Ascension - Jedi: Fallen Order (Fanfic)

Chapter 7: Reach Within (Part 2)

The light of day had barely begun to filter in the room when I woke. I'd hurriedly taken a bath, changed clothes, and grabbed my lightsaber, safely tucking it under my jacket. Cere and Merrin were still fast asleep in their beds. Slipping out the door, I jogged the rest of the way to the cantina.

Noldrin's sense of time was based off his nightly work, which mean his afternoon's were my mornings. It was a bit nerve-wracking, doing work when there was no one around. Some of the neighboring cantinas, and lodgings had a few voices rumbling through the open doors; Their gambling addictions keeping them up all night.

I reached the appropriate destination, and pushed the door open with a hand. Something was off, the feeling skittered around my mind as I took a few steps in. The feeling muffled when I laid eyes on Noldin, who was seated in a booth by himself. There were a few others inside, looking to be wearing cloaks for travel, eating breakfast. The barman was busy shining glasses.

Walking over to Noldrin, I sat down, pulling my hood off my face. I bit back a yawn. "We really need to adjust your meeting routines." Signaling for the barman, I asked for water.

The Arkanian smiled, a chuckle escaping his lips. "Best to have not too many ears, even though I do prefer crowded places. Much more intimate for precious conversations."

"I suppose. Now what is the job?" I asked, thanking the barman with a nod as he set the glass down in front of me. From behind, the cantina doors opened. Those who entered slide into the booth behind me. There were so many tables and the bar was free. People have no values for personal space.

Noldrin leaned forward, clasped hands resting on the table between us. With one hand, he reached into his jacket and pulled out a small orb. Pressing a button, a fuzzy hologram of Cal appeared. "Word spreads fast for smugglers, as does the rise in gratuity for a deal like this. You're traveling with this boy, so you must have heard of the bounty. Are you going to turn him in to the Inquisitors? If so, I'd like to take over from here. I've been wanting to be useful in the Empire's eyes."

 "You? Working for the Empire? That's new." I leaned back in my seat, folding my arms. I tucked a hand under my jacket, fingers resting on my lightsaber. "I don't recall any rumors of the bounty, neither am I interested."

A cruel smile twisted at the corner of the man's mouth. "Oh? So he's your friend."

"I never said that." I stated. This was bad...

"You implied, however. Living the life of isolation, doing work by yourself... I hardly pictured you being with others unless you were in it for the money. I watched you for a while before approaching. No one could act that genuine," a sound of a blaster being turned on behind me made me stiffen and full grasp my lightsaber, "so I will ask this one more time. Hand them over, or I will be forceful."

Sliding from the booth, I stood. "Not interested."

I had only taken a few steps towards the door when the feeling of danger heightened exponentially. I withdrew my saber, blocking the bolt of plasma energy that was aimed for my head. The weapon in my hands hummed as I turned on my toes, getting into a defensive stance. The look on Noldrin's face was priceless, but the selfish smile soon returned as he realized what I was. The people that had sat down behind me had their weapon's drawn, pointing them at me.

"I never would have guessed you were a Jedi whelp," he nodded to his friends, " get her. We'll take her to the Empire and hand her over. Her friends are next."

"I don't think so." I stated, and swung my lightsaber.

The rest was a blur.

___________________

I shoved Noldrin against the outside wall of the cantina. One hand clasping his collar with white knuckles, the other loosely holding my weapon at my side. 

"Who sent you after my friends?" I asked, out of breath. When he didn't answer I hit his back against the wall. Focusing, I tapped into the force and put pressure on his body so that he was completely immobile. It gave me the chance to back away so I could be prepared in case anymore of his friends decided to visit. "Answer me."

"The Seventh Sister, an Inquisitor." The Arkanian coughed, blue blood leaking from the corner of his mouth.

I huffed, sniffing. I could feel a tight-lipped smile grace my lips as my chin trembled. This man before me had been my friend, my teacher, so why... why...

"How could you stoop so low as to side with the enemy?" I demanded.

"To survive."

"Killing people is not the way to survive, nor is capturing and selling the innocent."

Smoke blew out from inside the cantina between us, the smell of burning metal and charred building wafted from within.

"Think about how many lives you just ended inside that place. You killed to survive, and now, you'll have to kill me."

It was true, I had just killed several people inside that place. The thought made bile rise in my throat. I was a killer.

I took two steps towards him. "What if I didn't. What if I let you go?"

"I'd continue to do my job. Even if that means killing you."

 I pressed the button on my saber, the hum and heat loomed ominously between us. "I thought we were friends."

"We aren't friends."

"I would have let you go anyways, but I have friends to protect. I'm sorry."

With a quick motion, I stabbed Noldrin through the heart, releasing the force. His lifeless body crumpled to the ground.

"Y/N!!!"

Looking to my left, I saw Cal and the rest of them running in this direction. They stopped short of me, looking at the destruction inside, then Noldrin.

"Y/n, what did you do!" Cere asked, her tone far from happy.

No words could escape my mouth, I looked down in shame, unable to take my eyes of the dead body at my feet. I barely managed to turn my lightsaber off before it slipped through my fingers, clattering onto the stone below. 

"Y/n..." Cal's warm fingers lifted my chin, wiping the tears away that I hadn't realized appeared. "It's okay, Y/n. It's going to be okay." 

He pulled me to him, resting his chin on my head. I buried my face in his collar, clinging to him as my body shook with quiet sobs.

"I'm sorry...I'm so sorry...I had to..." I managed, "I didn't want to!"

Cal shushed me, running a hand through my hair as he held me to him. I squeezed my eyes shut, forcing myself to relax and try to take a deep breath. 

"I know, Y/n...I know."