Writer's notes: UPDATED 28 NOV 06. More dynasties pass into history. I wanted to portray the situation as sort of a Wars of the Roses type story; a struggle for the throne. This is one of my favorite periods of history. There are also shades of Akira Kurosawa's 'Ran' as well.
Canderous' mercenary identity continues to be worn down. In the game, I see every major character undergoing a fundamental psychological shift and it will be challenging to write this for Canderous. In this update, we try and bring out more from Komad.
Sad Stories About the Death of Kings – Part III
The Shadowlands
Blaster bolts tore the ground as Canderous rushed to take cover behind a Wroshyr Tree as Komad did the same. The mercenary fired indiscriminately ahead of him to cover his team as they deployed. One stray shot sliced across his scarlet armor, blackening the breastplate, to which the Mandalorian grunted. With a quick flick of his hand, he hurled a plasma grenade in the direction of the shot and was rewarded by a scream.
Flames shot through the leaves and branches of smaller flora, igniting them with hot plasma. A man in Mandalorian armor staggered into the path, burning fiercely until HK-47 put him out of his misery.
Canderous attempted to make another call, but the enemy was jamming all frequencies; it would be a waste of time. I can handle this myself.
Rustling in the bushes to his side indicated that the enemy was flanking him, trying to catch him in a crossfire. With a chopping motion of his hand, he motioned the marine, Sergeant Ekala to lay down fire through the foliage. The gruff Non Commissioned Officer, or NCO, opened up with automatic fire, slicing through leaves and branches.
Canderous performed a quick check of his blaster and of the vibrodagger that was strapped upside-down to his harness. Take the fight to the enemy…that is the Way of Mandalore. Death is life.
Taking a deep breath, he charged around the back of the tree and rushed at the sound of oncoming footsteps. As he leapt through a bush, he saw a Mandalorian running at him. The man's eyes widened and he hesitated for a split second, thinking Canderous was an ally.
The mercenary's cold glare told him otherwise as a bolt shot from Canderous' weapon.
Canderous jumped over the dead body and hurled another grenade ahead. The shockwave shattered branches and bodies as two more Mandalorians flew backward, ripped to shreds by shrapnel.
Keeping the initiative, Canderous charged forward into the small crater to finish off any wounded foes. He saw a stunned Mandalorian and brought his weapon to bear.
"Weak Mandalorians do not deserve to live," he said as he pressed the trigger. Nothing happened.
The wounded warrior shook his helmeted head and focused in on Canderous as he was clearing his weapon. The warrior fired into Canderous's chest twice and the big mercenary fell.
Nearby
HK-47 tromped through the underbrush, scanning the area with infrared and ultraviolet detecting eyes. Glowing shapes of yellow and red ran back and forth, hot against the cool foliage. The droid's eyes locked in on one Mandalorian and a targeting reticule appeared over the man's head.
The droid's view zoomed in and his blaster rifle erupted in a massive bolt that tore through leaves and branches, smashing into the enemy's head. Red spatter covered the trunk of a Wroshyr Tree as HK moved onto the next victim. This time, he activated a grenade and hurled it at the Mandalorians. "Informative: Mister grenade is not your friend."
The crump of the explosion sent birds scattering in all directions as plasma and smoke billowed through the foliage. Stunned and wounded Mandalorians staggered toward the droid.
"Announcement: Here I am, meatbags! Come to papa."
In the Crater
Canderous blinked hard as smoke coiled up from his breastplate; his chest was on fire and he wheezed weak breaths from his lungs. He grit his teeth and raised his blaster at the enemy.
Before he could take aim, another bolt smashed into his shoulder, knocking him back down.
The enemy warrior staggered over to him. "Weak Mandalorians do not deserve to live," he said in a voice vaguely familiar to Canderous.
As the warrior took aim, a long cord wrapped around his weapon and pulled it away. Then, Komad Fortuna rushed out and shot the warrior in the head point blank with his laser rifle. The man's helmet exploded, sending metal shards in all directions.
As the enemy fell over, groaning, the plucky Twi'lek walked over to Canderous and offered a hand. Shaking his head, the mercenary took it. "I could've handled him," he said gruffly.
