The Abiding Force: A Knight of the Empire (Star Wars)

13: Dialogue

Shojj was just about the most unnerving person Val had encountered in his short life. The Mirialan was disturbingly thin, even for his small frame, but he radiated intensity and purpose in every movement. Every step was deliberate, every glance looking in just the right place for his quarry. Jae had assigned Shojj as Val's guide, but his role was more that of a handler. Bandomeer was a wild world, ruled by the strong, an anarchic hub for all of those unfortunate and desperate souls scraping by at the periphery of the Empire's wake. There were criminals, surely but also those whom had been neglected and betrayed by the galaxy's greatest government.

For every smuggler or psychopath there were three escaped slaves, disgraced nobles and desperate traders just seeking a better life not to be found among the strict laws and regulations of the Empire. Val pitied them, the Empire was stability at the cost of rigid social structure that selected only the most fortunate for elevation. If not for his name where might he have been raised? A place like this was not so different from the undercity of Taris, where the swoop gangs and flesh peddlers reigned, dauntless of intervention by the arbiters. He thought of the Twi'lek he'd faced in the trials, so close to crawling free of the eternal chain affixed to her by circumstance of birth.

"Focus up kid." Shojj hissed, having noticed Val's expression. He'd not been paying attention to his surroundings, he kicked himself internally for it. "Sorry." Val said apologetically, but Shojj just kept walking, his eyes scanning for danger. Val admired the man's single-minded devotion to task, he just wished he was a better partner in the endeavor. It had been a long time since Val had felt himself a burden. Now, as they prowled the streets of Ilhottar in search of Val's quarry he felt it might have been better had Shojj brought along a proper partner.

"You feel the force, yes?" Shojj asked rhetorically. "Can you not track her?" the hunter added, genuinely curious. Val shook his head, "She is concealing her presence among the crowd I believe." He looked at Shojj as he spoke, "We'll need to lure her into a trap, deny her escape." Val said, "Her ship is an old Corellian freighter, distinctively ancient." Val added. Shojj nodded, "Bossman gave me the details kiddo."

Val nodded at that, "I'll search for her, you find the ship and ground her.." He told the hunter. Shojj gave him an annoyed look, "Bossman said to keep an eye on you." Shojj said dismissively. Val turned an eye toward the Mirialan, "I'm appreciative, but it's the best chance we've got of capturing her." Val said. Shojj gave him a toothy smile, knocking a tapping the weapon slung across his back with a long slender finger. "One good shot and we'll have her kiddo, no doubt."

Val didn't doubt this man could deliver. "Need her alive Shojj." Val reminded his companion. Shojj nodded, "Didn't say would kill her." The hunter added, his voice full of mirth. "Unharmed would be preferable, I'd like to speak with her on reasonable terms.." Val added. Shojj stopped, looking at Val seriously, "If you want talk, then trap is not best way." Shojj said, "Cornered bad for conversation, say things you don't mean." The hunter resumes his stride. "Desperation hard on the mind." Shojj said somewhat distantly.

Val could feel the man's resentment building as he remembered some distant wound. The life of a mercenary was well known to be one of duplicitous scrounging. Shojj shared all of the danger that Val encountered in his assigned conflicts with none of the reverence afforded to a Knight. Val had to remind himself that there were benefits to a mercenary life, that it was considered a viable and acceptable means of elevating one's position. How much of a disservice had been done to the Empire in denying talented persons like Shojj from serving at their proper standing on basis of blood and name? He stopped at the next corner nodding to Shojj, "I'll check the medical facilities, I suspect her blaster wound was serious enough to warrant reconstruction." Val said, hoping she had made it to a reasonable physician in time.