Chapter Nine: Arrival in Onderon

Iziz was huge.

Out the window of her shuttle, Meetra saw the white-walled city flow out beneath her. It stretched for miles and miles. But it was unlike Coruscant; most of the buildings were under three stories tall. For another, it was heavily defended. Armed turrets were on the streets, and ships were flowing in and out.

Little by little, the shuttle landed on the hanger, and the doors opened. Meetra filed out with the rest of the passengers. Coming to a checkout station, she halted by a checkpoint. The men at the checkpoint were armed.

"Name?" asked the man.

"I'm Meetra Surik, a Jedi Padawan," said Meetra, giving him an ID.

"What brings you to Onderon?" asked the man.

"I'm here to meet Master Kavar?" said Meetra, feeling a little bitter.

She missed Revan and Malak a lot, missed Dantooine, even missed Bastila a bit. But she wasn't missing Vrook very much, and that worried her.

"Anything to declare?" asked the man.

"I have a lightsaber," said Meetra.

"Right, standard Jedi things," said the man, frowning. "Don't you Jedi usually travel in pairs?"

"I'm... kind of being transferred," said Meetra.

The man nodded.

Meetra walked on through, feeling increasingly bitter. She remembered a story she'd been told, about how there was often a force bond between Master and pupil. It was standard practice, in fact. But Meetra...

Well, she didn't seem to have one with Vrook. She'd always made connections with people easily. Whether it was Revan or Malak, or even Bastila, Meetra had always felt a sort of connection. And on Coruscant, Meetra had been able to connect with a lot of people, calming their minds.

But with Vrook, her teacher, she felt nothing.

Nothing at all. She'd never gotten a surge of emotion from him or felt when he was in pain. Nor did she really want to; she found she almost resented him for it. She knew she shouldn't, that it wasn't their fault but...

The feelings of resentment were still there.

Meetra wanted to talk about it with someone. But you were supposed to talk to your Master about these things. And Vrook wouldn't care. He'd just give her the usual stern advice about controlling emotions.

"Meetra Surik, welcome to Onderon," said Master Kavar.

Meetra looked up and saw Kavar, waiting. The orange-haired man was clad in his long Jedi robes and had his arms crossed. Quickly, Meetra bowed. "Thank you, Master Kavar, I um... well, I was afraid nobody would meet me out here."

"You've come all the way from Coruscant, Meetra," said Kavar. "I wouldn't be much of a teacher if I couldn't meet you at the starport. Vrook would never let me hear the end of it."

"He's not one to talk, Master Kavar," said Meetra.

Kavar smiled. "...No, I suppose he's not.

"Well, when we have a spare moment, I'll provide you some instruction. For now, however, I'm afraid we've got other concerns. Onderon is at a critical point in history.

"Queen Talia is negotiating with the Republic to try and form an alliance. The nobility is concerned about a Mandalorian invasion."

Meetra quickly followed after Kavar through the streets. As they walked, Meetra saw a lot of merchants. Cargo skiffs were moving over the streets in great numbers. She saw gun emplacements being set up on some towers.

"So what's the problem?" asked Meetra.

"Talia herself is... reluctant," said Kavar. "She's your age, and Onderon has a long and glorious history of fighting wars with the Republic and the Jedi. You see, she is a descendant of Freedon Nadd, alongside the rest of the Royal Family.

"Because of this, Talia represents certain interests. They believe the Mandalorians can be fought without Republic assistance. Some even speak of allying with them."

"I worked with a Mandalorian on Melinda Daan. She didn't seem so bad," said Meetra, remembering Actava. She wondered what had happened to her.

"Individual Mandalorians, perhaps," said Kavar. "They have an honor code of sorts.

"However, they have proven very destructive. And they have a less than stellar history in their treaties. Their warlike culture means that they are always fighting someone. So when they run out of enemies, former friends will do.

"Working with the Mandalorians would be a most unwise move."

"How large is the Onderonian Empire anyway?" asked Meetra, who hadn't done a lot of reading.

"Nearly a dozen worlds by now, all of them closely knit and well-developed," said Kavar. "If the Mandalorians attempted to take control of Onderon, I think they'd have a grueling fight. These are a warrior people, well used to fighting the great beasts of their world."

"Well, the city is built like a fortress. And huge," said Meetra.

"Iziz is over a thousand miles around, and it has all its farmland inside," said Kavar. "The undercity is also fairly large as well. It was founded long ago as a means of protecting the people against the beasts that preyed on them. Traditionally, those who committed horrific crimes were exiled into the wilds to die. Though some of them survived and formed nomadic tribes of beastmasters.

"You can see some of them at work over there." He pointed over to a corner of the square. Meetra saw a man riding a huge serpent creature as onlookers watched.

"That's amazing," said Meetra, really not feeling it.

"Yes, well, don't try it at home, Meetra," said Kavar. "I came here when I was a Padawan under Master Vrook and tried my hand at beast taming. It uh... didn't go well for me.

