Private The Division

[Jacen Voidstalker]

ARKANIS

The rain tasted strange. Jacen was in the middle of a war zone and it was the taste of the rain that he was thinking about. He decided that probably said a lot about the life that he had lived.

The sound of a shell exploded shattered several windows above him. The bright shards of glass fell with the rain, shattering to a pleasant jingle around him. None of them landed on him. The fighting had been going on for months and only the few bouts of heavy rain each day put a dampener on the action.

The First Order had collapsed, as had every fledgling empire that had tried to make this corner of the Rim its home. Jacen had lost track of how many there had been over the years.

The woman who had pulled him from retirement from his self-enforced exile to the nearby world of tatooine was called herself Moff Cardine. She had grounded the few ships in her task force and taken hold of a stretch of land. This city, Beltane, was the last place held by the Resistance. It was about to fall. The imperials had a foothold now, taking nearly a third of the city. Nearly a hundred thousand civilians caught here and the conflict was going to get bloody to break the siege.

At the end of the street were three landspeeders. They bored white and blue flags down the side and symbols of some aid foundation. The only way into the conflict zone through the blockage. He had mind tricked some kid who was apparently in charge to get a seat. He looked as if he was on a gap year. He was going to be out of place in a truck full of medics with and supplies.

"Hey, who are...oh the last one Tarni gave a pass too?" called a young woman in combat gear. She had several white flags on her uniform to mark her as a non combatant.

Jacen flagged a lanyard he had been given. He walked past and helped himself up into the back of the truck. Hopefully no one would look at him twice.

He took one glance around the back of the truck and realised he was entirely wrong in that assumption.

Kana Truden

 

[Kana Truden]

Jacen Voidstalker


Nobody here really knew who and what she actually was. It wasn’t so much because Kana had anything to hide as much as the fact that in these parts of the galaxy people were as liable to see you as a hefty money bag on two legs as they were to call you a friend if they knew you were a Jedi. Hell, in some places they even did both. Getting in was easy enough, sticking to the plan even more so. Not many of the recruits had seen battle such as this, but to that end Kana was certainly pretty far from a recruit.

Something the last member of the troupe would be all too familiar with. She had expected to see a babefaced recruit in over their head, but instead she found what she would like to call the exact opposite. A mischievous grin spread on the healer’s lips as she turned towards Jacen with a questioning look to her eyes. Part of her wanted to out him, a greater part of her didn’t.

“Hello.” She said and gave him a warm smile. “Not every day we get a new face in here.”

“Got a name,” Her grin grew once more. “Stranger?”

 

[Jacen Voidstalker]

A lot of emotions percolated upwards at the sight of Kana Truden. When the Alliance had collapsed he had left most of his past behind. His uncle had a supplies and parts shop in Mos Espa and Jacen had vanished from the Galaxy once he had transported most of the young lings to safety with Aela.

He felt a touch of guilt that he hadn't found out what Kana had been doing. She had been in a very dark place when he had first met her. They had spent a lot of time together as he tried to help her from that place.

Jacen smiled back at her, letting just a little concern reach his eyes. It was good to see her here in some ways, though it also worried him to see her in such a conflict zone. She was here with the relief team, probably looking to help those who needed it the most.

By contrast he was here to try and help, but as Kellan would say, his methods involved a lot more interfering.

"It's Jacen," he replied, with a shake of his head. They had been changed with the years, but they had been kinder to her he felt. The hot sun and sandblasting winds of tatooine hadn't been good for his skin. He had hidden his face in a thick beard since they had last met.

 

[Kana Truden]

Jacen Voidstalker

It was of course good to see Jacen, even if the reunion had been quite far from how she imagined either of them would have preferred it to go down. She could see that look in his eyes, but still her smile would not falter. He was right to be concerned, but Kana was doing just fine since last. She hadn’t grown quite the beard that Jacen had, but she had more than certainly grown as a person. There were moments still where her internal angsty little teenager came out to make herself felt, but more often than not Kana had formed an apathetic connection with this life and the life of others. In a strange way, despite the chaos of an active battlefield, she felt more at home here than she had on Sulon.

