37: A Kind Word
For just a moment, all was still. Neither alicorn nor human dared to move a muscle, they scarcely dared to breathe. Both stared unblinkingly at the glittering device, somehow clean and shining in the midst of decay and waste. It drew the eye like a beacon and, once there, somehow held it enraptured.
As ever, it was Twilight’s rational mind that kicked into gear first, pulling up what limited facts it had. The Imperial databases on Equus had had nothing to say on the subject, and the information from the cell she worked with was scarcely better. Holocrons were repositories of data, accessible only by a Force-user, said to contain the greatest mysteries and secrets their creators had to offer. The Sith had made them in ages past, as had the extinct Jedi Order. The former tended to favor pyramidal designers, according to the scant images of the targeted treasures they had. Of the latter, there was no information.
“Where the frag did he get that?” Janus whispered.
Twilight shook her head.
“…Do we try waking him up first?”
Twilight hesitated. It was an odd feeling, but…
“Let me try.”
“You sure?”
She shook her head.
“Ah.”
Twilight straightened her coat, holstered her pistol, and walked gingerly into the room. The scent of spice was everywhere and after a foot or so discarded paper crinkled beneath her boots. The princess winced, but the old man did not stir. Janus stayed where he was, covering her with pistol in hand. Twilight stepped delicately up to the bedside, paused, and took a deep breath.
And got a rusty pistol shoved right between her eyes.
“I KNEW IT!” the old man screamed.
“GAAAH!’ Twilight jumped, stumbling backwards a step until she came into contact with the empty bunk. She lost her balance and fell on her rear.
“Freeze!” Janus brought his own gun up towards Kresh’s head. He was summarily ignored.
“I knew it,” the man repeated, this time in a muttered half-whisper. Neither his eyes nor his gun wavered from Twilight. “I knew it all along.”
“Knew… what?” Twilight managed, heart pounding frantically.
“I knew he’d come after me soon, I always knew it. He wants every last piece. You work for him, don’t you?” His gaze shifted to Janus, but not his weapon. “Or maybe the Empire. You came here for this!” Suddenly his gun was pointed at the holocron itself. “But you can’t have it! We won’t let you take it!”
“Who’s we?” Janus asked.
“Him! Him and me, of course.” Kersh giggled as though that were the most obvious thing in the world. “We’re the best of friends.”
“Okaaaay,” Janus gave Twilight a look, finger on the trigger of his blaster. She shook her head.
“Whoa there,” Twilight sat back up, hands open and empty. “We aren’t here to take anything from you. We’re here for you.”
“You’ll never take me alive!” He yelped, pistol jumping back to Twilight. “I won’t go to whatever torture dungeon he has set up, you hear me?!”
“We’re here to help you,” Twilight clarified hastily.
“Like that quack back on Corellia?” Kersh looked at her funnily.
Twilight blinked. “Nooo…” she hesitated. “We’re here to get you out of here.”
“But why would I want to go? It’s so cozy here and I have such good company.”
“Because the Imperial Security Bureau knows you’re here,” she answered. “And because Vader’s sent an Inquisitor to lead the hunt for the artifacts. They know you’ve been associated with… ‘his’ deceased companion. And soon they’ll be coming in to grab you, just for that.”
“Alas poor Yorrick!” Kersh held up the holocron, staring at it. “He was a good man. A greedy man. A stupid man. He cheated at sabacc. But a good man.”
Twilight kept her silence for the moment.
“But then he got the big job. Paid a fortune for just run. His partners and him, they got greedy.” He whispered conspiratorially to the shining hexahedron. “Wanted even more money. Sent Yorrick to talk to him. Brought a sample to dangle. Then he died.” The old man let out a small sob, wiping a tear from his eye. “So I took it from his place. Keep it safe. Or maybe sell it. No no!’ he reassured the device. “I’d never sell you now. Now that I know.”
“Know what?” Twilight couldn’t resist.
Kersh glared balefully at her. “It’s rude to eavesdrop.”
“Sorry.”
“Where was I…” he paused. “Oh yeah!” Kersh levelled the gun at Twilight again. “You work for him, don’t you? Admit it!”
“We don’t work for Maul,” Twilight insisted. “We don’t work for the Empire. We’re here to get you somewhere safe before they get to you.”
“But I’m already somewhere safe,” he muttered. “Great service too. Anyone got a light, by the way?”
“More spice is the last thing you need right now,” Twilight looked him in the eye. “You’re in danger for what you know, and for that thing in your hand. I know it seems strange that we broke into your room in the middle of night… that could have come out better.” She scratched the back of her head. “But anyway, my friend and I don’t mean you any harm. All we’re here for to ensure your safety. All we ask in return is a few questions. If you still want to, you can keep the holocron when this is all over.”
“He can?” Janus interjected.
Twilight silenced him with a glare.
“I know you don’t recognize us,” she continued, “but all we want is to keep you safe. Maul and Vader both want you, and it won’t be long before ISB agents are knocking down your door. If that happens they’ll take the holocron and throw you in some dark hole for the rest of your life. Do you want that?’
