Shadows of Bankor

Djanik had spent his morning working, and eventually decided to take the Zero Dawn out for a spin.

It wasn't as heavily armed as the Z-95s, but it had a certain inertia and kick when flying that he preferred for casual aerobatics.

So he took it up, out of atmosphere and into an elliptical loop around one of the lifeless moons, idly scanning the planet surface as he wove through rocky hills, tumbling through space.

Painted a gaudy white and red, the ship roared silently through the void, a perfect place to catch his breath, to be free of responsibility for a time.

As he went, he watched the scopes, both for anomalies and Imperial patrols.

Venator decides to take a break and call Djanik to catch up.

Djanik is surprised by the call, but flicks on his commlink.

"Venator, old boy, how are you?"

Veering around a large rock outcropping, he slowed, appreciated the view of a massive crater, torn by some ancient asteroid generations, if not eons, before.

It's an old rock, probably billions of years old.

The Zero Dawn had very strong sensors, but sadly, the seemed to so far be showing him a lot of space dirt.

Still, sometimes space dirt was a prize in itself. It looked majestic and eerie enough.

"Purdy good. Jusd god some upgrades. How ya doin' flyboy?" Venator replies.

Djanik contemplated how to answer that question.

After a while he offered, "Well, I almost became a flesh eating zombie. That was interesting."

"Zombie huh? How da happen? Glad you okay... unless you ain'd?" Venator follows up.

"Yeah, we worked it out."

He chuckled.

"I found an old research facility, thought it would be a big find. Unfortunately it had some unfriendly squatters living inside."

With a small shrug, that Venator couldn't see, he added, "Had a bit of a fight, got clawed up a bit. Luckily those with me knew some good doctors."

"Good do hear. I god some cusdom armour made and found me a ship. Ids a fixer upper dhough." Venator comments.

"If ya need help, ya can always cound on me." He offers.

"I appreciate that - I can help put that ship together if you need."

A chuckle. "I'm always happy to work on things."

"I'll keep da in mind dhough I already have a pardner work'n on da. I suppose I can always ask if she wands some help." Venator replies.

"Fair enough."

Djanik took his ship around the lip of the crater, watching small pebbles tumble by, disturbed by his thrusters.

"So, you been keeping busy with work?"

"Yeah, hund'n down marks. Seems dhings are gedd'n a bid complicaded. People I know seem to be recruid'n marks for some reason and gedd'n marks on demselves too." Venator comments.

"I hope ya been keeping yer nose clean Djanik."

"Well, to a certain value of clean."

He contemplated that comment. "I may know where one of your marks went. For what it is worth, it's for a good cause."

"Ain'd my business to judge. I only hund down marks." Venator comments on his stance on things.

"Granded, I choose which marks I go afder." He adds.

"That's true - and sometimes a mark might change their line of work."

A strange, banana shaped rock floated by the view screen, drawing his gaze.

"I can't pretend to know the business of bounty hunting, I only ever flew hunting teams. But in my line of work, a valid target could change to an invalid one without much warning. Had to be ready for that."

"Well before you dry to jusdify a boundy's redemption, here is somedh'n do dhink 'boud. Led's say da sure da killer changed deir ways and now is fighd'n da good fighd. Da does nod change da facd da lil orphan Annie is go'n do sleep homeless, cold, and afraid because her parends da were disindergraded by aforemenshioned killer durned good, are dead. No change of heard is ever gonna bring dem back." Venator counters and lets that sink in for a moment.

"If ya can sleep ad nighd wid da. Power do ya. Me, Imma gonna see da some jusdice is done."

Djanik chuckled. "You're not wrong, and I'm not talking about redemption here - they're assets, they'll pay for their redemption in long battles fought - if they make it through at all."

Tapping his thrusters to follow a small pocket of debris, he watched the drifting rocks idly.

"DIdn't know you cared so much for little orphan Annie, but I can appreciate the sentiment. It's a messy galaxy - and I'm not about to judge the work you do - people earn bounties, like as not."

"Jusd be careful when handl'n a viper da you dun ged bid dere pardner." Venator warns.

"We realize da our job may produce orphans. Such is de nadure of our work. Id is our responsibilidy do eidher see any orphans do be raised by dere own kind. Or we dake dem under our wing. Dis is de Way." He replies solemnly.

"True - at least the Republic did humanitarian missions as well as fighting war."

Djanik sighed. "Those were more difficult, in many ways, but at least you knew you were doing some good."

"Well funny dhing 'boud da is was good for ya may be bad for someone else. Ya may find id hard do believe bud dere are good folks in da Empire who jusd wand a safe and happy life. Yer acshions will affecd dere livelihood doo. So besd be careful ya dun become de same monsder yer dry'n do defead. Or replace one oppressive regime wid anodher. Guess wa I'm dry'n do say is do make sure do see dhings dhrough do de very end." Venator replies.

"Imma jusd a simple guy. Hurd my friends and family and I'll come afder ya. Good, bad, I'll led some egghead figure da oud. So no regreds. God da pardner?"

"Yeah, I got that. This path is one you have to walk the entire way - no getting off this ride, once you opt in. And I know the Empire isn't a monolithic evil - I used to fly for them, Venator. Hell, I ran into an old flame who flies for them now."

He sighed.

"But eventually, even without personal grievance, we may have to fight each other. I don't want to, but I don't much care for the status quo - enough that I'm willing to kill or die to change it."

"If yer meand do fighd each odher do de deadh. Give yer fellow warrior yer udmosd respecd by giv'n yer all and fighd for wa ya believe in. If ya can'd do da. Besd do pack up and walk away. Da winners decide who is righd." Venator replies.

"Course I'd undersdand da dere can be complicashions for da warrior's code. Like for say... if dis old flame of yers bore or is bear'n yer child. Iz nod one of dose siduashions is id?"

"Oh, heavens no."

Djanik laughed. "And if she comes at the people I'm sworn to lead and protect, I'll kill her if I must. I'd rather she see the reality of what she currently is fighting for, but on the battlefield, there is no room to hesitate. Maybe a Jedi can offer mercy in the midst of battle, but the rest of us invite death by trying."