Cut Off One, Two More Take its Place

Devery missed his own caf maker. The one in his rented hotel room on Nar Shadaa was little more than a piece of junk, producing caf so bitter and burnt he threw it out more often than drank it.

Just a few more days, he thought as he winced at the mud like texture of the caf. He tried to swirl it around in his cup, but the sludge stubbornly stuck to the sides. Sighing, Devery put the cup into the sink and walked out of the small kitchen nook.

The apartment wasn't so bad, at least not by Nar Shadaa standards. Still, after three weeks here Devery was more than ready to go home. He felt like a caged animal, pacing back and forth until he could have swore there were marks in the cheap carpet worn down by his feet. This was not the type of case he usually worked – the long days of staking out buildings, the even longer nights of piecing together what he observed. That was what the more patient agents did. Devery, on the other hand, usually went in only when everything was already in place, when a direct and efficient approach was needed.

Why Tren'el, his supervisor at SIS, had put him on this case was a mystery even weeks after the fact. Was he being punished? Devery scratched absentmindedly at the scar that ran across his face. Tren'el was quick to bring up the incident on Corellia the last time he saw him. Maybe that was it.

“This is bullshit,” Devery said to the empty apartment. It had been a common phrase the last three weeks.

From the bedside table his holocommunicator started beeping. Walking over and picking it up Devery checked the alert on it.

1:30pm. Meeting at Aveker's warehouse in half an hour.

Finally. Devery dismissed the reminder and shoved the holo in his back pocket. Half an hour. Half an hour and the last leg of his mission could start and he could get the hell off Nar Shadaa. He grabbed his holster and clasped it around his body, adjusting the two weapons inside until they were snug. As he made his way towards the apartment door he slung a jacket on, effectively concealing his blasters. He did not need anyone getting suspicious.

Devery made his way through the streets of the city, going over his mission one last time. The parameters were simple: find and take out the leader of a slave ring in the heart of Nar Shadaa. The particular ring the SIS was concerned about was responsible for countless Republic citizens and POW's being sold into slavery to the highest bidder, whether it be Imperials or Hutts. It was lowering morale in the troops, as well as raising concerns of average citizens. It needed to be shut down, cut off at the head, in Tren'el's words.

It had taken longer than Devery had expected to find and infiltrate the ring. He had to be careful; to get close enough to do his job Devery had become a trusted affiliate. No one could suspect he was with the SIS. And I did a damn good job at that, Devery thought, nearing the warehouse. He was now headed to a meeting that would decide the next step of the slave ring, and how to proceed with the prisoners they already held. Aveker should be there, and with a bit of luck and a lot of skill Devery would arrange his own private meeting with the rings leader, and then finish the job. A quick blaster shot to the head would do the trick. Or, he thought, maybe a silent injection to the neck to take him out quietly. Either way, Devery would get to go home.

He reached the door of the warehouse and set his expression as indifferent as he could. Time to get to work.

Keliso had a history with people who thought themselves better than others; people who felt privileged enough to treat their supposed lessers like tools and possessions, no different from livestock. Keliso knew their kind well. It was only by the kindness of Republic soldiers and Jedi alike that she was able to escape that life as a slave. And now, after years of training and honing her skills as a young Jedi herself, the Council wanted her to travel to Nar Shaddaa to save a Republic diplomat, Caelken Brogall. He had gained quite the reputation over the last few months, enough to earn the scorn of many opposing factions: specifically the Hutt Cartel.

According to what the Council told her, the man had been flying through Hutt space when he was captured. As some form of sick joke, the Cartel planned to sell him off to the highest bidder, as a slave, plaything, whatever the buyer found most amusing. And it was surprisingly simple to learn of the Hutts plans; they must have spread the word as far as they could to acquire the largest audience possible. So, Keliso needed to find where they were keeping him and rescue him before this so-called auction took place.

She had spent a week or so on Nar Shaddaa now, working tirelessly to track the man down. And after some time here, Keliso decided that she liked this place even less than Coruscant. It was just as crowded, but neon lights littered the street buildings, everywhere she looked and advertisements blared in her face wherever she turned. It only encouraged her to finish this mission as quickly as possible, so she could sooner return to Corsuscant. Her investigations unfortunately led her to a place that put Keliso on edge, and set chills up her spine. Before her sat a warehouse which she had recently learned housed a slaver's operation. She couldn't escape her past, it seemed. And now, she was put in a position where her mission was not to stop the operation, but rather, save just one man.

