Star Wars: Love Thy Aliens Ch.3 (Patreon)

One week later

“Is this really a good idea?” Haro asked.

Ari giggled playfully, waving off his concern, “I know you aren’t used to it, but this is how things are done in the undercity.”

Much had changed in this last week. The Republic was no more. Now, there was only the Galactic Empire. Led by Emperor Sheev Palpatine, the Empire had already begun to implement sweeping changes to life on Coruscant. The rest of the galaxy would soon follow.

One of the first things Palpatine did was pioneer a radical pro-Human movement. He was pushing the idea of Human supremacy (not the fun kind) and the upper levels of society were eating it up.

Haro could see the sense in the Emperor’s actions. He was trying to gain more support from the group of people who would be most likely to support his coming reforms. Humans were already the most populous species in the galaxy, but with the reforms, they would rise to utter domination by eliminating the competition of other species. It was as smart as it was devious and it made Haro feel slightly sick.

As a Human himself, Haro would have been part of the group that benefited from Sidious’ reforms. But any benefits he gained would be off the back of putting down other sentient species. He would not stand idly by as Aliens suffered just so Humans could succeed.

The Force told him how wrong this pro-Human movement was. How much it went against everything the Living Force was and stood for. And even though some may have considered Haro’s stance hypocritical, seeing as he was Human and he was the Force’s advocate for a different kind of Human supremacy, neither he nor the Force paid this thought any mind.

The version of Human supremacy that the Force pushed through Haro was one of love, not hate. It focused on bringing out an Alien’s advantages instead of on eliminating a Human’s weaknesses. And if the Force had a “Human’d” fetish that manifested through Haro, no one else would ever know.

Over the past week, Haro had spent the majority of his time split between two activities: communing with the Force and fucking Ari through her mattress. The regular sex had helped to mellow him some and take his mind off of Order 66. He also found that it increased his power and connection to the Force.

He still didn’t know the full extent of the Force’s intentions for his life. All he knew was that the Force had a greater purpose for him. He had come to accept that he had survived and met Ari for a reason. That his story was not meant to end on that day in the Temple.

Haro had become much more comfortable in his own skin. When he was an initiate in the Order, he had always felt like something was missing. Like he didn’t quite fit. Now though, he had found it surprisingly easy to accept his new position, change in worldview, and his new view of intimate relationships. It just felt natural, right, and easy for him to quickly adapt to his new situation.

Ari had quickly noticed the changes in Haro. He became more dominant and confident. More comfortable around her and in their relationship. He still wore a stoic mask to hide his true feelings in a situation, but Ari had been learning to read him through the mask.

And so, she had decided it was finally time for her to take him on a job. She was keeping it straightforward for Haro’s first time. The job was a simple exchange of money and information. The client was a bureaucrat that had been removed from his position when the Empire had taken over.

Now, the bureaucrat usually worked as a sort of middle man between information brokers and the less savory clients. The Empire hadn’t gotten around to patching some of the old holes in the Republic’s networks, so it had been easy for Ari to slice herself in and grab the data that the client wanted. All that was left was meeting the bureaucrat and making the exchange.

She’d be getting paid 60,000 credits for this little bit of data. That meant that the data’s actual value was probably closer to 75-85,000, but Ari didn’t mind the slight loss of profits. She would rather deal with the middle man than a potentially dangerous client directly.

Haro was there as back up if the worst happened. Ari didn’t expect anything to go wrong, but she hadn’t survived in the undercity this long by being unprepared. And Haro’s sixth sense would be very helpful for sniffing out any deception.

“-See? Simple,” Ari said, explaining all of that to Haro once more.

“I guess…” Haro replied. “I just don’t know if I’m comfortable dealing with criminals yet.”

“Well, our contact isn’t technically a criminal,” Ari pointed out.

“I get that. But the information is still likely to end up in criminal hands. What if people get hurt because of this?”

