STAR WARS: Gray Jedi

Chapter 11

OUTER REACHES. NAR SHADAA/HUTTA TOWN. THE CRIMSON DRAGON.

Holloway slumped into his rolling chair as he let out an exasperating sigh. Neema stood behind him in the office with crossed arms as he rolled the chair forward to his desk, riddled with holoterminals and netscreens across it's surface. Holloway cracked his knuckles.

"Alright," he said as he stretched his arms, "Let's see what we got here." 

He  layed out his hand to his side and Neema placed the pyramidic holocron on top of it. Holloway took it and placed it on top of a small plinth next to his desk. The plinth quickly began scan the artifact and run diagnostics. Holloway ticked as he felt Neema watch as the code danced across his netscreen.

Holloway was always a shady character, one who's loyalties where always speculative and Neema knew very well not to trust, but he had his uses. Neema sometimes hated using people like him for her work. It reminded her of a past life she'd like to sooner forget, but she was good at communing with them and knew how to work their angles. Besides, if this was all for a good cause, she'd grit her teeth and bear it. By the stars, she couldn't wait for this war to end. 

"Well, well, well..." Holoway said, "this is some enigma you brought me here, Neema. This code is like nothing I've ever seen. Where did you say you got this thing?"

"I didn't," Neema replied.

Holloway looked over his shoulder. "Right..."

______________________________________________________________________________

Back at the bar, Destin finally asked the question to Bozin.

"Neema used to work for the First Order?" he asked with a dropped jaw.

"Uh, yeah..." Bozin replied with a guilty face. He straightened up. "But, I mean...she defected years ago so it's all good now." 

Destin finally undid the handcuffs attached to his wrists. The information was a lot to take in. "I can't believe it. What happened?" he asked.

"Well...rumor is," Bozin continued, "Neema was an officer. Then one day she went AWOL. Refused to follow some orders the First Order gave her. She went on the run. When the First Order eventually caught up to her, they imprisoned her on some prison planet here in the Outer Reaches."

"Really?" Destin said, "That couldn't of been good."

"No. Nasty place the Outer Reaches. I mean, just look around. If this is the best it gets, can't imagine what a prison is like in these parts. But somehow, miraculously, she broke out and that's when she sought out the Resistance."

Bozin paused and Destin could see a slight frown in his face. 

"I can still remember the first time I saw her," Bozin continued. 

Destin looked at Bozin, letting him know that he was interested to learn more.

"I was assigned hanger duties aboard a star warship class frigate patrolling the borders of the outer rim," Bozin began, "Word came on the comms that a stolen First Order scout ship was requesting asylum aboard our frigate. The captain granted it. When that scout ship landed, it was Neema who came out of the hull, and...well..."

"What?" Destin asked.

Bozin's demeanor changed, sully, like he had been struck in his chest. 

"She looked so...defeated," he said, "- exhausted  beyond belief. She could barely walk. She was stumbling out of that ship. I remember thinking The First Order must've done terrible, unimaginable things to this person."