This is a story, based on a character sketch for a Star Wars tabletop RPG. The scenario is"what if Luke and Leia did not happen to be the main characters?". The time frame is BBY -4. FANFICTION on a character sketch, gotta love it! Enjoy or do not Enjoy, but do not Try to enjoy.
Kalat Arm
2.7 BBY
"Raisson! Any word from home?" Jannma began as she started unloading the supplies to the platoon she was assigned.
"No news is good news, he is off the grid, unknown, hiding. His only pop up was when he lost his father." Raisson repeated for the umpteenth time.
"Thank the Force for his safety, for it tells me he is safe for now. I just wonder…"
"Wonder less, pine less sister! We have a major operation on Kratovas to deal with this week! The Empire has set up a major spaceport that makes the reclaimed smuggler port on Gitrazin look like a kitchen! If they finish it, they can resupply the fleet and just pour more resources in! We cannot allow it to stand! It will allow them a shortened supply chain allowing them greater mobility in this area. Perhaps better trained and garrisoned soldiers, more oppression as well." Derrin Bernal railed as he entered the freighter. "You heard the reports, you know him better than any, if the Empire was after him would he put anyone else in danger?" Derrin looked at Jannma "That's right sis, shake your head no."
"You would think there would be a whisper since the incident on Gitrazin." Jannma lamented.
"Since then the forces searching for him have moved away. He did us a favor." Raisson commented.
"He is alone, outnumbered and overmatched." Jannma stated.
"The water savant? Kidding right? I was eight and you six when he worked us to death in the well! I feel he is capable of anything." Derrin snorted, "It's the empire that should worry about him! The Force only knows what his mother and Petre laid out for his training. He will be fine, and Force be willing, make his way back to you when he can."
"You never saw his vulnerable side, the days you made deliveries with dad…"
"I remember the snake story, I have heard the storm story and the berberoka tale. I was there for your commencement, I heard his words and promise to you. All he is doing is for your safety, for your mgabata. Those were his words. He promised to remember you, obviously you remember him too. I think you should spend just a little more of your free time obsessing on something else besides him." and Derrin looked at her sharply "You have done nothing but train hard at combat and instead of meditating and resting, you have been like a feline in heat. Get it out of your system, go romp with a mechanic or something. We need to be at our best and toughen up, clear our heads, we have become too used to the luxury of not blocking the winds."
An unbidden feeling flowed through her, familiar and comforting, the knowledge a piece of Jahn and the Force would be with her always. The idea she could sate the longing in herself with another was crazy to her.
The mission that a commander selected was a one week old resupply depot that had received a large shipment, development and reinforcement. It still had two freighters onsite that the Alliance desperately needed. Although the Zeison Sha believed it to be a trap, the commander felt the risk reward was great enough to act, after all, they had the Zeison Sha and the enemy did not. That was the difference on Gitrazin, it should be so here.
"Jia Ji! You will take the Sha Jannma and jam transmissions taking the civilian port authority while the rest of us will hit the military port. The goal is to take the freighters and all supplies we can. Hedde, you and Sha Darrin will be with us, the rest of blue team will remain with Lt. Jia. We have a one hour window." The Captain pointed to a datapad, "Here, you will take out the shared defenses of the spaceports. Jannma, you obey Lt. Jia."
In another place in the Laclim Sector Jahn came to Maz.
"Boss, we have that pickup and delivery to Kratovas still planned?"
"Yes, it is second on our to-do list, the first is offloading a commission and you head on inward to the core."
Jahn stared out into space through the window "Kratovas…. Boss, I need to be there. And I need you to pick up a shipment there, it will take us where we need to go…"
"Are you sure? The Empire is looking for…"
"The Empire has a facility there that is going to get attacked by the resistance. The Empire's frigates have left for an operation elsewhere they wish to crush with turbolasers, Kril, a second planet, quite hot on the sunny side, but they have been helping resupply the Alliance. They will fail, as I sent through Malcomb a secure warning to them, the empire will blast, but the population will be safe in the subterranean labyrinth they built to survive the sun's heat. So, I need to go to Kratovas to make your delivery, I am thinking that Phoenix Hawk we just procured will work but I will have to leave it there. You just pick up this contract" he handed her a datapad "to deliver at Smuggler's Run while there, I will be ready to leave with you."
"Hey I just acquired that ship.. the idea was to sell it in further in."
"Technically I acquired it, you just flew it out. And its contents you sold more than made up for the cost of the action and the price you could get for that ship. Sending me onward in an outer rim craft will stick out like a sore thumb where I am to go, so unlike your idea of me flying it there is absurd. You are welcome to come up with a different idea since the plan was for me to continue learning to pilot it, flying it in toward the core worlds. It was essentially a throwaway anyway."
