STAR WARS: RETROSPECTION- Liberator

You try to muster the strength to fight back, reaching for your lightsaber. It twitches as you attempt to focus... but a bolt explodes next to it and the impact sends it scattering into the darkness of the ballroom.

"Heroic to the end, Wentar," Senator Farl says, leaning down to press the nozzle of his pistol against your forehead. "A true Jedi. Now, goodb- "

BLAM!

Farl shudders for a second from the impact of the laser bolt burning into the back of his skull, then keels forward, falling on top of you as you lay on top of the assassin.

Emso Crubo stands behind him, holding one of the assassin's bullpup blaster rifles. Then he drops it and falls to his knees, sobbing profusely.

Wentar shoves Farl off of him and gets up, staring at the Senators aide in shock.

"Emso..." Wentar starts, bewildered. "I- How did you-...?" He trails off at a loss for words. "Last I saw you were in the garage, tied up. What are you doing here, how did you get here?"

Emso just continues sobbing helplessly, hiding his face in his hands. You sense via Scan that this is not out of regret... but out of overwhelming joy. The conflict you sensed within him back on Coruscant is at an end.

Wentar walks over to the sobbing Zabrak, putting a hand on his shoulder. "Thank you, Emso," he simply says, glad that some good finally seems to be coming from this. "You saved my life."

Is there anything Wentar can do to calm him down? Force powers or social skills?

Actually, Wentar, you have been shot and bashed several times. Getting over to the sobbing Zabrak is more of a crawl than a walk, and by the time you reach him and utter your lines, you discover quite abruptly that everything is spinning and you feel light and cold...

You black out.

Understandable, Wentar has a terrible habit of getting shot.

It will be quite a scene though, three dead assassins, one dead Senator, his sobbing aide and an unconscious Jedi...

Lets see where the blackness takes me then.

You come to in a Triskatani hospital, laying in a comfortable bed and absolutely covered in bacta-soaked bandages. They have you propped onto your side so that the blaster wounds in your back can heal better; your thigh wound is encased in a light cast.

You are not alone in this room. Sitting at your bedside is Emso Crubo, watching expectantly as you come around. Standing beside him is Jedi Master Ki-Adi-Mundi, a member of the Council. Also in attendance are two men you have not seen before, one dressed in priestly white robes and the other a fine white suit (though not so stylish as Farl's outfits), both elderly.

There is also a nurse monitoring your condition, and she leaves to alert the Doctor that you have come around.

"Hello, Wentar," Ki-Adi-Mundi says. "You have been asleep for three days. How are you feeling?"

I really need to stop meeting with Masters of the Council like this, Wentar thinks to himself, though he is comforted to see a Council member nonetheless.

"Sore," Wentar admits. "But I'll live. I assume your here about what happened in Senator... Farl's tower, master?" He says the name with a lot of bitterness in his voice.

"I am," Ki-Adi-Mundi says. "Wentar, I present to you his Royal Majesty, the Grand Vizier Tarfeld of Triskatan, and Senator Quinnel, Farl's predecessor who has come out of retirement in light of the situation."

He indicates the robed man and the suited man respectively.

"We have quite a situation here, don't you agree? A Senator with an inspiring public image but a corrupted and rotten soul?"

"An honor to meet both of you," Wentar mumbles with a slight head nod, still distracted with his racing thoughts.

"So you do believe that he was making deals with pirates? I do agree though, unfortunately it's not the first or the last time such a situation has come up..."

Ki-Adi-Mundi gestures to Emso.

"Being a slave himself to our disreputable Senator, Emso was able to provide us with all the necessary evidence we need to prove Senator Farl's guilt... however, there is a slight problem."

"We do not want to make his treachery publically known," Senator Quinnel says, his voice lofty and trembling. "Senator Farl, no matter what he did, was a hero to the Triskatani people..."

Wentar looks over at Emso, with a look as if to say 'Is this true?'. A slave?

"So you want to cover up his actions... I wish I could say I was surprised," Wentar says with a sigh, knowing he'll have no choice in the matter. "So what about the people he sent to into slavery? All his illegal funds? His campaign against the Kylugo Srum? Will it all just get swept under the table?"

"His campaign against the Kylugo Srum is not all bad," Ki-Adi-Mundi says. "They are undoubtedly one of the worst pirate clans to have existed. Whomever replaces Farl has head of the Commission will no doubt return things to their natural process."

"The state has decided to seize Farl's funds and begin a charity, in favor of the Commission," Senator Quinnel informs you. "Anti-slavery efforts were Farl's publically known focus in politics. It is fitting."

"As for those sent into slavery..." Ki-Adi-Mundi says, "the Order will do what it can, but it is difficult to suss how many people were sold, where they were taken, when, or how."

"Hopefully Senator Darcil takes over, I'm sure he will get things back on track with the Commission," Wentar says, thinking back to how Farl played him like a fool, sending him on a wild goose chase amongst the Commission. "Fitting, indeed."

"I will volunteer to investigate the slaves as soon as I am well. It's the least I could do, considering I protected the man who sent them into the pirates hands."

"It may be that the Order lacks the resources to truly pursue such an objective just yet," Ki-Adi-Mundi says. "It may have to wait until the Commission is able to pass more effective means of dislodging Kylugo Srum and Tyr-sen from their areas of influence. Which... could take time, as I'm sure you understand."

"So we have your agreement?" Senator Quinnel asks. "You will not spread word of Senator Farl's treachery?"

"I'm sure no one would believe me if I tried," Wentar says, shaking his head. "But no, I will keep it a secret and pray there are no consequences to it."

"Is there anything else that needs to be discussed?"

Ki-Adi-Mundi gives a curt bow to the Grand Vizier and a nod to the Senator; both take their leave, their business here having been attended to and having more to do in order to rectify the horrible situation of Farl's demise and his true aims.

"First, I will say that you performed admirably in your duty to protect the Senator. I am sure the thought crossed your mind to let the assassins simply take the Senator's life after you learned what Farl was... but you did not let them. You were steadfast and brave. An admirable thing to do, Reiua."

Ki-Adi-Mundi clears his throat.

"However, I'm afraid we have bad news for you, my friend... Altar Vynn has gone missing."

???

Far away from the tranquility of the Triskatani hospital, a man is thrown heavily onto the floor through the door of the dank cell, landing a tangle of limbs and robes. He groans and curls against the wall, his back to his aggressors.

"That wasn't too bad," Hanza says, standing over the Jedi Knight. He poises one shiny, booted foot to deliver a kick to the captive's backside but thinks better of scuffing his boots. Instead, he produces a syringe and presses the needle into the Jedi's neck. "This drug will keep you sedated and unfocused... let's see you call on the Force now."

"What did you say he was doing?" the Rodian asks behind him.

"Snooping about the station," Hanza says, handing off the syringe to the Rodian. "He was interrogating people regarding the Srum's activities. I suspect it is related to the effort to kill Senator Farl." He watches the Jedi slip into unconsciousness, then steps out of the cell and closes the door. "What's the status on that, anyway, Loj'oon?"

"Senator Farl of Triskatan has been killed," Loj'oon says, "but so has Viriont and his assassins. The Jedi protector handled them."

"What Jedi was that?"

"Wentar Reiua, according to Triskatani media..."

"Ah... I know that man. A worthless fighter, they should've put him through their vaunted Trials a few more times before letting him handle a lightsaber. He didn't know what to do with it. Looks like Viriont wasn't worth the credits we put into his operation."

"Do you think he will come here?" Loj'oon asks, nervously.

"It's possible," Hanza says, turning to inspect the cell door where Altar Vynn is now held. "I'm not worried."

To be continued...