Sera leaned against the bar of a dingy cantina. It was another nameless rugged dirtball in the Outer Rim. Her right Lek twitched slightly, the Force telling her trouble was imminent. It didn’t take long to confirm trouble had come. She could feel the Dark Side before its wielder entered the establishment.
She swallowed the rest of her drink and rested her right hand on her blaster. Three black clad storm troopers entered the bar and scanned the room.
She straightened up, dropped some credits on the counter, and went for the door, knowing the encounter was going to end in a fight.
“Where do you think you’re going?” The lead trooper asked suspiciously.
“For some air.” She pushed past him.
The troopers ignored her until she got to the door. A man dressed in black and red blocked her exit.
Sera figured he was a try-hard Jedi hunter. He wore a modified Imperial uniform. She had heard about the inquisitors. This man wasn’t one of them. He may have wanted to be, but he wasn’t.
He eyed her with interest. “You are a Jedi.”
“The Jedi are dead.” Sera responded and pushed him out of the way. She hoped to take the fight to the street.
His face lit up. “Your hatred of the Jedi would serve the Emperor well.”
Sera laughed. “Its own strict adherence to dogma and misunderstanding of it destroyed the order from within. Its subservience to the Republic led to its demise. The Order chose the Republic over the Force without ever understanding it.”
“As a Jedi you are subservient of the Force. The Dark Side allows you to bend it to its will.” He countered.
Sera crossed her arms. “You only have the illusion of control. In the end the Force our relationship with the Force is the same. I flow with the gentle breeze. You stir up eddies and storms. Soon enough, you will snap like a tree in a hurricane.”
The man laughed. “Jedi nonsense. They lied to you. You can bend the force to your will.” He was almost angry at Sera’s words.
“To accomplish what? What is it that I need? Power?” Sera responded. “Power over what? Illusion of power over the force? Power over people? I want neither of those.
“We have nothing more to talk about.”
One of the stormtroopers fired at Sera. The purple blade of her lightsaber extended and deflected the blast harmlessly into the side of the building on the other side of the dirt street.
The other two opened fire. She deflected one blast into the first trooper who had fired on her, killing him. She made a short leap towards the shooter and sliced through his chest armor.
With two blindingly fast steps she sliced the last trooper's blaster in half and decapitated him.
The man recovered from an instant of shock and ignited his crimson lightsaber.
Sera whistled. “It’s certainly red.”
“You’re skilled, Jedi. I’ll give you that. But can you face the power of the Dark Side?” He started twirling his blade.
Sera backed away as the man pressed forward. She made a overhead chop, knowing he would be able to deflect it. But it would require him to take a more active role in the fight.
He parried with and brought the blade chest level for a side slice. Sera flipped out of the way and landed on her feet a meter away.
The man ran at her twirling the blade. Sera stamped her foot and force pushed him into the wall to his left. She leapt towards him bringing her lightsaber down. He countered and force pushed her back. She was prepared and landed on her feet several meters back. He jumped to his feet. “Who are you to defy the will of the emperor. Jedi scum!” She could tell he was trying to channel his anger. She laughed at him loudly. “The emperor’s little pet. Yapping like a Jawa.”
Sera began to circle the man as he closed in.
He used the Force to throw a chair at her. She flicked her blade, and the chair came apart. He flung a couple of more items at her to test her. They were easily deflected or dispatched. She could see his anger building.
He looked around the crowd. Sera watched his face fall on a child. She caught the girl in midair and gently pushed her into a crowd of people to soften the landing.
While she was trying to safeguard the girl, he charged her. She had a split second to react. She was able to get her blade up in time to stop his from cutting into her.
He forced her backwards with each blow. The last blow was intense enough to push her off of her balance and she fell backwards. As she fell, she caught his midriff with her boot right boot and kicked him over her head with a Force powered assist. He ended up on the roof of one of the buildings. Sera had time to get to her feet before the man leapt down with an overhead chop. She jumped back a few meters and his blade scorched the ground.
She twirled her blade once. “Not going the way you expected?” and smiled.
He bellowed in anger and charged again. Sera brought her blade up and countered. The Force of the oncoming blow pushed her back.
She smiled again as she parried and dodged his strikes. “I can feel your little tempest tantrum.”
