There Is No Peace

[Sreeya]

The Sith Lord grimaced at his orders. He had barely healed from his wounds when the Empress had commanded him to teach the Jedi Councilor. What was there to teach? She had devoted her entire life to the cause of the Jedi. All of that had been stripped away in one sweep. To him, she would be a clean slate. However, much of her memories remained, and she could potentially be a loose canon, if she ever recovered from the mental exertion of being severed from the Force. Thaed despised the task of having to take her, as he found more promise in young acolytes barely learning the saber.

Regardless, ignoring the orders of the Empress wasn't an option. Thus, Thaed was here today inside the Korriban academy. He had brought Ebberla here unconscious, though she would be waking up soon. The Zabrak impatiently strode back and forth in front of her, not unlike what he had done in battle. The hilt of a saber twirled in his hand. He sensed her shifting, her Force signature only that of a living sentient, and nothing more. Thaed turned to face her, his eyes narrowing.

"What do you feel?"

 

[GABA]

Soft bursts of red flashed in front of her eyes before she even opened them. Her head was foggy; the effects of the drugs injected into her were wearing off as she regained consciousness. She lied on the floor as her head cleared, the footsteps echoed a little louder in her ears. Years of habit caused the Corellian to reach out into the Force and as in her many attempts since her meeting with the Empress, nothing. She furrowed her brow and opened her eyes, her surroundings were not familiar, she was in a different room. She rolled over to stand up, her body still aching, arm still throbbed.

A familiar voice spoke.

Ebberla moved a little quicker now, her heart thumping as she jumped to her feet facing the Zabrak from Ossus. Her eyes narrowed she reached out again. Nothing.

“What do I feel?” she questioned finding it an odd question, what did he care? “I feel you can stop drugging me. I feel you at least spare a bacta patch. I feel-“ Ebberla paused feeling herself get worked up, “I feel nothing, but everything.” she sighed and then raised an eyebrow, “What do you want?” she asked him, “And where am I now?” her eyes looked around the room.

 

[Sreeya]

Thaed's face was devoid of expression. Inwardly, he wanted nothing more than to destroy the pathetic weakling in front of him. As a Jedi, she had been fierce. Now, she was nothing more than a shadow of who she once was, a broken spirit. She was entirely disposable, and a complete waste of time. His thoughts reverted back to Andraste, wondering what she had in mind for this wretched creature. Was it just a game to her? To let a cat play with a mouse? The Zabrak half listened to what Ebberla said, his eyes soon narrowing.

"You will not be treated as a princess here, so do not ask it. I ask the questions here."

He took sight of her as she stood, noting the stump. If she proved herself, she would have a replacement. For now, those thoughts were far away.

"Emotion. What emotions do you feel? Do you feel anger? Do you feel sorrow? Do you seek vengeance?"

At the last word, a mocking grin graced his features.

 

[GABA]

That grin…Ebberla hated it.

“Of course I feel all of those.” She replied, “Just because I’m a Jedi doesn’t mean…”Ebberla paused her thoughts lingered on Jedi, “doesn’t mean I’m void of emotion.” She continued trying to read the Zabrak’s facial expressions, but it was futile, she couldn’t find a clue to what was going on.

“But vengeance?” she looked down at her stump arm, a thought trailed across but she paid no heed to it and shook her head, “No. It’s a wasted effort, Zabrak.” The young woman replied trying her best to look for any hint of the Sith’s intentions.

 

[Sreeya]

Thaed scoffed at her words, cutting her off in the middle.

"You are no longer a Jedi, woman. You do not bear the title of a Force user. You are nothing but an empty vessel that has been drained."

He clipped his saber back onto his waist.

"We will learn nothing here. Come with me."

The Zabrak turned and walked out of the training room, expecting her to follow. They would depart in his ship, off towards Nar Shaddaa. The journey would be silent, as the Zabrak had no intention of speaking to Ebberla more than he had to. He was irritated enough to even have to be stuck with her.

---​

It was night when they had arrived on Nar Shaddaa, Thaed having lead Ebberla to some of the seedier parts of the planet. The Hutts controlled all the sectors, but some were under the control of the local crime lord. The district was alive with music and the resounding thud of a consistent bass from all around. Thaed was clad in a black cloak, hood pulled over his head. He was far from the only hooded figure around, the streets littered with drunkards and bar patrons.

