Private Like A Wild Animal

[Eloise Dinn]

As one of the few humanoids present, Eloise found it easy to follow Amani through the crowds. The market center was modern and ritzy, with businesses selling overpriced "luxury" goods mass produced in factories. There was nothing of interest there, nothing that could distract her.

Eventually they reached a cantina. It was packed with patrons. Amani said she was going to find a quiet spot and headed inside.

No sooner had Eloise crossed the threshold, she was stopped by a bouncer. "I need to see some ID," he said.

Eloise sighed. Tall as she was, she was baby-faced like her mother, and actually underaged to boot. "You don't need to see my ID," she said with a wiggle of her fingers.

"I don't need to see your ID," the bouncer echoed.

"I'm old enough."

"You're old enough."

"Move along."

"Move along." The bouncer waved her inside. She quickly followed Amani to their seats.

Amani Serys​

 

[Amani Serys]

Amani froze, and watched nervously as Eloise was confronted by a guard. She was ready to step in for the assist, but Eloise proved she didn't need it. Even her, who generally disliked using mind tricks, couldn't help but smirk, "Nice work."

They settled on a small table against the back wall, away from the entrance. Amani sat silently for a few moments, scanning their surroundings, "…Our contact is a Bothan himself. He knows who to look for, so we're waiting for him to initiate. When he does-" She tentatively reached into her pocket, and revealed behind the table a small token engraved with Alliance insignia, "He's going to show off one of these. If he doesn't, he's not our guy."

As if on cue, a Pantoran man approached the table, "Heyyy-"

"-No." Amani waved him off. Immediately, he deflated, and sulked away with his wounded pride.

"Once we have a good opening, we'll walk escort him back to the ship, and hopefully, that's as complicated as it will get." She nodded to affirm her own statement, then finally seemed to relax, "In the meantime… You want a drink?

A nonalcoholic drink."

Eloise Dinn​

 

[Eloise Dinn]

"Once we have a good opening, we'll escort him back to the ship, and hopefully, that's as complicated as it will get. In the meantime… You want a drink? A nonalcoholic drink."

"Virgin shuura margarita," Eloise replied, fiddling with the numerous rings on her fingers until the glittering gems and/or engravings were all pointing straight up.

"Stamping the token with the Alliance insignia seems a little obvious," she remarked, watching the Pantoran go. "If he gets caught with it..."

Her Force sense tingled. Green eyes flicked toward the door.

Amani Serys​

 

[Amani Serys]

Amani smirked, "If the wrong people catch him, it's already too late," Then her smirk faded, just like that, "These people he's made enemies of are killers and slavers. Now they're on the hunt, and they know who they're looking for." She looked around at the patrons, as if expecting an interruption, before continuing, "The question is whether they find him before we get him out of here."

"Which is why you need to be safe, and do as I say, if we run into trouble. We're Jedi, but we're not invincible. Alright?" Amani studied Eloise's reaction with grim seriousness, hoping there was no doubt in her message. She was a padawan, going on her first mission. Already stronger than any common thug, but one slip-up could lead to disaster, especially with an organization so callous.

Eloise Dinn​

 

[Eloise Dinn]

Eloise's gaze slid back to Amani as she spoke. One purple eyebrow rose.

So Amani had picked up on the fact that she wasn't some anxiety-ridden padawan fresh out of the Academy. But she seemed to think Eloise's confidence in her abilities was unfounded, and that she was merely a brash, arrogant, cocky child who needed to be reined in. Of course Eloise didn't appreciate such a premature judgment. Amani had seen her in training, but not in action. She didn't know what she was really capable of.

But there was another possible interpretation of the Knight's command which Eloise found even more aggravating. Her eyes narrowed. "Will I be allowed to kill them or not?" she asked bluntly. It was a legitimate question, if delivered in an impatient, frustrated tone. "Do the Jedi show mercy even to such scum? Surely they, of all people, deserve to die for what they've done. At least ending their lives will stop them from enslaving anyone else."

Amani Serys​

 

[Amani Serys]

A droid had come by and taken their drink orders. Amani requested something alcoholic, just for the sake of blending in. It left them alone once more, to continue their conversation.

"Will I be allowed to kill them or not?"

Amani leaned back, disappointment etched across her face, "'Allowed' to? Don't be so quick to deal out judgement, Eloise. We're peacekeepers. Not executioners. What justice they face is not our sentence to make." She leaned back in slightly, interlocking her fingers, "…However, self-defense is not often so cut and dry. If your life is threatened, or especially the life of an innocent, we will make the choice necessary to ensure its preservation. The Jedi have always held themselves to that. But they never relish in it."

