As planned, we exited hyperspace and ditched the Nu in the middle of nowhere on some random barely inhabited world before making for the nearest spaceport, which could honestly be barely called that, to take a clunky-looking Star Commuter off that planet.
Oh, and we blew up the Nu for good measure after looting it of all the useful stuff we could carry, just cause explosions are fun and a great way at denying stuff to enemies if they came looking for it.
Getting on a passenger shuttle wasn't too hard with the spare forged chain codes I got earlier from Tech, and maybe a few extra credits to grease a few hands as needed to the people manning it since the place was so remote there were no clones stationed at it. I also bought two cloaks over SFO for Rowv and Kazdan to cover themselves while I used my disguise matrix to not look like a heavily armed bounty hunter at best, just to be safe. So yeah, despite our escape from a rather hectic and crazy situation, our travel was relatively chill and undisturbed after we left the Raxus system.
During the trip back to Ord Mantell both Kazdan and Rowv asked me more than a few questions about my 'visions', but I was vague both because we weren't really in a safe place to chat about that kind of thing and cause I was really worried about saying the wrong thing that might seriously disrupt things down the line in a way I couldn't control or adapt to.
My actions had already led to the First Brother's death, and I had no idea what the long-term consequences of that might potentially be. Hopefully minimal since it's not like the Emperor valued his hunting hounds, other than maybe his Hands given the time and effort he put into training them, but you could never be too sure.
The last thing I wanted was to butterfly away the Death Star's destruction or Luke not being able to defeat his father and the Emperor, after all.
Unless of course I found some way to knock that all off on my own, but I highly doubt that will happen unless the Force really wants a laugh at my expense, which it can already do in much less helpful ways.
Anyway, the point is I was able to at least drop a few notable names among the survivors of Order 66, the reason why it happened with the inhibitor chips in the clones' brains, the set up that was the Clone Wars, and how Palpy had been a secret Sith all along, who had been part of a small group of them that had been planning the Republic's downfall from within ever since the end of the New Sith Wars. All in all, most of it was not great news from Kazdan's point of view.
"If only we had known that such evil was hiding right in front of us the whole time…" Kazdan said in an utterly defeated tone. "We were so focused on Dooku and the Separatists, we never even thought the Sith would strike us from within."
I was glad that the shuttle we were on was mostly empty, besides a few other passengers who were seated further away and mostly sleeping, letting us talk in relative privacy so long as we kept our voices low.
Oh, and buying a sound dampener, 600 credits, certainly helped make sure we weren't overheard helped too.
"The Sith, sadly, learned from thousands of years of conflict that fighting the Republic head-on wasn't working, so Bane and his followers figured the best way to win was to corrupt it from the inside out," I nodded. "Don't get me wrong, the Republic was pretty bloated and corrupt even without the Sith, but they certainly helped it along. In a way, what they did was not unlike one would do if they were trying to get someone to fall to the Dark Side, but on a grand scale. The only bright side is that Sidious isn't running a traditional Sith Empire or else we'd have to deal with countless Sith Lords, but a whole galaxy's worth of people at his beck and call isn't much better. "
"Ironic how with the CIS' defeat we need an army capable of matching the former Republic's now more than ever," Rowv commented. "And how it turned into the very thing that most of the Outer Rim feared it would become because the person that would make it that way put the idea in their heads to fight against it before it could, only for their very actions to make it so."
"No one ever said the Sith aren't masters of manipulation and mind games," I sighed. "Palpy helped create the CIS and the war to make people feel scared and desperate enough to hand over all their freedoms, and now that the war is over, they are praising him for it, not realizing that those freedoms are never coming back… and in time will become fewer and fewer."
"It is as you said, fear is the path to the dark side," Kazdan intoned. "And now the Jedi are too few and scattered to combat it."
"The battlefield has changed," Rowv pointed out. "This is no longer a conflict that can be fought on the open field, but from the shadows. Dishonorable… but likely the only chance we now have."
Oh how right they both were.