Thaed did not stop at any of the bars, instead crossing into an alleyway that smelled strongly of urine and garbage. He ignored the assault to his senses, continued down the path before he descended down a set of steps that lead to an underground street. He bade for Ebberla to follow, not uttering any words as he continued walking. The path would stretch for a while before voices could be heard. He quietly turned the corner and held out a hand for Ebberla to stop, beckoning her to peer down the alley. Thaed spoke at last, keeping his voice low.

"This is called the Cat Walk. Watch closely."

As they did, a young girl, no older than 10 or 11 was paraded around in front of old, sleazy men. She was scantily clad, shivering in the cold, her face tear stained. She wasn't the only one, as a line of adolescent girls were lined up. Thaed appeared to be completely unaffected by the display, lighting a cigarra and billowing out the spiced smoke.

"Your Jedi go around acting as saviors. Have you ever been down here? Ever seen the true nature of the galaxy?"

One of the girls was harshly grasped by her wrist and physically dragged into a building, which was obviously a brothel.

"They don't show you this during training, do they?"

He smirked, leaning against the wall as he smoked the cigarra. He curiously kept track of Ebberla, ready to step in if she made a move towards the girls.

 

[GABA]

The Corellian narrowed her eyes in annoyance to Thaed interrupting her. He turned around and left the training room. Ebberla hesitated but followed him anyways as he lead her to his ship. He didn’t speak a word and Ebberla was glad.

The ship would come out of hyperdrive to a much familiar world: Nar Shaddaa. There were many memories for her there, from her times as a smuggler, to the most recent encounter with the Sith Warmaster, Sogar. Ebberla winced as she filed through memories and then frowned, “What are we doing here?” she asked flatly, but the Zabrak wouldn’t give her answer, not yet.

She followed him from the ship, her curiosity getting the best of her as he lead her further into the shadier parts of what the planet had to offer. Ebberla was familiar with them, however, even during her days as a smuggler, one was smart to avoid unless they were looking for trouble. The noise from the bars sent shocking bursts of colorful light in front of her sight, she blinked wildly to rid of them unsuccessfully. No one paid any attention to the two.

Following him across an alleyway, he motioned for her to stop explaining their location, she halfheartedly listened as she observed.

“No need to show, I already know this stuff exists. It needs to be stopped.”

She watched carefully, her brow furrowed and she automatically reached for where her lightsaber would be. She frowned with agitation and then begun analyzing the area, where they were, where the girls were, the men, possible weapons, get away vehicles. A plan formed in her head and she walked a few steps forward and reached into the Force. Nothing.

Ebberla froze, her muscles tensed with frustration. She couldn’t do a thing, she would be crazy to run in unarmed. Another girl was picked and dragged into the building. The Corellian turned back to the Zabrak, her hazel eyes were on fire, “You’re a bastard.” She sneered to him watching the cigarra smoke dance around his face.

 

[Sreeya]

Thaed grinned as she spat out an insult.

"I do not deny the accusation."

He remained silent, feeling the anger radiate from her. Despite her loss of connection to the Force, emotions were very easily felt from any sentient. Thaed decided to take it up a notch, gathering the Force into his mind. He concocted an image of what would be going on inside the brothel, what would be happening to the girls. He, of course, was unaffected by the visual, but it would be enough to truly hit Ebberla at the core. Without further words, he suddenly poured the images into Ebberla's mind. She would be blinded to her surroundings and be forced to witness the atrocities committed by those men. She would hear the screams of the girls, see them being stripped and all the details that would make her sick to her stomach.

"Oh, but I think there is a need to show. A need to show what your precious Jedi have done nothing about."

 

[GABA]

Ebberla’s attention turned back to the brothel, urging to stop the barbarity that was occurring behind the walls, but in all reality, she knew she couldn’t do a thing. She turned on her heel taking a few steps away and then turned back in frustration; her eyes shot another nasty look to the grinning Zabrak.

