// Exploring what Bernard's been up to while he was gone from the galactic stage.
PoV: Garrick, military man turned black market dealer
Garrick hit the wall of his hideout, hard. A sharp pain ran up his spine, but he didn't get a moment to catch his breath. The assassin's elbow dug into his windpipe, pinning him against the wall by his throat. A vibroblade sang at the assassin's side. From the corner of his eye, Garrick could watch the blade carve a path along the durasteel floor, a low swing to end his life.
"Wait, wait...WAIT!" Garrick cried out.
The blade stopped just shy of his abdomen.
Garrick frantically searched his assassin's face. Death stared back at him. The white hair, the yellow scar lines, he knew his assassin, heard about the lawkeeper hunting down anyone dealing with profane artefacts.
"I—I know you. You're the one who killed—" A knee to the ribs cut Garrick off.
His assassin raised the vibroblade, setting its tip against Garrick's throat. The smallest push would mean death.
"Wait!" Garrick yelled. "I've been trying to find you!"
Something like confusion broken his assassin's emotionless stare. A crack in the ice.
"Why?" The assassin said only the one word.
"I know who you are, argh!" The assassin pushed his elbow harder into Garrick's throat.
"Don't waste your words when bargaining for life," the finality in the assassin's words sent a chill down Garrick's back.
"You're the lawkeeper. The Jedi hunting Dark artefacts. Bernard, right? I was trying to find you because I wanted to help!" Garrick used what air he had in his lungs to force the words out.
Bernard stared at him for a long moment, then finally drew back. Garrick slumped to the floor, gasping for air.
"Help me. How?" Bernard asked.
Garrick spoke through brief coughing fits, straining to catch his breath.
"You found me...through the artefacts I sold on Klatooine...I figured you would track them back to me...it was the only way I knew to ensure you'd notice me," Garrick sat back against the wall and dug around in his pocket. Bernard didn't move to stop him, but he didn't put away the vibroblade either.
"I know where you can find more. I'm not going for a deal either. I support your cause. Lost a lot of good people to the Sith's purges."
Garrick pulled a small datadisk from his pocket, thumbing the holoprojector active. The image of a world came into view, next to it several notes from a preliminary report on its technology.
"There's a world, in a place it shouldn't be. It's going to burn up soon, but I've heard talk in the underworld some people are trying to seize its riches before the system's star explodes. I'll give you what I have on it, as a show of my willingness to work with you."
"Good start. You're coming with me," Bernard spoke.
"Sure, just let me—" Garrick began, but Bernard waved his hand, and everything went black.
PoV: Garrick, military man turned black market dealer
Garrick hit the wall of his hideout, hard. A sharp pain ran up his spine, but he didn't get a moment to catch his breath. The assassin's elbow dug into his windpipe, pinning him against the wall by his throat. A vibroblade sang at the assassin's side. From the corner of his eye, Garrick could watch the blade carve a path along the durasteel floor, a low swing to end his life.
"Wait, wait...WAIT!" Garrick cried out.
The blade stopped just shy of his abdomen.
Garrick frantically searched his assassin's face. Death stared back at him. The white hair, the yellow scar lines, he knew his assassin, heard about the lawkeeper hunting down anyone dealing with profane artefacts.
"I—I know you. You're the one who killed—" A knee to the ribs cut Garrick off.
His assassin raised the vibroblade, setting its tip against Garrick's throat. The smallest push would mean death.
"Wait!" Garrick yelled. "I've been trying to find you!"
Something like confusion broken his assassin's emotionless stare. A crack in the ice.
"Why?" The assassin said only the one word.
"I know who you are, argh!" The assassin pushed his elbow harder into Garrick's throat.
"Don't waste your words when bargaining for life," the finality in the assassin's words sent a chill down Garrick's back.
"You're the lawkeeper. The Jedi hunting Dark artefacts. Bernard, right? I was trying to find you because I wanted to help!" Garrick used what air he had in his lungs to force the words out.
Bernard stared at him for a long moment, then finally drew back. Garrick slumped to the floor, gasping for air.
"Help me. How?" Bernard asked.
Garrick spoke through brief coughing fits, straining to catch his breath.
"You found me...through the artefacts I sold on Klatooine...I figured you would track them back to me...it was the only way I knew to ensure you'd notice me," Garrick sat back against the wall and dug around in his pocket. Bernard didn't move to stop him, but he didn't put away the vibroblade either.
"I know where you can find more. I'm not going for a deal either. I support your cause. Lost a lot of good people to the Sith's purges."
Garrick pulled a small datadisk from his pocket, thumbing the holoprojector active. The image of a world came into view, next to it several notes from a preliminary report on its technology.
"There's a world, in a place it shouldn't be. It's going to burn up soon, but I've heard talk in the underworld some people are trying to seize its riches before the system's star explodes. I'll give you what I have on it, as a show of my willingness to work with you."
"Good start. You're coming with me," Bernard spoke.
"Sure, just let me—" Garrick began, but Bernard waved his hand, and everything went black.