Yeah, no, merely thinking such a thought was cause to make even herself pause for a bit.

Still,

“Well, it’s good to see you, Jacen.” She said and bowed her head. “My name is Kana Truden, and that over there,” Kana pointed at the person in charge of this whole operation. “Is Doctor Mehr. He will be your primary contact if things start to go sideways or if you need help with anything.”

The doctor threw Jacen a wave as Kana turned to look out of the bed of the speeder. It was picking up speed by now. Before long she turned back towards Jacen with a curious glance.

What are you doing here?

The thought was projected upon the man’s mind, a genuine sense of curiosity mixed with joy seemed to blend into it.

I think last we met you were having drinks at the homestead.

 

[Jacen Voidstalker]

Jacen waved back at the doctor. "I'm just here as an extra pair of hands or negotiation if it goes badly."

They were heading towards a hospital that was inside the resistance held territory. No one thought it would be exempt from the wrath of the other side. The siege had gone on for too long. Many frustrated stormtroopers were finally making inroads.

Coming briefly out of retirement, against my better judgement. He sent back, flashing Kana an attempt at a disarming smile.

Do you know where the Truden flock have got to?

Jacen sent few communications and in those he kept details light. The First Order had lingered for some time and there were too many Sith who might still see his scalp as an opportunity for glory.

 

[Kana Truden]

Jacen had retired? That must have been nice. Kana had spent what she’d thought to be the beginning of her retirement looking after children. Yeah, a Truden caring for kids was a recipe for disaster. Of course nothing had ever happened, but the day Kana herself was a mother was the day the Netherworld froze over. Not just because it was physically impossible, but because she must have lost her damn mind.

She tried to avoid looking at Jacen too much, but given the unique circumstance of this being a reunion it was hard not to. It was like meeting a friend after years apart only to have someone put a pool of boiling hot lava in front of you to keep you from hugging. It sucked.

They’re hopefully still with the Silver Jedi. Unless you mean the Eden kids, that one I can’t quite tell you. I have been on the road for a long while now.

The speeder hit a bump that sent the bed catapulting the passengers into the air. The driver called out, asked if everyone was okay and Doctor Mehr told him it was alright and to keep going. Kana threw Jacen another look trying to figure out what he had even gone through. She liked to pride herself every now and then on the fact that despite everything that had happened she aged gracefully.

… It would seem that maybe not everyone was quite as lucky.

How’s your kid? I think you mentioned him last time we met.

 

[Jacen Voidstalker]

Jacen shifted back in his seat. He had collected enough injuries that even a slight jolt on a hard, unforgiving seat sent a jolt of pain through his joints.

He's doing fine. His own thing for a while. I think he's earned that.

He turned his head as if something had caught his eyes. Nothing had. The Force moved darkly here. There was pin and suffering, hunger and death. He wasn't even sure what he felt he could do.

You look good. Did you spend some time over in the silver territory for a while?

 

[Kana Truden]

When you were surrounded by the sick and the dying the air was always filled with a nearly palpable sense of dread. Death and decay lingered in the air and it took a great many measures to not let it get to you when you started out. It was why even as a healer you always needed that separation of yourself and your patient. To accept that as long as you do what you can, you have done enough.

Me? With the Silver Jedi? I am fairly certain a certain Raaf would be spinning in her grave if that was to happen.

Kana let out a chuckle and quickly tried to cover it up as a cough. She threw a glance over her shoulder and then back out at the trail they left behind in the road.

The closest I got to the Silver Jedi was a chance encounter with a Padawan that had managed to hurt herself in a trap museum on Corellia. A Perl kid, if that tells you anything. Still, thank you. You look like crap.

 

[Jacen Voidstalker]

Why thank you. I do try. A Perl kid? Oh dear.

By now there must have been lots of them running around the galaxy, causing amok. He hadn't heard the name Raaf in a long time. Corvus had been furious when he had taken the holocrons to hide elsewhere. Taali had betrayed them all at the end of things.

