Political tools

The air hung heavy with the scent of blooming flora and the hum of a thousand speeder engines on the sun-drenched streets of Coruscant. Zer'Vel, a towering figure in his black and gold Mandalorian armor, stood before Senator Valorum, a Naboo representative known for his elegant attire and even more elegant speech. Vex, her cybernetic enhancements glinting in the sunlight, stood a few paces behind him, her datapad humming with the constant chatter of Coruscant's network.

'You are sure of this, Zer'Vel?' Senator Valorum's voice, though refined, held a tremor of unease. 'This is a dangerous game we are playing. The implications are far-reaching.'

Zer'Vel's helmet remained impassive, his voice a low rumble resonating through his modulator. 'Senator, I am a Mandalorian. I do not shy away from danger. You hired me to remove an obstacle, and that is what I intend to do.'

'It is not merely an obstacle,' Valorum argued, a flicker of desperation in his eyes. 'This man, Senator Atticus, he holds a position of incredible power. His downfall will ripple through the entire Senate. Are you aware of the consequences?'

Vex, her red eye glinting, interjected, 'Senator, with all due respect, our job is not to worry about ripples. We remove targets, we get paid. End of story.'

Valorum's gaze shifted to Vex, a frown etching across his face. 'You are a curious one, aren't you? A young woman, so comfortable with… death.'

Vex shrugged, her cybernetic arm moving with a faint whirring sound. 'Death is just another data point, Senator. Something to be analyzed, processed, and dealt with. It's all zeros and ones to me.'

Zer'Vel, his hands resting on the dead jedi's lightsaber, spoke again. 'We are not here to debate the virtues of death, Senator. We are here to ensure your political ascension. Senator Atticus must be removed. We have been hired.'

'Indeed.' Valorum sighed, his shoulders slumping slightly. 'Very well. Then let us proceed.'

He led them through a maze of corridors, the polished marble floors gleaming under the overhead lighting. The air was thick with the scent of expensive perfume and political maneuvering.

They arrived at a massive double door, emblazoned with the Senatorial seal. Valorum gestured towards the door. 'This is it. Senator Atticus' office. He is currently in a meeting with several of his cronies.'

Vex, her slim slicing knife glinting in the dim light of the corridor, nodded. "Any security measures we need to be aware of?"

'Standard Senate security,' Valorum responded, 'Nothing out of the ordinary. I have provided you with access codes to the system, but be warned, his office is heavily fortified.'

Zer'Vel, his imposing figure casting a shadow over the corridor, stepped towards the door. He placed his hand on the surface, his gauntleted fingers tapping out a series of coded sequences. The door hissed open with a hydraulic groan, revealing a spacious office bathed in the warm glow of the evening sun.

Senator Atticus, a rotund man with a face flushed with power, sat at his desk, surrounded by several associates. He raised an eyebrow at their unexpected arrival.

'Senator Valorum,' he said, his voice smooth and oily, 'What a pleasant surprise. I was just discussing the future of Naboo with my colleagues. Are you here to join our discourse?'

Valorum stepped forward, his face composed, but his eyes flickered with a chilling intensity. 'Senator Atticus, I regret to inform you that our meeting will have to be postponed. I have brought some… associates with me who require your… immediate attention.'

Atticus let out a low chuckle. "Associates? What would you possibly need associates for, Senator?"

Zer'Vel, his helmet still obscuring his face, stepped into the room, his footsteps echoing on the marble floor. 'We are here to end your political career, Senator Atticus,' he said, his voice a low growl.

Atticus, his smile fading, rose from his chair. 'What is this nonsense, Valorum? Are you attempting to intimidate me? I have friends in high places, you know.'

Vex, her cybernetic eye glowing, walked into the room. 'Friends are nice,' she said, her voice laced with a cold indifference, 'But useless when you are dead.'

Atticus, his face turning white, looked from Zer'Vel to Vex, his eyes wide with terror. The weight of the situation seemed to crush him as the reality of his predicament sunk in.

Zer'Vel raised the Jedi Master's lightsaber, the blade igniting with a crackle of energy. The light illuminated the room, casting long, distorted shadows on the walls. A deep, primal fear seemed to grip Atticus, his body shaking with almost unbearable tension.

"We had a deal, Senator," Zer'Vel said, his voice echoing in the silence. "We were hired to deal with you. There's no room for negotiation. We are not here to play games."

Atticus, his voice a mere whisper, pleaded, "Please, Senator Valorum… I beg of you… Spare me."

Valorum, his face unreadable, stepped forward. "I'm afraid I cannot, Senator Atticus. You made enemies, and now you must face the consequences."

Zer'Vel, his eyes hidden behind the reflective visor, took a careful step, the lightsaber humming softly. The air felt thick with anticipation, the silence punctuated only by the faint hum of the lightsaber.

He lowered the lightsaber, pointed it at Atticus' chest, and fired. The plasma bolt sizzled through the air, striking its target with a barely audible hiss. There was no scream, no explosion, only a sudden stillness that descended upon the room. Atticus, his expression frozen in a mask of terror, slumped over his desk, his blood staining the pristine white fabric.

Vex, her cybernetic arm clicking with a faint whir, stepped toward the fallen Senator, her red eye scanning the room. "He's gone. Mission complete."

Zer'Vel, his helmet still obscuring his face, sheathed the lightsaber with a practiced movement. The sudden silence in the room was almost deafening.

Valorum, his eyes fixed on the lifeless body of Senator Atticus, spoke with a voice tinged with an unsettling calm. 'Thank you, Zer'Vel. You have done what I needed you to do. I will see that you are compensated appropriately.' He turned, his steps measured, his gaze seemingly lost in the distance.

