Chapter 25
"I take it you remember me then." Shandara says putting the helmet down on the table beside her. I am too shocked to reply so she keeps talking.
"Believe me, I am just as surprised to see you too Katja."
"You know her?" Falcon asks me.
"I would imagine you know me too Mr. Fox." Shandara answers for me.
"I can't say that I do Falcon says.
"I'm sure you at least know my name though you don't know it belongs to me, I am Shandara Tobin. Your Padawan and I had a little altercation on Tatooine."
"But Katja told me you were dead."
"Well she certainly left me for dead but I survived, though not completely unscathed. I came out of there with several broken bones and one permanent reminder of our fight." Shandara says indicating to the ugly looking scar that now runs down her face.
"So what, are you here for revenge?" Falcon asks her.
"Not in the slightest. I bear no grudge against little Kat." Shandara replies. "Everything I have told you so far is true; our meeting here is nothing more than coincidence."
"There are no coincidences, only the will of the Force." Falcon says softly.
"You Jedi never stop do you?" Shandara mutters in exasperation. "Whether it's fate or chance doesn't really matter, what is important is that we're both stuck here so we might as well make the best of the situation."
"I suppose you're right." Falcon admits and turns to me. "Katja, I know it may be difficult to trust Shandara but she seems to be the best chance we have of getting off this planet safely. I need to know that you're able to put the past behind you and not let it get in the way of the mission."
I don't reply; just continue staring numbly at Shandara.
"Katja!" Falcon repeats louder. "Can I trust you?"
I nod, still not speaking. Salina, who had been watching the exchange with bated breath, exhales audibly.
"That's a relief," She smiles. "now we can get back to the business at hand. Shandara and I will take you to meet the resistance. There you can rest up and when you're ready, I'm hoping you'll join us in the fight against Gestur Maloo. I know that two Jedi joining the ranks will certainly improve morale."
"It would be an honour to help you fight the corruption that has infected this planet." Falcon says with a bow.
Salina returns the bow before turning and heading down the tunnel. Lights on the wall flicker to life as she nears, showing the way. Falcon, Shandara and I follow after her, in that order. Shandara tried to let me go first but I was determined to keep an eye of her.
I hadn't lied to Falcon, he could trust me. He just hadn't asked the right question, it was Shandara who couldn't be trusted, and not just because she tried to kill me back on Tatooine. Back when we first met I couldn't shake the feeling that I had seen her before but it wasn't until I saw that scar on her face that I remembered where from.
It was back in the Crystal Caves of Ilum where I built my lightsaber. Shandara had appeared in one of my visions. She was getting hired by a bith to kill someone, I never saw who it was but it certainly seemed personal. I briefly wonder if I'm the one, giving her that scar could probably qualify for making it personal despite her claiming otherwise. Even if I'm not the one who's being targeted, the Force must have given me that vision for a reason and I cannot ignore the fact that I have run into this woman twice now.
I mull the situation over in my head whilst we walk down the dark passage. After several minutes I still cannot figure out what to do. A frustrated sigh slips from my lips.
"Something the matter?" Shandara asks me looking over her shoulder.
"Why do you care?" I mutter angrily.
"Don't tell me that you're holding a grudge over what happened last time we met."
"You tried to kill me."
"And you nearly succeeded in killing me." Shandara retorts, "You don't see me getting all bent out of shape about it."
"Believe me," she continues when I don't reply. "I am not exactly fond about this arrangement either but like it or not we're going to have to learn to work together."
"You really expect me to work with someone who makes a living off the suffering of innocents?"
"They bring that suffering on themselves. Trust me little girl, I've hunted bounties from one end of this galaxy to the other and not a single one of them was innocent."
"How many of these people did you kill?" I ask
"As many as I needed to." Shandara replies with a shrug.
"How can you be so callous?"
"Once the bounty is placed they are no longer a person, they are an acquisition."
"Wow! That's cold." I comment
"Perhaps, but what is colder to kill for credits or for fun?"
"I don't follow..."
