One Last Job
Jaden hated Coruscant, while it was true he was born here and he'd also never been anywhere else he still hated this place. He'd never felt at home here, it's like he couldn't breathe sometimes, everything felt so artificial so fake. For fifteen years he'd been on his living on this planet, and for as long as he could remember he'd been trying to get out.
He didn't care where he went but he did have a preference, he'd seen it in pictures a few times but he wanted to go to a place full of plants and greenery and silence. He'd make it there eventually, luckily he was quite a tech wiz, he did find the irony in being so good with technology and yet wanting to leave it all behind. But it was mostly out of necessity that he got that good, how else would a kid survive on level 1313 arguably the worst level on Coruscant.
"Make sure you acquire every bit of data the Raptors have on Senator Beltriss otherwise you won't get paid." A voice said through Jaden's commlink.
"Come on you guys know I'm one of the best I'll be in and out before they even know I'm there, isn't that why you contacted me." Jaden said with no small amount of arrogance dripping from his voice.
"No one else within our price range would accept the job, do you job Star Prince!" The man shouted before cutting off the communication between them, Jaden cringed when he used his Bounty Hunter name. Even though it was only a few years ago he'd thought it was such an amazing name at the time... until someone actually used it for the first time.
Jaden was currently crawling through a ventilation shaft that could barely fit his body in, on his back was a blue and black droid that he'd built himself "How far away are we SD8," Jaden asked as he kept pulling himself through the shaft.
"Beep beep boop,"
"That far? I've been crawling for hours!" Jaden said with annoyance in his voice.
"Beep beep beeeeeep,"
"I'm not slow... stupid droid." he said whispering the last part but SD8 being on his back heard him and sent a small electric shock through his back making him jump "Okay okay I get it," he said with a sigh as he kept on going "Just tell me where to stop," he said getting an affirmative beep from SD8. Jaden dragged himself through the shaft for another half an hour before he got the signal from his companion. SD8 climbed off him and he turned around reaching down to his belt and grabbing his makeshift fusion cutter, all of his equipment was made by himself as that's how you cut costs the most.
Putting his goggles that were on his head onto his eyes he turned the fusion cutter on though it winked out a few times causing him to slap it "Okay time to work," he said before cutting the metal above him. Jaden could feel the heat coming from the torch as it sliced through the metal of the vent. Carving a quick circle Jaden pushed it up and stuck his head through, a smirk formed on his face as he squeezed out of the small hole "Good job SD, right where we planned" he whispered as he got out of the hole with SD8 climbing onto Jaden's back with his small compact body.
Right now he was in someone's private quarters, it was lavishly decorated with exotic goods and high-tech furniture. Jaden walked over to the owner's personal computer before he started typing on the console he pulled a wire from his wrist computer and plugged it into the port, he started running a descrambler on the encrypted data. As his code was bypassing the security network Jaden looked around the room for anything of value "SD scan for anything for value," he said as SD8 jumped off his back and onto the floor a large-scale scanning beam being emitted from its lenses. Jaden then turned the chair next to the panel around and collapsed into it spinning himself around.
"Boop beep beep"
Jaden turned around to look at SD8 whose sensors had locked onto something behind an old-style painting. Getting up from his chair Jaden crossed the room and walked up to SD8 "Been a while since I've seen something on paper," he said to himself as he picked the painting up with both hands and threw it behind him.
Jaden smirked as he looked at the safe behind the painting "Would you look at that SD a VX-4700 Vault, looks like whoever owns this joint is a cheapskate," he said as he started knocking on the safe before finally finding the spot he was looking for. He grabbed a small device from his belt and placed it on the spot before pressing a button on his wrist. The device started to spark and burn as it melted the metal, after a few minutes the sparks died down and Jaden banged on the door and it swung open. Jaden smiled as he saw the stack of Republic credits "A bonus? How kind of you," he said to himself as he started piling them into his backpack however he stopped halfway as he saw an ethereal blue glow at the back of the safe.
Jaden pulled it out and was met with a polyhedra 'Is this what I think it is,' he thought to himself as he looked at the glowing box in front of him "A Holocron! I bet these sell like crazy!" He said to himself, though SD8 did give an excited beep.
