It all happened so quickly, so fast.
Tulan felt him go limp, his eyes rapidly darting around, trying to find some solace in the end, some sort of out, a way to survive it. But none of them were a medic there- not at least beyond trauma medicine. Not even the healer with them could do anything about that wound, with no substantial medical equipment immediately at the ready. Tulan dropped the Senator, and picked up the bloodied knife, handing it back to Nida, giving her a somber look.
They were in the thick of it all now.
Thal had brought a war on himself. They were just in it's shadow now.
Nida had something clicked in her. He'd seen it in other Jedi- but the kind with red instead of the blue. He stared at Nida for a second, eyes narrowing, before he looked at the group, nodding to the Lieutenant's words, stopping only briefly to wager the rest of their options, before he checked his pistol and motioned for the team to follow. They went down an access corridor, while the swarms of guards and mercs passed by them. Hitter and Stacks met them, having met them halfway.
Half whistle, half tap.
His boys, not some curious mercenary. Could hear voices on the other side of the wall. Cramped (even for Tulan, Thirdas was having an even worse time) in the maintenance shaft, the team passed by to the hangar, where a couple of mercenaries were exchanging gunfire with the young Jedi. Tulan walked up behind one of the mercenaries, his pistol pressed into his back. Tulan pressed it against his spinal column, right near his shoulder blades. The Zabrak went down as he stiffened up, collapsing into a slump, not dead, but not enjoying himself either.
Tulan looked up at the fire-team sized element left in the hangar, who turned to look at their fallen comrade. Tulan crouched with one hand, kicking the carbine back in the direction of Hitter. Hitter rolled, and in one motion, picked up the rifle and fired, bringing down two, while Tulan performed a perfectly executed box drill, two shots in each chest, followed up by one to the head. The team was knocked down in less than a second, demonstrating the combined killing power of just two Rangers, let alone a whole team. Stacks moved to secure another carbine, tossing it back to Thirdas, while Tulan jogged over to the ship, when the hangar door opened.
Tulan reached up inside of the ship, grabbing his machine gun he stashed away. With a sickening whine, he charged up the machine gun- and
let it rip. Tulan swept the hallway, causing either the guards to be literally ripped apart, or seek what little cover they could. In the small hallway, Tulan dumped the entire charge pack into the small area while everyone got on board, laying down so much hate and discontent that even Malachor V had a run for it's money in terms of being angry.
When the machine gun was spent, Tulan chucked the smoking gun into the ship, and pointed at the young Jedi.
"Move!"
With expert flying- even impressing Tulan, the team escaped Duro, along with evading fighters dispatched to bring them in. Somehow, no Alliance teams were directly sent to the facility. Tulan sat down, gritting his teeth, waiting for the Jedi to meet Horse and do the airlock-to-airlock transfer.
----
Back on their original ship, Tulan stood in the cargo bay, looking out the viewport, staring off. He failed. He failed to rescue the slaves, failed to see the weapon, failed to prevent the death of the Senator. Every part of him wanted to kill him, every part of him wanted to make sure he died. He flicked open his communicator, sending a quick message describing a bad day at work to
Melia Siari. The two had yet to divulge to each other what they really did. He, was a ruthless Commando- and she- she seemed decent.
Seemed.
He pushed the thought of what could've been and may not be, and walked over to Nida, sitting beside her on a crate.
"It's not pleasant the first time."
Tulan looked over at her.
"I was 16. And I had the same look in my eye." Tulan rubbed his hands together, a guilt greater than any sin he committed weighing on his mind. The slaves inside the facility- what would become of them? Maybe the Alliance would find them. Thinking quietly and on his feet, Tulan made a mental note to send a note to the Smuggler's guild.
They'd at least find the girls where they got off at.
"He stole so many lives, Nida. He ruined a great many more."
Tulan sighed, taking off his beanie.
He held out his left hand, demonstrating something.
"In the galaxy, there are people who know suffering..." Tulan held up his right hand afterwards.
"And those who never know it." He curled his fingers into fists.
"We choose our way, our hardships, our sufferings, to make sure that as many people as possible can live without hate, fear, or violence. You've done it- think of how many people you've helped at the Silver Jedi. How many people you've helped just here, today. We suffer, so other people don't have to."
Tulan stood up, leaving Nida with that. He gave the Jedi a pat on the shoulder- and a rare smile.
"You did good today, Nida. You made it possible, believe it or not."
Tulan walked back, speaking with Hitter and Stacks about their part in the operation, but went pale when Hitter and Stacks seemingly said something non-chalantly. Tulan gulped, breathing deeply, before nodding, excusing himself to go speak with Horse, and congratulate the younger Jedi pilot on a job well done.
Tulan told Horse to go to where the Senator was supposed to be- Coruscant. But it would take a moment to get there, even this close in the core, a few hours at best.
Everyone had a moment to reflect, re-arm- and hit the refresher, as Tulan seemed to be heading to. Ship even had a shower built in. What a nice ship, this was, Tulan thought, as he let the water rain over him. He squinted his eyes, trying to push everything else about the mission out of his mind- except for the next piece of it. What was at Coruscant? What would he find there?
What about Thal?
So many questions lingered, and as Tulan shut off the water, he got a good look at himself in the dim mirror of the bathroom on the ship, looking at the haggard, exhausted expression he wore.
The life was getting to Tulan- and more importantly, this mission. The further down they went, the more they were likely to find evil. And there wasn't a shower in the galaxy that could wasTulanh away what he had to do to get here, to survive all this- let alone face it, and stop it. Tulan scrubbed his face, then went off to try and relax on a bunk, preferring his usual post-mission routine of quiet isolation and reading.
Horse and Tulan made the decision to head to Coruscant- to head off whoever was meeting the Senator. They'd supply the same codes, and the change of ship would most likely not go unnoticed, but at this point, they probably could concoct a story that would be believable by the time they got there.
However, Tulan seemed...
Distant.
He gathered the team, headed at the front of the room.
"This is my war. I lead you all down here. Into the part of the galaxy that you didn't want to see. So I will bear the responsibility. I will carry the weight. Nida- the footage makes me the aggressor. They'll be looking for me. They know my face. Thirdas, you're in the lead now. Go to Coruscant- when we get there, I'll have to leave. I'll throw the Bounty Hunters, Alliance agents, whoever, off of our trail. Admit nothing, deny everything, if you're captured. Blame it all on me- I can take it. Half of the galaxy is going to be looking for me. You all don't need that heat. We need to find Thal, and pull him out of the fire he's created."
Tulan stepped up, removing his beanie, sighing.
"When we get to Coruscant, we'll land, and then you'll have about a quarter mile trek to where the Senator was supposed to be at. No doubt, Thal knows where that is, or might even be there himself. He lead us here. Let's find our boy and bring him back home."
He stopped, looking at all of them. Hitter, Stacks, Horse, Beltran, Reece, Okkeus, Nida, Thirdas.
"May the Force be with you."
