Path of the Stars- Chapter 3

I healed Kali without too much issue as although she was heavily beaten and abused... I could regrow entire limbs if needed so some almost ruptured inner organs and regrowing some finger tips wasn't too much to ask for.

"It's a pity honestly. Kali did have some talent as a ship mechanic, but I can't keep her around me in any shape or form." Yisani said rather blandly after I helped one of her more 'trusted' goons regrow a hand that had clearly been cut off with some kind of vibroblade with how clean the cut was.

"Then don't sell her off to be fed to some monster. Use her in a smuggling ship operation or something." I said with a shrug and some annoyance. As I knew that getting attached to these pyscho's who lived such violent lives was a terrible idea.

"As I said, I can't keep her within sight of any of my men and other followers. Lest they think I am soft and won't go after their own families for being traitors as well." 

I was silent for a moment before I hummed and asked curiously. "How much is that Hutt paying for her?"

To which Yisani said somewhat harshly. "Not much frankly. Seeing as she is mere food for his pet Sarlaac, she will only net me a couple thousand credits at best." 

But it was the 'message' that was being sent, obviously... Fuck about with the Black Sun, and more particularly Yisani's own faction, and you get sold for money that goes to Yisani. And if the legends are true, you will end up being digested slowly over the course of years by the Sarlaac pit that keeps you alive as it does so.

"However, beyond the simple credits, I am also given some lovely high-quality glitteryll that my girls love to use. You know of glitteryll correct?" 

My face twitched at the reminder of the drug that mentally fucked up Aayla Secura in the legends timeline. It was a drug made from the spice mines of Ryloth, normally by feeding another drug to the spice-tainted fucking massive spiders, which would in turn make the glitteryll.

The drug glitteryll itself not only made the user highly suggestible, put into a euphoric state, but even for powerful force sensitives, it would dull their spirits. And suppress and even wipe away memories at higher doses.

Which, with the highly suggestible state that came with the glitteryll. That was one of the primary ways that 'high quality' Twi'lek's were trained and mind broken into their roles as slaves.

"I know of it." I said rather coldly with Yisani giving a cool nod as she could tell I didn't like the drug.

"Well life down here in the depths is filled with suffering, so people like to... Escape from it, either way the glitteryll is given to me along with the base payment. And now let's go check that working girl, I am curious if you can heal a glitteryll overdose."

She then brought me to a more private suit,e and lying across a large bed was a woman strpped down to said bed and her voluptuous figure was marred by her facial appearance.

Well, the woman was also very much a Twi'lek of the red-skinned variety. But there was the fact that I could literally 'see' the glitteryll overdose this woman had gone through with how slack-jawed she was.

With a head nod from Yisani, I stepped forward with my hand glowing a light green as I pressed it to her head. And as the foreign information on the alien filled my mind. I paused. As I could feel the glitteryll was... Blocking her memories.

Not actually having destroyed or wiped them away. But having suppressed her memories, I could feel a rich life source of some sort inside of her in particular.

Then it hit me. 'Is this a jedi or sith? Am I feeling like the Midi-chlorians within her cells?' I wondered.

Still... I didn't exactly want to break the memory blockade on a jedi and or sith that was clearly in hiding. Or hell, maybe this person actually was mind broken via the glitteryll and then shipped off to Yisani.

"I purged the glitteryll from her body." I said slowly before I looked to Yisani. "However, reforming her mind will take some time as some parts of her mind, especially in her lekku, have issues that my healing cannot just simply bring back to life or re-grow." 

Yisani gave me a long searching look before making a tsking noise and saying in clear understanding. "Neurological damage huh. I figured as much, not even the Jedi healers, or Sith Alchemists can much for that either if at all. Still, any other issues with her body?"

I went to speak and then froze as a female velvet voice tickled my mind. "Say I have a strain of the Rakghoul, probably from the lower levels."

'Ah hell, she is very aware within her mind. She is just having her body act as a diversion of some sort.' I thought with a frown before I mentally shrugged and said. "It looks like she is carrying a disease similar to the monsters, that are mutated humanoids I found in lower levels."

Yisani was silent for a long moment before she said quietly. "Purge the virus, then we will be leaving so you may get your payment."

