PART IV: THE AWAKENING
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CHAPTER THIRTY
--8 ABY, Coruscant--
Captain Nazar stopped before the door to the apartment, hesitating as he held up a green fist to knock. He looked over his shoulder at his young human lieutenant, who wore a solemn expression on his face.
"This isn't going to be easy," Nazar murmured.
"I know," Wallen Nix sighed. "Something like this is never easy to break to someone. But it's something we must do regardless."
The Falleen inspector nodded as he turned back to the door. "Right you are," he muttered before rapping his fist on the door.
A couple minutes passed before the door slid open, revealing a gold-plated protocol droid. The 3PO unit started to speak only to realize who the visitors were and deduced the reason for them being here. Without a word, he stepped aside to let them in.
"Princess, Captain Solo," the droid called to the living room. "The two gentlemen from Republic Intelligence are here to see you."
Immediately two figures emerged from the room, wearing anxious looks on their faces. Nazar cleared his throat as he extended a hand to them, which they each shook.
"Senator Organa. Captain Solo. I trust you are doing well?"
"We're getting by," Han Solo said as he put an arm around Leia, squeezing her shoulder. "Is there... anything we can get for you two?"
Nazar shook his head. "No. Thank you, but no." He glanced at Wallen, who returned an impassive look. Looking back at the couple, the Falleen said, "Do you mind if we sit somewhere?"
Leia and Han exchanged a look before the former said, "Not at all. Please, come in."
The two inspectors followed the couple into their living room. While Han and Leia seated themselves on a couch, Nazar and Wallen sat in two separate chairs opposite them. A moment of silence passed between them before Nazar cleared his throat.
"We've... found something on Birren."
"Found what?" Leia asked, her voice suddenly sounding hoarse.
"A... a body," Nazar said, finding it difficult to get the words out. He looked down at his feet to avoid the Solos' gaze. "We sent it in for examination and... the doctors confirmed it for us that...."
The words caught in the Falleen's throat and his green-skin darkened with tension. Picking up on his unease, Wallen shifted forward in his seat, meeting Han and Leia's distraught eyes.
"Mr and Mrs Solo," he said quietly. "Your son Ben is dead."
--Now, Jakku--
"These pieces are... one quarter portion."
The Saurin's mouth fell open in shock, black eyes widening at the sagging Crolute situated behind the gated window of his concession stand.
"What?!" the lizard-like alien exclaimed. "You can't be serious!"
Unkar Plutt sneered, an ugly sight to behold. "I am always serious."
"But... but...." The Saurin gestured dramatically at the many ship parts he had turned in. "Last week Altax regulators were two quarter portions!"
"Demand changes, Durkus. That's how the system works." Plutt slid the portions across the counter, continuing to glower at the lizard. "Now take your payment and go."
"No." Durkus squared his shoulders and stared at Plutt with a look of defiance. "I will not stand for your stinginess any longer, Crolute. You will give me the proper amount I deserve."
"What you deserve is the Constable's staff shoved up your--"
"Gentlemen, can you please move along? This stuff can get really heavy."
Durkus turned around to see a young human woman standing behind him, lining up with others to trade salvaged parts. The Saurin looked the female up and down before baring his teeth.
"Watch your mouth, girl. You should be careful with who you pick fights with."
"I'm not looking for a fight," the woman said calmly. "I'm looking to trade my parts in and you're making me -- as well as those behind me -- wait longer for what is, in my opinion, an extremely petty reason."
Durkus' eyes flared and he opened his mouth to snap back at her, only to be cut off by Plutt.
"I have the Constable on the line right now, Durkus," Plutt snarled, holding up a communicator. "Either take your portions now or I'll have Zuvio haul your end out of Niima Outpost with none. Take your pick."
The Saurin did nothing at first, continuing to glare at the woman, before turning around and snatching his portions from the counter. With a derisive sniff, he strode off and the woman stepped up to the counter, dumping her salvaged parts onto it.
As he went through the pieces, Unkar Plutt shot a glance at her. "That's twice in as many weeks that you've nearly scared away customers. This had better not become a habit, Rey."
"Me?" the woman returned. "You were the one threatening physical violence. I was just--"
"Listen, girl," Plutt snarled, leaning against the grated window as he raised a very round finger. "Since day one you've been nothing but a burden -- a useful burden, but a burden nonetheless. If I start losing money because of you...."
"You'll leave me to the Sinking Fields," Rey finished for him, rolling her eyes. "So you keep saying, but you never act on it. It's almost as if you...." She tilted her head, smirking slightly. "...Care."