“I’m a Jedi! I should be stopping this! Now!” her struggling to keep calm as her anger bubbled beneath her. She paused in her agitated pace, she winced as she felt something creeping into her mind, her own sheer will to keep the invader out was not enough.

Images began flashing inside her head, her world faded from her vision only to focus on the girls being taken inside. Helplessness gripped the Corellian as she was forced to watch and listen to the girls screaming and crying. She heard the Zabrak’s words echo in her head as she stood in the alley, her eyes starring beyond what she was looking at.

“But I’m a Jedi…I can stop this!” she whispered, her own words echoing quietly over the screams of the girls, “I can stop this!” she forced out her words, though she knew, alone, she could not. And Ebberla was very alone.

 

[Sreeya]

"You are not a Jedi, fool. You are a human. Nothing more."

Thaed took another long drag of the cigarra, still casually leaning against the wall.

"And even when you were a Jedi, you did nothing to stop it. Let me ask you something, human."

He tilted his head to look down at the weak woman.

"If you had gone in to stop it, what would you have done? Handed those men over to the Alliance authorities?"

Thaed had seen it multiple times. Jedi avoided killing at all costs, unless it was in self defense. If a Jedi stopped a crime, the perpetrators were often taken to jail. Thaed gazed up ahead, watching as a girl was dragged away by her hair.

"..Imagine being able to serve your own justice. Imagine the freedom of taking the reins for yourself. It's power and control beyond your wildest imaginations. It's your disgust, your hatred, you anger..all channeled into your strength."

Thaed looked at her again.

"You are human. You were born with emotions. Was it a mistake of nature to grant you emotions? You, who most likely believe everything happens for a reason...why do you believe you were born with your humanity? The Jedi work to strip that away. Is that not an act against the natural progression of life? Is that not a perversion? Whereas..you can embrace it..arm yourself with it..and truly master the Force."

 

[GABA]

Ebberla blinked a few times, her surroundings fading back to the alleyway. She cringed at the word 'human' as she listened to the Sith, her eyes flickering from Thaed to the brothel down the shady street, his words sat in her head heavily.

The Sith was right, she knew these sex rings existed, except even as a Council member herself, she never did anything about them. Her mind and others focused on the affairs internally of the Jedi and with the distraction of war, it left little time to help others who really needed help. Even if she did stop them, she would have to hand them over to authorities, where they would serve their jail time and then go back to what they were doing before. People only changed when they wanted to, never when others force them to.

"I'm not that ignorant, I taught emotions are fine, not to deny them, like now, I cannot escape them." she stated quietly, "But to act in them," Ebberla watched another girl being dragged in, she clenched her fist, eyes narrowed with anger, she shook her head to chase out thoughts, but her anger bubbled to the surface, she turned around and kicked a duraplast crate.

Her toes stung from the force of the kick, but she ignored it placing the palm of her hand to her forehead and pressed it intensely against her skull and let out a heavy sigh. Her mind tried to find comfort in passed lessons, searching for that once familiar warmth she so relied on when she was distressed. Nothing but pain came.

"Can't master much of anything without the Force Zabrak." she replied, her eyes fell on him and then to the girls still lined against the wall. She shook her head in defeat, helplessness overcame her, her mind still throwing plans of dissolving the situation down the alleyway. She pushed them out of her head, "Are we done here?" she asked, her voice lined with agitation.

 

[Sreeya]

"You can. You can master your emotions. Master that which is inherent."

He did not look at her as he spoke the words. It was almost as if it had been a stray thought, that had accidentally escaped his lips. Inwardly, he was slowly beginning to understand why Andraste had bestowed this task upon him. She wanted Ebberla to be reborn, and he was to herald her. Thaed grimaced at the thought, once again believing he had far better things to do.

"Yes, we're done here."

He snuffed out the cigarra, turning on his heel and walking away. Even then, each step was precise and practiced, graceful as if he were on the battlefield. It was a true testament to his title as a blademaster. Despite a promotion in rank, he would always remain a master of the saber. Thaed once again led her to the upper city, into an alley that was alive and blissfully unaware of the depravity ensuing below.