“If you really have a bad feeling about this, we’ll call it off. I’d rather listen to your gut than get a few thousand creds. That’s part of why I’m bringing you along after all.”

Haro shook his head, “No, it’s fine. Shady dealings are just something I’ll have to get used to. This is my life now after all.”

Ari reached across the cockpit of their airspeeder to lay a reassuring hand on Haro’s thigh. She didn’t look away from the frantic and heavy traffic of Coruscant’s airways, but her touch helped calm Haro’s nerves. Haro took a deep breath, closing his eyes and turning his focus inward for the rest of the short trip to their destination.

His eyes opened as the speeder touched down in one of the upper levels of the undercity. The Uscru Entertainment District was in a sort of border position between the upper levels and the majority of the undercity. It was filled with bars, brothels, and casinos that let the better off people from the surface mingle with the inhabitants of the undercity. If you wanted anything, someone in the Uscru District could get it for you.

Neon signs lit the bustling streets below. High above them, the grand dome of the Galaxies Opera House hung over a thousand story drop. Automated holograms of all shapes and colors beckoned people into the clubs and bars that littered this district.

Haro and Ari had landed their speeder in the north section of the district, just off a famous street known as Vos Gesal. Vos Gesal Street was named for the legendary singing family who had made a name for themselves here during the early days of the district’s life. Now, it boasted one of Coruscant’s highest crime rates.

The pair dismounted the speeder, making sure it was locked up tight, and began making their way to the predetermined meeting point. Along the way, Haro bore witness to many examples of Uscru’s seedier side. Deathstick dealers stood openly on corners, peddling their wares. Gangbangers openly postured along the street, marking their turf for everyone to see. Prostitutes propositioned passersby, occasionally leaving their station to take care of a John in a dimly lit alley.

It was all a firm reminder to Haro that he didn’t live on the surface anymore. Even in his most daring escapades from the Temple, the deepest Haro had ever gone was CoCo Town. Uscru was significantly lower and it showed. Haro did his best to ignore the shady dealings as he followed Ari.

He absently fiddled with his jacket, pulling the hood further over his head. Since his old clothes were so recognizable, one of the first things Ari had done this past week was take Haro shopping. She had taken her time making him play dress up, eventually finding an outfit that both looked good and distanced him from his Jedi identity.

The jacket he wore was similar to a flight jacket. It was made of tough material to give a bit of protection and had been modified to add a hood for anonymity. The shirt he wore underneath it was nothing special, just a simple cream-colored button up that contrasted nicely with the jacket’s darker color. His pants were similarly simple, but the boots he wore were high quality and looked like they were made for stomping someone out.

The last, and maybe most important, aspect of his outfit was the belt he wore. It had a couple of pouches for carrying equipment and two holsters that were both occupied at the moment. Haro’s hands briefly fingered the blaster pistol and vibroblade he carried in the holsters.

Ari had insisted he have something he could defend himself with. Haro couldn’t think of a good enough reason to disagree. He was a wanted man after all. So he had gotten a blaster, specifically a WESTAR-35 blaster pistol, and a vibroblade. The WESTAR-35 was a bit pricey, but Haro had chosen it because of the ‘stun’ setting on the blaster. He was still more comfortable with the vibroblade though, seeing as it was at least somewhat similar to a training saber.

They managed to make it to their destination, the Outlander Club, without incident. The Outlander Club was a squat, square building located at one corner of an intersection. It was a gambling house that catered to the more ‘high-class’ criminals and the more adventurous upper-level Coruscanti. It was also busy enough to give their upcoming meeting a sense of privacy.

The scent of smoke and the sound of the crowd immediately hit Haro as he and Ari entered the club. The pair avoided the center of the club, where the majority of the gambling was taking place, and quickly caught an elevator to the upper floor. This floor was a bit less crowded and lively than the main floor.

