Star Wars: A Thing Of Beauty

Black Dog

Rutanda is near Utapau, a planet that has recently become a big target in the clone wars. The people there lean more in favor of the Republic, but the planet is currently under greater Separatist occupation. That means a lot of battling takes place and the Pau'an people pay the price most often. So the Izanami corporation is going to send his group of Twi'leks and Pantorans, protected by the Harrowers mercenaries to lend them aid in these troubling times. However, pirates have been reported in the area and they would love to take all of the Izanami medical equipment and the real fancy weaponry that the Harrowers have. So trouble is inevitable.
Jinang contacted Marssi and the young woman told him to meet her by an old bank a few blocks away from the hotel he's been living in. It's been fortified for the mercenaries to use as a place to store weapons and ammo, and Marssi is allowed to give Jinang some weapons for the mission.
"We goooot..." She says from behind the bank counter, looking inside of a crate. "Blasters, explosives, blades... What'chu want, little man?"

He stops to think, wondering what kind of weapons he should take. And then he was suddenly offended by being called "little man."
"Hey!"

"How bout this?" Marssi interrupted, oblivious, putting a couple of silver blaster pistols on the counter. "Cad fuckin' Bane uses those kinds. So that's cool. Uhhh. Lemme seeee..."

Then she digs out a vibroblade sword that Separatist BX commando droids use. It's in pretty good shape as well. Then Marssi puts some knives down and then a rifle, a shotgun and a slugthrower.
"This's all the shit you can use for free." She says. "Take it all if you want. Haha."

"Thanks, Marssi." Jinang says, grabbing the sword, the blaster pistols and all of the knives.

"No prob, dude." She answered casually, moving the weapons back into their crate. "Oh, and I think the blue hunk was looking for ya. Dr. Shae, I think."

With that and the new weapons, Jinang headed out, back towards the hotel and found Dr. Shae and his daughter Poppy sitting on a sofa in the lobby with some things for him. Poppy runs over and greets Jinang with a hug, pushing him slightly.
"Hey Poppy." He says, patting her head. "Did you two need me?"

"Yeah." Tanner says, with a box set by his feet. "Some gear that will protect you, hopefully."

Jinang sits next to Tanner, and Poppy sits next to Jinang, and then they have a look inside the box: A thick black scarf, leather boots and gauntlets, and some techno-armor pads covered in fur.
"Poppy and I stayed up all night making these for you." Tanner says as Jinang examines the fur. "That cloak you've got there will add extra protection from EMPs to your spine. It's already resistant, but a little extra protection never hurts."

"I don't know what to say..." Jinang says, blushing. "This is very generous... Thank you both..."

Tanner grabs Jinang's chin, lifting his head, and softly kisses his lips. He blushes even more - his face looking like a tomato. He doesn't really know if he's kissed anyone before, but right now it feels like something very special.
"Thank us by coming back safe and sound."

The unnamed city on Rutanda doesn't have a proper hangar that's safe to keep ships in, so they just land wherever they can. However, the Harrowers also have an Arquitens-class light cruiser, stolen from the Republic in a "crazy heist," that now serves them well for transportation. It can carry all of the Izanami aid workers, and provide them with sufficient protection. Jinang followed a group of Twi'leks into the ship, and found a place where he can be alone. He's set up with all of his gear, sitting on a pile of crates in the cramped hangar of the light cruiser. Feeling sick to his stomach. It's nervous, as he hasn't been on any sort of combative mission in a long time. And he doesn't really know what's going to happen when he's actually out in the field. He has over 50 years combat experience crammed into his head, plus another 7 from his life as a Jedi. But who knows how well any of that will serve him anymore. Maybe he'll die on this mission, and all of this confusion and fear will end. It's sad to think about Tanner and Poppy missing him, but they would move on. As a doctor, Tanner has seen plenty of people die, so what's one more? Despite all of these dark thoughts, however, Jinang is going to fight as well as he can, because the people who saved his life are going right into danger in order to save more lives, and right now, paying them back with his help is all that matters to Jinang.
As they near Utapau, everyone starts moving around more in the hangar, and suddenly, still sitting on the crates, Jinang found himself face-to-face with someone familiar. A blue Theelin wearing a lab coat with really wild, spiky, messy hair that's half pink and half blue, and he has a perpetually tired look on his as well as a pink mustache. Looking at this man, Jinang knows exactly who he is... He's known him for years. The notorious scientist, doctor Vega Dekker. One of Koga's closest friends...
"I've uh... Been putting this off." Dekker says nervously. "I um, was the lead surgeon in your operation. To install the Isogu."

Jinang hops down from the crates, looking up at the scientist with a haunted look on his face.
"Dekker I..." Jinang says, stopping himself. There's suddenly a lot he wants to say, but he feels like he doesn't have the right. He has memories that aren't his. Guilt and experiences that aren't his. A life that wasn't his...

Suddenly, Jinang turns away and vomits on the floor, nearly falling over. Coughing and gagging. Filled with anxiety that he can't process...
"I'm sorry..." Dekker said, making sure Jinang doesn't fall to the floor. "I know what you're going through, Jinang. As in... I have seen this situation in others. Don't say anything, just listen, alright? I'm gonna help."

Jinang straightens up, and Vega gives him a handkerchief to wipe himself with. And then a little droid comes by to clean up the vomit.
"You're gonna see more people you know today." Dekker explains. "People you know, but they don't know you. It's going to be very difficult to deal with, so here's how you can work through it: Just look it right in the face and move right through it. You got it? The only way is through. Don't push it aside, don't try to move on. Just go right fucking through it."

Jinang clenches his fists, shivering. These words are from someone very close to him, but someone he doesn't have any right knowing so well... It's infuriating, like he's stolen someone's identity. He stares at Dekker for a few seconds, and then grabs a couple of dogtags hanging around the man's neck, looking at them. Then he walks away, saying nothing. The scientist looks at the little man's determined stride towards the opened hangar door, and he smiles. Jinang looks outside where the cruiser is nearing the surface of Utapau. Seeing that the pirates are wasting no time at all trying to attack the Harrowers convoy. And he takes a step forward, descending into action once again.

Jinang lands on a pirate starfighter, right by the cockpit and looks into the confused Weequay pilot's eyes. He suddenly feels a mental split between Koga and Jinang Iang, hesitating to pull the trigger of the blaster pistol pointed at the man. Jinang's never killed a man before, whereas Koga has killed thousands... He snapped out of it quickly, but only to be through into more conflict as he pulled the trigger... He watches the man die, feeling the surreal impact of killing someone for the first time. On one side he's an experienced killer and on the other side this is the first time he's murdered someone. But whoever he is now, he doesn't feel like he has the right to feel what Jinang or Koga feel when they kill.

The ship starts to descend, and Jinang leaps onto a Harrower flyer, runs across it and jumps onto another pirate starfighter, and shoots and kills the pilot without hesitation. Another pirate flies towards the ship he's standing on and fires several shots - Jinang activates his Isogu, back flips over the blaster fire that blows up the ship he was on - as the second ship flies underneath him, Jinang lands on it and shoots the pilot. He's locked in a chase that will never cease, trying to figure out who he is. Jinang is a name he feels like he stole, an identity that doesn't belong to him. And yet the impact of killing isn't any lighter on his soul. Another cruel twist of fate is a severe sense of body dysmorphia. He has gotten used to being very small and not so physically strong, but he just can't get comfortable in his own body. Like he just doesn't belong in it. He's got to end this, but it's just begun, and there is no end in sight. But for now, he's just going to fight and complete his mission. The portending realization that he will be lost forever, stuck in this limbo between two minds fills his heart with dread.