"There is no peace. There is only peace in ignorance and warped fabrications of reality. Peace in perceptions you forcefully adopt. Without the Force to blind you, it shall be even more apparent. You can see reality without the weight of purpose, without the choice of good or evil. You simply see reality and the galaxy as it is. Through it..you shall learn that there is no peace."

 

[GABA]

The Corellian gave the Zabrak a curious look before he put out his cigarra. She watched him walk away and followed a few steps behind not returning a look to the brothel as it disappeared in its alley and hidden behind buildings. Her thoughts spun in her head and it annoyed the young woman as she was unable to thoroughly control them. She took a deep breath in trying to clear them out, her mind so used to looking for the Force for guidance, but with it no longer there it felt like a jumbled mess to decipher.

Ebberla walked silently, no words came to her lips as they reached the upper levels of the city. It was alive with music and bar patrons; her sight was interrupted with flashes of color caused by the sudden waves of exotic music and voices as the two passed doorways on the streets.

The Zabrak found words for her again and she listened, walking a little closer since she was unable to successfully drown out the rest of the noises that surrounded them. She gave a small frown to his statement, she had heard that before: there is no peace, it was part of the Sith code, but jogging her memory she couldn’t remember where or who she had learned it from.

“Peace is possible. “ she replied, “Though funny how in order to obtain peace in the galaxy now, a Jedi thought it could be possible through war. Seems like more damage done…” her voice trailed off in her thoughts, “You cannot force peace upon others, it doesn’t work that way.” Ebberla spoke, whether or not the Sith was going to listen, she didn’t care.

“However, just because I am a Jedi-“ Ebb paused, her eyes had scanned the inside of a bar as they passed, her mind slow to register, still fatigued from earlier events. However, the alert it sent Ebb stopped her in her tracks. She glanced back to the Sith, then ignored him and took a few steps backwards peering into the bar. Her eyes fell on a familiar face. He was talking with a Twi’lek female, still dressed as he had when she first saw him nearly 20 years ago. His hair now streaked with silver, his face was a bit more hardened, but he obviously still had a charm Ebberla remembered when she first met him.

Her mind flashed back, a once trusted friend had recommended him over waiting the extra time to save a few extra credits to buy herself a ticket for public transport. Impatience had won and she paid for it, her credits stolen and held at blaster point so he could sell her off for a handful of credits. She had learned to let go of that event, believing everything happened for a reason and she had doubted she would have seen him ever again. However, tonight, she now stood watching him, her mind flooded with conflicting emotion and confusion.

 

[Sreeya]

Thaed noticed her pause abruptly, raising an eyebrow in curiosity. He said nothing in response to her words, watching her body language. Her mind, unguarded with the aid of the Force, was easy to read. He caught glimpses of her past, a flood of memories piecing together a collage for him to picture. He couldn't help but find amusement in it, observing as she simply stopped without doing much else.

"An old friend?"

As Ebberla had once been attuned to the Force, she would no doubt know he had seen what she remembered. Thaed took a few steps ahead, gazing at the man.

"We are presented here with a choice."

He pulled out another cigarra, lighting it. He had an obvious smoking problem.

"You can do something about him, you can let it go, or you can report him to authorities."

Smoke plumed out from his nostrils.

"..By the way, he has the local police in his pocket."

Thaed cast Ebberla another curious glance, expecting her to do absolutely nothing. Without another word, he began to take steps forward, away from where she had paused. The weight of his words, however, would begin to encompass her mind.

 

[GABA]

Ebberla stood in the doorway moving only when someone wanted to enter or leave as she kept her eyes on the man still flirting with the Twi’lek. She knew that the Sith would have seen everything she was thinking, her mind was an open book and she didn’t bother trying to keep others out. She felt her thoughts spin out of control, flooding her mind with the situation before her.

The Sith spoke, smoking another cigarra, explaining her choices and what not her choice could be. She frowned in thought, her eyes fixed on the man, never-minding where the Zabrak walked off to. She wanted to let go, knowing this encounter surely happened by chance, however, the galaxy wasn’t as big as one thought it was and events had a tendency to happen for a reason. If she had seen him now what were the chances she would see again in the future?