Near the main entrance, Keli spotted a group involving a rodian, a few humans, and two burly nikto. They were likely intended as a discreet security, so as not to draw attention to the warehouse, but as suspiciously focused their gaze on a blonde haired man as he entered the facility, they made their role quite obvious. She was certain that these thugs would only let welcome visitors inside, so the front door certainly wasn't an option. It wasn't that she couldn't deal with a bunch of thugs, but she needed to slip in undetected. She found her way to a nearby alleyway on the side of the building and noticed an air vent up above that looked promising.

With a strength only a jedi could muster, Keliso jumped up about 6 feet and found purchase on the corners of the vent cover. She opened it without too much trouble and slipped inside, closing the vent behind her. Not knowing the layout of this place, it took Keliso some time to navigate the ventilation system, but she eventually found herself above a large meeting room, or so she assumed by the sound of multiple voices and from what little she could see through the slits in one of the vent panels.

"Please, be calm my friends! When this night is over, we will all be rich and happy men- and women. The Hutts so graciously gifted this opportunity to us, and what will they think if we refuse this chance?"

"You should be asking what the Republic will do when they find out we sold their precious senator?"

"Yeah, who's to say they won't come after us after finding out we did it?"

"It's well worth the risk, I promise you! Hundreds of people hate this man enough that they'll pay to kill him themselves, trust me!"

Keliso couldn't help but grit her teeth as she listened in on the discussion, hoping they would mention Caelken's location.

"Now let's all begin preparations for tonight's 'auction', shall we?"

Devery resisted the urge to clench his fist as he walked by the three massive bouncers at the door. They were there to make sure people like him didn't make it inside – people like Devery Eldon, SIS agent. People like Brael Faicor, slave smuggler extraordinaire, they let right in. He even gave them a slight nod of his head as he pushed the door open, all the while taking note of the blasters and virboknives they sloppily tried to conceal.

Brael Faicor was the identity SIS had given him for this mission. He even had the ID and contacts to back it up. Devery liked to think of him as a down on his luck smuggler who needed the fast credits transporting slaves would net him. To feed a sick sister maybe, or to save a lover from becoming a slave themselves. It was nonsense, of course, but it helped him maintain the ruse. The people running this operation weren't stupid, far from it. A believable alias was a must.

Still, it was hard to get used to answering to the new name. He only just remembered to react in time to the man speaking to him from across the room.

“Ah, Captain Faicor, you've made it. Please, let us get started.”

Devery walked over to the small group, taking note of who was present for the meeting. A rodian and a human he had seen before during his visits to the slaver's base, a cathar he hadn't, and Lin, Aveker's second in command. The man himself was absent. It could never be easy, could it? Devery thought to himself.

When he reached where the men were standing Devery nodded to Lin, who was already ignoring him. It seemed he had walked into an argument. He listened as they talked about the auction being held tonight – one of many Devery had heard about. This one, though, was special, and it seemed the higher grade of prisoner was making some of the men nervous. The cathar in particular was hesitant about Republic retribution. Devery had to hand it to him; the Republic was on to them. The senator was no concern of his, though. If taking out Avekar meant he was freed then the SIS would consider it a bonus, but if the auction still took place, well, Devery was not going to lose any sleep over it. That was someone else's job.

“And where's Aveker?” The cathar demanded, and Devery's ears perked up. “Shouldn't he be here planning this out instead of sending his assistant?”

Lin flinched at the words, and Devery noticed his fist clench. The poor kid deserved a bit more respect. From what he had seen Lin was the one running the show most of the time. Shame, he thought. I'll probably have to kill him too.

“He's busy personally overseeing the transport of the prisoners to subfloor three,” Lin answered, his voice carefully controlled. “He wished to be certain there were no complications.”      

“Complications like the Republic-”

“The decision has been made, that is all there is to it,” Lin snapped. He cleared his throat and turned to Devery, ignoring the cathar's attempt to continue the argument.

“Brael, you'll be ready to take Brogall off world and transport him to wherever the winner of our auction pleases, yes?”