Zer'Vel, his form a brooding shadow in the stark room, looked at the fallen Senator, his face impassive. He turned to Vex, his voice a low rumble, 'Let's go.'

As they walked away, the door to Senator Atticus' office closed with a final, echoing thud. The silence returned, thick and heavy, a silent echo of the events that had just unfolded. The opulent office, once the center of political power, was now a monument to a fallen star, a reminder of the ruthless game of politics and the dark consequences of ambition. The smell of blood, the faint hum of electricity, and the ghosts of a thousand whispers lingered in the air, a chilling testament to the power of death and the price of a political gamble.'This one should be a clean getaway,' Vex stated, her voice tinged with a mechanized rasp. She tapped a series of commands on her datapad, securing the route to their ship. A series of flashing red dots on her data screen indicated the presence of security patrols in the area.

'Good,' Zer'Vel replied, his voice muffled by the helmet. 'We need to move quickly. The Senate guards will be on high alert after our little… incident.' 'It was a political assassination, not an incident,' Vex corrected, her voice laced with a sardonic humor. 'And a very lucrative one at that.'

The senator, a corrupt politician known for his insatiable greed and influence in the underworld, met his end at their hands. The assassination, orchestrated by Vex's brilliant hacking skills and Zer'Vel's ruthless efficiency, had yielded a hefty sum of credits. 'Two thousand and five hundred,' Vex declared, her words amplified through a small speaker embedded in her ear. "Enough to fuel our next move, and put us on the map."

They walked in silence, their steps echoing through the bustling thoroughfare. Their paths were punctuated by the rhythmic whine of speeder traffic and the constant chatter of the Coruscant populace. They reached the edge of a bustling docking bay, where a multitude of starships, from sleek transports to hulking freighters, occupied the limited space. The scent of burnt fuel and metallic fumes hung heavy in the air, creating a unique olfactory signature. They navigated through a maze of docked ships, their steps swift and silent.

Suddenly, a sharp whirring sound cut through the noise. A lone, sleek BT-7, painted in the familiar silver and blue of the Jedi Order, glided gracefully into the landing bay. It came to a smooth stop, its engines sputtering into silence. From the cockpit, a lone figure emerged. A young Jedi, clad in traditional robes, his lightsaber humming softly at his side. The Jedi's face was set in a determined expression, his eyes scanning the surroundings with a sense of urgency.

The sight of the Jedi sent a shiver down Zer'Vel's spine. He instinctively reached for the lightsaber at his hip, his armor humming a silent warning. The Jedi's presence, even in his youth, carried an aura of power and a faint whiff of the Force. He was a reminder of the past, of the Jedi Master whose lightsaber he now wielded. The Jedi Master he had slain in a brutal and swift duel.

"This is not the right place," Zer'Vel growled, his voice muffled by his helmet.

Vex, her cyborg enhancements whirring softly, scanned the Jedi with a cool detachment. 'Maybe this is what they call a 'cosmic coincidence,'" she said, her voice laced with a mixture of amusement and suspicion. "Or maybe this is just another job."

The Jedi, hearing their exchange, turned towards them. His eyes, filled with a mix of sorrow and barely suppressed anger, locked onto Zer'Vel. "You are Zer'Vel," he stated, his voice steady and clear. "The one who killed Master Jaron."

Zer'Vel's hand tightened on the hilt of the lightsaber. His heart pounded against his ribcage, a primal fear coursing through him. He was a seasoned warrior, a hunter who stalked his prey, but the sight of the Jedi, the young Padawan of the Jedi Master he had slain, sent a chill down his spine.

"The galaxy is full of people who meet their end," Zer'Vel replied, his voice laced with a menacing growl. 'It's nature's way." He raised his rifle, a heavy blaster aimed directly at the young Jedi.

The Jedi's expression remained unreadable. He lifted his hand, the Force flowing around him, but his hand shook slightly. "You killed him for his lightsaber," he stated, his voice unwavering. "A relic imbued with the power of the Force." He sighed, his shoulders slumping. 'I was his Padawan… I was supposed to inherit it."

Zer'Vel's finger tightened on the trigger, his eyes fixed on the Jedi. The blaster hummed with power, ready to unleash its deadly energy. "The strong take what they want," he stated, his voice echoing through the hangar. 'The weak die.'

A deafening blast shattered the silence, sending shockwave that reverberated through the hangar. The Jedi, caught off guard, stumbled backward, his body convulsing as the energy of the blaster rifle ripped through his flesh. The young Jedi fell to the ground, his lightsaber clanging against the metal floor. A single, crimson stain bloomed on his white robe, blossoming like a macabre flower.

Zer'Vel's heart pounded in his chest, a savage satisfaction coursing through his veins. He had met his enemy, and he had triumphed. He had taken another step on his path to power and knowledge.

Vex, her cyborg enhancements humming softly, raised an eyebrow. "You really took the word 'mercy' out of your vocabulary, didn't you?" she said, her voice laced with a hint of amusement.

Zer'Vel ignored her. He walked towards the fallen Jedi, his footsteps heavy and deliberate. He bent down, his hand reaching for the fallen lightsaber, its energy still humming faintly. He picked it up, a grim smile tugging at his lips beneath his helmet. He looked up at Vex and said, 'Let's go. Our ship awaits.'

They turned their backs on the fallen Jedi and walked out of the hangar, leaving behind the echoes of the blaster shot and the silence of a life extinguished.