What were the chances he was still kidnapping people and selling them? High…

Ebberla sighed, she knew she could report him to authorities, but not here on Nar Shaddaa at least, she knew that for fact. She was also sure the Sith wasn’t going to let her waltz to some GA supported planet neither to tattle on a man she saw on Nar Shaddaa.

The Corellian blinked, slightly lost in her train of thought, she wasn’t watching the man and he wasn’t where he was standing just moments earlier, neither was the Twi’lek. Ebb’s hazel eyes scanned the bar hastily. She walked inside, not thinking twice, angry at herself for not paying closer attention. Bar patrons gave her an odd look, she could feel the eyes on her, knowing she probably looked like a mess. She reached for the Force to push their minds elsewhere but no avail.

She huffed with frustration and moved faster crossing through the bar reaching the back. She stood in a small hall with a few doors. Ebb checked them, finally finding a back exit leading into alley behind the building. The Corellian pushed open the door quietly peering out; seeing no one, she slipped out the back. Ebb heard giggling and shot a look down the alley where the Twi’lek walked with the human male. He was whispering something in her ear and then she let out a small yelp of surprise.

The man tossed aside a needle as he let the Twi’lek fall to the ground, unaware Ebberla stood watching him a short distance away. Ebb felt her heart thumping loudly, her thoughts spun wildly as she tried to find calm, but she couldn’t wait, she wasn’t going to let him get away. A burst of adrenaline rushed through her veins, her eyes narrowed and she burst into a sprint; the man saw her and went to pull out his blaster, but Ebberla hit him first, knocking both of them to the ground, the blaster skidding down the alley.

She struggled to pin him down, her right hand out of commission, no Force to aid her strength, she was finding this difficult. He tried to push her off, but she threw her weight on top of him, but he was still stronger, throwing her off. Ebberla hit the cement; she quickly rolled to her feet and saw the needle he had used on the Twi’lek. Grabbing it, she jumped up, the man was to his feet too, going for his blaster. She ran into his back with her shoulder, knocking them both back down to the ground, and she thrust the needle into whatever flesh she could find.

He yelled in surprise and annoyance, Ebberla climbed onto his back pinning him as he faced the ground. He tried to reach for the needle jabbed into his side, but Ebberla grabbed the needle and stuck him again inside his shoulder blade. He yelled again and tried to flip her over, but even without the Force, though not as strong, she was still quick; grabbing his hair, she slammed his head down into the pavement with as much strength she could muster. The man let out a moan of pain, but didn’t struggle any further.

“You may not remember me. But I surely remember you.” She hissed, “I may have only been twelve, but I wasn’t lying. It was Corellian’s word.”

 

[Sreeya]

Thaed had wandered off to the nearest bar, asking for a glass of whiskey as he puffed on his cigarra. With Ebberla's inability to use the Force, her life energy was easy to pick out. He knew where she was, though he did not follow her. He quietly sipped the whiskey, feeling the sudden surges of emotion radiating from her. He had a faint inkling of the path she had chosen, and he quietly found amusement in it.

"All right, here's your 20 credits."

The bar man grinned as Thaed forked over the money, having lost the bet on what Ebberla would do. The Sith Lord found the situation to be quite amusing, and only wondered where her actions would lead.

---​

Meanwhile, people began to emerge from the back of the alley, as they had been waiting on the potential slave. The first two to emerge were large thugs, both armed with blasters. Another three men emerged from the bar's back exit, walking into the alley and cutting Ebberla off from both sides. They both looked down at the man on the ground, but appeared to be unconcerned at the state of his situation.

"Well, well, well..looks like we can get one without havin' to pay the old bastard this time."

They grinned at each other, and then looked back at Ebberla. One of them whipped out a knife. He took a few steps forth, twirling it in his hand.

"Now, we can do this the easy way..or the hard way."

 

[GABA]

Ebberla still gripped a handful of the slaver’s hair when the squeak of the back door sent a flashing pattern of yellow to her vision. She didn’t need the Force to give that bad feeling she was accustomed to feeling on occasion. She released the man’s hair, letting his face plant into the pavement again. She looked up from where she kneeled atop of him seeing two fairly large men approach from the end of the alley carrying their blasters.

