LOTF: Ganner Slarwalker/Chapters 20-22

Aftershock
When we'd gathered together, the Brotherhood was nowhere to be seen. It was probably for the best, because I doubted they would've been satisfied with how many casualties they'd had. Next we needed to know where Massikus was heading because he was off my radar and, for once, the shuttle didn't have a tracking beacon on it. Since I had been detached from Massikus I had lost almost all of his memories, and only one place I knew of could have information on him- the Jedi Archives.

So, we set out for Coruscant.

The Return
Coruscant

It was so strange to see how the planet had changed since I left. The Temples and spaceports were heavily guarded, and it felt like someone was always watching me. I was able to just waltz in, however, because as far as anyone knew I was a Jedi anyways. Still, I tried to hide in the Force. I felt that if I didn't, everyone would immediately know something wasn't right about me. All these Jedi, they didn't look like the peacekeepers we were. They looked like the peacekeepers a corrupt government sent to force a little quiet when the people got too noisy. This was a temple of warriors. Practically unseen, I paced along the quiet halls into the Archives. In the sunset, it was really a serene place. Though I wasn't going to look, I could swear I felt Jocasta's eyes on me like she knew what I was doing.

According to the databanks, Massikus was a Sith Sorcerer from Dathomir from roughly 3700 years ago. That was literally all it said. I supposed it was a start. He was connected to Talzin, a Nightsister, so it was definitely possible he went back to Dathomir. As I started to leave, I sensed a massive danger in the Force. No one else in the Archives reacted- it must have been too far out and I was the first to notice. Something was coming.

Walking as calmly through the darkening halls as I could, I looked out towards the city to see what could be the cause. Led by a single hooded figure, a legion of clones marched toward the Temple.

"Ranulph," I whispered, "You seeing this?" Nothing on the other end. Someone was jamming the signal. Conflicted, I quickly debated the best course of action. I'd been locked out of the loop for too long, wasn't sure what higher powers were at play here, and didn't want to attract attention to myself. Quietly throwing the shadow of the Force over myself, I snuck out ahead of the legions.

I was already halfway back when the explosions started. I turned around and the Temple was burning. Without hesitation, I activated my lightsabers and turned back. Within seconds, I had to quickly leap out of the way of a missile fired from a LAAT now strafing me from above. It fired a second missile, which I caught with the Force and returned to its sender. A second took its place, but I instead ignored it and began sprinting towards the Temple again. Within a minute I had quite an armada on my tail. Suddenly, a voice rang out over the comlink.

"Listen to me, pal, you've got one chance of getting out of this alive. You might be good, but you can't take on the entire Republic in its capital."

I didn't recognize the voice. It sounded Outer Rim-ish, and authoritative. I was coming closer and closer with each step to the Temple.

"Ganner! Listen!" He yelled.

I ran.

"Blast it..." He muttered.

Another LAAT flew in front of me. Instead of destroying it, I jumped onto it and used it as a platform for another jump. In the air, I saw a red speeder rapidly approaching me, faster than I could avoid it. I landed in the passenger seat, and the driver quickly turned and shot me while I was stunned from the impact.

Ganner
When I finally regained my senses, I found myself lying in a bed. The room was dimly lit, and a tan man with black hair and stood on the other side looking out a window. He looked like...Arron? In the Force he seemed... familiar. "Long time, no see." He muttered. "I haven't seen Siri or Blaze since you landed here. What happened to them?"

Barely, I mustered the energy to speak. "Siri was working for Mari-.. for Saris."

He let out a sigh. "And why are you here?"

"Massikus isn't dead. Why are you here?"

"Dylan Antiunknown put a bounty on my brother's head. I followed him here."

"Where is he?"

"Ganner, I'm a criminal. I went by an alias. My name is Cade Slarwalker."

He was my brother. And I had a bounty on my head.

"Cade.... What happened?"

He turned to face me, but his blue eyes couldn't meet mine, burdened with the memories of his past.

"I never knew my parents. Our parents. Long as I can remember, I worked for the Brotherhood on Nar Shadda. Then, the Republic caught me, and I ended up in Antimatter Squadron. When I was on Felucia, I began to remember things from before... a life I'd never known I lived. I had to follow it. A few details later, Dylan Antiunknown wants me to be his new personal bodyguard and I need to prove myself. Now, we're here."

I didn't think he was about to kill me, and I wasn't going to hurt him. I began to see the opportunity for us both to gain something from this.

"Cade," I said, "I think I have an idea." Cade "You have to be kidding me," Dylan said, in awe. He was looking at what seemed to be Ganner's lifeless body lying on the table between us. What he didn't know, however, was that Ganner was actually merely in a very deep meditative state, almost hybernative. "How did you do it?"

"He was on a balcony watching the Temple. He never saw me coming."

"Impressive.... Most impressive. Looks like you're hired." He unclipped the two lightsabers from Ganner's belt, taking one and handing me the other. "Consider this your payment for the kill. I have a feeling these things going to skyrocket in value."

The lightsaber was surprisingly light, and I pocketed it. ''Sorry, Ganner. Looks like you'll have to get a new one. ''Like he had instructed me, I swiftly took out the focusing crystal and put the saber back together, then left the orange crystal in Ganner's hand. Dylan saw nothing.

I activated the jammer concealed in my pocket. There was no way Dylan didn't have this apartment bugged, and no one could see Ganner leave. Ganner had known fully well ahead of time escaping was up to him alone, and even seemed to want it that way so the others would think him dead. Dylan put his arm around me as he led me out the door into his crime syndicate, laughing. "You're gonna do just fine."

He had no idea.

Ranulph
Hans and I stared at the now static feed of Dylan's apartment. For a while, we sat there, as though praying somehow it would come back online and Ganner would be alive. We sat there silently praying that somehow that wasn't Arron, or Dylan, and we had just been tricked. But it did no good.

Ganner Slarwalker was dead, Arron Radion had done it, and Dylan Antiunknown had paid him for it.

Hans spoke. The words were little more than formalities, for it had already been settled for both of us.

"We're going to kill him."

The story of Cade Slarwalker is not over...