Datalog; 2480 BBY
Another day on The Republic Battle Cruiser "Freedom" and by the Force it is boring. Master says that we have received a mission though and that brightens my mood. I don't know how much longer I could stand eating this army food. The mission, master Kars told me about is on Tatooine. Apparently an anomaly in the Force was found by the Sages at the temple and we are to check it out. As we approach Tatooine I can also feel that disturbance and I'm curious about it and Master Kars is too, he got so excited about this mission he forgot that today is my birthday. Oh well we're approaching the drop zone better get going. – End Recording.
A young lethan twi'lek gently placed her datapad onto her bunk as she stretched her back and gave her crimson lekku a gentle massage as she stood. Her lightsaber made a tiny ding as it hit her thigh while she stretched and looked into the mirror. Staring back at her was a pretty twi'lek with crimson skin and violet eyes. The twi'lek jedi adjusted her lekku as she placed a small headdress on that covered her conical ears and held her lekku behind her head. Set in the center of this headpiece was a dazzling emerald. Upon adjusting her headdress she then pulled a brown form fitting tank top on and tied leather straps around her biceps. Then after pulling on her boots and fingerless gloves she took a deep breath and threw on a face of composure as she stepped into the main hallway.
Upon exiting her room she was greeted by a sea of soldiers clad in red and white armor. The young jedi quickly straightened her posture as she began her course to the bridge. As she walked every soldier stood at attention or gave a verbal greeting.
"Master jedi." Said a soldier who had a posture so straight that the young jedi assumed he had planks in the back of his armor however she smiled and bowed her head in response as she continued to the bridge, the soldier's eyes following her rear end.
Finally after navigating her way through hundreds of troopers and waving off several reporters she stood at the door to the bridge. She smiled as she waved her hand and with a gentle hum of force energy the door opened. She stepped into the stark, steel colored room filled with dozens of nav-computers and other instruments for calculating hyperspace routes along with the bustle of several pilots in red uniforms in the center of the room stood a tall man in a dark brown robe.
"Master Kars! Good morning." The twi'lek bowed as she greeted her master. The hooded figure turned around lowering his hood and revealing himself to be an aging zabrak complete with black facial tattoos and a crown of horns.
"Ah padawan Aela! Good morning and happy... if I recall seventeenth? Birthday." He said as he returned the bow.
Aela smiled widely. 'He did remember!'. "Yes master, seventeen today,"
"It's a shame you have to spend your birthday on a mission Aela but as you know, we as jedi have responsibilities." Master Kars smiled sadly.
"It's no trouble at all master! In fact I'll be glad to be off this ship for a while… even if it is onto Tatooine." Aela smiled at her master. "So what are the specifics of the mission exactly?" She asked.
"As you know the sages from the council of first knowledge have felt a 'tremor' in the force. This tremor was felt on Tatooine. So a master of farsight was deployed and his vision led us to believe it is coming from a gladiatorial arena and that it is in fact a person but all the master saw was distorted space and a mask. As we are the closest jedi to Tatooine we have been asked to investigate." Master Kars exhaled upon finishing his explanation, excitement evident in his eyes. Excitement, to the prospect of danger.
"Ugh, a gladiator arena? Could this get sleazier?" Aela whined, she always hated dirty places and the idea of a Tatooine spaceport seemed bad enough. But now a gladiatorial arena, she could almost smell the scum.
"Sir we're approaching Tatooine we recommend you go to your shuttle." One of the crimson clad pilots chirped in his voice distorted by a pilot mask.
"Thank you captain we'll be on our way. Come my padawan, it is time to go."
"Yes master!" And with that, led by Master Kars; Aela began the short journey to the hangar and her shuttle to Tatooine.
The hangar was amazing and spacious enough to house a regulation limmie field. Upon several racks were enough starfighters and bombers to take down a dreadnaught. Aela couldn't help but marvel in the military might of the Republic Navy. In the center near the airlock was a standard cruiser to surface shuttle struck clean of any way to associate it with the Jedi or the Republic.
"I guess this op is hush-hush?" Aela looked up at Master Kars who smiled.
"It would seem so; come on the sooner begun the sooner done and eating glaze cake!" He laughed loudly as he climbed onto the boarding ramp and extended his hand to his padawan.
Aela smiled at the idea of a glaze cake, it definitely beat the food on Ryloth and she took her master's hand and boarded the shuttle.
With the hiss of the airlock sealing and the whoosh of the engine, they were off to Tatooine and the scum and villainy of the gladiatorial arena of Mos Muerte, the Hutt Cartel's "entertainment" town, affectionately dubbed "Murder Town".
As the jedi shuttle landed in the Mos Muerte Spaceport and the airlock cracked open Aela almost gagged from the stench. Master Kars' reaction wasn't much better he looked ready to vomit and that's saying something for a zabrak jedi master. Kars plugged his nose as they exited their shuttle, the pilots reminding them to be back before the day was out or they were to return to the Freedom and the pick would have to be retried the next day.