I pretended to do the healing with my hand glowing and all. But as I laid my hand on the Twi-lek again. I could feel a sort of warning aimed at me not to do anything funny.

Still with that, I popped my neck to the side as I had an idle thought actually as we made our way back to her office. "So you have been trying to sell Kali to me basically this whole time. Why should I take her on?" 

Yisani sniffed and said rather flatly. "I was getting rather annoyed and thinking you were just playing dumb. But as for why?"

She drew off as she looked at the jungle-like projection behind her seat. "I went to Ryloth once... A damned terrible planet I tell you. Suffering is the currency of the Twi-lek's and the rest of the slaves from their birth up till their death."

She looked back to me and said more bluntly. "I owe Kali a favor, but I cannot let my underlings think that she is going to get off easy for her brother's traitorous actions. Still, I hate to owe any favors, and if I sell her to you. Then I don't have to feel a tinge of guilt in my cold dead heart." 

Yes, selling someone into slavery to someone you literally just met an hour ago is such a kind thing to do. Totally...

But in comparison to being sold to a Hutt and being fed to a sarlacc? Yeah, I was obviously the much better option.

Still I had a bit of a realization as I made my way through the underhive with Yisani... Why the fuck would I actually buy a freighter ship for myself when I could just steal one from a smuggler or slaver?

With a shrug, I slapped down fifteen hundred credits I had already earned from today and said. "Fine, I will take her."

To which Yisani merely nodded, and I paused as she reached into her desk and pushed a remote towards me before she said casually. "Good, that there is her bomb trigger. She has the typical spinal bomb implant, should she runs away, and you are on the same continent, basically triggering it will blow up that bomb."

She then added calmly. "And of course, should she manage to get out of range of the remote, the bomb will go off. As well as the remote having a battery life of a week, so should something happen to you, and she can't find the remote wherever you choose to hide it. Boom." 

Knowing all to well that I couldn't refuse the bomb remote either way... I took it in hand with a cool nod before I said calmly. "Thank you for the business. Now if you will excuse me, I am going to go rest for a bit."

Yisani nodded before pausing, then she asked bluntly. "Jake, will you answer a question for me?" 

I paused before I nodded, and she asked in hammer to the head, blunt manner. "Which do you walk, the path of Light or Darkness with the force?"

There was a pause before I spoke slowly. "Neither... My path is that of pure life, not of either total order or overwhelming emotions."

Yisani considered my words for a long moment before she waved her hand to dismiss me, and I naturally left as this gangster was clearly on a loaded trigger when it came to people who weren't under her control.

After a bit of thought, I made my way over to a more empty square and out of the general view of the many gangsters and people without hope. I made a sweet kind of watermelon grow from a large patch of mold to give myself some more energy.

And with another small melon in hand, I made my way back to the medical center and towards Kali. 

Once I got back to the medical center, I heard some muttering from the gangsters as I made my way to Kali.

'How do I start this conversation... Hey, I just bought you. Let's go on a grand trip across the galaxy to where it's not a total shit hole?' I mused to myself as I pulled the curtain around Kali's bed.

Kali was now healed up at least, and hearing the curtain be pulled aside her eye's snapped open with clear fear before she recognized me. So I reached down, and pulled off the gag that was balled up in her mouth, with her coughing as the stale air hit her probably dry mouth.

"Here." I said, bringing up a slice of the melon to her mouth, with her taking a bit of it to wet her throat as well as filling her clearly empty stomach that audibly rumbled at something actually hitting it that wasn't just nutrient paste.

Finally, Kali cleared her throat and said quietly. "This fruit... Are you wanting me to fuck you or something?" 

There was a sense of defeat clear in Kali's tone as I had no doubt that Yisani had already told her and everyone else that Kali had a horrible fate in store for her. So me, even if she knew I healed her... Well, nothing was free in the world. Especially in the hives of Coruscant.

I exhaled, and then I said calmly. "Yisani told me that you are an engineer and capable of fixing and flying space ships right?"

Kali seemingly understood that I wasn't here to fuck or force myself upon her and visibly relaxed with her nodding and saying quietly.