“Yes sir,” Devery said, letting his voice drawl a bit. “That's what you're paying me for.”

Lin nodded, content with his answer. “Yes, and if you do a good job there will be more work for you in the future.”

Devery only smiled, knowing the truth. After today Lin would never see him again. Or, Lin would never see anything again, if he decided Avekar would be quickly replaced by Lin. In that case he had two targets today instead of one. Devery would have to think on it as he walked to subfloor three. Maybe even send a quick message to Tren'el to see what SIS thought.

“Well, you all have work to do. Get to it,” Lin said, and slowly the men wandered off to other parts of the building.

Once alone, Devery headed towards the elevator. Subfloor three. His plan was not going exactly as he wanted, but so far there were only minor inconveniences. He would find Avekar down in the lower levels and take him out there. It should still be simple.

When the elevator doors closed he pressed the button for subfloor three and waited. He checked the blasters under his coat, making sure they were still secure and hidden. The small room hummed into life and began its descent, bringing him closer to the end of his mission.

A small thud sounded from above him. Devery snapped his head up, inspecting the ceiling. Probably the machinery, he thought, then shook his head. No, that was much too focused of a noise to be moving plasteel. One hand went to his blaster, his fingers gripping it loosely. Was someone up there? Had someone figured out his real identity?

Ready to fight, Devery reached his free hand up to the panel on the ceiling and slide it aside.

The conversation down below continued to unfold and the assistant seemed to quell any further disputes within the meeting, and revealed to Keli that their boss, Avekar, was overseeing the transport of the 'prisoners', where she was likely to find Senator Brogall as well. It was simply a matter of finding her way to subfloor three. Though the man named Brael appeared to be heading there now, as the meeting came to a close, in which case she just needed to get to the elevator.

Swiftly and silently, Keliso crawled through the air vents and within a few minutes and some luck from not taking one wrong turn too many, she landed quietly on top of the elevator, dropping from the vent into the elevator shaft. She focused for a moment, sensing someone below her, likely Brael. Now she only needed to ride the elevator to subfloor 3 and she could continue with her mission.

Or well, she thought it would be that simple, at least until she heard the panel slip open to her right. Her head snapped in that direction, waiting a second... two seconds... before she dropped down, coming face to face with the man. He immediately reacted, ready for her as he started to aim his blaster. She immediately darted forward, knocking his hand towards the camera she spotted up from the corner of her eye. He fired, rendering the camera useless, and Keli immediately curled into him, elbowing him in the stomach so she could free the gun from his grasp and throw it to the side. She had to dispatch him quietly, which meant no sabers, and no blasters, and she was going to have to do it quick before the elevator came to a stop.

Devery had time to take one breath before a hooded figure jumped down from the open elevator hatch. The intruder had a small frame, and he could tell under the cloak it was likely a women, but little else. Not that he was paying much attention to anything about her other than the fact she was already reaching for his hand that was holding the blaster.

With a swift movement that, if Devery was able to stop and think about it, was much too fluid and effortless on her part, she flung the weapon out of his hand. The shot he had intended for her hit the security camera instead, shattering the lens and sending a small shower of sparks over them.

No blaster? That was fine. That was more than fine, really.

Devery had always been the smallest boy in class growing up. He was teased for how scrawny he was, how he looked more like a jawa than a boy. He had learned quick that the best way to shut the other kids up was a swift punch to the face. After being sent to the headmasters office more times than his mother liked, his parents decided he needed an outlet. They signed him up for various martial arts and self defense classes, thinking if he knew how to use his body he would be less likely to use it seriously on others. They had the right idea, and it did help Devery learn how to focus and commit to something, but it also meant that the fights he got into after that were more serious.

He had grown out of that stage of his life, mostly. The other kids stopped teasing him when they saw he was no longer a scrawny child that did not know how to correctly throw a punch. During his training and time at the SIS he honed his combat skills further, and now, years later, he was still that small boy, but he’d be damned if he let anyone get the best of him in hand to hand combat.

The woman was quick, he would give her that. She slammed her elbow into his middle, and he let out a low whoosh of air as it was knocked out of him. Luckily he had tensed his abdomen just in time and the brunt of the hit was absorbed into his muscles. Immediately he shifted his weight onto the balls of his feet and brought the arm the woman had not blocked back.