Komad passed Canderous a stiff drink from his canteen and made a wry smile. "Yah, sure. That's what all the Mandalorians say before they die."
The big Mandalorian snickered at that. "You make me laugh, hunter. I don't get a whole lot of that these days."
Komad took the canteen back and took a long swig. "In the lonely desert, you develop a sense of humor."
As Canderous' implant began to send out healing chemical into his bloodstream, he took a look at the dying warrior, lying in the mud. The man called weakly, "C…Canderous…."
"Geratt?" the mercenary asked, trying to identify the man through his bloody face. He walked over and knelt beside the warrior. He cradled the man's head as rain splattered about.
Through bloody teeth the man whispered. "It is good to see you," he said sincerely and then coughed up blood. "Not since Revan…." he said weakly, looking into Canderous' eyes. Then, he pointed his finger at the fellow Mandalorian. "I almost had you," he said with a proud smile, "but you are still the warrior I remember. Canderous…the old way is passing. We are too few now…too scattered. I am one of the few now, who was there at the death of Mandalore," he continued. Then, coughing fiercely, he grabbed Canderous' shoulder with unnatural strength. "Make sure you remember his way…make sure you can tell our sad story."
Geratt's coughing weakened and his hand fell away from his friend's shoulder. Then, his eyes closed and Canderous laid him back in the mud. Canderous dipped two of his fingers in the fallen warrior's blood as prescribed by tradition and smeared it on his face, but the blood, along with tradition, were being washed away by the rain.
On a Different Path
A distance away, Aerin attempted to use the Direction Finder to track Canderous' last position, but the lack of transmissions made that difficult. She pointed off into the forest and they moved in the general direction of the sound of the battle until all was quiet. Aerin held her breath.
"This is Canderous. We engaged a force of Mandalorian and are victorious. You should be cautious, over and out." The mercenary's voice was unusually terse and intoned that there should be no further discussion.
The Padawan nodded and passed the word along to the group. Kyle had his NVGs perform scans of different light spectra to see if anyone was out there, but the area was clear.
Off in the distance, the sounds of another battle could be heard. Kyle moved forward through the bushes and took aim at something. He braced his weapon against a tree and fired. As Aerin and Bastila came up behind him, they could see a number of Mandalorians attacking three Wookiees. The Wookiees were grudgingly giving ground, leaving numerous corpses of their fellows behind. One of the retreating Wookiees fell and was soon hacked to pieces by the armored warriors.
"Kyle, suppressive fire…. Mission, flank them," Aerin commanded as she focused her power. Then, she, Bastila, and Juhani leapt into the air, somersaulting toward the battle.
Aerin landed next to a Mandalorian, striking downward with her two lightsabers. His armor absorbed much of the energy, but smoke sizzled up from the points of impact and the warrior howled and fell to his knees.
In front of the Mandalorian, a Wookiee swung his great bladed scythe, decapitating the stunned enemy. As the head of the Mandalorian flew, another warrior hacked the Wookiee in the chest with a vibrosword. Blood sprayed as the Wookiee collapsed, but Aerin sliced the Mandalorian's arm off before he could turn and face her. The warrior cried out, holding the stump of his arm, until a blaster shot from Kyle silenced him.
Amid the chaos, the last standing Wookiee flailed about with his scythe. Blood covered his brown fur, not all of it his. He seized a Mandalorian and picked the warrior up above his head and then dropped him on a sharp rock. A crunching sound reverberated through the warrior's armor and the man howled in agony.
Another Mandalorian moved behind the Wookiee, but Mission rushed out from the bushes and fired a bolt into his head, sending up sparks and flame.
As the Wookiee recovered his guard, yet another warrior slashed him across the belly and the Wookiee doubled over. He cried out in pain and fear, holding his guts in with his off hand. Determined to finish off his wounded prey, the warrior advanced and raised his weapon, but Bastila severed his legs with a sweeping cut of her lightsaber. Then, all was quiet for a moment.