"You sense something big?"
"The Disk Blade Alliance is walking into a huge trap, I am a wildcard at a certain point of time. Our plans have been set for a while, we change them and I will become an unexpected distraction, the future has been spinning on our previous plans, that is what they see, the zig, not the zag. The people awaiting my arrival with the Rebellion will be reassigned, win win."
"This has nothing to do with those fancy doo dads you and Malcomb built, or the modifications to your staff?"
"The staff mods are incomplete, I need it to break down into three sections for travel and regular combat vs blasters and be solid still against lightsabers. We are working on the new castings now. The light staff was tested against a turbolaser at that last garrison you made a delivery to. The Kyuzo hat I acquired is something I am bringing, I intend to announce my presence and evaporate." And he pointed to the datapad display in front of him "This is where I land, this is where I will need picked up. Your accounts will be credited from the delivery, less empire presence there in the future, win win win."
"You are crossing from the civilian port to the military port and then to the freight port and want me to blast out of there?"
"The eight ion grenades and my little toy will take out the turbo lasers."
"You are assaulting the turbolasers?"
"It's where I am needed."
"You sure your training will be sufficient?"
"I was not trained for this, but I will be the distraction for those who are. Besides, throwing an ion grenade takes very little training." And he started to go toward the Phoenix Hawk "Captain, I will be there and will be back, hold my staff for me. Mal, Fire the transmit bot I recorded to, I need to be off now!"
Jannma felt her Lieutenant's nerves and calmed herself. She wished the small force was larger, for she felt undermanned. She looked at the Kyuzo the Lt had beside her, and the rest of the cross race crew.
"So a bunch of armed strange humans and a multiple race force to boot entering an Imperial facility, I do not know how many alarms THAT will trigger. But I hope surprise is on our side." She thought.
An odd spacer walked out of a Phoenix Hawk and passed through port security and customs to deliver a hodgepodge of standard deliveries.
"Name?"
"Todd Marcus" showing his ID and submitting to the bioscan.
"Occupation?" the officer looked at him under his unusual hat.
"Small package on demand courier, I pick up from locals and deliver rock to rock."
"Small package, why not the post?"
"I deal with Doctors and their suppliers, speed is a need for the medical profession, here is my list along with what is biohazardous and what is not." Jahn handed him a data pad with enough Imperial credit coins to grease the wheels. The customs agent did not even look at the list or the cargo or inspect it. He just digitally signed the manifest through.
"Next time land in the proper dock you idiot! We almost blasted you kid!"
"Next time I come, it will be different Sir." Jahn said with a hint of dryness.
Jahn rushed his gear through on a repulsor sled "No droids?" the agent asked.
"Next purchase! And speed pays better!" shouted Jahn with a smile as he double timed his load toward his destination and the Empire moved its gear.
An Imperial Navy Ensign on leave turned at seeing the lad running pushing the sled, so familiar. He went to the customs desk and received a salute.
"Ensign Stocc! What can I do for you sir?"
"That courier, his name, bioscan, destination, give me all you have." And ensign Stocc waited for the datastick to be produced. What providence! Of all the places in all the galaxy! I will be finally able to help bring down Jahn Allyan! He thought as he headed for his "Off base" hostel room to transmit and celebrate.
At the local Medical Supply Jahn buttonholed the head man in charge. "I need for you to broadcast this holo tape through a secure location and hurry! The Diskblade Alliance depends on it." And he almost left but turned. "Transmit payment for this to this account and ship that box to this address."
"May the Force be with you kid." The man said as the kid rapidly changed clothes securing an unusual diskblade holster to the small of his back.
The Kyuzo barked a message down the hall to the Lt who turned to Jannma "You are getting a holotape broadcast?" The holoplayer began upon their arrival in the cockpit.
"Jannma ko" the image of Jahn obscured by a Kyuzo hat and a black cloak wearing a numbered sign with a red bladed lightstaff appeared "Aswang! Trap! Trap! Landing! Seeya!" he said with a smile. The Kyuzo muttered something and Lt Jia turned to Jannma.
"I am not a Force sensitive, but a Sith blade is red right? And the Kyuzo hat? Is he going to .."
"He is someone who instructed me, is younger than I, and he and I worked well together." Jannma said with a blush "Besides that was magenta, not red." Then she chuckled "A Sith? No way! No how! the Emperor would not want him as competition."
"But the imagery?" Lt. Jia asked.
"Allowed it to go through." Jannma stated. "And is important, he wanted to be recognized. Replay and write down the numbers."
"It was sent from a secure wave station on Kratovas. The first number is a dock." Lt. Jia replied. "We will look out for him, friend or foe will depend on his actions. He may be with Mintran now." Shouting to the crew "We land in five get ready!" and Jannma walked back to her seat.
