Ascension - Jedi: Fallen Order (Fanfic)

Chapter 32: Selonia

"Sooooo, Tarylin. Now that we are entering the Corellian System, you mind telling me what we're doing?"

I leaned back in my seat, fingers loosely intertwined on my sternum. "Hunting down a droid."

ZO-N6 let out a surprised noise. "Any particular reason? You don't hate droids do you?"

"Just this one, it was involved in almost killing me, and my friend."

"Must be a deep grudge."

I gave a side glare, which shut her up. "What I do is none of your business."

She turned to me, leaning over me with her hands on her hips. "Hey now, no need to continue to be like that. I work under you now, Master. If you're worried about my background, or things I know then do a memory wipe. You saved my life, and I am grateful and I will work under you until I die, even if that means keeping secrets for you."

I raised my eyebrows, a smile pulling at the corner of my mouth. Standing up from my seat, I raised a hand and gave her a pat on the shoulder. "Captain, or Tarylin will do. Let me know when we get to Selonia." 

I shed my cloak, throwing it over the back of my chair and walked around my ship to make sure everything was secured down. Stopping in the kitchen, I poured myself a drink and made my way to my quarters to grab my bag before going to the cargo area. Setting my drink down, I began placing the Selonian weaponry and armor into the bag. I stopped when I picked up a bracer, remembering where I'd seen one of these before. Kohan had been wearing them when I'd come to visit that day. My fingers traced over the waterproof leather and over the metal along the edges. Perhaps...after visiting Selonia, I'd make a trip back to Lotho-Minor to visit Kohan's home to see if there was anything left there. It as highly unlikely, as the people of Lotho-Minor were greedy and any valuable scrap was ripe for the picking.  I wanted to bring something back, for myself, and for Khosuh as a form of final closure. 

"Tarylin, we're approaching the Corellian System in a minute. Better get up here and take a seat."

Setting the bracer into the satchel, I carried it up with me and tossed it at the edge of the cock-pit door. Sitting down, I adjusted as to not sit on my lightsabers and checked the parameters to make sure everything was still in working order.

N6 and I flipped the switch together which dropped us out of out hyperspeed right in view of the planet. It was lush with water and separated large segments of mountainous land probably chockful with life.

"Woah! It's so green!" N6 gushed, leaning forward on the consol.

I guided the ship down through some flight traffic, which this system seemed to have a lot of. "Never been off of Tatooine?" I asked.

"Nope!" She stated, causing me to smile for a second as we descended. Once we dropped down, flying above sea level, N6 popped the question that I'd been thinking about. "How are we going to find this droid?"

I shrugged, looking at nearby terrain, and picked a particularly large spot of land that had a couple of mountain ranges and open fields with forests. Settling down in the large mouth of a cave, I powered off the ship. Motioning for N6 for to follow, I walked outside breathing in the fresh air. 

N6 followed close behind, marveling aloud about everything around her. I made my way into the sunlight, sitting at the mouth of the cave. "Not to pry into personal affairs, but you're not a Jedi per chance are you? I saw the lightsabers and just assumed..."

I craned my head around to peer at her from my spot on the ground. "Yes, I am. Is there going to be an issue with that?"

"Not at all, Captain! What are you doing?"

"I need to locate that droid, and for that I need complete silence. In the meantime, go and explore, but stay near the ship."

N6 gave a hearty salute before floating off and leaving me be. I turned back around, crossing my legs and closing my eyes to focus. Letting the force enhance my surroundings, I let my mind wander. Wind, rusting grass, tunnel echoes, the sea, many voices beneath where I sat. Searching for a particular droid, I managed to feel K-2SO's presence underground in one of the tunnels. Opening my eyes, I let out a sigh and hunched forward, plucking grass one stem at a time. 

Was there really an merit in going after a droid? For all I knew, K-2 hadn't actively participated in trying to kill Khosuh from what I saw, but regardless it was for the best to tie up loose ends. Standing, I brushed small pebbles and dirt off the back of my pants, shivering as I felt a cold wind blow out from one of the tunnels. Going back inside the ship, I grabbed my grey robe and put it on before exiting the ship and calling out for my flying partner. When she didn't respond, I called out again, then again, and raised locked the boarding door to the ship as I began to wandering deeper into the cave. 

"Ensix!" I shouted, resting a hand on my lightsaber, extracting it and lay my finger on the button ready to use it if necessary. "I told you to stay by the ship. Where are you? Ensix?"

Taking careful steps, my lightsaber lit up the area around me for a good several feet before fading to black. A noise exited my mouth as I turned in a circle.

"CAPTAIN! HELP!" Came a familiar shrieking cry. I spun around in that direction, seeing N6 come at me from out of nowhere and barrel into me, almost making myself trip over backward.

Catching myself, I turned to her. "What the hell did you do?"

My partner then pointed in the direction of the back of the cave, which I had now assumed was a tunnel instead considering the large rounded shape I'd discerned after looking around. Peering fearlessly into the darkness, I spied not one, but two floating blue orbs of luminescent light coming toward us.  Raising my lightsaber and a hand, I waited to attack incase it was anything dangerous. Once the light came within close range, two figures could be made out carrying them. My lightsaber and hand lowered, seeing who it was. 

The two female Selonian's stopped a few feet from us, giving looks of apprehension and confusion.

"State your business in our tunnels, human. Lower that glowing weapon at once," One of them ordered.

My eyes widened in surprise, even though there was no reason to be, Mandaba was the native language of Selonian culture after all. Doing as I was told, I turned off my lightsaber and put it away, blinking as I realized how bright the lanterns were that they carried.

"A droid is residing in one of of your tunnels. My droid and I have been tracking it and have followed it here. I am here to dispose of it." I explained, being as blunt as possible. Gods, it had been forever since I'd spoken Mandaba. Even Khosuh hadn't been one to use it very often, perhaps he'd grown use to speaking the basic languages.

"We don't much care for troubles from outside of the Correllian system. Take your business elsewhere, and we can dispose of this droid." Said the other Selonian.

Taking a step forward was a sign of decline on my part at the offer. "That droid that hides beneath our feet aided two Selonians in an attempt to kill another Selonian, who is my friend. Surely you can agree to help me find it, so that others of your kind do not end up with the same fate."

They looked at one another. "Who were these Selonian's you speak of? Only those tasked with Interspecies relations off planet are ones who could have possibly committed such acts of violence. Then again, we do not go against our queen's wishes individually. We only act as a whole."

I stood there, arms crossed seeing that they were about to respond and didn't interject their answer.

"Show us this droid you seek."

With that, I held out a hand to one of their lamps, which they placed the handled in my palm, and I walked forward into darkness with N6, and two Selonian's in tow.

A/N: Filler chapter. I absolutely hate doing these types of chapters, but the juicy bits come next chapter. I needed to publish something before I go mad.