This whole story and future storyline I'm writing was inspired by a series of Role Plays I did with a couple of my friends on SWTOR when I used to play the MMO. But I fell in love with the story and decided to write it and give it's due. Full Credit to my friends who had given me inspiration to write this story as well as permission to use their characters for this story. I will try to make as many updates as I can, but with classes and looking for work, time isn't really my friend. But please enjoy and thank you!
Chapter 1:
"Ord Mantell?" The young Togruta Jedi Knight asked in confusion, "Master Quinan, if I may, why am I being sent to a planet like Ord Mantell?"
In front of the young knight was a Human Jedi Master in her early forties, typing on her terminal before looking at the Togruta with her serene blue eyes, "Because the Council assigned you to go there. I know you don't like getting excessive amounts of mud in between your toes, but do remember that you have just become a full fledged Jedi Knight and you have yet to be sent on a mission as one. So what's the problem, Rethren?"
"It's just that I didn't placed so much work and effort to become a Jedi just have my first mission as a Knight be wasted on some backwater planet!" Rethren bursted in refusal, a distinct spark flashes in her eyes as she attempts to stand her own ground. But unfortunately, Master Quinan knows this spark of defiance all too well as she simply raised one brow, making the young Knight the feeling of her Authoritative presence she only rarely gives off.
"Do you wish to run that by me again, KNIGHT Cruachan?"
Rethren felt a chill crawled down her spine as the Master made her very clear point of her rank and who has the better authority between them. She knew better than to find what would happen if she would continue, so she ended her persistence then and there.
"N-No… Master Quinan, I'm fine…"
The Older Jedi then relaxes herself, sighing in slight annoyment but also an understanding one as well, "Look, I know with being a new Jedi, you want to show the whole Galaxy who you are and what you can do. But remember that a Jedi never strive for such things, so be patient and take it slow. You're young and have a lot of unknowns waiting for you in the future. Understood?"
Rethren sighs as well in her admittance to defeat the wise Master's words, "Yes, Master… Now, what's this assignment on the planet?"
"A Jedi Watchman in the sector has requested for assistance for investigating a possible Force Anomaly on the planet."
"Force Anomaly? Wait…" The Knight finally realizes, "You don't mean-"
Master Quinan nods her head before she could finish her sentence, "Yes, the Force within a child on the planet has just awaken."
"Then, why does the Watchman need assistance? Isn't finding Initiates usually something they can do on their own?" Rethren asked trying to grasp the situation. Not once had she ever found something illogical and outlandish as this before.
"Yes, that's normally the case, but there's something about this child that requires one to be cautious. But you'll find more when you meet the Watchman on Ord Mantell. You should head out now, time is of an essence here and hopefully he'll be safe."
Despite the confusion, Rethren nods. What could be so special about this particular child? Was there something wrong in finding him? Was there something about his Force awakening that the Order wants? Or did something happen to the child which would prove her worst case fear, did this child already had become corrupted and she was to be tasked with striking him down and returning him to the Force before he could causes any potential damage to the balance?
The very thought had made her sick to her stomach, wondering if that would be such a reality, the thought of striking down a child due to corruption. But she eventually brought her thought back to reality and shaked her head, focusing onto the mission that needs to be done - because she herself had memorized the Code.
There is no Emotion, There is the Peace.
Running that line through her head over and over for a few moments to herself, she knows what she would have to do if it came down to it. Not happy on the thought, but willing to accept it.
She bowed to Master Quinan before taking her leave out of the room and making her way through and up the Temple floors.
Making her first stop in the Temple was her own little quarters on the second floor to gather her essential items like her travel bag, some freeze dried provisions from the personal storage as well as two canisters of water, Holocommunicator, and finally her Lightsaber. Once she leaves her room, everywhere she goes while on her way to the Hanger Bay is filled with every and all sorts of Jedi in the Order. Young to mature Knights and Masters going on with their day, The Initiates ranging from ages four to thirteen attending their daily classes or studying to learn what new knowledge they can. Every child passing by makes her think back on her days as an a youthful initiate herself, the excitement of learning, the hard work, and the accomplishment of completing even a simple task were all that ever loved in the experience. But growing up does catch up to even the very best of people, now she's a fully fledged Jedi Knight, and have duties that far exceeds a mere child. She needed to grow up, because she has to.
Placing her thoughts of then to the very now, she finally had reached the shuttle bay - where a single shuttle was docked and laying in wait for her. Meeting the pilots of the shuttle, and signing off on a pile of authentication paperwork, she was off. Off to what was wrong with Ord Mantell.
Hours had passed on the journey to the Mid-Rim planet and the trip was just like any other Long-Term Lightspeed-Jumps, down right boring. This crossed Rethren's mind plenty of times during the voyage, looking out the window was nothing but light streaks as an infinite amount of stars pass by the ship like a grass on a road trip. She tries to attain herself and her patience with little activities like walking around the passenger bay, counting every bolts in the hull she could find, playing some mind games, and twirling her thumbs. All to keep her busy, but all resulted to die out quickly.