"Of course you do, you're not an idiot. Sure I'll kill someone if the pay's good, or if it's in a fair fight, or if I think they're gonna start a fair fight, or if they get on my nerves. But then you have species like the Ubese who go round murdering and pillaging just for kicks, they're the ones you've got to worry about."
"You know what? I really don't want to get into a philosophical debate with someone like you."
"You're just saying that because you're losing. You were perfectly happy to argue with me before. I don't need this. Any way all I did was ask if you were okay and I get attacked. Well forget it, you can look after yourself."
I hate to admit it but she's right. I still don't trust her and I plan to talk to Falcon about my misgivings as soon as I get the chance, but until then I will gain nothing from being antagonistic. I take a deep breath and bring to mind the tenant of the Jedi Code.
There is no emotion there is peace.
I repeat this to myself until I have calmed down but I don't talk to Shandara again and we keep an uneasy silence for the rest of the journey. We walk for what feels like a couple of hours before we reach the tunnel's exit. I can smell it before we see it, the strong odour of rusted metal and engine oil fills the air. When we finally make it out into the open I am not surprised to find that we're in the middle of a junkyard. We'd travelled further than I thought; I can see Worlport several miles away but we're still too close for my liking.
"Is this where the resistance is based?" I ask
"We only have a small outpost here." Salina says with a shake of her head. "The main compound is not far from here though, hidden from prying eyes."
"Great! The sooner we get there, the better." I mutter. I was exhausted, I haven't had a decent night's sleep in a long time and we'd been on the run for hours. The Force can sustain a jedi for a while we cannot go on indefinitely without rest.
"We'll take you there in a minute." Salina promises as Shandara takes out a small black device. "First we're going to have to sweep you for any bugs or tracking devices."
"What's the matter? Don't you trust us?" I growl at them.
"Honestly? No." Shandara admits with a shrug. "Whilst you probably are what you say you are there is a small chance that this is some clever ploy by Gestur to find and crush the resistance."
"You can never be too careful." Salina adds.
"But we're Jedi." I protest. "We are sworn to protect the galaxy from evil. A Jedi would never work for a man like Gestur."
"But there is no guarantee that you two actually are Jedi." Counters Salina.
"You need proof?" I ask using the force to levitate a nearby wreck of a speeder.
"There is no doubt that you are Force users, I could sense that when I first met you." Shandara says. "But not all Force users are Jedi, are they?"
She reaches out her own hand and makes a fist. I feel the wreck be pulled from my grasp as it is crushed into a ball.
"Interesting." Falcon mutters to himself before saying to Shandara."You make a fair point. Very well, we shall allow you to scan us. I just hope that you will in time come to trust us."
"Thank you for your understanding." Salina says with a bow. She approaches falcon and runs the device thoroughly over his body. When she is done a light on the device turns green.
"You're clean." Shandara nods and Salina steps towards me and repeats the process. As the device passes over my right foot, a red light flashes on the device and it lets out an angry beep. After closer inspection they find a small bug hidden in my boot.
"That's not mine." I say quickly.
"Then could you explain where it came from?" Shandara asks, her hand resting on her blaster.
"I don't know. It must have been planted at some point."
"Perhaps during your fight with Gestur's assassin droid." Falcon suggests.
"It's possible." admits Salina.
"I don't buy it." Shandara says. "We can't trust them."
"We don't really have a choice." replies Salina. "You know as well as anyone how close the resistance is to collapse."
"If you're wrong it'll be the death of us."
"Without them we're going to die anyway, it's only a matter of time."
"You don't know that."
"Yes. I do." Salina says softly "And so do you Shandara."
"If I may interject," Falcon says. "I agree with Miss Shandara."
"You do?" Shandara says confused.
"I'm not saying you're right but your fears are perfectly reasonable. I know that no words of mine will convince you of our lack of malicious intent. We will however as a show of faith relinquish to you our lightsabers until you decide to return them."
"We will?" I ask Falcon in disbelief.
"Yes." Falcon says as he unhooks his lightsaber from his belt and hands it to Salina, when I hesitate to follow suite Falcon looks at me sternly. "Katja!"
I reluctantly give my weapon to Salina. She takes it with a smile and thanks me.