Groans emanated from the dying Mandalorians as the Jedi rushed to the Wookiee. "No…not more offworlders…. I am too wounded to continue fighting. Though you do not understand me, kill me swiftly," the Wookiee said pleadingly in Shryiwook.
Aerin knelt down beside him and let the Force flow through her. Energy poured through the Wookiee's damaged tissues and they began to mend before his very eyes. "We are not here to harm you," she replied in his language. "Please be still."
His face registered shock at her words, but he looked at her in continued suspicion. "You must be slavers. Don't heal me if you are just going to sell me for profit. Let me die with honor. I am Grrrwahrr. I will fight you."
"No, we are here to destroy the slavers."
Grrrwahrr shook with tension, unsure of what to believe. Then, he sighed, resigned to whatever fate awaited him. "Then you must find Freyyr. We were searching for him, when these armored fiends attacked. They lay in wait until we had set down our weapons. Six of us were slain before we could rearm."
Aerin furrowed her brows. "Freyyr is alive?"
Jolee stepped up, obviously able to understand them. "Yes, he is. He has gone mad, I fear…mad with grief. I once saved his life when he was chased out of Rwookrorro by Chuundar; perhaps I can convince him we mean no harm."
Aerin tapped her commlink. "This is Aerin, rendezvous at LZ X-Ray. We have another job. It was fortunate that we caught the Mandalorians unaware."
Canderous grunted through the link. "Roger that."
Leaving Grrrwahrr to bury his dead, the party pressed deeper into the Shadowlands. The path split and Aerin led Jolee, Bastila, and Mission down one avenue as a cool rain began to fall in the great forest. Aerin wiped the droplets from her face and saw a large figure standing behind a tree. A surge of energy told her to defend herself. She drew her lightsabers with a single, fluid motion.
From the shadows, a giant Wookiee charged out at them, swinging a massive double bladed glaive with a wild shout. His brown fur hung matted and his expression was crazed.
He took a wide, powerful swing at Jolee, who jumped backward to avoid the sudden attack. "Freyyr! It's me!" Jolee called. "Don't you remember?"
The deposed king shrieked and swung again, slicing a branch from a sapling. Aerin took a defensive stance, leaning back and holding her weapons in a cross. "Lower power on your weapons; we don't want to kill him."
Now, Freyyr came at her with powerful overhead strikes and she parried his attacks into the ground. Dead leaves were kicked up as Aerin retreated and Bastila made a feint to draw his attention and he turned to her.
"Czerka core rats! You've come for my head! You'll have to cut it from my dead body," he wailed.
Aerin, sheathed one of her weapons, sidestepped over to Bastila and grasped her hand. The two exchanged glances and nodded. Combining their power, they sent a wave of energy at Freyyr and he toppled over on his back. With a howl, he tried to rise, but the Jedi were upon him.
"Don't move, Freyyr! We don't want to hurt you," yelled Jolee, holding his lightsaber at the Chief's throat.
The Wookiee growled in defiance, clenching his jaw. "Kill me! I am disgraced…. I am a fool not worthy to live." He released the grip on his massive glaive and lay back, ready to meet his death.
Jolee withdrew his weapon. "Freyyr, listen to me. I saved you once, three years ago: You were fleeing from Chuundar's thugs."
The huge Chief inhaled deeply and his wild eyes darted about as if his brain were working overtime. "Yes…yes, I remember. A long time ago…a lifetime ago." Freyyr struggled to turn his face from Jolee and dug his hands into the soft dirt, throwing the soil into his own face. "You should have let them kill me! I was already dead."
Aerin got down in front of him and wiped the dirt from the Wookiee's eyes and washed his face. "Chief Freyyr, we came with Zaalbar to save you. He is held by Chuundar."
The Wookiee fell on his back again and began to hyperventilate. "Zaalbar! I am not worthy to hear that name! Ahhhh, it hurts! I betrayed my second son and my people!" he said as he held his hands to his face.
"Freyyr, we have come to drive the slavers away. We need your help," said Jolee sternly. The old man narrowed his eyes. "You can grovel like a bug or you can stand like a Wookiee."
The great chief gathered himself and rose slowly. He took several deep breaths and focused his eyes on the group. "For my second son…for my only son now. What can I do alone though?"