"That is why it's important that we do what we can to support those who are still in the fight now, and ideally convince others to fight before the Empire strangles the very idea out of them," I explained. "It's not gonna be easy or fast, and it's only gonna get way worse before it gets better, but it has to be something."
"A great burden you have placed upon yourself, Nick, one that could threaten to overwhelm and crush you, even with your abilities," Kazdan pointed out. "No single Jedi, no matter how powerful, could face the entire galaxy on their own, and while you are no Jedi, the truth of my words is no less evident. If you truly seek to do what you say, you will need a great deal of resources, allies, people willing to fight alongside you, and much more. If only your visions came to you before the war ended and the Jedi Order was betrayed…"
"You aren't saying anything I haven't told myself," I answered truthfully, hating the fact I was dumped into this universe too late to change anything and too early to contribute to anything super meaningful right away. "Sadly, we can only play the cards life deals us, and at least unlike most I have an ace I can use."
"And that is why you agreed to take part in the mission to rescue the Senator, yes?" Rowv asked to confirm my early reasoning. "To see allies among the former CIS who can still fight the Empire?"
"Ideally, yeah, since I have to assume that the man still has connections to any holdouts out there since he was willing to speak out against the Empire in the first place, even if most large organized resistances has been mostly snuffed out by now with most of the droid armies being shut down," I explained. "And since we helped rescue him, he will hopefully trust us enough to connect with them and get them the supplies and equipment they need to be more than just a speedbump to the Empire. Right now the Empire is focused on consolidating, so the best thing we can do is do what we can to make that as difficult as possible and make further resistance efforts easier as a result."
"And if there are no holdouts he can connect you to?" Kazdan asked curiously.
"There are still people out there to reach out to even if that is the case, and even then he still has a potential role to play since he is a powerful political figure with ties with powerful people and at least some resources since he was able to hire Cid, the person that set up the rescue mission, to send a group to spring him. And goodness knows she doesn't do anything unless a lot of credits are involved," I pointed out. "He could be the voice for many former CIS worlds and citizens who, even now, are having the Empire's boot be pressed on their necks, punishing them for being on the 'wrong' side of the war. Maybe others too! The Empire is already well on its way towards oppressing any dissenting opinions after all."
I know for a fact that Singh would have a meeting with Senator Chuchi at some point to chat about how both former Republic and CIS worlds were already feeling discontent about the Empire, after all.
"He is still just one man, even with his possible connections, and you will need a great many more to support a concentrated war effort," Rowv pointed out. "I can assure you my people can fight if we are given the means, but many are not as strong in spirit and spine as us. Most of the former Republic didn't even fight in the war themselves! They relied on the White Shells to fight for them. I doubt that the end of the war will change that."
"Few will have reason to fight right away, but part of the game will be making the Empire show the galaxy what it really is to the common people," I explained. "Show them that their 'heroes' are truly serving a monster, and that their only means of survival is to fight back."
"You plan to have your actions knowingly harm innocent bystanders, merely to galvanize them to fight for you?" Kazdan asked in a very judging tone.
"It's not like I plan to shoot non-combatants or anything like that! The Empire will happily do that themselves as 'punishment' against population centers whenever any sign of resistance shows itself," I pointed out. "Heck, I'm certain our actions in the Raxus system will see the Empire crack down hard on the population as they try to figure out who blew up half a base and made off with their high-ranked prisoner, to say nothing about the death of an Inquisitor. They will do that because the Emperor believes it's the best way to keep people in line now that he has all the power in the galaxy, when in reality all it will do is show people who they really are and realize the only way to stop them is to step up."
"One must find their own reasons for why they are willing to fight, and for most they will only do so when they feel there is no other choice," Rowv added. "It cannot be forced, it must be found on its own."
"Exactly," I nodded before looking back to the Jedi Master. "Look, I'm gonna do the best I can to help people and not hurt those who don't deserve it, but in this war a lot of people who don't deserve it are gonna get hurt as we fight. But a lot of people are already being hurt by doing nothing! Even now, whole species are being reclassified as 'non-sentient' and being enslaved by the Empire as free labor! Human centric ideals are spreading throughout the Empire that will remove the rights of so many beings! Whole planets and populations will be subject to horrible conditions just to meet their crazy demands, and that is just the start! As a Jedi yourself, do you honestly believe doing nothing is the best course of action, if there is even a chance that our actions will harm those that have nothing to do with this?"