She pushed towards the man. Suddenly he stopped and lunged for her. She knew she wouldn’t have time to parry so she led with her right arm and reached under her jacket with her left. As expected her right arm came away from her body but now, she was inside of the man’s guard and ignited her shorter lightsaber into his heart.
Sera whispered into the dying Jedi hunter’s ear, “I trust the will of the Force.”
She withdrew the blade from his chest and let his body fall to the ground and looked down at the remains of her cybernetic arm. The curved handle of her lightsaber was still in the grasp of her hand. She put away her shoto and picked it up. She took the red lightsaber from the dead hunter’s hand and examined it.
It was a standard Jedi lightsaber. He would have been old enough to have survived the purge.
The girl she had saved was crying, but visibly unharmed.
“I hope you weren’t expecting a miracle. This isn’t the core.” The man behind her walked around to check her.
She flexed her hand. It looked like he had taken what was left of her old arm and made a few adjustments.
“This is some pretty expensive tech. How do I pay you back?”
“Your playmate left you some money, so I took what I needed and for spare parts and a tidy little profit.” He tossed her a handful of Imperial credits and a data cylinder. “He left you these.” “Thank you.” Sera caught them with surprising ease.
“Don’t mention it, ever.”
Sera had retrieved the bag of personal possessions from the room she had rented. It was time to move on.
The field outside of the town served as a landing field. One ship stood out from the other rough looking freighters lined up. It was matte black with red highlights. Someone had put the helmets of the storm troopers on spikes in front of the open boarding ramp.
She looked up the boarding ramp and drew her blaster.
A BD3000 service droid greeted her at the top. “Oh, you are not my master.” She seemed surprised.
Sera ignored the protesting droid and investigated the rest of the ship.
On the outside it resembled a standard Corellian freighter with a few extra external sensors.
One of the cargo bays had been converted into some sort of machinery room. Based on the bank of heat sinks she assumed it was a stealth system.
The rest of the ship had been decorated to the hunter’s tastes.
When she opened the door to the third cargo bay, she found his trophy room. The BD3000 protested even hard when she walked in. “You are not allowed in there. Only Master Kelcore is allowed to access this room. He spends a lot of time in there she reflected.”
Sera turned to the droid. “I’m afraid your master is no longer with us.”
“Oh my. Did you kill him?” She asked with a deep concern.
“Yes.” Sera answered honestly.
“Are you going to kill me?”
Sera chuckled. “Not unless you attack me.”
“Oh good.” She replied quickly. “I was worried.”
Sera laughed again.
“I am designated E-55-A.” The droid introduced herself.
“Sera.” The red Twi’lek responded.”
“It is nice to meet you Mistress Sera.” The droid seemed satisfied with the introductions and wandered off.
“Essa.” Sera called out.
The droid ignored her.
“E-55-A” Sera repeated.
“Yes mistress?”
“What is the name of this ship?” Sera inquired.
“The Hand of Kelcore.”
Sera rolled her eyes. “Thank you, Essa.”
“Why are you calling me Essa?” The droid wondered.
“Its easier than saying E-55-A every time.”
“Very well. If you have any more questions, I will answer them the best that I can.”
The controls were standard for a Corellian freighter, with the exception of the panel marked “Stealth system” and the extra sensor package.
The power cycle sounded rough, but it started with relatively little problem. She would have to do some repairs while in flight. It wouldn’t be long before someone came to investigate the disappearance of the stormtroopers.
The planet wasn’t of much use to the Empire so security was limited to a single cruiser monitoring the incoming and outgoing traffic. The data cylinders contained Kelcore’s codes, so she passed by with ease.
The trip to Foxglove Station took around three standard days. She had been there once before, between Ryval and one of the other planets she had hid on. She had been to three other planets since the rebellion she helped lead. She couldn’t remember the names of any of them.
The ship offered her a way to keep moving and still make money.
As she packed up Kelcore’s trophies she considered using the cargo bay as a cell. She felt she could be a successful bounty hunter. Most of the trophies were trinkets looted from people Kelcore killed. She only found three lightsabers among the trophies.
“How may belonged to Jedi, and how many were taken from people who were playing Jedi.” She thought. The moment he faced someone who had lightsaber training he lost. She laughed to herself.
