Storm of Broken Glass

[Jedah Lynch]

It wasn't often he came to this place, the world called Ord Mantell. Not because it's cordinates had been lost to time and space, it was located in the Mid Rim of the galaxy, not a long journey by any means. The world had hosted a number of criminal elements in the past and still did to this very day, but they no longer ruled the planet or it's moons as they had in times forgotten. A more powerful darker force had since claimed it as their own ruling it with an iron grip that refused to slip for a moment, that of the powerful Sith Rama Sha. Even when he himself did not dispatch his own rule then other members of the Sha family stepped in to dispense their own particular brand of "order". The inhabitants had long ago learned to step in line or die, compared to random lawlessness of other worlds it might even be a somewhat comfortable life, as long as you knew your place and acted accordingly.

Lynch's craft named The Peacemaker parted through the pink clouds as he made planetfall revealing the numerous mountain ranges that dotted the planets surface. Those mountains he knew held various secret locations formerly used by some of the criminal
and law abuilding alike. Paths safe and dangerous snaked them allowing the knowledable to move about relatlively freely, the hidden locals was one reason pacifing the planet could be a tedious affair, only the locals and some times only wanderers
knew of places where one might get some respite from their enemies. A beep turned his thoughts of how much time it would take to siege such a world to the fact his craft had connected to the Ord Mantell City Port Authority, the codes transmitted
immediately caused his craft to bank as it streaked forth to it's destination.

It had been some time since he had seen any of the Sha's, they like so many others were preoccupied by their own destinies. In a galaxy so vast even with travel being a minor matter at best one never knew what another was up too, not unless they
employed a very active and strong spy network. But those could only bring about rudimentry news, spies did not live long among Sith who by their nature were capable of fooling another to bring about a desired outcome. It was perhaps a good thing
the galaxy was so large, it helped to prevent different Sith from butting heads more often, a failing that had brought about the end of more than a few bloodlines in the past.

These were his own thoughts as he made the last portion of the trip to a bar that was hardly grand or opulent, taking a chair he tilted back a bit while he scanned the crowd already there. Most were people of the world and they tossed wary glances
among one another occassionally as they whispered words. Those that had looked his way did not do a second time, especially if they noted the red and yellow of his eyes, one group of four that had noted his puppils had quickly
left the place for their own well being. For his part he did nothing, nothing but wait, he knew that the codes of his craft would notify the powers of the world he was here, and if that did not gain anyones attention his presence in the Force surely
would.

[Alisa Sha]

While exploring her half-brother's quarters at The Sith Empire, Sith Lordess Alisa Sha had discovered (some might say stole) one of his hidden journals. For some reason, her fingerprint (and well, a wee bit of violence) enabled her to open and read it. Alisa learned more about the history of her family than she had ever known to exist, and even found out about an ancient Sith artifact that had been handed down in the Sha family for generations. To male family members only. Great.

Well, Rama wasn't around any more, and she barely knew anything about Trace, so she felt entitled to take what was rightfully hers to claim. This artifact was meant to be hers. There had to be more information about where it was, like a clue of some sort or something. As she thumbed through the journal furiously again, a shimmering symbol on the back inside cover caught her attention. It was a mysterious marking with her name written under it... in Rama's handwriting. The Sith Lordess ran her finger across the marking and suddenly heard Rama's voice in her mind. "You know where to go, where our hearts ran so cold." Shaking her head, she knew what that meant. Although she didn't know why it had to be there of all places in the galaxy. She closed the journal and went to pack her things for the trip... home.

Ord Mantell. Now that's a place the Sith Lordess never thought she would set foot on ever again and yet, here she was. The familiar mountain chains, forests, wastelands, and even polar regions. She knew the planet like the back of her hand. The beautiful landscapes began to blur as memories of being frozen in Cryo sleep in the lab under the Sha family castle filled her mind, anger raging in her heart. Rama, Trace, and Alisa had all been frozen and stored away to be forgotten forever. It was so long ago, yet being here, it felt like just yesterday. Why was she here again? Oh yeah, the clue.