He had no qualms about hitting a girl; when it came down to it he wouldn’t hesitate to hit anyone that was fighting back or causing trouble. He landed a solid hit to the woman’s side, just above where her kidneys were. A sensitive spot, he knew, that would cause most people to topple over in pain. He had time to mentally approve of her pain tolerance as she remained on her feet, though she did stumble slightly back.

Devery did not let her catch her footing. He advanced another step and reached for her arm, aiming bend it behind her while applying pressure and forcing her to her knees.

Keliso winced as the man landed a precise hit into her side, and a small "Oof," escaped her. She stumbled forward, and before she could recover from the blow, he twisted her arm and she was forced to her knees. It seemed Keliso had underestimated her opponent, having assumed she could take him out quietly and continue her mission. Instead, it seemed she would have to rely on her other talents. She wasn't as strong in the Force as Bert was, but with a deep breath and a moment of focus, a force blast radiated from her form, albeit a small one, but enough to knock the man back against the wall.

Once freed from his grip, she rose to her feet and spun around to slam her forearm against his neck, pinning him to the wall. Even in such close proximity, her features were hidden by the hood draped over her face, save for the glinting mechanisms on each cheek. Now that she was up close, she noticed the same tech on his face. It was strange, that was certain, but she didn't have time to wonder about it.

With a sigh, she used her free hand to reveal the saber at her belt, "You've forced my hand." She would simply have to end it here quickly, and really, what was one less slaver as opposed to all the people they've enslaved? She would simply stow him away in the elevator shaft and be on her way. She did wonder how he had detected her when she landed on the elevator, there weren't many who could hear her light footsteps. Things would have proceeded much smoother had she been able to tail him like she planned in the first place. She took the saber in hand, and pointed it directly at his heart, and...

Devery thought the fight would end there, that he would force the girl to the ground and after a quick slash with his hidden vibroknife he could be on his way. What he hadn’t accounted for, and what he hadn’t expected in the least, was a blast of force knocking him back. The pressure hit him all at once, feeling like a mass of bricks thrown at every inch of his body. He hit the wall with a thud, the air painfully leaving his lungs for the second time in less than a minute.

With no time in-between the blast for Devery to recover, the woman sprang to her feet and slammed her forearm against his throat. He felt the slight crush of his windpipe and a weak cough struggled out of him. The woman was strong. She was strong and quick and that blast had come out of nowhere. It had radiated from her almost like…

“Fuck,” he spat out, realizing too late he was up against someone out of his league. This was more likely than not a sith, and he had a second to ponder over the implications that Avekar was working with the Empire brought up before his suspicions were confirmed with the unmistakable hilt of a lightsaber.

Except instead of the searing pain of a lightsaber, the next thing Devery felt was the warmth of the woman’s breath on his face as she spoke. You’ve forced my hand. That wasn’t something a sith would dare utter, and Devery would be one to know. He had spent enough time as a prisoner to the sith to know how they worked.

“Wait!” he said, his voice coming out sharp and almost like a hiss. “Lightsabers are loud. Kill me quietly or you’ll be found out, jedi.”

Devery took a chance with his words, calling the woman a jedi to see if she’d react. If he was right, she would listen. That would give him the information he needed, and he could reveal his own identity.

Her finger hovered dangerously over the button on her lightsaber hilt, prepared to end his life in the name of her cause. But then he hissed out a warning about dispatching him more discreetly, even making it clear that he understood she was a jedi. She became hesitant as she met his gaze, her face more visible beneath the hood she wore as she took in his features more closely now. He was indeed a cyborg like she was, even sharing a very familiar bit of tech on his face, albeit a bit more sleek than her old scavenged model from her time on Tattooine. The man also had a great sweeping burn scar across his face, and Keli was almost certain it was a wound from a lightsaber. There was something about the way he fought and how he addressed her, perhaps he was more than what she anticipated.

"Who... are you?" She lessened the pressure of her forearm against his neck, but her saber's hilt remained positioned over his chest, should he be trying to get her to let her guard down. She did briefly glance towards the elevator's electronic display, seeing that they were nearing the correct floor, so they did not have much time. "Answer quickly, and don't try to call for help- I'll silence you before you can so much as scream." Her gaze flicked back to him, the truth of her threat shown clearly in her eyes.