She slowly rose from her spot, keeping her eyes on the two men with blasters. She should have known he would have not been alone and cursed under breath. She glanced to where the bar exit door stood, two more men were approaching from the opposite end of alleyway. Ebb’s body naturally begin looking for the Force as it begun to prepare itself, she felt vulnerable without it and annoyed that she couldn’t feel its familiar pulls and whispers it would have normally in any given situation.

But now wasn’t the time to sit on such thoughts and pushed them out of her mind in order to focus. She quickly analyzed her area as one of the men spoke, looking for option of escape, however, she had a feeling she would definitely be fighting her way out; and there was no Force to coat her words with persuasion in order to just walk away. Her eyes slowly looked at the ground, the blaster that had fallen earlier was a few feet away near the men who had exited from the bar; but her gaze didn’t remain on it as she finally landed on the man now approaching, twirling a knife.

“That’s cliché.” Ebberla spoke raising an eyebrow, “We should it my way.” She begun inching her way towards the men closest to the exit, the thugs with blasters still in her peripheral vision, “But I guess that would be the hard way? Yes?”

 

[Sreeya]

"Tha's right."

The man grinned. Without warning, he abruptly threw the knife at her, letting it sail and aiming it for her shoulder. He followed it up by taking a swing to the left side of her face, circling in a mean left hook. It would be enough to fracture her cheekbone. The men with the blasters hung back for the moment, though they were ready to jump in.

Meanwhile, the downed slaver feebly attempted to reach for his blaster, hoping all the new arrivals would distract Ebberla enough for him to get the upper hand.

---​

Thaed, in the meantime, was busy buying drinks for a female twi'lek that decided to plop down next to him. She found Thaed to be hilarious, which was always a good sign. The Sith Lord made up an occupation as an avid fighter that would be in next year's Teras Kasi championships. That was more than enough to snag her attention.

"Sooo, do you wanna go dance?"

Thaed coughed, almost spitting some of his drink out. It was a question he had been dreading. He quickly looked at the bartender, whose eyes suddenly glassed over as he brought forth a mug of beer that was intended for another customer. Thaed gladly pulled it towards himself, turning back to the woman.

"Sorry, Tara, I'm going to have to finish this first."

"My name's Tiana..."

"Right, Tiana.."

Thaed bit back from rolling his eyes.

 

[GABA]

The thug was fast for Ebberla, she was so used to being faster, but now she was on level with everyone else. Her brain processed the flying projectile before her consciousness took hold of what was happening. She turned her body, letting the knife fly past, hearing its clank far behind her. The thug came at her, his left arm raised and he was bringing it around and Ebb knew better than to stand still.

She took a large step backwards, just far enough she could still feel the air move from the power of his punch as his hook came to hit where her head once stood. She took another step back, then pushed off her right foot, closing distance quickly between her and thug. She twisted her body, forming a fist with her left hand and sent it backhandedly in order to lock it against the thug’s jaw.

 

[Sreeya]

The thug caught the fist, pivoting around Ebberla to twist her arm behind her back. He would then put his weight above hers to slam her down to the ground. The fact that she didn't have her right hand would make it all the easier to incapacitate her. In the meantime, the others prepared the blasters to fire, the four of them closing in around Ebberla to surround her from all sides. The thug that attempted to pin her laughed out loud.

"You ain' gettin' out of this, little girl. No matter how hard you try."

 

[GABA]

Her wrist was caught by the thug, she went to kick him only to aid the thug into knocking her to the ground, his weight fully on her as she hit the pavement. The wind was knocked from her lungs and she was sure she cracked a rib as pain from her side pulsated into her fingertips. She gasped loudly, a white light blinding her vision momentarily and then yelled out in frustration. Ebberla struggled, trying to pull free from the man’s grip of her arm, but with the strength of his grip and the weight she lied under, she couldn’t roll onto her back to free herself from such a vulnerable position.

She heard the thug laugh and it only made her angry. Angry that she didn’t have a hand to work with, angry she was here in the first place, angry she wasn’t strong enough to free herself. She cursed out loud in Old Corellian, cursing the thugs and then the Sith.

“I will get out and you will regret it!” she spat at them furiously.