Someone From the Past:

Outside of the graveyard, was a bustling city. The man wondered as he walked how the graveyard could stay so quiet despite the sounds of the city. Cornet City was the capital of Corellia which meant that it came with a lot of sounds. It bothered the man, he was used to quieter settings. At least, living wise. So many sounds of life were strange to him. Whenever he heard loud noises, it was usually associated with death and destruction. Life on Tadath was far quieter on this. He was thankful for that. It did make him ponder how he would feel if he had always been here. Perhaps then, the noises would not bother him.

Norith Skarr felt fragmented as he walked down the street. He was in a fairly nice neighborhood. Although it was right next to the infamous Blue Sector. Years back, it was in the Blue Sector that he had gotten the scar on his face. Rough neighborhood. And barely patrolled by CorSec too. He thought back on his former life and wondered if one of his old friends still lived in the sector. They had gone to the same primary school and had become fast friends.

As much as he wanted to, he stopped himself from making his way into the Blue Sector. He could find out later. But for now, he had to get back to his ship. He was not allowed on Corellia. If anyone found out, CorSec would soon be on him. He was sure the New Republic would want him for questioning. No, it wouldn’t do to get caught.

That’s the last thing I need, Skarr thought. To be caught and have to be rescued. I had enough of that on Thyveck. The spaceport he had chosen to land the Steel Wings was not too far from the spaceport. With luck, he’d be able to take off without anyone questioning him. He had come in under fake credentials. He kept his name listed as Norith Skarr. A search on the holonet showed that his name did not show up officially anywhere. He even went so far as to hack into the NR’s records. They didn’t know him.

As expected, the space port was crowded with too many people of too many different species. It reeked of pheromones and sweat. Skarr crinkled his nose up in disgust, almost willing his nostrils closed. It was a bit ironic to him that he would be fine with the smell of all of these people’s blood, but their sweat was what made him sick. If anything, he just wished for the SCOPE armor he was accustomed to wearing. The helmet would block out the smell. He continued to press through the masses before finally coming upon what he was looking for.

The docking bay holding the Steel Wings was large and circular. It had been assigned to him when he informed flight control where he wanted to land. Sitting at the door was a set of dock workers and a  CorSec officer. Skarr was alarmed when he seen this and he walked up slowly.

“Is there a problem?” he asked tentatively. The CorSec officer stepped up to him.

“Sir, will you come with me? There was a discrepancy with your credentials,” the CorSec officer informed him and motioned down the long concourse. Damn. Skarr’s hand twitched slightly. His dual blasters were at the back of his belt. Maybe he could catch them off guard. No, let’s see what’s going on first. He nodded his head slowly and began walking with the CorSec officer.
As they walked, Skarr began judging exactly how fast he could react if things went sour. He hoped it was fast enough to get away. Odds did not look good on that.

Skarr continued to walk along the concourse until he was lead into a small complex of halls. The CorSec led him along a few halls before they came across an official looking office that had ‘Head of Spaceport Security’ inscribed across the door. Skarr could tell that did not bode well. The head of security himself, or herself, Skarr remembered was handling this. The officer ushered Skarr in and closed the door.

The head of security was seated behind the desk. The chair was turned away from the door and whoever was seated was busy typing away at a computer. Skarr waited patiently while the person continued their typing. The Sergeant Major was used to waiting and he took this as his chance to scan the room for weapons, escape routes, and other useful things. He found nothing in sight, that could be considered useful as the office was fairly utilitarian. The head of security did not like decoration it seemed and favored a more useful space. Skarr liked this, he was of the same mind.

“Norith Skarr. I did not think I would ever see you again.” the head of security said, still looking at the computer. Skarr could definitely tell he was male, but he did not recognize the voice. The man turned around and Skarr got his first look at him. He was a little on the thin side, with a gaunt face and a compact body. His face looked weathered and sunken. He looked rather healthy, but he must have been through a lot.

“You know, after your parents died and you disappeared, Emily and I thought we’d never see you again.” That struck a chord in Skarr’s mind, and he suddenly remembered. This was an old friend of his. One that he had grown up with. The one that had grown up in the Blue Sector. The fear he had felt that he had been caught dissipated.