From behind, Grrrwahrr approached and bowed before Freyyr. "I laid my brothers to rest and came as fast as I could. My Chief, we must trust these offworlders. They saved me and slew the armored fiends. They demanded nothing in return."
Freyyr grunted sourly. "I do not deserve to be called Chief. Not while Czerka holds sway over our world."
"Then we must overthrow Chuundar and throw out these Czerka rats," proclaimed Grrrwahrr.
The great chief shook his head. "I have no authority. Chuundar holds the hilts of Bacca's Sword."
Grrrwahrr grasped Freyyr's hand. "Then we shall find Bacca's Blade."
Freyyr turned to the group and explained that many years ago, the legendary Wookiee, Bacca, discovered the wreck of a spaceship. "This was the first sign to the Wookiees that life existed beyond their world. From a strange metal found in the wreckage, Bacca forged a great weapon, which became the symbol of authority on Kashyyyk."
Aerin and the group listened intently as Freyyr continued, "When my grandfather inherited the sword, a terrible beast came to Kashyyyk and preyed upon the Wookiees. Rothrrrawr swore to slay the beast and set out on a grand hunt."
Freyyr pointed to the Jedi. "A man, dressed as you are, came to Kashyyyk and sought out the beast too. We do not know what became of him, but he was proud and boastful."
Aerin and Bastila traded glances. The Great Hunt? thought Bastila.
Freyyr continued by saying Rothrrrawr found the beast and struck a mighty blow on its hide, but the blade stuck fast and then broke as the beast raged. "Rothrrrawr was then struck down by the beast and the hunting party scattered," he said, using his hands to illustrate. "From time to time, the beast is sighted and the blade is still imbedded within its flesh!"
"All right…let's do it," said Aerin. "We must gather the rest of our team." With a call, she summoned the other group and they soon came running up.
The Chief led them to another clearing, where thick vines hung from branches far above. The light drizzle had developed into a steady rain, soaking the ground and the party. Komad knelt down and examined water-filled tracks in the soil. "Something big has been here recently. We best be ready," he said eagerly at the prospect of another hunt.
The Chief sliced his hand with a knife and let the blood drip onto a stone. He howled into the falling raindrops and proclaimed, "Let my blood summon you oh, beast. It is time for me to reclaim my domain and drive out the offworlders."
Juhani looked at Aerin with concern. "So, we're going to fight this…this Tarentatek," she said nervously.
Canderous grinned as droplets poured down his stubbly face. "Bring it on…."
Komad clapped his hand on the back of the Mandalorian's shoulder. "I have your back. Just be ready for my surprise."
Then, an unearthly shriek sounded in the mist and a shadow devoured light at the edge of the clearing. Aerin gasped at the visage of utter darkness and terror, but Canderous pulled his blaster to his shoulder, scanning the area with his steely eyes. Upon seeing the shadow, he smiled and brought the muzzle to bear.
"Die!" he yelled as he unleashed a bolt.
The beast howled as the bolt vanished into its shroud of dark vapor and then it charged, splashing water with each massive footfall.
Canderous, HK, and the marines opened up and flashes of light tore the misty air. Grrrwahrr rushed to meet it and hewed it with his scythe. As the blade clove into something, vapor flew off the beast's body and black, viscous liquid, spilled upon the dead leaves. The Wookiee struck again and the beast reared up and seized the warrior with both of its massive claws. In one rending motion, it tore Grrrwahrr in two at the waist and cast his parts into the forest.
More bolts flashed upon the dark beast, illuminating the dim clearing. Mission moved to the rear and began peppering the monster with shots. The Jedi moved forward cautiously, taking flanking positions around it.
"It is a creature of darkness!" yelled Bastila. "It feeds upon our Force powers."
Juhani lunged forward, slashing at the beast's leg. It howled and turned to her, but Bastila struck it along its flank. With amazing speed, the Tarentatek swatted Juhani before turning to Bastila. The Cathar flew several meters before landing hard on her back. Jolee rushed in to take her place.