"That's correct. I did all the work for the low orbit ships my... Half-brother used to use to carry his orders around. I never worked on a Hyperdrive, but I know how to fly smaller-scale Frieghters and such to do deliveries on the hyperdrive lanes."

I slowly brushed a hand across my face in thought before I pulled out Kali's bomb remote with her breath hitching at the sight of it. "I bought you from Yisani, actually. She was going to sell you to a Hutt, who would have fed you to his pet monsters."

"My hopes is that you are capable enough to hotwire a small freighter, and then while we flee Coruscant and go on our merry way. You can teach me how to fly said ship before I drop you off with your bomb remote on some distant world where you can get your bomb implant taken out." 

"A bomb implant can't be removed... It's literally implanted in my brain, with the removal either causing major brain damage from the start if the bomb doesn't just explode when it's being removed." Kali said bluntly.

Still then she sighed and looked me up and down before she said. "Still, when I found out that dumbass decided to sell those weapons to Yisani's rival... I knew I was just a walking corpse at that point. So if you are going to give me a new chance at life, I am going to jump at it." 

I raised an eyebrow, and Kali gave a slight chuckle of acceptance and relief before she said. "Yes, I will help you. But how do you plan to get up to the higher levels? Yisani won't just hand you a pass to leave up to the higher floors?"

"I will worry about that myself. Now, let's get you untied, and I can find us a place to live for a few days as I get some more credits before we leave."

In the end, with Yisani making me, her gang's new 'doctor' I decided to just take over the old doctor's home in the back of the medical area. All the while, I was speaking with Kali to get to know her.

"So you've been working for the Black Sun for a few years before falling into Yisani's little faction. Where were you born here on Coruscant?" I asked curiously.

To which she nodded and said quietly. "Born and raised in the tunnels. I only saw the 'surface' of Coruscant when I hit twenty and my half-brother was trusted with a speeder. And a pass from the gangs to bring supplies down."

And that was the kicker, the main tunnels and elevator systems that could host speeders and other ships that could easily get up to the surface were controlled by countless gangs.

Anyone who didn't have the passes issued by the gangs would be free pickings to be shot down and looted.

But honestly... With my Path of Abundance, I could enhance any ship with biological armor and other goodies that could protect it from. Well a good bit of damage at least.

Then it hit me.

And I could literally feel the Abundance within me stretching to be used. 'Why do I need to steal an actual spaceship just to get to the base levels of Coruscant. I can just make a Star Skif from HSR anyway.' I mused.

Then my face twitched as Kali spoke rather rhetorically. "So you are just some nice guy who decided to save me? What about how you healed my half-brother be tortured more?" 

I blankly looked at the local sci-fi catgirl, who huffed and said bluntly as she sat down on a chair next to a work desk that was next to the bed I was sitting on. "It's too good to be true. You come in and save me, wanting to take me to the stars and just drop me off with no strings attached on some other world that isn't a shithole."

A sigh escaped me before I couldn't help but snap back in annoyance. "Would it help if I abused you then? Want me to pet your ears or something and treat you like a pet?"

The room went silent as Kali just stared at me, and I just shook my head, as the stress of today had obviously gotten to me. As I wasn't normally this much of an asshole.

But I had been thrown down close to the bottom of a hive world, had to deal with mutants and other horrors. Had to stress about a gang leader blasting my brains out if I got mouthy.

And now the slave whom I bought partly out of pity and wanting her aid to get off this overdeveloped planet-sized city. She was thinking I was some kind of serial killer or something in disguise.

Either way... Without another damned word, I folded my hands behind my head as I didn't want my head resting on the ratty 'pillow' the old doctor had. And I forced my eyes closed to get some sleep.

-

I awoke to the sounds of Kali 'quietly' eating the rinds of the melon I had given her with my eye's watching the cat woman trying and failing to make the crunching noise of the rinds being eaten.

"You don't need to eat that. I can make more food you know?" I said tiredly as I brushed a hand across my face to wake myself up more. Then I asked. "How long did I sleep?"

Kali then shrugged and said helplessly. "I also went to sleep after you did. And it's not like we have a clock in here."

To which I could only grunt in annoyance before I took a deep breath with my entire body glowing softly as I held out my hand in front of the dirty metal grate floor beneath us.