"I…" Kazdan started, only to stop short and look contemplative before he eventually shook his head. "No… no, I have already seen the results of doing nothing and being a coward, and it will haunt me for the rest of my days. However, that does not mean that I will ever find any action that harms the innocent and guiltless as the right one."
"Never said it was right, and I hope I never do, but it's the best thing we got right now," I sighed. "Unless the Force wants to smite the Emperor and restore the Galactic Republic as it was meant to be for us."
"Sadly, the Force does not work that way," Kazdan said with a small smirk at the very idea. "If we wish to change this galaxy for the better, it can only aid us, not solve our problems on its own."
"Any allies we can find can only be a good thing," Rowv snorted. "Even if the Force does not heed my call as it does for you two."
"I guess that means you are even more badass than the two of us, what with being able to do what you can with just pure skill and muscle," I offered.
"And don't you forget it!" Rowv nodded before turning to Kazdan. "So, what do you plan to do, Jetii? Reach out to those who survived as well and build up your forces?"
"For now… I do not believe it is the right time for me to join them," Kazdan said with a guilty tone. "I do not believe I am worthy of doing so, there are great risks involved in gathering in too large of numbers, and as mentioned, there is a great deal that needs done that I could help with if given the chance… if you will have me aboard your ship, of course."
"You want to join my crew?" I asked curiously, honestly not expecting that.
"It is the best way I can see to make up for my actions, and protect you from falling into the hands of the Empire," Kazdan pointed out. "I can bring many skills to the table beyond my Jedi abilities as well, to ideally keep off the Empire's radar."
"I'm not saying no, in fact I would gladly welcome you and your expertise… just promise me it won't be forever," I stated before quickly adding. "Not because I don't like you or anything! It's just… you shouldn't be beating yourself over what you couldn't control and that I'd argue that you could do more good among the rest of your Order than with us is all."
"Perhaps… but as things stand, I cannot return to them as I am at this time…" Kazdan admits.
Gosh, this guy was dealing with more than a few demons. I guess it only made sense given how he turned out in Legends and all, but still…
"Okay, I'll be happy to welcome you aboard… but after our business on Ord Mantell is finished, we should at least visit and let at least a few of your colleagues know you are alive and fighting to save the galaxy, right?" I asked. "Besides, my visions do say they could use more than a few extra supplies where they are at."
"I… I can agree to that at least," Kazdan said in an uneasy tone.
"Fear not," Rowv assured him. "I have no doubt that your comrades will be glad to see you survived, and that you will earn plenty of chances to make up for your dishonor among us. It will be quite the honor to fight alongside such a skilled Jetii."
"I shall work hard to make sure I do not disappoint…" Kazdan said with an uneasy smile.
"Welcome to the team, Kazdan… you mind if I just call you Kaz?" I asked. "Shorter, and maybe help better in hiding your identity and all."
"Hmmm, Kaz will do," he stated as he looked down at his disassembled pike in his hand, making it appear like a regular walking sick. "For now, the galaxy will not know me as a Jedi, but as a simple engineer."
"Until the time to strike is right," Rowv assured him.
"Until then, yes…" Kaz stated.
"Well, off to a good start at least, since if it wasn't for your weapon, I never would have pegged you for a Jedi or anything like that," I admitted.
"I got that a lot back at the Temple as well…" Kaz admitted in a slightly embarrassed tone. "Robes just weren't the best clothing to wear inside of machine shops, and after my brief period as a general in the war I found myself inside them more and more."
"No judgement. Like said, will make it easier to hide yourself from the Empire in general," I nodded. "And it will be nice to have someone of your mechanical skill aboard since I've had more than a few ideas about how to upgrade our ship… once I ideally grow my account a bit more of course after spending so much on our last mission. I really hope Cid got a buyer for those swords lined up with deep pockets."