*ALARM*
Jaden quickly turned around putting the Holocron on his belt and ran to the console that had started to make noise "Oh someone has their own personal overseer," Jaden said as he started typing on the console. Rich people could afford pretty good security for their data but really rich people could afford their own personal overseer who'd be constantly scanning for any breaches in security. Jaden started typing on the console trying to bypass the new layers of security code that the overseer was laying on top of the original code but it was difficult to 'Must be a droid.' He thought to himself, he then seemed to zone out slightly as his hands moved at a faster speed as if they knew where to go without him even needing to think about it.
*BANG*
*BANG*
*BANG*
Jaden snapped out of the zone as he looked to the door, he was glad he'd had the thought to lock the door before he got started. He went back to bypassing the new security layer, he knew he'd never be able to outcode a droid but the problem with having a droid overseer is that they're too narrow-minded and singularly focused.
*Data Transfer Complete*
Jaden smirked, he'd been leading the overseer on a fake chase while his original decryption code worked on the security and downloaded the data he needed. He grabbed his wire and let it go back into his wrist but as he went to turn he was blown back by an explosion from a thermal detonator blowing the door open. Running into the room was a squad of men from the Raptor gang, one of the numerous gangs wanting total control over 1313, though this gang was closer than most to having that dream realised.
Three humans, two Trandoshans and a Houk walked in, all armed with guns apart from the Houk whose 2.2-metre frame of pure muscle was menacing enough.
"Diaka golo syndosba bonda naak, (Search the room for the intruder)," the Houk commanded and his men followed his command as they started going through the rather large room. Jaden was currently behind a rather large chair and was waiting for his moment to escape, he grabbed a device from his belt before rolling it under the seat and into the room, he then covered his ears and closed his eyes.
*BANG*
"AHH WHAT!"
"I CAN'T SEE!"
"AHHHHHH!"
With the men on the floor, Jaden started running towards the door his way in was being blocked by the men, however before he could get there he felt himself being grabbed by the back of his neck "Hojo donchi makooka edo, (Your little tricks won't work on me)," the massive Hauk said before tossing him at a wall. Jaden felt the wind get knocked out of him and his vision blurred slightly. Hauks were one of the only races that could match a Wookiee in terms of sheer strength and of course, one of them would be working for the Raptors. Jaden looked up and saw the Hauk charge at him and he rolled out of the way throwing a device at him as he did.
*BZZZZZT*
The shock device he had made seemingly had no effect on the Hauk, Jaden took out his blaster pistol and fired at him the first couple of shots hit the Hauk making him stumble back but he then activated an energy shield on his wrist and blocked the rest of them before charging once more shaking the metal plated floor beneath them "Oh kriff!" Jaden said as he backed up while he kept firing though to no avail he was slammed with the energy shield straight out of the window, he quickly aimed and shot his grapple hook at the Hauk and it pierced his thick muscle stopping Jaden from splatting onto the ground, though not for long as the Hauk grabbed the wire with on of his meaty paws and yanked it out in one pull before smiling venomously and dropping Jaden.
Jaden flailed as he fell, he reached for his belt to grab his spare hook but it didn't matter as his composure was shattered when he slammed into the first pipe. In a metropolitan industrial city like this, there were large metal pipes that connected various buildings, and Jaden just felt his shoulder dislocate when he hit one, he tried to grip onto it but with only one arm he couldn't hold on and continued falling, he then smacked his head against another pipe and fell unconscious.
———————————————————-
Jaden felt pain as he woke up, his mind felt hazy and when he opened his eyes his vision was blurry and his ears were ringing he could see a bright light in front of him that made him think he was dead but when his vision cleared up a bit he saw it was just a fire. Jaden pushed himself up or at least he tried to as he couldn't move his left arm and his right arm was broken his whole body felt like it was broken and his black blood-stained clothes, he instead he rolled himself onto his side before going onto his back once his vision cleared fully he looked around 'The slums?' He thought to himself as he looked around, garbage fires and broken shanty houses. He could even see a couple of hive rats feeding on duracrete worms, this place was one of the worst places you could be. If you aren't worrying about the local wildlife or running into a corridor ghoul then it's the drug addicts and wanted criminals who will stab you for a pair of shoes.