She could sell the valuables and probably make enough to pay for things she needed to update the ship’s identification transmitter and any parts she would need to make the necessary repairs.
“I believe Master Kelcore would prefer that you leave his trophies where they are.” Essa scolded Sera.
“I don’t think he will mind.” Sera assured her.
“Very well.” The droid started placing items in crates.
“Essa, did Kelcore make any modifications to your programming?” Sera asked after a bit. She was almost afraid to ask.
“What sort of modifications do you mean?” Essa sounded confused.
“Can you access Imperial data?” Sera looked at her seriously.
“Oh yes. My secondary function is to access data networks and update my master on information on the local area.”
Sera pursed her lips and nodded. “Have you done it before?” Sera followed up.
“Master Kelcore was confident in his knowledge that he never used this function.” Essa told her.
“It is quite useful to know local customs and factions.” Essa explained.
Sera agreed.
Kelcore was never a Jedi. He had come from a wealthy core world family who bought him safety and a place in the Empire as a freelance Jedi Hunter. He was fed assignments through some agency to investigate possible Jedi encounters. They seemed to be mostly dead ends or con artists. He aspired to be an inquisitor, but based in his entries, he never stood a chance. His encounter with her had been completely coincidental. He was there investigating a wandering fortune teller who claimed to use the force to read people’s futures.
Sera cursed as she realized the transmitter identified her as an Imperial Agent. She found herself flanked by two Z95 headhunters from Foxglove station.
She slowed the ship to a stop and explained the situation. “The previous owner of this ship abandoned it. I am claiming salvage rights.”
The voice on the commlink asked “Are you planning to sell it?”
“No.” Sera said without further explanation.
“Landing Bay Seven.”
She flew the ship into the landing bay flowed by the two interceptors.
Landing bay seven was in a relatively remote part of the station. They still didn’t trust her.
When the ramp touched the ground several people in brown uniforms ran up the ramp and covered her with their blaster rifles.
A green Twi’lek woman in the same uniform walked up the ramp and looked Sera over. “Sweep the ship for trackers.”
The security troops spread out throughout the ship.
She looked at Sera with suspicion. “Why did he abandon the ship?”
“I killed him.” Sera responded honestly. “He got me confused for someone who would let him finish a fight.”
One of the guards walked in holding Kelcore’s lightsaber.
“That yours?” The Twi’lek asked, pointing at the handle.
“No. It was his.” Sera looked at the guard.
“Then you won’t mind if I take it.” She said. She was calling Sera’s bluff.
“Don’t cut your hand off.” Sera told her.
“How did you take down a Jedi?” She watched Sera. “They are tough opponents.”
“I guess he wasn’t a Jedi.” Sera shrugged.
“Are you a Jedi?” The commander asked.
“The Jedi are dead.” Sera offered, the shrugged again.
“This lightsaber says otherwise.” The commander countered.
One by one the guards returned and told her the ship was clear.
“What is your business here?”
“I need to change the ID transmitter and make some quick repairs to the ship. I also need to get rid of some of the previous owner’s junk.” Sera explained.
“Do the Imps know he’s dead?” She asked Sera.
“I doubt they care if he is. They might be angry about the stormtroopers that died with him. But the folks where it happened aren’t to friendly with the Imps. So it might be a while before they catch on.”
The commander took the lightsaber. “This should cover the docking fee.”
“It’s got a red blade. Be careful who you try to sell it to.” The commander ignored her and walked down the ramp. The guards followed her.
“Mistress the guards made off with several of master Kelcore’s trophies.” Essa reported. “Do you wish them reported to the authorities?”
“No thank you Essa. They would be the one’s investigating the theft.” Sera explained.
Essa considered Sera’s statement then busied herself.
The core of Foxglove station was a massive open market filled with just about everything available. Sera browsed the stalls and kiosks looking for the parts she needed. It took her about an hour to locate the slicing software that would allow her to change the ship’s ID. She had to trade just about everything she had brought to get it, but she figured it was worth it.
She chuckled when someone offered to sell her Kelcore’s lightsaber.
A Duro stood behind the counter in the freelance freighter dispatch office. “I wan to register my ship for jobs.” Sera told him.