“James? That’s you?” Skarr breathed.

“Don’t expect any protection from me here, Norith,” James said. Skarr pondered what he meant by that before he realized that James did not know how much Skarr could take care of himself. Either way, the Blue Sector looked nasty. The few people walking down the small streets looked rough and many of them had hands in their jackets. Skarr didn’t have to venture too much of a guess that they were carrying blasters. The ones who weren’t carrying blasters just walked with their heads down submissively, almost as if they could make themselves smaller and unworthy in the eyes of the criminal scum that walked around them.

“Why do ordinary people even live here?” Skarr asked.

“Rent’s pretty low here. And some of these people think they can help the pain and suffering. Although ever since the Red Militia came into the scene, things have been really bad.” James answered. A man bumped into James knocking him backward into Skarr, who steadied him. They really don’t like CorSec.

“Was it smart coming in here wearing your colors?”

“Heh, if anything I’m just a little safer because of it. They know that I can probably handle myself.”

“Ah, that makes sense. Who are these Red Militia then?”

“Them? Some gang that pretty much took all control of crime around these parts. Word is that they’re behind the Imperialist attacks.”

“How so?” exclaimed Skarr.

James turned around to look at Skarr. “There have been terrorist attacks lately, they’ve been claiming that they’re fighting for the Empire. The old one, not the Remnant or the Vast Empire. The Galactic one.” Skarr thought about that. Quite a few Imperial factions could claim to be the true Empire. The Remnant had the most claim, but this did not strike Skarr as their work. And the Vast Empire, would not claim the position of the true Empire, they had made too much of a name by themselves. So who could it be? Skarr pondered.

Skarr looked around at the battered buildings around him. He still could not fathom why anyone respectable would want to live here. Why was Emily living in the Blue Sector? It was not the kind of place Skarr wanted to be in. He was carrying his own blasters, but even they failed to make him feel comfortable. Eyes were watching him, he knew, but try as he might, he could not find out where they were staring from.

“It’s just down this way,” James called out. Norith looked up to find that James had gotten well ahead of him and he was standing at the entrance of a small alleyway. Skarr hurried to catch up, but a man stepped in his way with a blaster leveled at him. The young man’s eyes widened and he threw himself forward into the thug. The two of them collapsed onto the street and Norith’s fist came up and then down. The thug’s nose made a popping noise as the fist made contact. Skarr was aware of James fighting his own battle as the thug kicked him over onto his back.

The man stood and raised the blaster to Skarr’s head. Norith stopped moving, he never dreamed it would end like this. Not in a twisted alleyway on his home planet. The thug stared down at him, but he only smiled. There was no pulling of the trigger. Yet, anyways.

“So Norith Skarr has come home,” the thug stated, very slowly, “Remember your past. It would serve you well.” And then he was running down the street at a breakneck pace, his friend close behind him. James limped over to where Skarr lay, still stunned.

“What the hell was that all about?” James asked as he helped his friend to his feet.

Norith shook his head, “I don’t know. Do you know who they were?”

“Members of the Red Militia,” answered James, “That’s why I’m so confused. What would they want with you?” They both walked to the alleyway leading to Emily’s together, eyes now scanning their surroundings for anymore trouble. But Skarr was troubled inside. Remember the past, what the hell did that mean?

OOC:

This post kind of sucked. Really it did, but I promise the next one will probably be better and longer too. I just wanted to make sure I posted something on here, lest I completely forget about it.

The Guardian:

The heat was the only thing Skarr could notice. It was a very intense feeling. He also felt the smoke. The smoke gathered in his lungs like a plague, making him sputter and cough as he pushed through the flames. The airlock had been completely devastated and he was able to proceed into the counter area. The glass had been blown apart and it crunched beneath Skarr’s boots. Melted durasteel pooled on the floor. This had to have been where the bomb went off. There was no sign of the man at all. He must have been completely disintegrated, Skarr thought.

