Star Wars - Shadows Of The Outer Rim

9. | Crossroads

The morning sun broke slow and gold over the little village, the kind of light that made the wood of the cottages glow and the dust in the air shimmer. Kiera stepped out onto the packed dirt road, stretching her arms. She and her team had slept outside upon a small hillside overlooking the village below. Camping outdoors in the heavy heat of Tenor was not what she had in mind when she was given this assignment, but she couldn't complain about the view it offered. And, the defensive advantage was worth temporary discomfort. It was a good teacher of discipline to the newer recruits.

The village was already alive, carts rumbled over stones. A pair of old service droids bickered as they hauled feed sacks. Farmers led shaggy cattle toward distant fields and children chased each other past a large well placed in the centre of the town square, shrieking with laughter. For a moment, it almost looked like peace.

"Kiera." Jax's voice pulled her back. "Over here." He says peeking out of the door of a small rustic barn on the outskirts of the village.

She walked across the road to the big wooden structure Yorin had offered for their staging. Inside, a few villagers Yorin had entrusted to carry out his deals and keep quiet about it were loading crates, grain, tools, preserved goods, onto the repulsorcart that would be used for the fake exchange. They couldn't afford to take any chances of alerting them, the supplies had to be real. If they were as ruthless as Yorin and the villagers made them out to be then they needed every advantage they could take. Jax's soldiers stood in a line, assisting the villagers and adjusting gear.

Jax cleared his throat. "Listen up. We finish loading all this onto the repulsorcart now in preparation for tomorrow. We only get one shot at this. When we get there, we let them approach first. We keep the bluff going. And nobody—and I mean nobody—fires until Kiera gives the order." His eyes found the two youngest soldiers. "Especially you two. Don't get jumpy. We need them close before we spring the trap."

The young men stiffened, nodding.

Rynn, hovering near the cart, crossed her arms. "So that's it? We just lie in wait for them? No warning? No attempt to talk them down or negotiate? Just... slaughter them?"

The room stilled. Kiera turned toward her slowly. "It's not a slaughter. It's controlling the engagement."

"It feels like slaughter," Rynn snapped. "We don't know them. Did you even think about this? What if we do this and we don't win? What if they return and burn the entire village to get revenge?"

"I mean, isn't the whole reason they sent you here was to create diplomacy, you know–medidate conflicts?" Rynn directed at Kiera.

A murmur rippled through the soldiers. Kiera stepped forward, jaw tightening. "Thats all the more reason to get the jump on them then isn't it. These aren't simple thugs, these are real criminals that aren't afraid to slaughter people for the smallest things."

Rynn opened her mouth to argue but Kiera cut her off before she could. "I was sent here on a diplomacy mission. But things are never that simple. You can't talk your way out of every situation. Some people yield only to violence.

Rynn didn't back down. "Spoken like a true Jedi."

"What does that mean?" Kiera said, unable to control the anger flowing inside her.

"Aren't you supposed to be better than this? You Jedi are all the same, you like to pretend to be all noble, like you want to achieve peace but all that follows you is violence and death."

Kiera's temper sparked. "What exactly is your problem with Jedi, Rynn? What happened to you that makes you resist every single offer of help, even when you're drowning in trouble?"