Alisa was able to quickly infiltrate a local bar and was moonlighting as a short order cook. Did she know anything about cooking? Nope. But her skills of manipulation in the Dark Side afforded her the luxury of pulling the strings of her puppets, or rather, her minions that could actually cook. Her quarters were around back and although it wasn't the palatial, grand lifestyle she grew up with, it would do for now. The most important thing was that she blended in and not be noticed.

Dressed in dark attire with her hair pulled back, she looked out of the order window across the room and saw him. Why was he here? She was in danger of her cover being blown, that was for certain. Alisa had to discreetly approach him and let him know what was up. She grabbed a plate of deep-fried gorg and made her way to his table. Speaking to his mind through the Dark Side of the Force, she said "Don't call me by name." Then she spoke up for those around them to hear, "Here is your order, sir."

[Jedah Lynch]

Keeping a neutrtal expression upon his face he stared at the woman than down upon the meal she had brought him, the amphibian even deep fried was easily identified. The tongue sticking out it's mouth looked particuarly extra crispy. Perhaps it was a favorite among some but he guessed that most humanoids only ate it when it was deeply fried and caked in batter. What the woman was doing here passed through his mind, serving food was distinctly not a Sha tradition even if Rama herself had owned a bar or two. Drinking and fighting were ther norms in those places, he should know as his earlier days in The Sith Empire had been filled with both, it was not even against drunk or rowdy patrons but fights among his fellow Sith. In those days it was tradition to have a drink and brawl with one another, it kept the wits sharp and one in fighting spirit even if ones condition needed some healing in a bacta tank aftwards. Gender had not mattered, men and women both alike fought and cheered when landing a well placed hit. In those days tables were tossed and broken and chairs were found crashed and cracked upon walls if not even embedded in one if well thrown via the Force. The floors were frequently cleaned to wash up the blood, nevermind the spilled booze.

What are you doing here. The words were conveyed through the Force instead of spoken syallables and vowels. The common person would have no idea anything had been said or shared between the two, even another Force user would not know what was said unless included in the exchange. It was one of the handy methods used between Sith in the field when battling others, to share ideas and thoughts of what was to be done without actually being said. It allowed well trained Force users to seemingly effortlessly work together, if a Forcer user was strong in the Force enough and capable of it they were able to manage the feat of battle mediation, that itself was a higher form of the ability. Few ever managed that mythical ability.

[Alisa Sha]

The Sith Lordess spoke to his mind once more. I can fill you in after my shift ends in a couple of hours. My quarters are around back. We will be able to talk in private there, just don't get noticed by anyone. She nodded and delivered a drink at the next table over from him. "Here you go, madam. This is from the gentleman at the bar. He wants to pay for your services next after this gentleman's time is up." Alisa walked slowly toward the bar, keeping a keen eye on what was unfolding. The man seated at the table with the woman stood up quickly and exclaimed "This woman is my wife, and you won't talk to her like that!" In the blink of an eye, the woman's husband ran full speed toward the man at the bar, who actually never even saw it coming. Probably because he never sent the drink in the first place. Alisa chuckled a bit. Fists began to fly as well as bodies, chairs, and even some of food from the patrons plates. Feeling that she had provided the bar with a little excitement, she returned to the kitchen and finished her shift without any further interruptions.

Now, this Lynch thing. It was bad. She had traveled here alone to do this alone. Not to have a chaperone. Lynch had always been a big brother type to her, mainly because of his association with her half-brother, Rama. They were always giving her a hard time and treating her like a kid sister. Well, she had training now and was accomplished in the Dark Side, and didn't need anyone any more. Ok, maybe she might. After all, who could know what to expect with this quest she was on. Alisa made her way to her quarters behind the bar and waited for her guest to arrive.

[Jedah Lynch]

The scene at the bar quickly degenerated into shouts and curses as fist flew were exchanged, people were knocked into each other starting more fights and shouts of anger. A few quickly fled the scene as others were caught up in the uproar and began to fight even if they had been trying to stay out of it, Lynch watched for a moment before taking his hand and with one swipe sent his food into the wall. "Oh no, my..." he began to say in a exceedingly dry tone before standing quickly as a pair of men came crashing into his table. The two tumbled to the floor with each of them throwing haymakers at the others face. Lynch gave a pause then made his way through the chaotic throng of people. This ruckus was certainly a good omen he thought to himself. He pushed past one final person who had been exchanging words with another, he was hardly past them when the woman jumped atop the other female and began to rain down angry fist and accusations. Yes indeed this was definitely a good omen. He was definitely dealing with a Sha he thought to himself. Had to be a bar fight.