"Urg! This is taking to long!" She said to herself as stand from her seat once more, she then made her way to the cockpit, the pilot keeping control and monitoring every flashing button and screens on the console. He's just as calm as he was at the beginning of the flight, like the long hours hasn't waned on him at all. This kinda infuriates the young Togruta, but she kept herself collected, knowing that she shouldn't fall into Jealousy so easy.
"How long until we get there?" She asked out of curiosity. The Pilot checks the screen that's displaying his navigation systems, it's quite a wonder how a programs the size of a nut could know where exactly they are in the middle of a hyperspace jump, this really does astonishes her for the longest time.
"We're nearly there, Master Jedi. We should be in orbit in ten minutes." The pilot reported, he began quite a long process of pressing buttons and flipping switches, preparing the shuttle to jump out of hyperspace.
"Since we got the time, what am I expecting to see on Ord Mantell? Besides what the Temple's Astrographer had told us about the planet, which isn't really much." Rethren took the chance, she needed to know what this planet that was absolutely foreign to her is. What could be so different about the planet? What creatures does she has to protect herself from? What kind of people does she need to keep an eye out for?
"Well… besides the earthquakes, hot weather, smelly settlements, and an air pollution count to boot - It's just you're typical crime planet, really."
She took a moment to take in this obviously lacking information and process, then it finally clicks in her head, "Wait... Did you just say "Crime Planet"? What do you mean by crime planet?"
The pilot looks at her to only raise his brow, "You didn't know? Well, they don't call Ord Mantell a Jewel planet for nothing, it's one of the home of a major criminal gang - the Black Suns." he heard one of the screens flash and he flipped a few switches and pressed a button before continuing, "Not only that, but it's one of the major trade ports of the Black Market, there's usually hundreds of Pirates and Mercenaries of all kinds there. Especially now since it's been a little under a millennium since the Zakuul Empire went back to Wild Space."
"Why hasn't the Republic done anything about the crime wave on the planet? Ord Mantell is part of their charted territory." She asked worryingly as the thought of a single planet of the Republic being so corrupted sickens her.
The pilot could only shake his head and shrugs, "With what? Remember that splinter groups within the Republic had broken off from the Alliance with the Zakuul Empire during the Uprisings. Hell, the Republic nearly lost three quarters of its very strength during that time and they were all decimated. By the time Zakuul left, the Republic was at near collapse - same goes for the Empire too. It may had been a thousand years, but our well-esteemed Government is still shambles and could barely keep over their territory."
He's right, that's what really had happen a thousand years ago. At first it was just another big war between the Galaxy's two largest factions: The Galactic Republic and the Sith Empire. Like those before, this new fledgling war already had an immense toll, another war of attrition. Then came the Zakuul Empire, out of the Wild Space sector and utterly obliterate both factions with ease. First ruled by a man thought to be immortal, then by his power crazed son, and then by his bloodthirsty daughter - everyone of them had dominated and ruled over all of known space, with both the now Republic and Empire underneath their thumb.
Then came the Alliance, a resistance pact formed between both factions with the help of outsiders, thieves, mercenaries, and Zakuulians who had Couped against their own nation - all led by the one called the Outlander. The Royal family had ultimately fallen and the Outlander had taken up the new mantle of Eternal Emperor and brought peace between Zakuul and the rest of the Galaxy. But this peace had not lasted long as a year later, the Uprisings began from both the Empire and the Republic. Zakuul, unfortunately responded, the Outlander knew what they had to do. After years of fighting the revolts, Zakuul ultimately returned to Wild Space and both the Republic and the Empire were left laid to waste.
Rethren remembered this story from her childhood training at the temple, Master Boug'wab was telling the story of the heroic Outlander who sacrificed everything to stop a once tyrannical Empire from destroying the entire galaxy and came to become it's leader to bring peace, then ultimately turned their power against the people they sworn to protect. She remembered this story very well and it terrified her to the very core. Knowing that one who could be revered as the hero and actions to stand by it, turning on their own for the sake peace.
'Peace', she thought to herself, 'That isn't peace… it's just another bloody lie.' She couldn't help but run that through her head, ending violence by resorting to violence, it's redundant and only creates more violence. She despised it, more than anything else.
As Rethren still pondered, the shuttle had finally left the hyperspace jump with Ord Mantell in sight. She brought herself back to focus and returned to the cockpit. As they approached closer to the planet, she could not help but feel something off about it. Feeling that there are two aberrations in the Force - one unknown, while the other feels very Malicious and Dark.
"What the Hell is going on here…" She couldn't help but wonder. Something strange is happening, somewhere on Ord Mantell, but wondering can do nothing for her now. She knew something about this mission was off, and soon, she's going to find out what.
Chapter 1 end.