Emily was nowhere in sight, so Skarr vaulted over the counter, still coughing. He struggled over to the door which was slightly ajar and bent inward from the explosion. Maybe she was just coming out as it went off. He grabbed a hold of the door, only to find it burning hot. He shook his hand angrily and tore of his shirt, wrapping it around his hands. Skarr grabbed a hold of the door again, the heat still coming through the shirt, but not as burning. He muscled aside the door as best as he could and ducked inside.

It was not as hot in this room and there was no fire. Yet anyways, Skarr mused. He took a few deep breaths, the air was clearer in this room. He looked around quickly for Emily. There was an overturned couch nearby. Skarr moved forward and threw the couch off of Emily. It was clear that she had been knocked back by the blast. He bent down and picked her up as gingerly as possible, ready to walk back into the inferno. The young man was forced to go slower this time through the counter area now that he was carrying Emily in his arms. But somehow, he got through it. James was waiting for him outside, still arguing into his comm with some authorities. The first few responders had appeared though, and they rushed forward to take Emily from his arms. Skarr relinquished her over to them, coughing. They rushed her over to their speeder, which they had managed to squeeze into the alley.

One of the medics came up to Skarr with an oxygen mask, pushing it onto Skarr’s face and instructing him to take deep breaths. James walked up and clapped the medic on the back. “I didn’t think something like this would happen,” he said, as the medic walked away. Skarr glared up at James before he took off the oxygen mask.

“It happened because CorSec is too afraid to patrol this area,” Skarr accused.

“You don’t underst-” James began.

“I understand perfectly. Someone’s been payed off to keep his men away from the area, this area is full of scum, we can’t patrol this much area effectively, blah, blah, blah. It’s all the same bullshit, James,” the Sergeant Major commented with venom in his voice. James looked at him reproachfully, but said nothing else.

One of the medics ran up to them, “She’s awake and she’s requesting to see you.” Skarr stood and threw another glare at James. He followed the medic over to their speeder. Emily was stretched out on the gurney, with medics still examining her. She tried to smile when she seen Skarr, but it looked more like a grimace. It has to be the pain.

“You needed to see me?” Skarr asked.

“Yes,” Emily said, her breathing a little labored. “I have to tell you...it was the,” she gasped from pain. “Red...Militia...they told me that this was...”

“What?” Skarr could not help but ask, as he leaned closer.

“Your fault,” she managed to sigh out, tears in her eyes. He felt his heart grow cold. How dare they? Who the hell are these people? Skarr nodded slowly and told her to rest. He turned away from her and began walking fast back down the alley. He needed back in his ship. This Red Militia could go on no longer. James must have sensed that something was wrong because he began following Skarr, a look of alarm on his face.

“Where are you going, Norith?”

“Back to my ship,” Skarr called behind him, “And you’re going to tell me where the Red Militia hide out.” James continued to follow Skarr, pelting him with questions the whole way. The young Sergeant Major ignored his old friend as he pushed people aside. He had not a care for the people in front of him, the people who stood in his way. They would all be pushed aside, no matter who they were. Skarr was getting to his ship no matter what.

“Dammit Norith, answer me! What the fuck are you doing?” James grabbed a hold of Skarr’s arm, turning him around. He got in close to Skarr’s face. “You have ignored me this whole time, pushing off questions, acting all mysterious, and now you’re hell bent on getting to your ship. What are you going to do? Run away again?”

Skarr screamed in his old friend’s face, “I WILL NOT RUN AWAY!” James took a step back, a look of surprise and concern etched on his face. Norith could not bring himself to care enough to mutter an apology. He turned back the way he was going and began walking again. He was acutely aware of James following him again, somewhat demurely.

It did not take long for Skarr to get back to the space port. He was trying to keep himself calm, but it was not working so well. He keyed the ramp to his ship and climbed inside. The room he had designated as his armory was not far from the cargo area. The door to the weapons locker slid open smoothly after he had scanned in his hand print. Out came a blaster rifle, the E-45 to be exact. James’s mouth hung agape when Skarr looked back to see him still standing there.

“Norith, you are not taking that out there,” James said, his hand reaching for his own blaster, slowly. Skarr merely grunted and began checking the weapon over, making sure it was loading and working properly. “I mean it, Norith. You can’t go toting a blaster rifle through the city!”

