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Sorry, I missed the memo; are we trying to ruin every planet we stop at now? Because this plan -- this mercenary deal -- sure makes it seem like it. I mean, it would be bad enough on a terrestrial planet, but a hydrogen atmosphere gas giant? That’s where we’re planning on putting a bunch of firearm-toting mercenaries?

Look, maybe some of you weren’t here for our stops on the last few planets, but trust me when I say that getting involved in local affairs ended very, very badly. For everyone. And that was without hiring mercs to solve problems that aren’t ours to begin with. The best thing we can do here is to take what we need and leave.

And if you have been here long enough to remember: don’t make us responsible for another Cadacus Primary.

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And I am. I would know. That's not the point. I'm here, she isn't.

What do you mean "ruin"?

[A long-suffering sigh. It’s not like there aren’t dozens of other people on the ship who couldn’t give the Jedi the same information. If Zam telling him means they’re even (or closer to even) in his deluded mind, then she might as well play along.]

We destabilized the government on the last planet we were on. Emiri. Those sleemo in charge got what was coming to them, but we left the place in a state of civil war, or at least on the brink of it.

Before that, there was a planet called Cadacus Primary. The leaders there tried to forcibly remove us after accusing the captains of stealing from them. Things got violent and one of the crewmen snapped.

[The messages stop for a moment. When they start again, they're choppier, but come at a slower pace.]

It was a slaughter. Their entire planet was destroyed. We evacuated who we could, but

It was an entire planet. We couldn’t save everybody. Not even close to everybody.

[Another pause.]

That's what I mean by "ruin."

[So much for trust. But if that could be proved as a breach of contract...]

I thought this whole thing was about getting people home, not a galactic murder cruise.

[It's grim, but he has to remark on it as much; the gravity of it otherwise is almost too much to comprehend. The destruction of a planet? Anakin can't imagine as much, even in a fit of pique.]

Do I want to know what caused it on the first planet? Emiri?

You know, given what happened, you could afford to be a little less flippant. [And when Zam of all people is telling you to take something more seriously, you know there’s a problem.]

The government there was kidnapping children from their families and enslaving them. Something about them having abilities that the people in charge found useful. Might have even been Force-users. Most of the people living there didn’t even know what was happening, just that kids were disappearing.

Like I said: the ones at the top got what was coming to them.

[No. Of all things, it had to be that?]

WHAT?

[That's all he can manage without wanting to punch a wall, but the urge is definitely still there.]

[Um...]

I’m going to need you to be more specific.

[Cool it, Skywalker. Not everyone needs to know why that rankles him so, and he's usually good enough at pushing it down deep where it belongs, but the idea that this still exists out here where the narrative is "we're not here long enough to fix anything, what can we do?," it only dregs up memories he doesn't want to relive.

Especially not with present company.]

Nothing. It's
Nevermind.

So they fell into civil war. How did that happen?

[By killing every last slaver there, he hopes. ~~It may not be the peacekeeper's way, but it certainly feels right.]~~

Edited 2016-03-23 03:55 (UTC)

There was a resistance group called the Komai. Long story short, our presence there gave them the opportunity to strike against Link’d Inc -- the people in charge -- and after that, all hell broke loose.

We managed to get off the planet before things got really hairy, but it was close. The Komai framed us for their attacks so Link’d wasn’t exactly keen to let us go.

Needless to say, we made it. Took some of the refugees with us as well, though we’ve long since dropped them off.

Well, except for Benjamin Link himself. Not sure you’d call him a refugee, but he’s from the same planet. And he’s still on the ship.

Right and what did the resistance want?

[All he gathers is that this galaxy is really not much different than their own: no one really wants to help. They all want something in return. Money, a scapegoat, a target, ~~a child prodigy~~.]

And where can I find this Link?

I don’t know. We didn’t stay long enough to find out.

Ask Captain Thán. Pretty sure he and Link are an item. [Ship gossip can’t seem to decide how seriously the two are taking their “match” and reports range from the two being “good friends” to speculation that they’re engaged. The rumor mill tends to pick up when you’re stuck with one group of people on a long voyage like this one, but there at least seems to be some strong connection between the two men.] Though I suspect either of them will tell you the same thing they told me: Link wasn’t involved in the actual kidnappings and didn’t know about them until shortly before we did. [Zam’s tone is clearly skeptical here. Link just has too many reasons to lie to take his words at face value. Not that Zam’s objections had had any real effect anyways.]

Edited 2016-03-30 02:00 (UTC)

That sounds convincing.

[He's about as skeptical on the matter, without any of the context. It sounds like a downright lie (and he'd certainly know.)

The second half of the message takes considerably longer to arrive.]

Thanks.

Doesn’t it.

Are we “even” now?

Closer, sure.

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