The droid came back in short order, dropping off their drinks. "Thank you," She said as it left again. She took a sip and grimaced slightly, before looking at Eloise once more, "Understood?"

Eloise Dinn​

 

[Eloise Dinn]

Amani was quick to chastise her, arguing that the Jedi were peacekeepers who only ever ignited their lightsabers in self-defense. Eloise's eyes quickly glazed over during the lecture. She leaned back in her seat, slinging both arms over the back of the booth, and waited it out.

"My father was a slave," she muttered once Amani had stopped talking. "He told me stories of those days. The overseers beat him, starved him, performed experiments on him. Not even his mind was his own. They used the Force to read his thoughts. He was only a child."

The droid returned with their drinks. Eloise sat up again, bangles jangling at her wrists as she cupped the goblet-shaped glass between her hands.

"Does that mean I can kill them if they come after us? Or must I use non-lethal methods to subdue them?" she asked again, wanting a straight yes or no. "I have experience with both. The latter is harder to pull off, and I would rather not bother." She raised the cup to her lips.

Amani Serys​

 

[Amani Serys]

If Eloise was expected some deeper reaction, Amani did not give it. She blinked once, slowly, and shrugged, "So is this… revenge, to you? A justification?" The Jedi prodded.

"That is what I said," Amani answered, taking another sip, "Should they threaten our lives, we will do what we have to, to protect ourselves and our ally." Eloise seemed intent on driving home her lack of care for the inconvenience of non-lethal methods. Amani, again, was uninterested in giving her any potential ammunition, and remained stoic. "You talk about this as if their intervention is certain." She suddenly pointed out.

"Do you sense it too, then?" There was a looming sense in the Force. Not an immediate threat. But ill tidings of something to come, whispering in the back of their skulls.

Eloise Dinn​

 

[Eloise Dinn]

"So is this… revenge, to you? A justification?"

"Slavery is evil, and I intend to put a stop to evil wherever I can," Eloise said, putting the glass down. "That's part of why I joined the Jedi."

But she had a proper answer now. A Yes, no less. She licked her lips, tasting shuura juice.

"You talk about this as if their intervention is certain. Do you sense it too, then?"

"I've been sensing it since we sat down here," Eloise replied dryly, taking another sip of her drink. More of a smoothie, really. Or a slushie? Without alcohol, a margarita was just fruit juice and crushed ice. "But then I always expect violence. What should we do, master?"

Amani Serys​

 

[Amani Serys]

"Joining the Jedi also means upholding their ideals," Amani nodded, "You can't have it one way or the other. Just remember that."

The mirialan leaned back in her seat, surveying the movement of bodies around them, "We wait, for now. If we make a scene without good cause, then we risk jeopardizing the mission ourselves." They needed something more concrete before they strayed too far from their objective. Something seemed to catch her eye, at first putting her on edge, but then she seemed to ease up as the source became more apparent.

A black-furred bothan, dressed in inconspicuous attire and looking a bit frazzled. He pushed through the crowd and stopped at their table, seemingly studying them to see if they matched the description of his saviors, "Do I know you?"

Amani smirked, "Probably not. We're new in town."

The doublespeak seemed rehearsed. The Bothan quickly flashed a small coin with an Alliance insignia, putting it away just as quick, "How was traffic at the spaceport?" A bit of nervousness crept its way into his words.

"Fine. But it looked like it's gonna be picking up soon."

Again, a double meaning behind the words seemed to register with the Bothan, "R-right."

Amani ticked her head at Eloise, "We were just wrapping up here," She looked around, spotting a back exit, and silently ushered the two of them to follow, placing a few credits on the table as they left, "Normally we'd wait around a bit longer to stay in character, but I don't think lingering is going to do us any favors this time." The healer spoke more plainly once they stepped outside, "They know you're making a getaway. We still need to stay calm, alright?"

The Bothan nodded, "Calm. Alright." He breathed, regaining a bit of resolve. He was brave enough to swindle a slave cartel. He could make it through one final push.