"We're nearly there!" came a voice from up front. Jacen looked out the back. He caught sight of a resistance fire team crossing the road. Or what had been a road. Artillery had pounded this city for weeks. He heard the distant screech of a TIE fighter.

"We should catch up at an appropriate time," he said to Kana out loud. At some point he would need to tell her his plans. To help negotiate the city's peaceful surrender. Or to kill the one calling themselves a 'moff' and causing all this death.

 

[Kana Truden]

Well at least he kept his sense of humor intact.

“Great!” Kana responded to the announcement of inevitable arrival and looked at the rest of the crew. Few of them had seen the realities of warfare such as this. At least not to the same extent as the two individuals at the very back of the truck had. There was some that had seen war, but few had seen a lifetime of it.

As they stepped down and out of the truck Jacen would finally break the silence. They were free to talk like sane individuals again.

“We should.” She said and nodded her head before reaching for her communications device. “Mehr. I will be going with our new friend to ensure that nothing goes wrong here.”

Which really begged the question what could possibly go wrong. So many things.

“So, it's been silent for a few years. And now, suddenly we meet on a truck leading into one of the last few places I would expect to find a Jedi these days.” Kana said with a clearly amused if not confused huff. “Why are you here, Jacen?”

 

[Jacen Voidstalker]

"I havent decided yet," he replied. He scratched at one side of his beard. Jacen had been a man of few fears in little years. However, he didn't like trying to lie at all. He was a terrible poker player.

In the distance the rolling clouds lit up blue and red. The sound of blaster fire reached them a few seconds later. Somewhere in the city the two sides had started exchanging fire again.

"The civilians are being squeezed into a smaller and smaller space in the city. They need an ceasefire to leave. The Force drew me here I think and I have a predilection towards interfering," he admitted. "But for now, I'll help make sure the hospital is secure." Jacen grimaced, expected some scorn for thinking of interfering.

 

[Kana Truden]

Run interference in a conflict beyond what they were really capable of fixing. Kana shook her head at the idea and let her friend make of that what he would. At least he would help with getting the hospital up which was in itself perhaps for the better.

“We aren’t soldiers anymore, Jacen.” Kana said with a clearly frustrated sigh. “At least, I’m not. I gave that up when I left Alliance space.”

Still, who could really deny that some part of her understood what he was doing and why?

“What is your plan?”

 

[Jacen Voidstalker]

"Ah, the assumption of a plan. I like that you would think so highly of me."

Kana had probably felt that he had put together a meticulous plan to help her recuperate during their time on Sullust together. In truth he had always felt on the edge of driving her back into an even worse place. Confronting demons head on was a difficult business.

"I'm not a soldier. I didn't come here to fight a war." It was an odd thing to say out loud. His entire life had been soldiering. "I've been in hiding but I couldn't keep my head down forever. I figure perhaps they might start talks and I can help smooth things over. Or if not go and talk to this 'Moff'."

 

[Kana Truden]

She would think highly of him, he was a former Jedi Marshal for force’s sake. If there ever were people that generally tended to have a plan it was them. Her eyebrows furrowed significantly in disapproval at the revelation that Jacen lacked one. Before long Kana’s head would roll back with a frustrated groan until a few moments later she leveled out again to face Jacen, her index finger and thumb rubbing at her now sunken brows in frustration.

“You need my help.” She said and finally allowed her eyes to set on the man. “You definitely need my help.”

She let in a deep breath and let it go with a sharp exhale.

“Okay.” She said and put on as much of a serene smile as she could. “Okay, we can’t just murder them, that’s not how this should end, so taking the Moff out is out of the question here. What we’d need is some form of way to persuade them that either the battle is already lost as well as a reason why they should let the resistance live.”

Kana threw a glance around their surroundings. As far as reasons for defeat went, that one was pretty obvious.

“Ideas?”

 

[Jacen Voidstalker]

"Mmmm is it really out of the question though?" he mused. The inevitable frown was met by a grin. Apparently neither his exile, not being in the middle of a war zone had entirely dampened his sense of humour. Jacen held up a hand apologetically.