"The lizard better have, or else I shall skin her myself!" Rowv declared, to Kaz and I's laughter.
So yeah, another new crewmember for the Sleipnir!
A smuggler, warrior-princess, and Jedi Master. Sounded like the start of a bad joke when you thought about it…
…Holy shit, the Force really does have a sense of humor.
Eventually, the clunker we were in made it to Ord Mantell and I messaged the BB that Rowv and I were still alive and back, but were stopping by my ship first before we headed for the parlor. We were nearly over a day behind them, but thankfully the senator was still hanging out in the place while arrangements for his transport to someplace safe were being arranged with Cid.
Which meant there was time for a potential business arrangement with some fellow patriots of his.
For now though the three of us headed for the Sleipnir so that Rowv could get deeper medical treatment and Kaz could get himself settled.
It was decided that, for now at least, that we'd keep the BB in the dark about Kaz, mostly due to the latter's insistence. Because it was one thing to logically know most clones didn't choose to betray the Jedi Order, and that the BB never did, but quite another for Kaz to trust any clone after what he experienced from them back at the Jedi Temple. And the last thing I wanted was to trigger a PTSD episode or worse in a Jedi Master who I know had the potential to have very serious mental issues.
So for now, as far as the BB would be aware, we had hired a new mechanic and nothing else. Heck, Kaz would prefer if he never were even aware of him, to say nothing about being in the same room with them.
Also, it was decided it would be best to keep my own abilities secret for now, if only because the more people who knew about it the greater the chance there was about it getting out to people we didn't want them knowing about it. I didn't believe it would last, certainly not forever, but ideally it would last long enough for me to get more built up and able to defend myself. That and being honest about what I could do was a very freeing feeling, and I hoped I could be honest to more people who I trusted and viewed as friends in the future.
Just so many things to think about and juggle, and made my head hurt more than a little bit.
Thankfully, walking up to my ship helped me forget about that for a little bit.
"There she is," I said proudly as the three of us walked into the landing bay. "Basically brand new still, but she has already pretty experienced I feel. And she still has plenty of room to grow."
"She is certainly well-designed," Kaz mentioned as he idly rubbed a small hand on a landing strut. "I look forward to getting to know her, and the rest of your crew of course."
"Just be sure to ask for consent first before you start digging around in their insides," I half-joked.
The droids were happy with our return, and were happy to welcome Kaz to the crew, even as he looked them all over with a very detailed eye.
"BL battle droids," Kaz noted as his focus was on Thing 1 and 2. "Incredible, I thought the whole production run was destroyed and no more were created, but I suppose with your abilities such things are not beyond you."
"Yup, and they have certainly been a big help," I nodded. "They all have."
"Then I shall endeavor to work alongside them to the best of my ability," Kaz nodded before wandering off to check out the ship.
"Heh, already to work and he hasn't even seen his room," I chuckled. "He's certainly a gearhead, no doubt about that."
"I can't tell if the droids end up fearing or revering him," Rowv stated.
"Only time can tell," I shrugged before turning to Rowv. "Now, time to let Doc take a look at you."
"Oh joy," Rowv grumbled as we headed to the medical bay.
"Oh dear, and here I was hoping that you'd all return in one piece," Doc sighed as he examined Rowv's injuries. "I can't even begin to tell you how many harmful pathogens I am already detecting in these rather ghastly wounds."
"Getting impaled on rusty metal on a junk world will do that to you," Rowv growled as Doc administered some painkillers and other stuff to her.
"Oh, how wonderful to hear," Doc stated before turning to me. "This will likely take some time to properly treat, Captain, and my patient would likely appreciate the privacy as well."
"I am no wilting flower!... but Nick, now would likely be a good time to connect with the clones and the senator, yes?" Rowv suggested, making me nod.
"Good call," I stated. "Hold down the fort while I'm gone, and wish me luck. Hopefully by the time I'm back, we will have more than a few jobs lined up."
It was time to start making a real difference in the galaxy.