship wasn’t built for speed but was fairly maneuverable. Kael sat beside Rem’la and took over the controls. There was one thing Rem’la didn’t have, no matter how good of a pilot he was: He didn’t feel the Force as Kael did. And that gave them the leverage they needed.
The fighters were doing their best to keep up, but the stolen ship was too fast escaping their blaster fire.
“I got a lock, Master! We need to aim and jump!” Rem’la said.
“Enough of this, let’s do it!” Kael ordered!
The hyperspace jump was a beautiful sight when you were being pursued by so many hostiles.

Kael and Rem’la sighed in relief almost simultaneously.
“And the Jetii?” Rem’la asked.
“Happy with his first class trip!”
Kael rose and went back to the cargo hold to find the Jedi still lying on the floor.
“What if he’s pretending?” Rem’la said over Kael’s shoulder.
“He’s not… I can feel it!”
“I thought Jetii were undefeatable!”
“I’m sure he wished it was so…”
“Why would Black Sun want a Jetii and offered such a high bounty for him?” Rem’la kicked the Jedi’s leg.
“I don’t know and I don’t care…” Kael looked upon the Jedi with some level of disgust.
“You were once one of them right?”
“What does it matter? I’m not anymore…”
“You were with the Sith, right?”
“I was never with dar’jetii!” Kael looked deeply into Rem’la’s eyes. This was the second time the Corellian felt that chill.
“But you’re like them, but not like them…” Rem’la stuttered.
“Black Sun will deal with him!” Kael changed subjects, “Whatever he did it’s not our concern anymore.”

The trip took several standard hours. Upon arrival, they restrained the Jedi onto a wall using stasis binders. Powerful enough to avoid any burst of power from the Jedi.
When the ship touched, perhaps awaken by the bump, the Jedi opened his eyes and mumbled something Kael couldn’t decipher.
“Quiet Jetii… Your mere presence annoys me. If you plan on becoming noisy as well I can always use my lightsaber again, only this time I might turn the blade on”.
“Where… am I?”
“Does it matter?” Kael reached the door.
“Don’t deliver me… please!” A Jedi begging? This was new!
Kael felt something was incredibly wrong. This man was strong in the Force, he had no doubt. But ever since his attack, this Jedi had behaved very strangely. He stepped away from the door and moved back. For some reason, he allowed curiosity to take over.
“Why did Black Sun put a bounty on you?”
The Jedi was silent for some time. He appeared to be measuring his thoughts. The Force was confusing around him. He had doubts, but he also had something hidden.
“Just don’t deliver me to them…” The Jedi finally said.
Kael didn’t know what to think. Either disgust for this man’s lack of composure, or his strange weak spot knowing he was about to be delivered to a crime organization that didn’t like Jedi that much.
“Whatever you did, it was enough to pay handsomely for an expensive bounty hunter to enter a Republic vessel and retrieve a Jedi Master from it!”
“Others had tried…” The Jedi revealed.
“Hence the extra security officers aboard!” Kael concluded, “Hence the exceeded maximum capacity and thorough search for all those thugs, you were wiping the opposition!”
“Black Sun have money, they can hire a whole army to get what they want…”
“Or me!” Kael smiled.
“You are powerful in the Force… You’re not Jedi, you’re…”
“What do they want from you?”
“You were once one of us, weren’t you?” The Jedi was probing him for answers. That enraged Kael.
He stepped forward and grabbed the Jedi’s chin speaking closely to his face.
“What happened?” His voice echoed around the cargo hold.
“I… I… killed one of the dukes…”
“Liar!” A Jedi lying was yet another surprise. Could he actually believe he could do this and the Force would not tell Kael?
The Jedi felt ashamed for some hidden thought that he was keen to conceal from Kael.
“They sent you to kill me? Do it!”
“Your prize is higher if I deliver you alive!”
The Jedi trembled. It would appear that Black Sun’s interest in his capture scared him.