He laughed. “I heard about your ship.”
“What did you hear?” Sera asked.
“I heard the previous owner abandoned it after starting a fight he couldn’t finish.” He looked her over. “The registration fee is pretty steep, but I think I might be able to help you.”
He took out a data pad and studied it. “I need a package delivered to Sussik Van. You get it there and the fee will be waved.”
“What’ your ship called?” The Duro inquired while filling out the registration paperwork.
“The Songbird.” Sera said without really thinking about it.
“What’s your name?”
“Sera Wes.” She responded, again without thinking.
“Alright Captain Wes, sign here.” The Duro turned the data pad so she could read the form. After skimming through it, she signed it.
“What am I carrying?” Sera asked before she walked out.
The Duro laughed. “This is a no questions asked job. The package will be waiting at your ship when you get back.”
“Is it dangerous?” Sera asked. “What precautions should I take in transport?”
The Duro laughed again. “Don’t get caught with it. And don’t open it.”
Sera turned to leave without further questions.
“Hey, Twi’lek.” The Duro called behind her.
Sera turned.
“Build a good reputation and you’ll be able to set any terms you want. You can also sign on with a Hutt Cartel. I here Galla is looking for pilots.”
Sera waved and walked out.
When Sera returned to the Songbird, she found a droid operated skid with a large box.
“Winton needs you to sign for this.” The droid sounded surly.
Sera signed the document and picked it up. The box was bulky but not particularly heavy. She assumed it was mostly packing material.
The moment it was clear of the bed the droid sped off.
“You got a minute?” The Twi’lek guard commander walked up the ramp behind Sera.
She set the crate on the ground and turned.
“Winton took a shine to you.” Her tone was a bit more casual than their first encounter.
Sera nodded. “Seems so.”
“I’m Nadja.” She reached out her hand for Sera to shake.
Sera took it.
“I don’t know how you escaped the purge. But it means you’re resourceful, that’s a good skill to have. You’ve obviously seen some fighting, that means you’re pretty tough. That’ll get you through scrapes. But make sure you are smart.” She tapped Sera’s head with her finger. The Empire pays good money for Jedi, don’t trust anyone right away.”
“What makes you think I used to be Jedi?” Sera asked.
“I know all of the Twi’leks working freelance in this sector whether captain or crew. I don’t know you. Everyone would know you. Plus you came here with a stolen Imperial ship and no idea of the process for registering it?” Nadja laughed. “If you weren’t a Jedi, you’d have been long dead.”
“I’ll be more careful.” Sera told her.
“This is a safe haven. But you leave that Jedi rubbish in space. No space magic, no laser swords. If you find yourself on this station again and you draw attention to yourself, I’ll turn you in personally.” Her tone was serious but not hostile.
The message was received.
“Essa, tell me about Sussik Van.”
Sera asked her droid as she worked to update the identification transmitter.
“Sussik Van? Are we going there?” Essa was excited.
“Yes. Have you been there?” Sera realized someone might recognize her ship.
“Oh yes. Master Kelcore spent a great deal of time and money there.” Essa admitted.
“Tell me about it please.” Sera looked up.
“It is made up of multiple biomes. For example, the dense forests of the temperate biome are the favorite hunting grounds of many wealthy corporate and imperial officials.
Master Kelcore spent a lot of time in the casinos.”
Essa paused. “I believe you will be quite popular there Mistress Sera.”
“Why is that Essa?” Sera assumed she already knew, but she was curious anyway.
“Twi’lek women seem to be very popular companions among the guests. And Red ones like you are very rare.”
Sera knew what was coming but made a face anyway.
“Is there something wrong mistress? You look distressed.” Essa realized it might have been her. “Did I say something wrong?”
“I’m not sure how to explain this Essa.” Sera thought for a moment. “Your statement was correct. But it is something that affects me personally. So you did not cause my discomfort.”
“I can omit that line of deduction in the future.” Essa offered.
“That would be best.” Sera nodded in affirmation.
The ship npo longer known as The Fist of Kelcore lifted off of the landing pad and hovered as it came about. Sera announced her departure and the ship flew out into space. “This is Captain Wes of the Songbird departing.
Once the ship was free of Foxglove Station’s gravity well the Songbird jumped to hyperspace.
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