With the power of Abundance, I enriched the bacteria and diseases in the air. Flooding the micro-life with infinite life force which made it explode with life as it then transformed into vines that grew out from the dirty metal grates.

From the vines came thick multicolored orbs that were the size of a good sized apple and with a slight crunching noise I pulled it off and took a bite of it before humming thoughtfully as it had a honey and cinnamon flavor.

"Go ahead and eat... I am going to be busy today, or whatever time it is. And you need to be out of sight lest Yisari feels the need to make an example out of you." I said past a yawn at the start.

Kali nodded and then asked. "Anything you want me to do while you are gone?" 

I raised an eyebrow before shrugging and saying with a helpless smile. "Pinpoint a ship with a hyper drive that you can fly? Stealing such a frieghter isn't going to be a casual trip, and it will make enemies of whoever we steal it from." 

Kali gave me a dull look before she motioned to her rather poorly covered form that had rags on at best. To which I nodded and motioned to the bed. "Try to make a hood or something with the blanket if you need to get around then. Or just stay here, either is fine."

With that I moved the heavy... Whatever metal machine I used to block off the door leading into the room so we could be safe from a cut throat while we were sleeping. And as I made my way to the front of the medical area. A cold female voice rang out.

"Lady Yisani has demanded your three free healing sessions for today in that side medical area." 

The speaker was one of Yisari's personal Echani guards from her clan or whatever. Still I nodded as that was my deal to the gang leader so I went to go do it. And although it was interesting to see a couple new alien races in a Duros and Rodian.

I noticed that there was also only one other wounded who needed their hand re-attached from a blaster wound. And I was paid the clear bottom amount of credits we discussed while the 'free' three for living in Yisari's territory were in much worse condition.

'She is trying to fuck me over... Now the question is. Is she pushing to see my limits, or just trying to be as cheap as possible?' I mused before I shook my head as frankly I had zero interest in playing any games with these gangsters.

At worst, I would be gone within the week and I was considering just leaving 'today' if I could get some info I needed.

But as I was going to make my way back to 'my' room I paused as that same damned female voice from that Lethan/red skinned Twi'lek rang across my mind. "Come to me, I need your aid.' 

Holding in a grumble while pushing outwards with my mind with the Abundance. I could... Feel the mental tendrils that had covered my mind be pushed away which left me with a heavy frown at the realization.

Still I made my way down to that so called 'elite' prostitute that had overdosed herself seemingly on purpose with the glitteryll but in reality not so much.

"What do you want?" I demanded as I stood across from the Sith/Jedi who was clearly in hiding. All the while, the Abundance formed vines filled with terrible poison laced thorns that slithered and grew around the room.

There was a pause before a crack rang out and I realized it was the Twi'lek's neck violently popping as she abruptly sat up after laying on her back for more then a week in a stupor.

Then the Twi'lek opened her eyes... And I knew without a fucking doubt this was a sith with how her crimson eye's burned red with sickly yellow rings. 

There was a moment of silence as the 'Force' roiled around us even though I wasn't trained nearly to feel or guide it in anyway. Still the Abundance was the eldritch force of overwhelming life, her force manipulation in awakening or trying to pressure me only made me wary instead of fearful.

"I will have your aid in leaving this planet as well Jake Bariss. Your... Odd Force Signature or whatever it is you are using to heal is able to cover my own signature." She stated calmly all the while popping her body in places which was very distracting to say the least.

As while sitting up, her very feminine form that was only clad in some kind of ultra thin silk was bouncing with her movements.

Still, I gave her a long look before I said calmly. "You are one of Yisari's favored whores, I can't exactly sneak you out."

To which the Twi'lek's eye's turned sharp with lightning crackling between her fingers as she whispered in a deadly tone. "Call me such a thing again... And you will die screaming."

Then she chuckled richly with her folding a leg over the other as she sat at the edge of the bed she was once on a coma upon. "Besides, I wasn't even touched while I was an invalid let alone when I had my power. I merely twisted the minds of all who I was put towards."

I just looked at her before I demanded bluntly. "You are some kind of Sith I can tell that for sure. Why don't you just go alone beyond my signature masking yours? Are you so scared of the jedi or something?"