“Are we at…”
“Nal Hutta… “ Kael finished. It was one of Black Sun’s base of operations. “Why are you so scared Jetii?”
“Jetii? You’re… Mandalorian? And Force Sensitive? I…”
Kael was losing his patience. He ignited his lightsaber against the Jedi’s throat. Still the Jedi continued.
“You want to know because you feel no Jedi should be delivered to a crime lord! You are curious because you have doubts! You want to help… one of your kind!”
“I’m nothing like you!” Kael screamed.
Rem’la was suddenly alerted, after a few minutes waiting for the cargo door opening that never came. He stepped out of the cockpit to find Kael aiming his saber against the Jedi’s throat.
“He’s worth a lot more alive, Master!” He said.
Kael never took his eyes off the Jedi. But he did turn off his saber.
“Black Sun will adore you. I’ll collect the bounty and you can keep your small secret!”
“I smuggle slaves for Czerka… I used to work for Black Sun but they didn’t pay as much. I guess they aren’t pleased.”
This revelation made Kael stand very still analyzing the Jedi’s face. He wasn’t lying.
“I am not proud!” The Jedi continued, “But it pays well and it’s easy to bribe a whole legion of soldiers…”
Kael was speechless. He would expect this from all the scum of the galaxy. But not Jedi. He didn’t like Jedi, whatever they had done to him in the past sufficed to fill his hatred towards them, but he respected them and trusted they would never allow such a being among their ranks.
“You make me sick…” Kael said.
“You’re not the type to nourish such values. You’re hunting people for bounties across the Galaxy, you know it’s hard to make a living. Why not take advantage of a privileged position?”
Kael started to walk back to the door again, pushing Rem’la in pure disbelief.
“How about you, son? I got credits, how about we forget all this?”
Kael pressed the buttons to open the cargo hold. Walked back to release the stasis binders from the wall, but not releasing his hands from them. He picked and dragged the Jedi throughout the Cargo hold toward the door.
“I thought you liked money…” The Jedi said.
“I despise those who choose to live this life when such a high privilege was given…”
“Were you given that choice?”
Kael didn’t answer. It was obvious the Jedi was still trying to negotiate his release. A desperate attempt. He was clearly afraid to be taken to the hands of the Black Sun Crimelords.
“Come on! Name your price!” The Jedi begged.
Kael stopped half way the loading ramp and pulled the Jedi to face him.
“No money in the Galaxy would pull me from the satisfaction of seeing you rot in one of these cells. You are worse than scum! You are the gangrene of the Galaxy. If I hate Jetii, I hate you for ruining the last bit of respect I had for you!”
“What? You expected us to be saints?” The Jedi mocked.
“I’ll allow the local Vigo to judge that.”
Kael continued to drag the Jedi until four figures approached with blasters. One was carrying a bag with the bounty.
The exchange was quick and cold. The henchmen sent the money flying over the air and Kael threw the Jedi to their feet. No words were spoken and none were needed.
Kael turned to walk back to the ship when he heard the distinctive sound of lightsabers being ignited. He didn’t turn around to see the whole scene. He felt it through the Force.
The four cloaked henchmen suddenly took off their cloaks revealing Jedi robes and held their lightsabers against the corrupt Jedi.
He was going up the ramp and met an overwhelmed Rem’la, his mouth open at the scene he was witnessing. Kael pulled Rem’la’s arm back inside the ship.
He never saw or heard the corrupt Jedi’s death, but the Force made sure he felt it.
There were things credits didn’t buy. The only deal he ever accepted against his will was this one. But he accepted because it needed to be done. Where others had failed (Yes! He knew about them!) he wouldn’t.
He hated the Jedi. He cared not for a fallen one. But he cared if the Jedi credit was shaken by such a character. Because if the Galaxy lost their trust on the Jedi, who was there to bring back peace?
In the end, however, nothing changed in his mind. He still hated the Jedi. But he hated the scum of the Galaxy even more.
The next assignment would hopefully be much easier…