From the side, Komad pulled a thick vine that he had placed on the ground and the Tarentatek stumbled. Komad rushed forward and climbed upon the beast's back up to its shoulders. He thrust down at it with his vibrosword, piercing the darkness, causing it to utter a horrible shriek that tore the air. From below, Aerin and Jolee slashed its legs and it staggered under their onslaught.
"It's weakening! Keep fighting!" Aerin yelled, taking an aggressive Shien stance.
The great beast reached back and plucked Komad from its shoulders and hurled him to the ground. The Twi'lek hunter cried out as he smashed into the mud. He tried to move, but the beast stomped him down and water splashed about them.
With a yell, Aerin and Bastila launched a flurry of strikes, slashing the beast and sending up steam from their sizzling blades. Canderous launched an overloaded bolt, which splattered over the creature's head, sending sparks into the air.
Again, the beast staggered and the Jedi swirled about like swarming ants, raining cuts upon the monster, until it reared up and screamed, a soul rending scream. It stood still for a moment, wobbling before toppling over.
As the beast lay, wheezing its last breaths, Aerin looked around to see that Grrrwahrr was slain and that Komad lay crushed, dying in the mud. She rushed to the plucky Twi'lek and held his head up out of the water, shielding his face from the rain. "Komad!" she cried, "Hang on…. Let me stabilize you." From behind, Canderous rushed up and began pulling out medpacs, a grave look on his face.
Aerin summoned the Force and let it flow through, but there was no effect. "Damn," she said angrily, "What's happening?"
"It's the Tarentatek," answered Bastila grimly, "Our powers are weakened."
Padawan Dakar let out a frustrated grunt and tried to focus her power again, but Komad painfully raised a broken arm. "Aerin Dakar…you have made my last hunts…my finest. I go now…do not mourn. Just remember me. Canderous…." said Komad, "It's too late…save your pacs. Tell my tale…."
The big Mandalorian knelt and took Komad's hand. "Our hunts were glorious, my friend. I shall remember you."
Komad smiled as his eyes closed.
Canderous rose from the muddy pool. For a brief moment, he closed his eyes and bit his lip. "Paah, I must be getting old," he said with a cracking voice. "Mourning is unbecoming of a Mandalorian". Wiping his nose, he turned away.
Nearby, Freyyr knelt by the remains of Grrrwahrr, giving some form of benediction. He raised his hands into the air and cried out, "Brave warriors have died today. Let us avenge them now and retake what I had lost."
Juhani rose slowly and painfully, rubbing her side as Aerin cradled Komad's head, her eyes full of hot tears. Jolee walked to the fallen beast and pried a long blade from its hide. He walked over to the Wookiee Chief and held it out. "Freyyr, I present you with Bacca's Blade."
The Wookiee took the blade gingerly and rotated it about. A look of satisfaction curled upon his lips and he began to garner a sliver of hope. "I thank you, offworlder. You all have given me hope that I may undo my foolishness," he said and then pointed skyward. "I will climb ahead and rally my supporters. Go back to the lift and join me in Rwookrorro."
Energized and renewed in heart, Freyyr sunk his claws into a nearby Wroshyr Tree and began climbing. Soon, his form disappeared into the mist above.
When he was out of sight, the party buried Grrrwahrr and took Komad's body and began to leave. As they walked past the dead Tarentatek, Aerin got a chill. She looked at the great, scaly body, now revealed from behind the dark vapor. A skeleton lay near it and it wore the robes of a Jedi. Aerin walked over to the bones and scratched her head.
Strange how we didn't see this earlier.
Despite its obvious age and level of abuse, the Jedi's belongings were in remarkably good condition, most likely an effect of the Force. Aerin did a cursory examination of the Twi'lek remains and then pulled a sack and the robes from the skeleton.
Bastila came over. "What have you found?"
Aerin took a datapad from the sack and turned it on. "Hmmm…. This is Guun Han Saresh…."
Bastila gasped and the two made eye contact. "The Jedi from the Great Hunt," she said as her face registered shock.
"Looks like he was the one, who got hunted," Canderous commented dryly. He was developing a serious edginess and his expression was sour.