Eloise Dinn​

 

[Eloise Dinn]

“You sound like a gatekeeping zealot,” Eloise said, half because she was unwilling to let Amani have the last word, and half because, truth be told, she couldn’t see herself as a Jedi Knight. At least, not religiously or philosophically. Training under them was just a means to an end. She wouldn’t be a Jedi forever, just long enough to learn the skills she would need…

But telling Amani or anyone else that would serve no purpose. If anything, the stuffy space monks might refuse to divulge their secrets if they knew she wasn’t in it for life. So she kept her mouth shut.

There wasn’t much opportunity to say more anyway, as their Bothan contact finally showed up. Eloise took another deep drink before standing up, wincing as she followed the others to the exit. The ice had given her a brain freeze.

Amani Serys​

 

[Amani Serys]

"You sound like a spoiled child who's never been told 'no' before."

Amani raised a hand to cease their conversation as the Bothan approached. They quickly up and left, rather than risk giving their hunters a chance to close in. She led the padawan and the informant out into the street, where the crowds were thickest, "Stay tight," It would be harder to find them, and confront them, in such a dense public space. But depending on how desperate these slavers were, it might not matter.

"See anything?" Amani asked, barely heard over the crowd. Her line of sight cast into the narrow alleys, up to the windows and even rooftops. The sun glared as she rounded a corner, and she bumped into an imposing figure from behind. A Trandoshan, dressed in rugged leathers, he turned around slowly, and snarled.

Was it presumptuous to suspect the Trandoshan of all people might be one of the slavers?

Maybe, but it also turned out to be true. He caught sight of the Bothan man, who shrieked away instinctively. The slaver reached out a clawed hand to seize him, but his wrist was caught and grabbed by Amani. He lunged out again, this time at her, but it was deflected by her other hand. She pushed him back, steppe don his ankle, and struck him in the throat, causing the Trandoshan to stumble back.

"Keep going," Amani pushed the Bothan forward, ushering Eloise along as well before their attacker could recover. Other figures seemed to pick up speed in the crowd. Other pursuers, "There's more than I expected." She gripped the hilt of her saber, ready for an attack.

Eloise Dinn​

 

[Eloise Dinn]

"You sound like a spoiled child who's never been told 'no' before."

Eloise just snorted. Amani was right. But it hardly mattered right now, when they had to escort this shivering Bothan offworld...

"See anything?"

The padawan had already opened herself to the Force, searching for danger. There, just around the corner. She accelerated, whirling to face the threat just as Amani bumped into him. The Trandoshan snarled and attacked them.

Eloise's lightsaber was out and ignited in the blink of an eye. She lopped off the slaver's arm in a single swing as civilians around her screamed and leaped out of the way of her slashing blade. Amani grabbed her and pulled her along before she could finish him off, much to the teen's annoyance.

More figures were already emerging from the crowd and descending upon the trio. The Bothan whimpered with terror, and Amani finally seemed to give up trying for a bloodless escape. Eloise raised her growling lightsaber, one corner of her mouth curling upward in a grim half-smile.

"Maybe try for a less crowded area?" she suggested. "Less risk of collateral when they start shooting!"

Amani Serys​

 

[Amani Serys]

Eloise was quick to draw her blade, even Amani was taken aback as a flash of plasma took the Trandoshan's arm away, "Well, now they definitely know who to look for," Any chance of blending in with the masses was gone. People began to panic, and the shriek of a blaster rang out, heading for the obvious target that was Eloise. Amani's lightsaber suddenly ignited, the blue blade catching the bolt right on time, and turning it into a scorch mark on the ground.

Amani looked around, raised her free hand, then swung it downward. The Force reverberated around them, causing everyone in the radius to be pushed to the ground. Not aggressively, but enough to keep them down for a moment, both slowing down any potential attackers and keeping civilians more out of the would-be crossfire. One slaver took a potshot at the still standing trio, which Amani deflected back at him, before continuing to lead their escape, "Open space is gonna be hard to find in a place like this. If we can just get back to the spaceport-" Her danger senses flared the moment she sent her intentions on rounding a corner. Amani sprang out from behind the wall, her saber readied behind her. A wiry looking slaver was positioned for a surprise attack with his scatter gun, but his reflexes were not match for Jedi precognition. She swung the moment she saw him, cutting him down with a single slash.

What her senses didn't immediately register, however, was his partner. A heavy assassin droid, bearing markings of the gang painted on his chassis, wrenched a three clad hand around her neck, slamming her against the wall.

Eloise Dinn​

 

[Eloise Dinn]

"Well, now they definitely know who to look for."

Eloise’s lopsided grin grew teeth, becoming more of a snarl. “Good. I was afraid this mission would be boring.”