"I nearly got eaten twice. There's a reason colonization efforts on Onderon are going slowly outside of the city. Most people prefer to merely extend Iziz a bit more.

"So, how is your training progressing?"

Meetra paused, biting back her initial reply. "Oh, Master Vrook has been teaching me the Ataru style of combat."

"Well, that's a good place to specialize," said Kavar. "However, I note you've switched to a double-bladed lightsaber. Why was that?"

"No reason, really," said Meetra. "I just thought it looked cool."

Kavar laughed. "Well, looking cool is a priority, I suppose. Later, I may teach you Form VII, Juyo. It's an aggressive style well suited to using a double-bladed lightsaber.

"Now come, we've got a long way to go."

"What is all the cargo ships about?" asked Meetra.

"Weapon shipments," said Kavar. "Queen Talia's cousin, Vaklu, is expecting trouble. He has been buying massive amounts of arms and material for the war effort. Onderon anticipates a withering assault, I'm afraid.

"It might even be worse than the wars with Exar Kun, actually."

"That bad?" asked Meetra.

"During the wars of Exar Kun, Onderon and the Republic were formally allied," said Kavar. "And the Mandalorians were serving the Sith under Ulriq Qul'droma. As such, there wasn't any red tape to sending help.

"Now, however, Onderon is standing alone. And the Mandalorians are not unchanged."

"How do they afford all this?" asked Meetra.

"Oh, they sell flora and fauna of Onderon," said Kavar. "The greatest threat to their safety is also their best exported good. The animals and plants on Onderon are incredibly dangerous and adaptable.

"So they make ideal creatures for terraforming. With their sheer adaptation and furiously, they can greatly accelerate ecosystem growth."

"What makes them so special? I mean, Kath Hounds on Dantooine are pretty dangerous," said Meetra. She'd had a run-in with some of them.

"No one truly knows," admitted Kavar. "For some reason, Onderon and the surrounding systems have incredibly dangerous creatures. Some speculated that it was a place of the Dark Side, but we've found no real evidence. By all accounts, Freedon Nadd was drawn here because of the wildlife. Not the other way around.

"And he is the beginning of the Sith's association with Onderon."

"The Royal Family are descendants of him, right?" asked Meetra.

Kavar nodded, leading them up a large ramp toward the palace in the distance. "Oh yes, though they've somewhat mellowed over the years.

"Believe me, the people here would far prefer them to the Mandalorians. Or the Republic for that matter."

They came to another checkpoint, and a scarred soldier came forward. "Master Kavar, welcome back to the Skyramp.

"If you'll follow me, I am certain the Queen will be only too glad to see you return with your Padawan."

"I would consider myself more a substitute than her Master, but lead on," said Kavar.

That statement put Meetra in a bad mood. It was true, of course, but it didn't change how bitter it made her feel. Here she was on the Outer Rim, being shipped off like unwanted baggage to storage. It wasn't like she'd been a bad student.

She'd done everything Vrook told her to do and put her all into it.

Not that it got her more than a few curt nods of approval. There wasn't any connection there.

Meetra halted as they came to an energy field. They had to have it opened for them before they walked through the vast halls of the palace. On the walls were pictures of many battles, all of them defensive. The history of Iziz in military terms seemed to be a neverending series of sieges.

Sometimes the sieges went poorly, sometimes well. But there were few open battles.

Even so, Meetra sensed something.

A presence she'd not felt since... Melinda Daan. She couldn't quite remember who it was. Looking up to Master Kavar, she paused. "What's all this work?"

"Energy shields," said Kavar. "General Vaklu wants the palace impregnable against outside invaders. If the Mandalorians attack Iziz, though, they'll hopefully never get this far. With luck, they'll break on our defenses like water on a rock.

"I fear the principles of erosion might not work to our favor, though."

At last, they came to the throne room, even more massive and powerful than ever. As they walked forward, Meetra saw that the walls had been constructed to get smaller as you walked on. As if to make the monarchs at the far end look more formidable. Though the heavily armed guards around were quite impressive.

It might have been more impressive if the monarch wasn't a fourteen year old. Still more so if she weren't arguing with a man in a general's outfit. He looked young, a little over twenty. "This discussion is pointless, Vaklu."

"Talia, your fantasies don't justify leaving Onderon exposed," said Vaklu. "You know as well as I do that the Mandalorians are a threat to us all. They won't stop their conquest until Onderon, and the galaxy is in ashes.

"We need an alliance with the Republic. Their military might would be enough to give the Mandalorians pause. That'll buy us time to prepare for the coming war."

"Onderon has fought many wars, Vaklu," said Talia. "Our people are strong and did battle with the Republic and the Jedi for generations. And we defeated the Mandalorians quite easily in our previous battle."

