Departure

“Do you have everything you need?”

The bright lights of Coruscant eliminated the need for lights, even given their late departure. Cato and his young apprentice, Asori, had just finished loading their ship. A plain transport ship, Cato had elected for simplicity and an inconspicuous design over one of the sleeker vessels he was offered. Looking up into the sky, the vibrant lights of the planet overpowered the stars, making it look querly black.

“Yes, master.” Asori had finished putting her belongings, such as they were, in the cargo bay. All she’d brought was her lightsaber, and a satchel stuffed with spare robes.

“Are you nervous?” Cato asked, placing his equally small bag into the hold. He’d brought an extra robe, as well as his holocron reader.

“A bit. But I’m also excited.”

They were bound for Dachae. The resource rich, money poor, world had been partially terraformed millennia prior to serve as a republic outpost. It could support lower life forms, but more complex life forms, such as humans, lived within the many bio domes that had sprouted up around the numerous mines that dotted the grey world. Orbiting a small, but hot, white star, frequent violent thunderstorms rolled across the surface of the planet, making travel outside the domes hazardous.

So far as Cato could tell, the vast majority of the planet lived in extreme poverty. The military presence had all but vanished in the previous centuries, the republic deciding to leave the management of the planet to the corporations rather than man it. As it was located near the inner core, the threat of piracy was fairly minimal, and as such they had diverted resources to further flung locales. Almost ninety percent of the planet lived beneath one massive dome, called Dachaelos, their capital. Cato, in pictures, had seen an almost literal poverty line. The Northern quadrant of the city, which featured massive skyscrapers and lavish apartments for the corporate types, housed the white collar community on the planet. Crystal blue pools and vibrant casinos served to entertain the elite.

Everything south of there, however, showed the signs of misery. People lived in overcrowded slums, and unemployment ran rampant. As the mines grew deeper, more automation was required. The more machines that were working, the fewer people that were needed to do manual labor. As a result, too few people were able to afford a ticket off planet, and lived in some of the worst conditions in the galaxy.

“It’s good to be excited, and nervous,” Cato said, remotely opening the entry hatch. It lowered with a groan, the older ship voicing its displeasure. “But just remember to be aware of your surroundings. This place has no love for the republic, but they’ve asked for our mediation anyway.”

“Mediation?” Asori asked, climbing into the ship.

“Yes, mediation.” The duo walked to the fore of the ship, taking their seats. When Cato initiated the ignition procedures, a high pitched whine erupted from the rear of the ship, forcing him to raise his voice. “The workers union requested our presence in renegotiating their contract. They feel they’re being intimidated!” Cato was forced to yell, the aging hulk noise dampening technology showing why it needed replacement. “All we’ve been given leave to do is attend their meetings, and ensure that the corporation’s business practices are legal!”

“And if they’re not?” Asori had drawn closer to her master, trying to drown out the noise as the ship began to rise off the ground.

“Then we report back here, and see what the senate and council would have us do!”

The ship pushed up, all conversation forgotten as Asori and Cato were suddenly sucked back into their seats as they departed. For a few heartstopping seconds, Cato felt immobilized by the pressure. When they finally did break free of the atmosphere, the engine noise was suddenly cut, reduced to a dull thrum accompanied by light vibrations as the on board computer plotted their course. All around them, the stars had returned, the night sky almost white with the light of a trillion stars. Looking back at Coruscant, Cato knew the systems own star burned furiously behind the planet.

“And under no circumstances,” Cato began again, his breathing slightly rushed, “Are we to use force for anything but self defense.”

All at once, the stars around them began to stretch, and their journey to Dachae began in full.