“Why are these people living like this…” May inched down the musty thoroughfare, hand pressed her nose once more. “The upper levels are so different.”
“Most of these people were born here,” Etain walked confidently ahead. “There are a lot of nice folks down here, but the Jedi don’t have the resources to save them all.”
“Why not,” May stepped with exaggerated caution over a murky puddle. “I’ve seen the place you call home, I bet a bunch of folks could fit in that stuffy temple.”
The two girls wound their way into a narrow offshoot, too small for a human adult. The young Jedi rubbed the sides of her face as she considered May’s point.
“I guess,” Etain frowned, then shook her head. “But, Master Kast says that there is an order to things… a Jedi must learn to prioritise the many, over the few!”
“These people seem ‘many’ enough to me,” May shrugged. “The many versus one argument is all well and good, but if a tremendous number of ‘ones’ slip through the cracks, the system is broken.”
“I don’t know…” Etain’s face pinched tight. “I just want to travel with my Master and help people.”
“That’s fine,” May laughed. “Just think about it, once you're a full blown Jedi!”
Etain nodded and the girls continued in silence. Maybe we should do something… May furrowed her brow. They had the technology to change this place, lift these people free of poverty. I’ll talk with Dan, or maybe… She rummaged in her pocket until a flat, metal disc sat in her hand. She pressed her thumb to its centre and the thing turned blue.
“Ultron… can you hear me?”
A long silence filled the hall, dozens of eyes drawn by the strange device.
“What are you doing?” Etain pulled on May’s wrist. “Even a Jedi has to keep up their guard down here, and we’re almost out of the populated zone…”
“Just wait,” May held up her hand. “I said… can you hear me Ultron!”
“I can hear you…” The A.I.’s vice floated into the air. “But I’m busy, what is it?”
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“I want you to send some drones into the undercity,” May’s voice hardened. “They have to be kind to everyone who doesn’t try to injure them, you’re going to start a relief shelter.”
“I don’t think…”
“No buts!” May shook the communicator. “I want you to add a new task to whatever mission Dan has you on, you’re going to help the homeless and needy of this world… Also, clean it up so Dan and I can visit without gagging!”
“That will be extremely difficult…”
“Glad to hear it can be done!” May deactivated the device and returned it to her pocket. “Alright, let’s go, Etain!”
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“Filthy creatures…”
Darth Maul returned his lightsaber to his belt. He’d followed the trail through the force to Endor, but found nothing but a wave of foolish primitives. Their remains carried the scent of rendered fat and rare-cooked meat.
He was closer, but his prey moved quickly. Each time he entered a system, the force whispered that he was further behind. Maul shook his head and stomped up his ship's boarding ramp. It didn’t matter, he never failed to find his prey. The silver ramp closed behind him, ship already in the air. He reached out, into the force and let his hands set a course of their own.
“I will find you…”
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“Achoo!” Dan sneezed into his elbow. “Gross… that just drove this smell into my sinuses!”
“It’s not my fault, your wife and my apprentice both have an obsession with animals,” Master Kast winced as he picked their path forward. “We have to take the long way, Etain is always squeezing through vents and drain pipes.”
“You guys really do ignore the rot in your own backyard, huh,” Dan frowned as he took in the people around him. An itch tickled at his mind, something born on tatooine. “Why do the Jedi allow slavery in the outer rim?”
“That’s a complicated question… and a fair assessment of our failure in the undercity,” Kast sighed, his smile lost. “The simplest answer is, we don’t have the resources. The senate…”
“That's just an excuse,” Dan waved off the Jedi’s words, hand stuffed into his pocket. “Even if you won’t admit it, the Jedi could, and often do, use their abilities and influence to outright control the Republic. It’s a historical fact!”
“We try to take a more relaxed approach now, Master Yoda…”
“Grandmaster Yoda is wise,” Dan pulled a silver disc from his waist, triumphant. ”Now give me one second… Ultron, can you hear me?”
“WHAT IS IT?” The A.I. 's voice peeked as it poured from the disc. “My job is already underway, despite several setbacks to my timeline.”
“I want you to look into the homeless people here…”
“I’ve already begun,” Ultron bit in. “Your wife ordered it so!”
“Oh… well good then,” Dan floundered, the wind taken from his sails. “Well then… I want you to set your drones in the wider galaxy to begin freeing as many slaves as you can, do it peacefully when you can.”
“I… that will take a significant amount of resources from our industry construction,” The A.I. pushed at Dan with logic, an appeal to his pragmatism. “Are you sure it’s wise?”
“Just do it,” Dan rolled his eyes. “Once again, the empire building and resource development is great, but once May and I have seen enough sun, nothing will be able to stop us.”
“Very well…” Ultron lamented. “But I do so under protest, these sacks of useless meat are a waste of time.”
“I’ll write it in the log,” Dan said to the inactive communicator.
“What can that droid do about these people…” Kast squinted at Dan. “He’s not going to start killing the poor to clean everything out, is he?”
Dan laughed as they slid down an abandoned shaft. May’s scent was on the air, almost masked behind the stink.
“He would love that, but no,” Dan laughed. “Ultron is a resourceful machine, you’ll be surprised by what he can do.”
“Is that you, Dan?” May’s voice echoed from below. “We’ve got to get a bigger ship, I want ALL of them!”