“They’ll never take me alive,” Kersh hissed.
“I’m sure they won’t but wouldn’t you rather stay alive?”
The old man actually seemed to consider it. “Guess so.”
“We can help you with that,” the princess said earnestly. “No tricks, no underhanded agenda. We two are all about helping people, making sure people like Vader can’t step on everyone with impunity. Does that sound like a good thing to you?”
“Suppose it does,” the gun wavered a bit in his hands. “What’s the catch?”
“No catch, we just want to get you out of here before you come to harm.” She paused. “If our cause sounds good to you, do you think you could help us out?”
“And how would I do that?” he clutched the holocron tightly to his chest, pistol now clearly pointed at Twilight again.
“Just come with us, answer a few questions, and we’ll let you off again somewhere safe.” Twilight promised. “We’ll give you as many options as feasible. But we have to move quickly. There are people on their way even now with far fewer qualms about shooting a man in his sleep.”
“I…” Kersh hesitated himself.
“Don’t you want to honor Yorrick’s memory?” Twilight pressed. “These people, Maul and the Empire, they killed him. They killed him for the treasures. Do you want them to get away with that?”
“Of course not!”
“Then help us,” Twilight pleaded. “We’re doing everything we can to keep the treasures out of their hands. We’ve lost friends along the way as well. We know what they’ll do to get their hands on them. That’s why we can’t let it happen.”
“I… don’t suppose we can.” Kersh said slowly. “What did you want me to do again?”
“Just come with us,” Twilight repeated. “We’ll take a speeder ride for a bit, ask you a few questions, and then drop you wherever you prefer.”
“I have always liked speeder rides.” He looked at the holocron, hesitated, then lowered his pistol. “Alright, I’ll take you up on that. You seem like trustworthy folks, far as folks breakin’ and enterin’ go.”
“Uh, thank you,” said Twilight, standing up. “Don’t mean to rush you but please grab your belongings. We don’t know how soon someone else could be coming, but it could be any time.”
“Shouldn’t be too hard, didn’t pack that heavy.” Kersh turned towards the pile of junk and blankets strewn about the floor, and took a few wobbly steps in that direction. Then he turned back around.
“You know, if you people just take me out back and shoot me in the head, I’ll be very disappointed in you."
A few minutes later, a greying smuggler, her bodyguard, and a scruffy old man clutching something wrapped tightly in a blanket like it was his firstborn crept out a disused side entrance of the Rusty Hydrospanner. They were quick and, considering their situation, reasonably stealthy. It took them a few minutes of elaborate doubling back and looking over their shoulders for tails, but eventually they reached an appropriately aged-looking speeder that may or may not have been bought third or fourth hand from a Coruscanti junk dealer. Despite the condition of the vehicle it started easily enough, and the trio zoomed off into the night.
They never noticed the Imperial probe droid hanging high overhead.
Stats
Page generated in 0.032 seconds
Total duration
932 users online
479,133 hits today, 2,073,628 yesterday
FIMFiction
My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic Fanfiction
Designed and coded by knighty & Xaquseg - © 2011-2024
Follow & Support Us
Support us
SubStar
Chat!
Discord
Follow us
Twitter
MLP: Friendship is Magic® - © 2024 Hasbro Inc.®
Fimfiction is in no way affiliated with or endorsed by Hasbro Inc.®
Well this is going to end well. Why didn't anyone think to look up? They do have flying droids, nobody has any common sense in any world I think.
Now the question is, who will get to them first? Will it be ISB, or Luna. Neither one will be good for our heroes, but it will be much worse if it’s the latter, especially for Twilight, considering Luna gave her “fair warning” last time.
8652660
It's not like the droid is hovering ten feet above their heads, it's hundreds of feet up holding a static position over the entire area. Little more than a dark pinprick in the night sky.
Finally caught back up, remebered why I favorited it. Good work as always.
I'm loving all these updates but please, don't burn yourself out man. I want to hear how this all ends.
8652695
And what this drone has caught, I’d wager Luna will see it too... If she senses Twilight again, things will get more complicated!
The general vibe I have about the situation is less than positive
The REAL question is: Is Kersh actually that crazy, or is the Holocron (or a spirit attached to it) actually talking to him? Either way is entirely plausible.
Thank you once again for another update. I'm amazed how fast these chapters are coming out.
Whew, this is updating fast! I love it, good work so far! :D
“So I took it from his place. Keep it safe. Or maybe sell it. No no!’ he reassured the device
1. Meant to be a closing quotation mark.
Now I'm just wondering how quickly Luna will be able to process what the droid just witnessed...
8653109
If Luna does come in, I sure hope Twilight and Janus will make it. But I’m seriously afraid Twilight won’t get out of a second encounter unscathed...
This is heating up fast and the danger is gonna ramp up this where the story of Twilight is won or lost and only time will tell us which it is
>>Snake Staff
Glad to know you didn't give up on this story. My readers have already informed me of the new chapters coming out. Once I repair my keyboard, I'll make sure to translate them.
So glad to see this back. Can't wait for more to come in the fulness of time.