"Are you satisfied now Shandara?" Salina asks her.
"I suppose." growls Shandara "But I'm going to be watching the both of you very carefully and if you put a single toe out of line I will make you regret it."
I want to retort but I force myself to stay quiet, knowing that I would only exacerbate things by starting another argument.
"Excellent, I'm glad we're all on the same page." says Salina, ignoring Shandara's threat towards us. "Let's get going then shall we."
She sets off walking at a brisk pace leaving us to follow after her. She leads us out of the junkyard but stops not far from the entrance. She sits down on a nearby rock and pulls out a flask. She takes a long drink before offering it to us.
"What are you doing?" Falcon asks ignoring the offered drink. "I thought you were taking us to the resistance."
"I am. We need to wait."
"For what?" I ask. Even as the question leaves my lips I hear the sound of heavy footsteps approaching.
"Our ride." Shandara says with a grin. Seemingly out of nowhere two large creatures appear. They are huge, easily 4 meters tall with thick leathery skin. One is black the other a dark red. I recognise what they are immediately.
"Mantellian Savrips!" I murmur excitedly. I unconsciously reach a hand up to touch the black one but I quickly withdraw it when it glares down at me and growls.
"I wouldn't do that if I were you." Shandara laughs. "Savrips are not the friendliest of species at the best of times and Gorath is no exception."
"I'm sorry." I say to Gorath. "It's just that I've only ever seen Savrips in holovids. I never expected to be able to see one this close up before. I beg forgiveness."
Gorath stares at me for several seconds before grunting and nodding his acceptance of my apology. I breathe a sigh a relief.
Between the Savrips there are four creatures that I didn't recognise. They look like horses but smaller with long furry tails and two horns that curve forward.
"I take it these are our ride." Falcon says approaching one of the beasts and petting its side.
"You are correct Master Fox." says Salina. "They are Gualamas, beautiful and gentle creatures."
"Let's mount up." cries Shandara, climbing onto the back of one of the Gualama. The rest of us follow suite and we are soon riding across the plains of Ord Mantell towards one of the planet's mountain chains.
The Savrips run with us, their long strides easily keeping up with the Gualamas. After a while Salina pulls up alongside me and smiles.
"Mind if we talk?"
"Not at all." I return the smile. "You've got to be easier to talk to than Shandara."
"I heard that!" Shandara yells from ahead of us.
"Try to be too hard on her." Salina says to me. "She's under a lot of pressure trying to keep the resistance running."
"That's easy for you to say, she didn't torture you." I retort.
"I can see how that might colour your opinion of her somewhat." Salina replies wincing visibly.
"Maybe a bit." I admit. "But I won't let it get in the way of the mission. Anyway, what did you want to talk about?"
"I just wanted to thank you for trusting me with your lightsaber. I promise I will take good care of it."
I study Salina for a while before replying. Her eyes are sharp eyes don't miss a thing but they are filled with compassion. The Force is strong within her, not enough for her to have become a Jedi, but her aura is bright and warm. If I was ever to trust a stranger with my most prized possession, I don't think I could have picked someone better than Salina.
"I know you will." I reply at last. We lapse into silence for a while after that and I find myself studying the Savrips. The species is naturally aggressive and it shows, generations of evolution have given them bodies that are heavily muscled and their arms are long and clawed perfect for hand-to-hand combat. No wonder a Mantellian Savrip is a holomonster in dejarik. But as I watch them I find that there is also a certain beauty about them. How they move swiftly and gracefully, practically gliding across the plains.
"Magnificent aren't they?" Salina's voice interrupts my thoughts.
"I still can't believe that I'm so close."
"It is indeed a rarity. People think them to be mindless beasts, that along with their appearance means that they are normally driven off if they come anywhere near civilisation. In fact the Savrips are a quite intelligent if primitive race. A few, like your friend Gorath, are able to understand Basic, even speak it a little."
"So if they are such hermits, how did this little arrangement come about?"