Aela wanted to strangle the pilots for even implying that the two jedi would have to spend the night in that slime hole of a town. However being a jedi padawan, she quickly reigned in her emotions and thanked the pilots for their reminder and assured them that they'd be on time. After Master Kars reinforced Aela's point the two jedi turned and donned their hoods as they stepped into the trash filled hangar.
"This place is absolutely disgusting Master." Aela stated bluntly as they exited the hangar and went to registration which was bypassed by a wave of Master Kars' hand.
"I'll have to agree Aela. However this place has nothing on Nal Hutta or Raxus Prime." He laughed at Aela's shocked look as they walked down the street cluttered in trash, ruined speeders and strange stains that Aela could only hope were oil.
As they walked the sound of blaster fire rang off in the distance and Aela felt obligated as a jedi to check it out. "No Aela, I'm sorry but these petty crimes are for the local authorities. Remember we're here on a mission." He looked grimly in the direction of the sound as they approached a massive dome like structure only it was missing a roof.
"Aha! Mos Muerte Coliseum the pride and joy of Tatooinian Hutts! And the location of our objective, let's hurry! I can't wait to see whoever is causing this disturbance!" Master Kars laughed again as he hurried to the arena entrance dragging Aela with him.
'How did he make jedi master?' Aela thought to herself. 'He can be such a man child.' She chuckled to herself as they approached the front desk.
"Tickets if you will." Said a large hutt in his or her, Aela could never tell. Native language huttese, Aela was grateful both her and her master were fluent.
"Ah of course my good fellow here you are!" Master Kars gave a sly smile as he handed the hutt well over a hundred gold coins.
"Everything checks out. Enjoy the show."
Aela breathed a sigh of relief. No bloodshed… yet.
"Master where did you get those coins if I may ask?"
"My apprentice some things are better left unknown now quickly to our seats!"
The arena was alive with energy and full of a plethora of alien species from ithorians to kel'dor. And there were even scantily clad twi'lek ring girls in the arena itself. Aela scoffed at them. "No shame. This is why we're exploited." She stated irritably.
"Maybe, maybe not my apprentice don't judge look closely. They do not wish to be here anymore than you do."
Aela looked closer and saw the depression hidden in the ring girl's showy smiles.
"Oh my… You're right… I'm sorry master. I won't be so quick to judge people anymore."
"Don't judge in general, that can have fatal consequences for a jedi especially one as young as you. Now sit the games are about to begin."
"Yes master."
And the two robed jedi took their seats in the front row as a massively fat hutt slithered into the game-master's booth.
"WELCOME LADIES AND GENTLEMAN! Ho-ho. TODAY WE HAVE AN EXCELLENT MATCH LINED UP FOR YOU ALL SO BE SURE TO PLACE YOUR BETS! Ho-ho. FIRST I SHALL INTRODUCE THE CHALLENGER IN THE RED CORNER! HAILING FROM KALEE, STANDING IN AT SEVEN GALACTIC STANDARD FEET TALL AND WEIGHING IN AT FOUR HUNDRED STANDARD POUNDS I GIVE YOU XYZEN! THE RED DEATH! Ho-ho."
From a corner that glowed faintly red emerged a hulking kaleesh warrior complete with a bone mask and a double bladed vibrosword which he raised to the crowd's roaring approval.
"Is this our guy master?" Aela whispered over the roars.
"No Aela. But our target is very close."
"Ho-ho. A WORTHY CHALLENGER FOR OUR CHAMPION NO?! AND NOW I GIVE YOU THE CHAMPION! HAILING FROM MANDOLORE STANDING IN AT SIX STANDARD FEET AND FOUR STANDARD INCHES TALL WEIGHING IN AT ONE HUNDRED SEVENTY STANDARD POUNDS! HE HAS BEEN HERE FOR FOUR YEARS SINCE HE WAS THIRTEEN IN FACT AND WITH THE AMAZING RECORD OF ONE HUNDRED THIRTY EIGHT WINS AND ZERO LOSSES MAY I PRESENT TO YOU THE ONE THE ONLY MASON THE MANDALORIAN CRUSADER!"
The crowd burst into a frenzy of frantic cheering as a young human steeped forward his mask blood red with the unmistakable "T" visor of a Mandalorian battle mask. He wore combat pants and boots and other than a small pad covering his upper left pectoral and left arm he was bare on the upper body, this revealed his lean toned build which seemed to be making several women in the audience heavy in their breathing. The Mandalorian looked around the audience his mask hiding his face however Aela felt as though his eyes were on her and her master. But he looked away and raised his weapon with a roar in Mando'a.
"OYA!"
His roar was met with the approval of the audience.
Suddenly Aela felt a tap on her shoulder. It was Master Kars, he leaned in close and whispered, "That's our guy."
Author's Note; A long time ago in room far far away this new saga was born so please sit back and enjoy and please leave a review and comment! Now sit back and enjoy the ride!