The Twi'lek's face darkened before she said with finality. "One doesn't refuse the Sith Emperor and survive... I do not fear the jedi, I fear the countless assassins and spies hiding on Coruscant who will report me should I be found on any of the countless camera's that are in use on the higher levels." 

Still in the end... I said bluntly. "That's alot of trouble to say the least. What the hell do I get for my troubles?"

She gave me a long searching look before she tilted her head and said in amuesment. "You get to live Jake Bariss. I won't use my light saber to remove your limbs and throw your corpse to one of the mutants in the sewers."

Then she hissed as one of the vines snapped around at high sped and slashed the back of her leg as I said bluntly as her body locked up as bio-lightning ran through the vines.

"You see... That's the issue. I have this little dream of being a smuggler/merchant. And you are sounding mighty like a shitty little bandit or pirate. Now how much are you going to pay... For me not to hand you off to the jedi instead?" 

The sith's hands filled with lightning but I just actually laughed as her hands that raised up with her snarl locked up as the poison within the thorns went to work.

"Yeah those vines that cut your leg aren't so normal." I said flatly while taking a seat and just staring at the big titty and very dangerous Twi'lek before I had a funny thought.

'Her threat about cutting me down with her light saber was a whole load of bullshit as well... Unless she is hiding her light saber up her ass or something.'

Then it really struck me... She wasn't actually a darth or sith lord. If she had such power she woudn't be hiding as a Twi'lek prostitute in the depths of Coruscant.

If she had real power, she would have taken over the gang itself. Or hell, with how she was a woman. Maybe she would have gone to the Witches of Dathomir or something.

"Wait... Are you a sith padawan or something?" I asked in realization.

There was an awkward silence as the Twi'lek just stared at me before she sagged in place. "I truly am a failure... I can't use a lightsaber, I am only good at astral projection, but can't even trick civilians who hasn't even touched either jedi or sith arts." 

"Do you even have a lightsaber?" 

My question made the Twi'lek's face twitch before she finally met my gaze and said dully. "No... All padawan's lightsaber's have trackers built into them so even if they manage to escape Korriban. They will get tracked down easily." 

My face also pinched as I realized how overblown this was actually. This was a Twi'lek adult who had obviously completely failed out of the Sith academies in Sith Territory of the Republic space.

And was just a stray dog who had no roof over her head.

Still even if she was just a padawan. Her fear of the sith was a bit extreme.

"Sooo, why are you so deep in hiding and scared of being found?" I asked curiously and in a more open tone. Showing that I wasn't as hostile anymore.

She twisted in place with a grimace as she was still poisoned before she sagged and said flatly. "I did insult the Sith Emperor... Unknowingly, when I escaped Korriban, I escaped using a vessel that belonged to one of his assassins which seemingly caused issues."

I just gave her a look before I hummed and said thoughtfully. "That seems likely I suppose. Though what I don't understand is how you knew later on what you stole and how the Emperor was pissed at you?"

Still I shook my head and said with an easy grin. "But! That doesn't matter to me. You having the taser hands and knowing how to meditate good is perfect to begin teaching me how to feel for the Force."

Sure the Abundance and other Path's I may unlock will be a much more... Blatant power then the Force itself. But the Force especially in this timeline apprently wasn't such a subtle thing with the force entities beyond the three shown off in the clone wars.

Still Force based body enhancement and battle mediation would be a valuable thing to pick up on. To say nothing of some pre-cognition powers!

"You want me to take as my apprenctice?" The twi'lek demanded in confusion and some disdain.

But I just raised an eyebrow and said flatly. "I would watch your tone frankly. You failed out of the academy and left like a dog regardless, so its not like you have any standing to look down on me." 

"I have my own abilities yes, I still want to pick up some force training methods anyway." I said with finality before I leaned in and asked. "Now... I can't just call you 'that red skinned Twi'lek' in my head anymore. So what's your name anyway?" 

There was a pause as 'the big titty' twi'lek gave me an empty glare. Before she sighed and said. "My name is Talon... No last name."

With that, I stood back up and said. "Fair enough. You get some rest and let your body process that poison... I will be back later tonight and we can leave."