"Luck mostly." Salina replies with a shrug. "When the resistance started it was small, based in that junkyard you saw earlier. Whilst Savrips mostly keep to themselves, they will occasionally travel to junkyards and the like in search for salvage that they can use. A salvage group of Savrips stumbled upon the resistance and in the ensuing confusion fighting broke out. Thankfully someone kept their head and tried to communicate with the Savrips."
"You?" I guess
"Goodness no!" exclaims Salina. "It is said that the Savrip language is so complex that only droids and those adept in the Force are able to learn it."
Slowly it dawns on me.
"Shandara?" I cry in amazement and amusement
"The very same."
"Wow!" I chuckle. "Shandara the peace maker."
"Difficult to believe, I know." Salina chuckles too. Suddenly a thought occurs to me.
"Even if Shandara managed to calm the Savrips down that doesn't explain why they are helping you so much."
"Turns out Gestur, apart from being a bit of a lunatic, is also a keen hunter. His favourite prey is the Savrips and once Shandara got them to realise this they gladly offered to help us in our struggle. Without their help the resistance would probably have been quelled long before now. They have given is shelter, food and supplies."
"I'm glad they're on our side." I say, eyeing their sharp claws.
"Me too. Unfortunately they refuse to actually fight. I understand their reasoning though, it is our fight not theirs."
Silence falls upon us once more and this time it lasts until we draw close to the mountains. We arrive just as the sun begins to rise. "We must go on foot from here." Shandara announces jumping off her Gualama.
It turns out that the resistance is based in a series of tunnels that run throughout the mountain.
"We share the tunnels with the Savrips." Salina explains to Falcon and I as Shandara leads us up a narrow dirt path. "It is their home but they gave sections over for the resistance's use."
As we are led into one of the tunnels, I am surprised by how little security there is, anyone could just walk in here. Salina laughs when I voice my concerns.
"The reputation of the Savrips is our security." She tells me. "Only a fool would willingly wander in here."
The technology is also extremely primitive. The only lighting comes from burning torches set into the wall making the entire place look extremely dim, especially after living on Coruscant for so many years where the light is always bright and artificial.
"Would you like to meet the troops?" Shandara asks. "Most of them should be in the mess hall at this time."
"Actually I would rather get some rest before doing anything else, if you don't mind." says Falcon.
"Of course, let me show you to your room." Salina says leading us to a small, bare but functional room with nothing in it but two metal bunks.
"Perfect!" grins Falcon immediately lying down in one of the beds.
"If you need anything else just let me know." Salina says but Falcon is already snoring quietly. I smile apologetically at Salina as she leaves.
When she is gone Falcon open his eyes and sits up.
"What do you think Kat?"
"I think trouble just loves you." I tell him.
"What's that supposed to mean."
"It means that with you even the simplest missions turn into... taking part in a revolution." I growl.
"Before you came along I was doing perfectly fine. I never had any adventures or did anything unexpected. I was quite happy." Falcon counters. "I think you're the bad luck."
"I ought to feed you to the Savrips." I glare at him. He returns the look but neither of us can hold it for long and we end up breaking down and laughing.
"All joking aside," Falcon says when he manages to stop. "what are you feelings on our current situation?"
"I trust Salina, and I believe it is our duty to try and help her and the people of this planet."
"What about Shandara? When you saw her, you knew her from more than Tatooine didn't you?"
I am constantly amazed by how astute Falcon can be when he wants to be. I never told him about the visions I had on Ilum but I need him to understand the depths of my distrust for Shandara so I decide to tell him about the visions, or at least about the one involving Shandara.
When I'm done he stays silent for a while studying me before finally saying.
"Do you think you're the one she was hired to kill?"
"I don't know. It makes sense but she doesn't seem to be holding a grudge against me."
"Appearances can be deceptive Katja, especially when dealing with someone who can use the Force. We must proceed carefully in regards to Shandara Tobin."
"What are we going to do then Master?"
"For the time being we need each other. Regardless of her feelings towards you, so we seem to have little choice but work with her. We will keep an eye on her for now but before that we should try to get some rest."
With that he lies down on his bunk and before long is asleep and snoring, for real this time. With little else to do I lie down in my bunk I try to do the same as my mind wrestles to comprehend the events of the past few days.