Shouts still came from the fighting going on in the distance as Lynch made his way to where he sensed the young Sha was currently inhabitating. Hardly the place a Sith of such stature should be residing in but she must have her reasons he knew. With a flick of his hand he triggered the chime signaling that he was at the door. Not that a Sith ever needed to explain themselve to anything less than a Sith, and not even then unless it was in their own best interest.

[Alisa Sha]

Her dwelling was nothing out of the ordinary. It had a main room and two side rooms as well as a hidden chamber beneath the floor. Plenty of places to tuck away that which should not be seen. The Sith Lordess had completely changed the way she dressed and looked so that she could maintain her anonymity while back on her home planet. Yet, Lynch showed up. What were the odds of that? Astronomical, at the very least.

As the chime sounded, Alisa turned toward the door and raised her hand, manipulating the Dark Side to slowly open the large wooden door to reveal his presence. She didn't want to risk anyone seeing the two of them together in case someone would figure it out. After all, Sith Master Lynch was known far and wide in the galaxy after many years of mayhem with her half brother Rama.

"Well look what the Loth-cat dragged in."

She smiled and then closed the door after him once he had stepped inside.

[Jedah Lynch]

“Charming as always.”

He imagined that Rama would have a far clever retort to the woman, the man had always a way with words that vexed even him on more than one occasion. Lynch did not know if it was the mindset of a madman or a clever genius that Rama had possessed, looking back he thought it was probably both.

“Nice place. A little more spartan that I expected of a Sha.”

Some of the better off parts of the populace some times took residence in a place like this when they wanted to experience what was kindly called slumming. To experience some of the life of the less fortunate and worse off members of the world, some did it for the experience, others did it to relieve the boredom and tedium of their lives. The odd person even earned a scar that they used to brag to their friends about as if they had survived some mighty ordeal. To them the lives of the less fortunate were to barely be tolerated, at best to amuse themselves with.

“Don’t tell me your home is being renovated.”

[Alisa Sha]

She paused for a moment, trying to decide how to tell him.

"Actually, my home is in need of many renovations. However, now is not the best time. There is something else that occupies my energy. A prize that I seek, you might say."

Alisa's service droid delivered a beverage to Jedah, the same one he had been drinking in the bar. Alisa retrieved her own ale and then motioned for the two to sit down at a small table in the kitchen area.

"It is a bit complicated, you see. No one knows I am back nor have I traveled to my family compound. I am actually in search of something that I found written about in my brother Rama's journals. Something that has been in the family for a long time and that has eluded me."

He likely would not be surprised that she had been snooping. Boredom tended to get the younger Sha into trouble. Something she excelled at. She smiled.

[Jedah Lynch]

Sitting at the small table he casually swished around his drink in the palm of his hand while taking in what he had been told, Lynch wasn't sure even if there was something to be found he'd ever want to read through any journals Rama had written. Grand prize or not.
The Sha's were ever getting in over their heads, not that he hadn't himself ever lived a life free from trouble, but he did have to admit their persistence through the most trying of times usually paid off. Any would be adversaries or challengers were always left cursing
their remaining days if they managed to get out of the situation with their skin still intact. There had been a few who had been deprived their skins even if they still breathed. Some had been made fine tapestries.

"I take it asking is out of the realm of possibility".

When it came to family items that had existed it could prove a tricky subject to deal with, double so when a person who had previously held the object died. The infighting was the stuff of taboids and gossip. A Sith version of family wanting items that another
owned was even more complicated and often involved a body count. Someone being alive was a problem to be dealt with, viewed as nothing more than a mild inconvenience than an impossible blockade.

[Alisa Sha]

Alisa looked over at him and smiled wryly. He has been a close friend of the family for many years and if she could trust anyone, he certainly was top on her list.