Haro focused his senses on the Force as Ari picked out an empty booth at the bar and they took a seat. Ari pulled out a datapad, sending off a quick message to her contact. She ordered two drinks when a waitress came by and they were soon left alone in a crowd of people. Ari set up a small device that would muffle their conversation to anyone outside the booth.

“Feel anything off?” Ari asked.

Haro raised an eyebrow, “Other than whatever is going on in the lower levels of the club? No, not really.”

Ari winced slightly, “Yeah, this place is good for discreet meetings, but it’s not the most ‘clean’ of venues.”

Haro stared at her, waiting for her to elaborate and absently appreciating her beauty. Her clothes were a bit more eye-catching and revealing than what she usually wore so she could blend in with the female patrons of the Outlander Club. Instead of her half-jacket, crop top, and long pants, Ari wore something more fitting for a night out.

Her pants were replaced with tight short shorts that hugged the curves of her ass and hips. They ended right at the top of her thighs, leaving miles of perfect, pink leg bare. Her top was a sort of sash that tied behind her neck and swooped down to cover her breasts, but didn’t cover any of her toned midriff. Sparse, glittery sleeves hung from studded shoulder pads to cover the upper half of her arms. Her entire outfit was made of a shimmering turquoise fabric that complemented her eyes and skin color.

Ari caved pretty quickly and explained what she meant when she said the Outlander Club wasn’t ‘clean’, “Well, I’m sure you saw and smelled all the deathstick smoke. This club is kind of a hotspot for dealers. There’s also a bunch of the more illegal games being played on the lower levels. Gladiatorial fights, prostitution, and the like. Down there, they’ll bet on almost anything. Some of the patrons come here just for what goes on in the basement.”

Haro frowned, but changed the subject, knowing he couldn’t do anything about it. Even if this club got shut down, another would quickly take its place.

“Could you teach me how to slice at some point?” he asked.

Ari perked up at his interest, “Yeah! I absolutely could. It’s a good skill to have and if we’re gonna be working together, you should at least have an idea of what I do. I like that you’re taking an interest in my work.”

Haro fought down a blush at her bright smile, struggling to keep his stoic demeanor in the face of Ari’s genuine excitement, “Right… And maybe I can teach you something about how the Force works.”

“I’d like that! Even if I’m not Force-sensitive, spending time with you is never a waste.”

“I thought you would have been getting tired of me. We’ve basically been with each other for an entire week straight.”

“Never,” Ari giggled. “You’re selling yourself short. This past week might have been the best week of my life.”

Haro lost the battle against his blush at that bit of praise, “... Me too.”

Haro was saved from his embarrassment by someone sliding into the seat on the other side of the booth. The intruder was a middle aged Human male. He had a full head of graying hair and a perpetual ‘no-nonsense’ expression stuck on his face. He wore semi-formal robes that marked him as someone who could be considered well off.

“Sultra,” the man grunted in greeting, calling Ari by her last name. “Who’s your boy toy?”

Haro kept his stoic expression, not letting his annoyance at that nickname show as he introduced himself, “Haro. Nice to meet you.”

The man just gave him another dismissive grunt and turned to address Ari, “You got my data? I’m on a tight schedule.”

Ari nodded, laying a small chip on the table, “All of the Coruscant Guard’s movements and operations from the past week and all of their planned stings for the next month.”

“Quality work as always,” the man said, tossing Ari a Cred Chip that she quickly checked. “It’s all there. Pleasure doing business with you. This data will help thousands escape the planet before this new Empire even knows what hit them.”

The whole interaction between the couple and the older Human couldn’t have taken more than five minutes. As suddenly as he had appeared in their booth, he left, taking valuable data with him. Haro was surprised to sense that the man actually had benevolent intentions with the data. He wasn’t exactly sure what he was going to use it for, but the Force told him it would be helping people.

With the man’s gruff exterior and short manners, Haro had been expecting him to be using the information for something shadier. Instead, he was apparently helping people get off Coruscant. He might even be helping other Jedi that escaped. Haro didn’t get a chance to ask before the man disappeared into the crowd of the club.