If the Crolute's face wasn't already ugly enough, it only became more unpleasant when he scowled. "Crolutes do not 'care.' That's not a word they teach where I come from." After calculating the parts' worth, he came up with a total and slapped the rations pack on the counter. "One quarter portion."
Without a word, Rey collected her payment before leaving the Concession Stand. Unkar Plutt watched as she left before beckoning the next scavenger forward.
* * *
Wallen groaned as he slowly came to. His entire body felt like it was being pressed down by something -- or rather, someone. Opening his eyes, he saw that the latter was indeed the case.
An Ithorian was standing over him with a long fingered hand on his chest. Eyes closed, the Hammerhead hummed softly, carrying the notes with a coaxing tremor thank to their kind's four throats.
After a moment. Wallen started to feel uncomfortable in this inexplicable scenario he had found himself in and he shifted slightly. The Ithorian opened their eyes upon feeling the movement.
"Ah," the alien said, their amplified voice carrying a female-sounding lilt. "You're awake. Good. Nurik, go fetch Master San Tekka, will you?"
Wallen caught movement in the corner of his eyes as a young Rodian boy left the tent they were in. He then returned his gaze to the Ithorian, who was still looking down at him.
"Where am I?" he asked.
"You are in Tuanul," the alien woman replied.
"Okay." That did not answer his question at all, since he had no idea where in the galaxy that was, but he decided to move on to his next pressing query. "How did I get here?"
"We found you and four others passed out in the Kelvin Ravine. It was fortunate that we found you when we did; a minute too late and the sands would have taken you."
"Others?" Wallen started to sit up at this. "Are they here? Are they okay?"
"They are well," the Ithorian said as she gently pushed him back now. "We have taken care of them. You can relax."
That was not an option for Wallen. As far as he was concerned, they were not out of the woods yet.
"Wait," he said. "You said four others... but there were six of us. He... he was on our ship."
"What did he look like?"
"Tall. Clad in all red. Wore a helmet and mask. Kind of intimidating, but he was our ally... at least until...."
The Ithorian shook her large t-shaped head. "I'm afraid I do not know of who you speak of. We saw no such man when we found you."
Wallen sighed. "Well, we have to find him. I fear he is up to no good."
"The desert is a vast and treacherous path." Behind the Ithorian, the flaps of the tent parted as an aged, white-haired man entered, followed closely by the boy who had been sent to retrieve him. "Wherever your friend has gone to, I fear it will be near impossible -- and very foolish -- to search for him."
Wallen's mouth gaped as he stared at the old man, putting the latter's face to long-term recollections. "You... you're Lor San Tekka. The old explorer."
A small smirk crossed San Tekka's features. "My reputation continues to precede me, it would seem. It has been quite some time since I've done any exploring, however. I'm not sure that title is still befitting of me."
Wallen smiled. "Well, you're every bit the man I looked up to in my youth. I would watch your drama holos every morning as a kid."
San Tekka scoffed. "Those wretched things. A heartless cash grab on my personal endeavors. Granted, the man they got to portray me did a decent enough performance...."
A wistful look flashed in the old man's eyes before he shook his head.
"Ah, but enough about me. Since Vonnuvi here has answered most of your questions, I have a few of my own to ask you."
"Fire away."
"For what purpose have you and your companions come to Jakku for? There is very little of interest to find here; even Tatooine is a more worthwhile visit."
"It was not my intention -- nor any of the others -- to come here," Wallen said. "If I had to guess, it was Atha Prime who brought us here."
San Tekka raised an eyebrow at this. "Atha Prime?"
"Yes. Do you know him?"
San Tekka opened his mouth to reply but stopped, glancing sidelong at the Ithorian woman. "Vonnuvi, would you please take Nurik back to his mother?"
The Ithorian bowed her head before taking the Rodian child's hand and leaving the tent. San Tekka then turned back to Wallen and sat down at his bedside.
"What do you know of Atha?" the Alliance detective asked.
"I only know the name," San Tekka replied. "It is one I recall being passed around during the Clone Wars, attributed to a terrorist who aided the Separatists."
"Doesn't sound like the Atha I know," Wallen muttered. "Granted, Xemer told me it was a name he adopted...."
San Tekka looked thoughtful for a moment before saying, "This Atha of yours... describe his appearance to me."
Wallen gave him the same description he had given Vonnuvi. When he was finished, San Tekka once again looked pensive, bringing his folded hands to his mouth. After a moment, he then stood up and started to leave the tent.
"Rest for now," he said to Wallen. "I must contemplate on this further. Vonnuvi will be by soon to provide you with food and water."
Before Wallen had the chance to stop him, San Tekka was already through the flaps of the tent, leaving the detective to himself.
This, Wallen could already tell, was gonna be a long day.
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