Bastila frowned at his words and turned back to Aerin. "He was one of the three greatest Jedi of the time. They never returned or were heard from again. What does the datapad say?"
"It's damaged, but part of it talks about the Great Hunt after the eradication of Exar Kun and his allies. The Tarentatek slew many Jedi and needed to be exterminated. After scores of the beasts had been eliminated, the bulk of the Jedi ended the hunt, but Saresh continued with his closest friends, Duren and Shaela. However, Saresh says that Duren and Shaela gave into their passions and that they were doomed. He left them on Korriban…he didn't need them."
"Looks like he did need them," Canderous commented again. Bastila shot him a deadly look and he walked away.
They took Guun Han's skeletal remains as well and made their way back to the lift. There, they were forced to kill Gorwooken and Chuundar's other brutes, for they had seen Freyyr climbing back to Rwookrorro and knew the team had helped him.
The team boarded the lift again and the gate shut with a creaking noise. Canderous grasped the control handle and pushed it up, causing the lift to lurch as it came off of the wet ground. Juhani looked up into the growing light as light drops of rain landed on her face.
They ascended the lift high into the branches and soon, they could hear the sounds of Wookiees battling each other. Aerin could see Growlrrr, the Wookiee that they had saved upon arriving, in the midst of the melee, leading his Wookiees in Freyyr's quest to reclaim Kashyyyk. "Forward! Take down the usurpers!" Growlrrr warbled as he drove his scythe into the belly of one of Chuundar's enforcers.
Aerin looked at her crew as the platform wobbled. "Canderous, Mission, lay down suppressing fire. I'll take them from the rear."
Mission smiled as Aerin, Bastila, and Juhani somersaulted through the air to land on the walkway behind Chuundar's supporters. The young Twi'lek braced her arm on a railing and took careful aim. She let out half a breath as the sight settled on an enemy's head and she pulled the trigger.
"Nice sniper shot, squirt," said Canderous as Mission's target howled and then fell off of the walkway into the depths below. He set his weapon to overload and then laughed as he unleashed a blast into the Wookiee ranks. The bolt hammered into a Wookiee's chest, hurling him into several others of Chuundar's force.
Chuundar's Wookiees saw the Jedi land behind them and their ranks became confused and several fled. Growlrr saw his enemies falter and he renewed the fury of his assault. "Now! Strike them down!" He body checked a Wookiee in front of him and then speared his opponent as he fell. Amid the chaos, lightsabers could be heard doing their deadly work.
Growlrrr dodged a strike aimed at his head and then he bull rushed his enemy, driving his shoulder into the Wookiee's belly. With a guttural grunt, he picked the Wookiee up and threw him off of the walkway to plummet down to the Shadowlands. The Wookiee's screams were soon swallowed up by the depths and Chuundar's force broke, fleeing like roaches in the light.
With the rout of Chuundar's Wookiees, Growlrrr stood before the Jedi. "Offworlders, you have helped me and you have aided Freyyr. Come with me now to Rwookrorro to destroy the Czerka fiends."
HK chortled in a mechanical voice. "Statement: Haha, Master, my napalm is primed and ready," he said, rolling his r's with relish.
The Lodge of the Chief – Early Evening
As the team approached the massive lodge of the Wookiee Chief, the sporadic fratricidal fighting died away and a hush fell over the gathered Wookiees. Walking out of the foggy gloom, Freyyr's faction approached the team.
"You have come!" Freyyr bellowed happily. Then, he turned to the warriors of Chuundar's faction and raised Bacca's Blade. "I demand parley with Chuundar!"
There were growls and hoots of derision from the crowd at the lodge. "Madclaw, you have no voice here!"
The coal black Wookiee with the red necklace strutted from the lodge and came forward to confront the rebels. "I will speak to you madclaw! Come forth with your traitorous friends," proclaimed Chuundar in Galactic Basic.
The warriors parted to let the team through.
As they came up the walkway to the lodge, Chuundar whispered to his minions, "Get the Czerka snipers in the rafters. Make sure the Force users can't detect them."
As Freyyr approached, Chuundar smiled. "Father, it has been a long time. Please come in, Zaalbar awaits you."