Afterglow II | The Clone Wars

15 | Withering Wreckage

As Obi-Wan and Dakota stepped onto the cargo vessel, the stale scent of burnt metal and lingering, aggravated tension clung heavy in the stuffy air. Upon request from the council, they had made their way to the Cybloc sector where a word of distress had sprang from, feverishly reporting an attack by two Zabrak individuals, and now it was their duty to investigate the aftermath.

Their footsteps echoed softly against the metallic floor as they made their way through the dimly lit corridors of the ship. Dakota followed just a step behind Obi-Wan, arms crossed as she went. The flickering glow of emergency lights cast eerie shadows on the walls, illuminating the wreckage and chaos left in the wake of the attack.

Dakota's eyes narrowed as she surveyed the scene before her, her senses attuned to the faint traces of violence that lingered in the shadowy corners. The weight of darkened aura singled that the pair responsible were undoubtedly the rogue sith. Broken and dismantled mechanical and personal droids lay scattered across the floor, their metal frames twisted and mangled from the force of the assault.

Obi-Wan's brow furrowed in concern as he examined the damage, his keen eyes scanning for any clues that might indicate a reason for this attack. "It appears whoever did this was thorough in their assault," he remarked, his voice matter-of-fact.

Dakota nodded in agreement, her gaze sweeping over the wreckage. "Looks like a five year old threw a tantrum. But if we're dealing with who I think we are, then I expect nothing less" she replied, her voice tinged with disinterest. She peered over his shoulder to see ahead of them.

"They ought to be flush" the ship attendant named Zutton, a Snivvian that owned the vessel, babbled as he took the Jedi around the scene. "Chips were all unlocked" he motioned his paw out to the inner doors "No way to trace 'em. All done by the two crabbiest Zabraks this side of the Hydian" he explained, distaste on his tongue.

"They were alone?" Obi-Wan asked, putting a hand to his hip. He did most of the interacting with the attendant as Dakota analyzed the scene wordlessly. Her ear perked at the mention of Zabraks.

"Yup, yup" Zutton rumbled, scratching the back of his head. "What were they, a couple of Jedi gone rogue or somethin'?"

"Fortunately for you, Jedi aren't this careless." Dakota kicked a fried droid head out of her way, it skidded across the floor and clattered against the wall.

"Jedi wouldn't do anything like this, period" Obi-Wan assured Zutton, directing an obvious eyebrow raise in Dakota's direction. Her attitude certainly didn't scream comforting. She shrugged and sniffed casually, biting back a smirk.

"Do me a favor. Spark up that lightsaber, would you?" Zutton requested without a second thought to her underlying sarcasm, and Obi-Wan obliged, taking the saber from his belt and igniting the vibrant blue hum. All of their faces shimmered a similar color of sky blue. "The droids that got attacked said that theirs were red" he informed.

"They are Sith," Obi-Wan concluded, sheathing his saber and tucking it away. "and we need to find them before they strike again"

"Well, they took my cargo ship." Zutton grumbled, rubbing his face with annoyance "but the droid survivor said they heard something about the Sertar sector"

At that, Dakota cut her eyes to Obi-Wan who turned to look at her in the exact same moment. They shared an understanding. There was only one person in the galaxy who could help them now. She bit the inside of her cheek and uttered, beginning to retrace her steps back to their own ship. "We'll contact Hondo the moment we get back on our ship. Thanks Button" she tossed over her shoulder.