A shrug was the only answer James got. “Why the hell do you have that anyway? And it’s Imperial too, now that I recognize it. Norith? Dammit, Norith Skarr, you better answer me or I will detain you!”

The young man stopped what he was doing and looked up balefully at his once close friend. There was no bluffing from this man. His eyes had gone hard and his pistol was fully out of the holster now. He would arrest Skarr or even shoot him if it meant doing his job. He grew up. Skarr stood slowly and faced James. He drew himself to his full height, rigid yet completely relaxed.

“You meet a lot of nasty types out on the Rim. I needed a weapon to protect myself, and Imperials always make great weapons,” Skarr answered. He was still avoiding the real answer. There was no telling how James would react to the news of Skarr actually being the enemy. The answer was honest enough, and Skarr did not think it mattered anymore if James knew it was an avoidance. “Now tell me where the Red Militia are.”

James sighed, long and deep. It was the wary sigh of an man, much older than he really should be. Older beyond his actual years. “What do you plan on doing, taking them out?”

Norith nodded, “CorSec won’t do it’s job, so I will take care of them.” The CorSec officer had a look of anguish on his face as he thought. Skarr still stood with the rifle in his hands, not wanting to delay, but he needed James. He was sure he could find out where the Militia were hiding out with some investigating, but that would take time. James clearly knew where they were at. It pained Skarr that his friend would be working with such a corrupt police force. It seemed that under the New Republic’s rule CorSec had festered and decayed into what you would expect from a planet on the Outer Rim. It sickened Skarr. This is the problem with Republics, they are far too lax.

The silence stretched out and Skarr grew ever impatient. James was taking too long deciding whatever the hell he was deciding. The Sergeant Major was just about to leave when James spoke again. “I won’t tell you where they are. I’ll...dammit, I’m going to be in so much trouble for this...I’ll help you. I can take you to them, but you have to leave the rifle here. It’s too conspicuous, just take a pistol or two with you. We can always grab rifles later.”

This is probably the best offer I’m going to get, Skarr thought. He turned around and put the rifle back in it’s place. The locker slid shut with a whisper. He pulled the twin blaster from their holsters at his back and gave them another look over. They would do well enough, he had fought out of a few conflicts with them. They were useful enough weapons. Skarr had great faith that they would get the job done right. His old friend has re-holstered his pistol. Apparently, Skarr was no longer a threat. It amused the young man greatly, but he decided it was a good thing. He didn’t relish the idea of his friend pointing a blaster at him.

“Well, I guess I’m ready to go,” Skarr said. “How about you?”

“Yeah, I’m ready. But Skarr, I’m possibly sacrificing a lot doing this. I could lose my job, everything, just by breaking the law I was sworn to protect.” James explained.

“Did you swear to protect the law...or people? Our friend was just injured really bad by these guys, and you’re talking about protecting laws? We- I mean, you swore to protect people when you joined the Army. And I am sure it was the same when you joined CorSec,” commented Skarr, pointedly. “People are getting hurt by these bastards every day, and for some strange reason, they’re fascinated with me. Now not only do I want to figure out why they’re interested in me, I also want to make sure that no other Corellian gets hurt.”

James grinned a little bit, “There’s the Norith Skarr I once knew. Always right about these kind of things. I’m...I’m sorry I got angry at you.” Skarr shrugged. He was willing to move on, so long as James was. “Now let’s go. I’m going to get a speeder, and then I’ll take you to the Warehouse. Stay here.” The CorSec officer disappeared out the door and down the ramp, running back for his offices. Skarr stayed behind as he was told, sitting on a bench in the cargo bay. He prepared himself mentally for what was to come. He was going to wreak havoc on this Red Militia. He was going to teach them what it meant to take on a Sergeant Major of the Vast Empire. The student of the likes of Jared Nolac and Ayme “Havock” Katash. A former RAIDER and the Squad Leader of Eclipse. A mentor and a guardian in his own right. They will know soon enough.

OOC:

WC: 1902

A few more posts, methinks and then story's over.