Once Amani used the Force to push down the crowds around them, the slavers opened fire. Eloise deflected a blaster bolt back to the one who fired it with her lightsaber. Then another, and another. She moved with that supernatural quickness associated with Jedi, her blade darting to and fro in the blink of an eye.

Clearly she had been practicing.

“You’re not very imaginative!” Eloise replied, still deflecting bolts. “The rooftops, the sewers—nowhere is off-limits for a Jedi!”

There was a flicker in the Force and a whir of servos. She turned just in time to see Amani get grabbed by the throat by an assassin droid. But they were there to protect the Bothan. If she went to save Amani, it would be open season on the dithering “agent”.

Why didn’t this doofus have a gun, anyway?

Well, it looked like he had at least found some cover to hide behind. Eloise went in, lunging at the droid with her lightsaber, poised to slice cleanly through his chassis.

Amani Serys​

 

[Amani Serys]

“Good. I was afraid this mission would be boring.”

Amani shot Eloise another stern look, but it was quickly lost in the chaos. As slavers took more shots at them, the two maintained a shield around their VIP, deflecting any bolts that got too close. "Not when we're escorting a non-Jedi!" Even without, the mindset of 'nowhere is off-limits for a Jedi' was disconcerting.

Such distractions were put on hold when Amani felt metal clamp her against a wall. The assassin droid raised a hand, which reconfigured into a concerningly large cannon. Except it wasn't aimed at her, it was aimed at the padawan who had charged in to retaliate. With only a second to react, Amani threw out her saber with the Force, severing the weapon arm with a telekinetic slice, and allowing Eloise the chance to cut the droid down.

Amani pried the other arm off of her, and gave Eloise an indiscernible look. She then pulled the Bothan back up, "Come on, it's a straight shot to the spaceport!" If they could just reach it would any serious interruptions. The sound of speeder bike engines revved in the distance. Amani groaned, piecing together what came next. Criminals loved their biker cavalry.

Eloise Dinn​

 

[Eloise Dinn]

"What makes you think we can't bring him with us?" Eloise shouted back. "We are like—"

Like gods, she was about to say. But she was cut off by the assassin droid's assault on Amani. When Eloise attacked it, the droid turned a hand cannon upon her. Luckily Amani was there to slice off the droid's arm before it had a chance to fire.

Then they were back to running, trying to make it to the starport. Engines revving in the distance spelled further danger. "We should get ourselves a ride," she suggested. A candy apple red sports speeder parked on the side of the street caught her eye.

Amani Serys​

 

[Amani Serys]

"We should," Amani agreed, but she had a different idea in mind. She switched out her standard saber for her saber pike, extending the hilt to its full length as she weighed it in her hands. The Jedi knight just stood there, as if waiting. One of the speeders flew out from a corner, intent on running down the first figure it saw. Still she waited, until the last moment, in which she spun and shifted aside, putting full momentum behind a swing of her pike haft. Without ever igniting the blade, she clotheslined the biker with an unpleasant crack, launching him off the speeder.

"You know how to drive one?" Amani asked as it slowed to a stop. Another biker emerged, and fired a bolt from a pair of front-facing blasters installed on his machine. Amani absorbed the shot just in time, her blade finally springing to life.

Eloise Dinn​

 

[Eloise Dinn]

Eloise watched in growing confusion as, after acknowledging that they needed to get a ride, Amani proceeded to extend the length of her pike… and then just stood there.

Well, until she clotheslined a biker clean off his bike. Then it all made sense.

"You know how to drive one?"

Eloise grunted something inaudible, then muttered, “No.” They didn't have speeder bikes where she was from.

Amani Serys​

 

[Amani Serys]

Amani twisted her lips. She didn't want to risk their Bothan having to drive one. The second speeder was charging them down, but impeded as Amani impatiently raised her hand, tossing up the back end of the bike and causing it to crash. "Guess it's gonna be a little cramped then," The mirialan straddled the bike as far up as she could comfortably get, "Alright, both of you hop on. Eloise in the back."

Once the three of them were sandwiched onto the two-person speeder, Amani fired the engine, surging forward awkwardly before taking off down the road, "I hate driving speeder bikes," She bemoaned. Now she was having to do so with two other people cramping her.

A pair of additional speeders emerged from the alleys, tracking them from behind. A blaster bolt hit one of the side mirrors, "You got it?" Amani asked Eloise.

Eloise Dinn​