"I need to get out of here," he said to himself, though he was in an extreme amount of pain at the moment, he then heard a small beeping sound and looked behind him, SD8 was there though he was damaged as well. He tried to use his feet to push himself but quickly found that they too were not in any working condition. Jaden grits his teeth as he pushes himself towards SD8, once he reaches his droid he inspects him to see what is wrong 'Looks like his power cell is fried.' Luckily he had a backup on his belt though he doubted that he'd be able to change it in the state he was in. Though he didn't have much choice but to try, he couldn't defend himself at the moment, he needed SD8.
Using his broken and bloody hand to reach for the belt he tried to grab onto the spare power cell he had but it was difficult, his fingers couldn't move properly so he had to grab and hope for the best. Grabbing onto what he thought was the power cell he brought it up though he lost his grip and it fell to the ground in front of him.
However, it wasn't the power cell but the Holocron he'd looted from the hideout. His blood stained the Holocron black removing its ethereal glow, Jaden sighed before gritting his teeth and fighting the pain once again to get the power cell "AHHHHH" he groaned as he gripped the power cell and brought it up from his belt, he didn't want to risk dropping it and having it roll away.
"You seem to be struggling Young one,"
Jaden would've jumped if he wasn't in so much pain, however, the surprise did make him drop the power cell. He watched all of his hopes die as the cell rolled away from him and out of the small shelter he was in. While he could try and crawl over there, where he was now was covered and gave him some protection from the dangers down here, if he did get caught out there by anyone or anything he would be dead. But that didn't matter anyway as he now had a new problem in the form of a blue holographic woman who was looking down on him with her arms behind her back.
She had brown hair with two plaits at the front she was dressed in robes and was quite obviously a Jedi "J-Just another d-day in paradise." Jaden said with a forced smile which wasn't that far from the truth, this wasn't the first time Jaden had nearly died though he always managed to get lucky in the end.
The woman crouched down "May I ask who you are and where we might be?" She asked in a polite questioning voice.
"I-I'm J-Jaden and you're on coruscant, though if y-you're l-looking for the Jedi t-temple you're about a thousand levels too low," he told her as he rolled onto his back once again as it was his least painful position.
"I do not believe that will be necessary, after all, it was you who unlocked my Holocron," she said.
Jaden scoffed "So what." He replied as he coughed again.
The woman smiled "This Holocron is special as it was the final one I made, I hoped that I would be able to guide any of my descendants,"
Jaden turned his head and looked at her like she was mad "No offence but you *cough* sound crazy," he told her.
"None taken, though if you need proof look no further than your blood as only those who share the same as mine can open this Holocron." She replied to him.
Jaden looked at her for a moment before sighing and laying his head back down on the ground "Well unless you have a spare power cell in that holocron you're about to watch your descendent die," he said.
"Do you not have a commlink to contact the Jedi Temple?" She asked
Jaden started laughing though it came out as more of a wheeze and he quickly stopped due to the pain "I've lived here my whole life I don't think I've even met a Jedi before," he said with amusement. However, the woman did not share his amusement as she had a frown on her face "Who are your mother and father?" She asked once more.
"No clue," he replied.
"This is quite strange, even if you were an orphan a Jedi should've sensed your potential in the force and come to collect you," the woman said as she paced.
"Potential?" Jaden said with some confusion.
The woman looked at him "Yes, you are force sensitive, how do you think you opened the Holocron," she said.
"With my blood?" He replied.
The woman shook her head "Only force sensitives can open holocons as a general rule, my holocron just had an added layer of security," she explained.
The woman seemed to be deep in thought before she finally had a look of realisation "Then it appears I must begin your instruction on usage of the force if we are to save your life," she said with a smile as she knelt beside Jaden's head.
Jaden looked at her doubtfully "I've never used the force in my life, you expect me to master it before I starve to death?" He asked.
"Do not be silly of course not... just enough to repair your robot," she said.
Jaden groaned "Who are you anyway?" He asked
The woman smiled once more "I am glad you asked, I am Grandmaster Satele Shan," she said eloquently as she bowed.
(AN: Okay new story, this one has been in the plans for months but haven't gotten the time to do it, sorry if the first chapter seems fast paced, I really just wanna get past them and to the good stuff where he actually steals the Jedi's identity and gets drafted)
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