Haro blinked, “That was… surprisingly straightforward.”

“Aww, were you expecting more?” Ari giggled. “It was just a handoff, babe. Those usually aren’t complicated at all.”

“I mean, I wasn’t expecting a shootout, but I thought there would be more drama to it.”

Ari shook her head, “I don’t deal in drama, Haro. It’s bad for business and it's where most of this job’s danger comes from.”

“That makes sense. Keep things impersonal and you’re less likely to have clients coming back with a grudge against you,” Haro said.

“Exactly. In this line of business, it’s just a numbers game. A client with a grudge is almost inevitable. I just do what I can to prevent it.”

“When he said he was getting people off Coruscant, do you think he was talking about Jedi?”

Ari hesitated, not wanting to kill Haro’s hope, “It’s… possible. Others may have escaped… And if they did, they would most likely want to get off planet.”

“I… I need to know I wasn’t the only one who made it out.”

“We can follow him,” Ari offered. “If we leave now, we’ll probably be able to catch him.”

“Wouldn’t that be ‘drama’? I doubt that guy would take kindly to us tailing him,” Haro said.

Ari shrugged, “Well then, I guess we just can’t let him catch us.”

She was already moving to get up and leave. She tossed a couple of credits on the table, grabbed Haro’s arm, and started rushing toward the elevator. Haro couldn’t do anything but keep up. A lifetime in the Jedi Temple had left him unable to easily express how grateful he was that Ari was willing to risk her business so he could get some closure.

As the elevator doors opened on the main floor, Haro and Ari caught sight of the client leaving the club. Haro took the lead as they rushed through the crowds. The Force guided his steps into the perfect path through the club’s chaos.

Haro turned right when they exited the club, instantly locking onto the client’s salt-and-pepper hair once again. Ari fiddled with something as they jogged to catch up to the man. They kept a safe and discreet distance, but the client was now firmly in their sights.

Ari pulled a small pistol-looking device from… somewhere. With most of his attention locked on the client they were tailing, Haro had to do a double take when he saw the device seem to materialize in Ari’s hands. Even with a closer examination of her, he couldn’t tell where in that outfit she had pulled it from.

“Where were you keeping that?” he asked, turning his gaze back to the client.

Ari smirked, “Hammerspace. Every girl has a hammerspace. I’ve even got a little holdout blaster tucked between my boobs.”

“That sounds… useful?”

“It is!” Ari said cheerfully. “I’m always prepared for things to go south. This isn’t a blaster though.”

“What is it?”

“It shoots tracking devices. He’s headed in the opposite direction from our speeder. I can just shoot his ride with this baby and we’ll be able to keep following him without resorting to getting a taxi or something.”

Haro mentally kicked himself for not thinking of something so simple, “Good idea.”

Eventually the client turned off the main street and into a small lot. He unlocked and got into a sleek, two-seat airspeeder. The speeder’s repulsorlifts kicked in almost immediately. Ari crouched at the corner of the small lot, just barely peeking around one of the buildings that sandwiched it with the tracking pistol.

As the airspeeder began to take off, Ari squeezed the trigger in a calm, fluid motion. Using the Force to enhance his eyes, Haro watched as the tiny tracking device streaked across the lot and latched onto the bottom of the speeder. Ari withdrew from the corner the very instant after she shot, pulling Haro with her.

The pair beat feet back to their speeder, hopping in as soon as they reached it. Ari started it up. She handed Haro a datapad and told him to give her directions. They lifted into the air and were off into the undercity’s perpetual twilight.

“Anyone in particular that you’re hoping to find?” Ari asked, preemptively engaging Haro in conversation so he wouldn’t lose himself in worries and anticipation.

Haro sighed, “Yeah… An old friend… Naomi. She was probably the person in the Temple -- in the world -- I was closest to.”