"I do need your help, definitely. I think in battles and tactics. I'm not here to pick sides and fight. Before we even think about the Resistance soldiers the first thing I want is to get civilians out. And that means getting both sides to agree to a ceasefire. "

 

[Kana Truden]

Her eyes went wide, her jaw dropped as she looked at Jacen in abject horror at the mere suggestion. Sure, his hand was raised to calm her down but what had been said had already been said. They were Jedi, and despite the fact that Kana of all people had already committed a cold blooded murder once, it wasn’t what they were supposed to stand for. She dragged a hand through her hair to tuck it all back behind her ears with an impatient wobble as Jacen continued to explain his grasp on the situation and what he wanted to accomplish.

As far as desired results went it was a pretty good one. It was difficult, but still a good one.

“So we get the civilians out, what then? Where do they go?” Kana asked and began to look around once more to ensure nobody else was listening in. “It’d be a trek from one city ruin to the other.”

“And then, let’s say we get an audience with both parties. Do you even know where they are stationed?”

 

[Jacen Voidstalker]

"The rebel leadership is supposedly underground in one of the tub stations. Don't know why, the city has twenty of them. The imperial forward command is a few miles out of town but I think getting them to agree to talk is more of a problem than finding them."

It was good to have someone to talk to about the plan. Even if he knew she was going to point out how poorly formed it was. Not even a plan really, just what he would have once called strategic objectives. Couldn't even cover the back of his hand if he scribbled out his ideas.

"The North Road is clear beyond the imperial blockade. Which is the problem that needs dealing with. Until they're clear of that they're still trapped. If anyone starts shooting before they're clear...the thousands left will take a week to get out."

 

[Kana Truden]

“So one is at an underground transit station, and the other is beyond our reach for the time being. Unless we find some way to communicate remotely with them.” Kana placed her hand on her hip and rubbed her fingers against her brows again as her throat seemed to rumble in a low mumble. “Of course it’s difficult, never just something...”

Kana’s voice trailed off and she opened her eyes to look at Jacen again. That frustration was still there. It was lessened but it was there. All they needed was a first step before they could act. Technically the hospital could have been that, but despite their best intentions for such a thing it was also fair to assume that Dr. Mehr had already brought enough people in place for situations like these to cover for any potential undesired losses suffered along the way.

Kana let in another deep breath to quench the last of the frustration.

“Right, well, we need to know the area and we need to establish ourselves as a third party.” She said and looked at the white armbands that both she and Jacen wore. “We have that covered.” It was wrong to gamble with the trust of Dr. Mehr, sure, but what other choice did they have? “Do you know which transit station it is, or where it would be located? Either we seek the resistance out first or we try to get help from one of the Imperials.”

 

[Jacen Voidstalker]

He could not help the slight smirk as Kana seemed to be trying to push through a headache entirely of his own making. Many years ago her recovery had tested his own patience.

He thought back to the maps of the city he had looked at on the way here. He had been going off public information. News reports showing the territory still held by the defenders. He had made a few calls to old friends who might have known more, but they had offered little.

He gave Kana a gentle slap on the shoulder. "See, this will be fun!" he declared. The soldier in him ran on humour and sarcastic comments to get through the worst of times.

"I don't know which transit station, but it'll be one of a few. Good thing they're connected by tubes and the trains aren't running, eh?"

 

[Kana Truden]

They did not have the same idea of fun. Kana felt her hand wrap around her saber again. It seemed to weigh a lot more heavier than she recalled. With luck she wouldn’t have to use it, but something about this entire plan made it seem as if she wouldn’t have the choice. Battlefields were rarely the place where choice and consideration made it into the hands of those who acted on their own behalf. Even if said behalf was technically for someone else, yes.

“And what if the bombs have collapsed these tunnels? Much less the resistance to block Imperial access.” Kana said and shook her head. “No, we need to be absolutely certain of where we are going. The tunnels are a greater danger than they are worth, we could get caved in as well.”

“How about we track down a radio for either side? There’s bound to be…” She sighed in disbelief at what she was about to say. “There’s bound to be plenty of dead soldiers, all we need is the one.”