Jahn finished his prayers and focused the Force as he had not in a year before leaping from the top of the building he was on, landing on the next roof. Another pair of eyes viewed his progress before intercepting him.
"Hold human" he stopped before she spoke and he slowly turned to a Maskri woman dressed in blue who landed near him with a diskblade in her hand.
"About time you showed up! I sent your mom the package just now, call her, we may need her help later! I made enough ripples in the Force jogging a repulsorlift for the Emperor to hear! We are late and the diskblade alliance is hitting the port!" two ion grenades floated to her from him. "Take those and disable the civilian port tower and that new turbolaser. Make sure after they discharge before you run the diskblade through the main power lines or you will be without it. My asawa ko is landing to a trap!" he stated without panic but in a hurry.
"I am warrior Irene young Scion of Petre," as he looked toward her "your father's face shows, he trained me as he did my mother," as she meditated quickly "and the Empire wants you. It is a great risk you take…"
"Willingly, Risk Understood, this mission is important." Jahn replied cutting her off.
"Done, lets create the havoc they need to accomplish the mission."
Jahn leaped rooftop to rooftop before casting his father's diskblade to let it draw first blood at the entry to the port. Below him Stocc just had entered the hostel. He called it back ignited his light staff and raced behind the Kyuzo hat dancing like a shield in front of him toward the entrance. He tossed his diskblade from time to time as snipers or concentrated forces arrived and cut his way in leaving a wide wake of death behind him.
Lt. Jia's freighter had just docked and she had just disembarked with Jannma and Drado when all hell broke loose as out of breath troops emerged surrounding the freighter opening fire.
"ASWANG!" Yelled Jannma and her diskblade danced as it heated up absorbing blasts meant for her and the slug thrower wielding Lt., calmly firing while the crew attempted to disembark and firing for effect. Suddenly she saw the back line of the company facing them start to get shredded by a diskblade while a red hot Kyuzo hat obscured the light staff wielding user who slashed weapons or people on those near him.
"Advance!" Shouted Lt Jia as Jannma sent her diskblade into the troops manning a heavy gun that pounded the freighter and Drado rushed to the Starboard gun pounding the freighter while the rest of the troops advanced.
A warning came from the Force, "OUT OF THE BAY NOW!" SCREAMED JANNMA. Both platoons scrambled to get beyond the blast doors, some suddenly flying out as if jerked by the Force past the now static black cloaked figure who slid out of the blast zone just in time to stand between Jannma and Jia.
Everyone was breathing deeply for a good two seconds…..
"I suggest you imperials either join us or die, by our hand or the Empire's, you also have the option of deserting and trying to make a life until the Empire finds you and guts you. I will not sugar coat it your survival chances this day are bleak any way you decide, unless you believe you will live and fight to make that belief reality. Let your values be your guide." The cloaked figure turned toward Jannma, Jia and Drado. "I guarantee your safety, regardless of the resistance officers here." And he stood between them and the Lt and Drado with his staff lit as a red lightsaber.
Jannma saw the immediate issue, "STOP! PARLAY!" the black cloaked figure extinguished his weapon.
Lt. Jia lowered her slugthrower and Drado relaxed. "Troops keep them covered while we deal with this." Lt. Jia ordered.
In a customs alcove of the now war torn port they went. And immediately inside the black cloaked figure turned a corner and was caught by Jannma. They kissed and he spoke raggedly in an airy whisper.
"I have, a set of four, energy drinks, pick one for me, we will need it. Ancestors I missed you Asawa Ko!" and his hands got busy with intricate gestures.
"Mind telling me your name and plan?" Lt Jia asked as the figure kept gesturing to Jannma who was responding with like gestures. "Will you two knock it off?" Lt Jia spat frustrated.
"He has too much to tell and not enough voice! Can't you see he is exhausted?" Jannma replied as she used the Force to help him drink "Some of it only for me." As she grabbed a drink for herself and pocketed it.
Jahn took a deep breath and drained one bottle of energy drink while still frantically gesturing "I, am, Jahn, I, we, our slicer, tripped across the imperial plans for you, here, you are the warriors, not I. But you would have been slain, Your military skills, Drado and Jannma's skills notwithstanding."
"I am.." Lt Jia began.
"Stop doubting yourself now and quit making comparisons with those you hold in esteem!" Jahn exclaimed in a harsh whisper to cut her off "Your troops need all you have! That is the important thing to matter! Do it for you are the only one here who can and quit whining!"
"If you say so" Jia muttered as a datapad floated out of his duster and settled in her hand.