“Tell me about her,” Ari said, prompting Haro to continue talking.

“She was… is a Cathar girl my age. We were younglings together at the Temple. Even though the Order taught us not to get attached, we did. She was my best friend. And… she was chosen by a Master before me. She became a Padawan, leaving me alone in the Temple.

“I still remember our goodbye… She took me somewhere private. Our little spot in the Temple. She was trying so hard to hold back tears. The whole thing was kind of awkward. Like she had something she wanted to tell me… But she didn’t. She just hugged me and said goodbye. I didn’t even get to tell her how much she meant to me…”

“I’m sure she knew.”

“I know it’s unlikely she was on Coruscant when everything went down, but I have to hope she at least escaped.”

“I can’t promise you anything, but if she’s still alive, we’ll find her.”

Haro stayed silent, once again thanking the Force that he had met Ari in his time of need. They were quickly coming up on the location of the tracking beacon. It was down a few levels and a couple of kilometers away from the Uscru District. The beacon looked to be in an abandoned square that was hidden from the rest of the undercity by a small alley.

Ari parked the speeder outside of the alley and the pair continued on foot. Reaching out into the Force, Haro began to sense feelings of despair and desolation. There was a small light of hope moving around in the hidden square. Like everything in this place rested on the shoulders of one person.

He and Ari hid behind a crate as they reached the end of the alley. They peeked over the crate, not sure what to expect. Inside the square, something like an orphanage had been set up. They saw children of all ages and species and they all seemed to be gravitating towards one man.

The client was sitting on a box in the middle of the square, handing out food, clothes, water, and small toys to the children who crowded around him. He would even give the younger ones hugs before they scampered back into the darkness surrounding the square.

Haro breathed a sigh of relief because of two things. The client really was a better man than his gruff exterior made him seem. And he felt little sparks of the Force in some of the older children. These older children carried themselves differently from the others. Like they had known a life better than this just a long while ago. Haro didn’t recognize any of them, but they all felt somewhat similar to him in the Force.

“Let’s go,” Haro whispered to Ari, nudging her shoulder with his. “I’ve got what I needed.”

“Just like that?” Ari asked, surprised.

Haro nodded, “Yeah. We can’t help them any better than he can and they probably won’t trust us as well as they trust him even if we did decide to help. He’s got this in hand. Hopefully, these kids will find a better life off planet.”

“Did you find any Jedi?”

“I did. But that still doesn’t change the fact that I can’t help them as I am now. We’ve given them a chance to escape Coruscant. That will have to be enough for now.”

Even if he said that, Ari could tell he was still somewhat bothered by his lack of ability to make change. She grabbed his hand as they walked back to the speeder. Haro allowed her to take his hand without resistance, unsure of how to respond to something as simple, lewd, and wholesome as hand holding.

Still, he felt a little bit better after Ari’s small show of affection. It was a basic thing, but it helped Haro center his mind. What he said before was true. He really couldn’t help the survivors of Order 66 as he was now. At least seeing that there were survivors gave him a bit more closure.

Haro sat in deep thought during the journey back to Ari’s apartment. When he thought about what he wanted to do to help those Jedi younglings he had just seen, he came back with only one answer. He… didn’t actually care about the Jedi Order all that much. He wanted to save the people of the Order, not the Order itself. The Jedi Order was gone, of that much Haro was sure.

At the Temple, Haro had never been a stellar example of what it meant to be a Jedi. That was part of the reason he hadn’t been chosen by a Master yet. But he hadn’t even lasted an entire day before bucking the code and choosing his own path in the Force.

But maybe this was the path the Force had laid out for him. Maybe he would spend the rest of his life walking a line between both sides of the Force. Maybe he could still make a difference without being a good Jedi or falling and becoming a Sith. He resolved himself to just see where the Force took him. He would trust in the Force and maybe eventually, the Force would come to trust in him.