"I suppose anything is possible. Although since your curiosity has been piqued, does that mean you are willing to accompany me on an adventure where you don't receive anything except my thanks and perhaps the opportunity to spread your special brand of carnage throughout the galaxy?"

She chuckled and took another sip of her drink.

[Jedah Lynch]

"Who me....come now, have I ever laid a finger upon another person?" Lynch spoke in a teasing tone, a finger? No, he had done so much more than that. Had done so without mercy, without pity. He stood upon a mountain of shattered bodies, some broken by his own hand, others torn apart by his
grand plans. There could be no progress without sacrifice and he had sacrificed so many to do what had to be done. Only through destruction could come creation and he specialized in both equally.

"I suppose I could muster some effort to help. If you want the company."

[Alisa Sha]

"Normally I would be just fine moving around on my own but with being here at home... there is just too much of a risk that I might be spotted. It will be good to have another set of eyes on everything, especially someone that Rama trusts. The backup is appreciated."

She finished her beverage and then looked over at him.

"I will need to finish up matters around here and prepare for the journey. We should probably meet back here in a couple of days. That should give us time to get the necessary supplies for the trip. And for you to investigate the town here if you like. Did you have any questions before we part ways for the evening?"

[Jedah Lynch]

"There is one question that has been on my mind since I arrived."

Stretching out one arm he brought up a hand to a shelf and then with a quick swipe ran his finger across the surface of the wood. Holding his hand with the finger out in front of him he gave it a quick look then back at the young Sith.

"Would it have killed you to hire a maid to clean the place?"

Lynch flashed a smile that he had been told in the past was filled with malice at worse or discomforting at best.

"You could have put her corpse in the trash after with no one the wiser."

[Alisa Sha]

She laughed and shook her head.

"I actually did have a roommate who liked to clean. But then she was super annoying and tried to tell me what to do, so I took her out with the trash."

Alisa smiled.

"Oh yeah, I should probably give this to you now before I forget."

She handed him a small holopad.

"It has an encrypted channel that I will contact you on once matters are settled here. I will let you know where to meet me. Until then, farewell."

As Sith Master Lynch departed her dwelling, Alisa gathered the items she needed and made plans to set all of her affairs in order. It would be easy for her to take time away from the bar since she had accrued a lot of time off that she had never used. She would just tell them that she needed to visit a sick relative.

[Jedah Lynch]

The fight at the bar had begun to quiet down as Lynch reentered the room, there were shouts and accusations along with a fair bit of reclamation's as the drama of the night was sorting itself out. A few people pointed fingers at each other from different sides of the bar daring the other to try and strike them, an act that was just as likely to end with a knife in someones side if they were not careful, it was somewhat a miracle that had not occurred already. Not to be outdone the two women who had had exchanged fist were being restrained while yelling profanity laced with venom and hatred more than any of the men were shouting at one another. It might have been impressive if not for the foolish nature of it all, a fact only echoed as one woman that was squirming against the men restraining began kicking so wild that her shoe came free and went flying through the air across the bar and slammed hard against the other woman's nose.

That one screamed even as blood exploded forth from her nose causing her to grasp it as if coddling an infant, the bar went silent for a moment until a single word escaped her mouth as those that had been holding her back had lessened their hold on her as the shoe hit her, it was all she needed to charge forward and into the women who was now deprived of a shoe, the men restraining that women were knocked back and tumbled over a table and the bar erupted once more as people ran at each other with fist flying. Chairs flew through the air and curses filled the room as the Sith Master deftly made his way through the throng of people, at one point a man lacking numerous teeth turned on him not caring who Lynch was and tried to throw a punch in the Siths face, rising a single hand in front of him he caused the mans action to suddenly stop. Desperately the man attempted to struggle against the unseen force that held him in place, his mind quickly filling with fear even as the Sith Master passed him. At the entrance to the bar Lynch paused momentary and brushed any dirt away from his shoulder, at the same time the frozen man being held in place by the Force let lose a death rattle as his neck snapped. No longer being held by the power commanded by the Sith Master the mans body dropped to the floor of the bar as feet of the still fighting trampled upon it.

Once outside Lynch looked down at the holopad that had been handed to him and grinned as he made his way away from the bar and the sounds coming from within.