Whispers of Courage
Chapter 1
The Jedi-controlled planet of Tython hung in space like a giant marble,; its blue skies swirling with clouds that obscured the view of the lush, green landmasses that spanned it's surface. Though as the small transport ship drew nearer, the passengers inside could see the patches of cloud stained with black smoke and the small, orange fires that dotted the forests beneath them.
Jurka Tal, a young Mandalorian, was among the passengers on the transport that was making its way down to the surface of Tython. While he was looking for jobs, he had noticed a call that had been put out by the Jedi Order on Tython. Eager to fulfill a personal vendetta, the young mercenary had jumped on the chance and boarded the first transport he could find.
As the transport broke atmosphere, everyone could truly see the devastation that the Flesh Raiders had begun causing. The trees that covered Tython's surface billowed smoke as many of their bases were engulfed in flames. A rumbling noise shook through the ships hull as one of the towering trees succumbed to the fires licking at its base. The clear, blue rivers that ran through the hills now only reflected the smoke-choked skies above them. Tython was host to a warzone.
Finally, the transport touched down in one of the hangars inside the Jedi Temple. Jurka stepped out along with all the other passengers and descended the ramp to the metallic floor.
As the other passengers went their separate ways, Jurka put on his buy'ce felt someone approaching him. He turned to see a middle-aged, female Jedi approaching him, her steel blue eyes holding him in place.
"So then, you're the only one on this ship who came to fight," she stated bluntly.
"I suppose so," Jurka replied, mildly confused, "What about the rest of the people that arrived with me?"
"Volunteers and workers to start rebuilding what we can. We Jedi are powerful, but we aren't all-powerful," the woman explained.
"That's reassuring to know. Speaking of Jedi, you would be?" asked the young mercenary, his eyes drifting to the hilt of the woman's double-bladed lightsaber.
"I am Jedi Master Satele Shan," she replied, the subtle tones of her voice commanding respect.
Jurka's eyes assessed the Master with a mercenary's eye. She was shorter than he was, not even reaching five and a half feet tall, though looks could be deceiving. Her brown hair showed heavy signs of greying, likely from the stresses that accompany positions of power. She wore a sort of light armor that looked like a tight, patterned brown jerkin and matching pants. Her long lightsaber hilt hung innocently from her belt.
"And you would be Jurka Tal, am I correct?" she inquired, her eyes searching to see beyond his visor.
The young man stiffened at the sound of his name coming from a stranger's mouth. In his experiences, he had always found it better to remain anonymous whenever possible.
"That's right, ma'am," he replied, attempting to hide his discomfort from her behind a shroud of politeness.
"Well then, I should explain what I hired you to do," Satele said, turning from him to look out on the rising smoke in the distance, "there are creatures out there, we call them Flesh Raiders. They've always been a mild problem for us here, but two weeks ago they became infinitely more aggressive. They began attacking our padawans any chance they got and starting fires in the forests at random with no regard for their own safety or that of their comrades."
Master Shan turned back to look at the Mandalorian before her, "Something has driven them mad. While I have just come from dispatching a scouting party to find exactly what has driven them over the edge, I still need someone to help us stop those rampaging through our territory. Whether it's by killing or stunning them, the monsters need to be stopped. We have already sent out several groups of mercenaries, so you should be the last push that they need to finish to job."
"Sounds like I'm late to the party then," Jurka remarked as he walked up to stand beside the Master Jedi.
"So it would seem," Satele replied dryly, "You had better get going. Come back and find me once you feel you've completed your assignment. Now if you'll excuse me, I have a reconstruction effort to oversee."
"Ma'am," Jurka said with a slight bow.
Turning to once again face the smoke and flames that loomed before him, Jurka activated his jetpack and began flying in the direction of the sounds of battle that echoed through the trees.