Not even stopping his hands he continued "The turbolasers were operational as soon as were placed, The shielding, not so much, your intel, was faulty." Another gulp of energy drink "I met another Zeison Sha here, a hoped for but low probability, she is a warrior, she went to the tower and battery here for they were completed long ago. I will get the rest of the artillery before departing with her help hopefully."
"And all the imagery in your holo? The delay we integrated…" Lt. Jia asked while looking up from the pad.
"A necessary ruse which benefitted you, shifted forces and disrupted timing on both sides. You landed in the wrong slip, I landed in the one they prepared for you. That movement would have saved you but the batteries would have still killed you." then he turned to Jannma "Asawa Ko, I directly challenged the Emperor to send his forces for me and not just for you, for the warriors rising from the Rebellion able to confront him. I have not much time for I triggered the alert for me on the subspace net when I disembarked, they have my bio scan now." he said sullenly as a blue lady came in and his hands stopped the talk with Jannma.
"I assume you have more planned?" the Zeison Sha nodded to all in the room. "I am Irena, Zeison Sha here on Kratovas. Well young one? What is your next plan?"
"This was a key point, the Empire is rallying their forces here, now to trap me. My plan is to follow you to the next two turbolaser placements, survive in your shadow and keep us both alive, lobbing the grenades and taking down the turbolasers they installed yesterday so the resistance attack on the military installation holds. I hope to chop them up so it is not a simple fix." And three explosions shook the building in rapid order. He pointed to Irene "You bio, me mechanical this time, take Petre's diskblade, I have a spare." then he turned to Jia "Mount a defense here working closer to the far dock with Jannma and take the Phoenix hawk I left for you Lt Jia, the dock and entrance codes were in the message. That craft will barely hold the people you will have left after that battalion arrives, counting the deserters who join you." He finished sadly.
"And you?" Lt Jia asked "You are Zeison Sha right? You will be joining us after the action?"
"I have a much different path, sorry and you do not know how much I wish to stay with you. But it is my path. Be glad they did not leave a frigate above." He looked at Jannma and drank down the next energy drink.
"I understand Zeison Sha take orders from us." Jia started to try to pull rank.
"But I am not Sha, nor Jedi, I am not trained enough. You cannot order me and it would be unwise for you and your Kyuzo friend to force the issue, your skills and my distaste for battle notwithstanding, you would lose swiftly and decisively, your men lost without your leadership." Then he looked at the Lt "If you want something, take my Phoenix Hawk ship as your own. Let Jannma unleash herself, take care of your own safety. I think your Kyuzo would agree." He kissed Jannma "Asawa Ko be safe." Then gesturing to Irene "Do you know a speed route to the installation Irene?" She gestured toward the roof.
"Indeed, ready Petre's son?" Irene asked. Jahn got up and gave Jannma a huge kiss.
"Until we meet again Asawa Ko." He said as his voice finally returned. He drank down another drink and moved to a clear shot of the ceiling. "Lets not keep our fates waiting." And he lit the light staff on one end it rose swiftly to the roof where he cut a hole and dropped it down gently as he caught the falling blade.
"Asawa Ko, why Magenta?" Jannma asked as Irene leaped through the hole.
"We are Zeison Sha raised, we adapt and survive, magenta stones I had available, like the hat. Oh, get one for yourself, invaluable they are, Smugglers Run has them." Drado nodded at this then he shrugged and launched following Irene.
Notes, I do not own Lucas or Disney property and have just injected the bare minimum so far. It is lazy yes, but the characters fit. I do not own them and receive no compensation for them, nor will accept any unless I become a screenwriter for them LOL.
I also took and basically modified some Tagalog terms to fit an isolated founders language. Gender terms are not differentiated too much. Asawa = spouse, ko= my, Kuya= brother, Ate =sister but drawing it out in a kooyaah or ahhtay is a greeting, like hey bro! in mixed company kuya seems to work and sometimes I screwed with spelling etc. Just adding a bit of texture. Mgabata = mga bata= children.
I have asked permission to use the "landscape" and some Characters from Mechalich, I have received approval. Mechalich owns them, not I. I hope I can make these additions at least as good as a Thieves world Borrow. I used few Canon personalities so far, basically just two Maz Kanata and Zuvio. Check out the Tales from the Kalat Arm and The People's Armor here by Mechalich, they are quite awesome.
And lastly, since I did think Jedi were a bit stuck up, I believe the term is hidebound, rigid, unable to understand their own prophesy (This is what I am driving the story at, those that bring balance to the Force). I chose this Kalat Arm and Zeison Sha backstory for the character. It appealed to me, added conflict. I hope to make it a long long way bringing balance and up to date all the way to Rey-Finn and Kylo Ren. (except in my vision, those will be from different origins, hey, if Disney can scrap canon…which oddly is the metaphor of Jakku.)