Devery was rewarded for his boldness by the slight release of pressure against his neck. The woman hesitated again, and her eyes scanned his face more intently than before. He saw them pass over his scar, his skin still red despite years of healing. The attention didn’t bother him. He was doing the same to her.

His own eyes caught on the glint the fluorescent elevator lights produced when they hit the woman’s face. Hidden beneath her hood, it slowly came into focus the more she leaned toward him. It was then he noticed the tech melded into her cheeks, and the eerie familiarity of the metal pieces. They were rougher than his, their edges almost jagged and a deeper, older, silver.

There was no time to wonder why this jedi had out of date and ill cared for tech though, as Devery too noticed the blinking light indicating the elevator was nearing its destination. He had only a moment to convince the jedi he was on her side, and that killing him would only complicate things.

“I’m an SIS agent,” he said quickly. “You can trust my word, or you can kill me. But that wouldn’t be very jedi of you, would it?”

Her last comment - the one about killing him before he could call for help - wasn’t very jedi like either. Instead of bothering Devery it almost made him smile. By the books jedi were impossible to work with. Maybe this one would be different.

Her eyes widened as the man revealed himself to be an SIS agent; her superiors said nothing about an agent being in the field, but what his mission entailed would have to wait until they could speak more freely. For now they had some damage control to take care of. Keliso quickly glanced from the damaged camera in the upper corner of the elevator, to the open ceiling vent.

Her face faltered slightly as he commented about how killing him wouldn't be very jedi-like. After all she'd been through she wasn't even sure she could be a jedi, at least in the sense of what people expected of her. But she couldn't let this thought distract her now.

"We don't have much time before they realize something is wrong," She said as she raised her hand up, pausing as she focused on the ceiling vent in the elevator shaft and willing it to close, "I need to find the Senator, help me reach him and I'll do what I can to help you. And I'm not like most jedi, so don't expect mercy if I find out you're lying to me."

And just as the elevator slowed to a halt, and the door began to slide open, Keliso vanished like sand on the wind, right before the agent's eyes.

Devery didn’t let it show how relieved he was when the jedi removed her hand from his windpipe. He managed to stop himself from coughing or rubbing his throat, the flood of air hitting his lungs sharp like ice. He didn’t have as easy a time hiding his annoyance at her words though. In fact, he didn’t even try.

“Help you?” He asked, raising his eyebrows in disbelief. “This is just fantastic. I don’t know what you jedi are up to but this mission has taken me weeks. Do not fuck it up.”  

He wondered if Tren’el knew about the jedi’s plans here. He probably did, and didn’t tell Devery just to make his life that much more difficult. The twi’lek had some choice words waiting for him when Devery was finally allowed to return to Coruscant, supervisor position be damned.

“Stay out -“ Devery started when the elevator came to a stop. His words died when he watched the jedi simply vanish. That was convenient. He didn’t like that he couldn’t see what she was up to, but at least neither could the rest of the warehouse.

With the doors now opening, Devery took a breath and with his next exhale put on an easy smile. He walked out into the hall with slow steps, like he had nowhere he truly needed to be. A guard stood nearby, blocking the way further through the floor.

“Stop right there,” he said, pulling a blaster and aiming it at Devery with a low growl. “What are you doing down here?”

“Aw, don’t point that at me,” Devery said, that same drawl he used earlier coming easy. “Captain Faicor. I’m looking for Aveker; Lin told me to help him get the product to my ship.”

He held an ID chip out, flinching a little when the guard took it and sneered. While he waited part of his mind was on the jedi, wondering where she was and what she was doing. This was a delicate mission, and if she ruined it he would’t hold back on her.

“Damn hick,” the guard said finally. He tossed the chip back, Devery catching it and shoving it back into his pocket. “He’s in bay fifteen. Hurry up or I decide to shoot you anyway.”

Devery did as he was told, hurrying along down the hall and out of sight. There were many doors, each labeled with a number, some ajar or fully open. Inside he could hear people, probably more of Avekar’s merchandise - slaves to be sold. Devery walked by each door, searching only for number fifteen.