"Things have changed," said Vaklu. "Their new leader, Mandalore, the Ultimate, is no mere brute. He has expanded the industries of the Mandalorians and vastly increased their numbers. I have seen the Iridonians in battle, Talia, and they are formidable warriors. But the Mandalorians have been beating them continually.

"Bao-Dur accepted my offer because he knows well how dangerous they are. His people are hoping that we will defeat the Mandalorians. Doing so would relieve the pressure on their worlds."

Bao-Dur was standing near at hand, though Meetra hadn't noticed him at first. He was a Zabrak, clad in black armor. But he didn't look very comfortable in it, and a remote was buzzing around him.

"And why have you not employed your services for your people?" asked Talia, voice suspicious.

"I'm more of an engineer than a battle-rager, your majesty," said Bao-Dur. "I don't think I'd be of much help with the kind of tactics my people use. Fighting hand to hand has never been my specialty.

"I prefer to help indirectly."

"We have engineers, Bao-Dur, of what help can you be to us?" asked Talia.

"Well, I can make planetary shields. Ones that'll be strong enough to stand up against any bombardment," said Bao-Dur. "I've made more than a few, including Telos and Iridonia itself. Not to mention Cathar and a few others.

"I also was educated in some of the most advanced schools.

"I might be able to show some of your experts a thing or two about engineering."

"And why help us now?" asked Talia, voice distrustful. "Why not serve your Republic."

"Victories are hard to come by for us, Queen Talia," said Bao-Dur. "But we celebrate every Mandalorians death. The Republic isn't going to be fighting them any time soon with all the chaos in the streets, but you might be.

"If I can help your people destroy those animals by doing this kind of work, I'm only too happy to."

"I see," said Talia, nodding. "Your assistance is appreciated, then." Finally, she looked to Kavar, and her face brightened. "Master Kavar?"

"Sorry to let myself in, Queen Talia," said Kavar. "This is Meetra Surik; she'll be acting as my apprentice for the duration of our time on Onderon."

"You are welcome here," said Talia. "However, I was not aware Kavar was seeking an apprentice."

"It's a special situation, your majesty," said Meetra quickly. "Master Vrook did not believe I would be safe because of intrigues in Coruscant."

"Has the situation deteriorated that much?" asked Talia.

"It would be more accurate to say that the situation has reached the high watermark of chaos," said Kavar. "Order is being restored. I think the politicians of the Republic would jump at the chance for a distraction.

"Helping you against the Mandalorians would do much to restore people's faith. And it would give the news something else to talk about."

"I am not convinced we need their help," said Talia. "Even as we speak, the worlds of Onderon are being fortified. Fortifications are being constructed. Even the most determined attacker would suffer major casualties. With the aid of experts from other worlds, I am quite confident in our ability to weather the storm."

"The Mandalorians are likely to see that as a challenge, Queen Talia," said Kavar.

"Then let them accept it," said Talia. "Every world in this empire has become a fortress. To take one of them would exhaust them. They cannot afford to be drawn into a protracted war of attrition. If they did take the empire, it would be the end of them.

"Onderon's empire is now a fortress. To take one world is to be forced into a siege of two others. They will never pierce our-"

And then there was a flickering of light, and a man appeared. He wore vast black armor and an equally black cloak that covered him. His face was masked, but that aura...

"Sorry to let myself in, but I thought we needed to chat," said Aedal.

"Aedal!" said Meetra, remembering him briefly.

Her lightsaber was out in her hand and flaring to life in an instant. Kavar was faster, lightsabers in his hands. Yet Aedal raised his hands in a gesture of peace. As he did, many of the guards froze in place even as they raised their guns. "No need for that, Kavar. If I wanted to kill the Queen, she'd have been dead long before you showed up. I've actually been standing right here for the last two hours. I was waiting for her to start boasting about her defenses. It was really boring, but sometimes you have to put a little effort in for style points."

"You, who are you?" asked Talia.

"Darth Nihilus at your service milady. Though I prefer to by my title as Chieftain of Clan Ordo," said Aedal, bowing with a flourish. "I was in the area and thought I ought to drop by for a bit of tourism."

"You're here to threaten us," surmised Talia.

"More or less, yes," said Aedal. "You see, Mandalore is interested in conquering worlds. Onderon, so far, is considered a prime target. To be able to have conquered so proud and great, a warrior culture would be quite a feather in his cap.

"Fortunately for you, however, we have other considerations. Industrialization, food supplies, Onderon may very well be too much trouble. Just as you say, it is, especially with dangerous wildlife.

"I think I can convince him to turn attention elsewhere."

"And what do you wish for in return?" asked Talia.

"Oh, nothing major, it won't cost you any material or men," said Aedal. "I want access to a particular holy site. One that is of great significance to my religion but which I haven't been able to visit. I am looking for the Tomb of Freedon Nadd."

"You would seek to plunder the tombs of my ancestor?" asked Talia.

"Nothing of the sort. Who do you think I am? Exar Kun?" asked Aedal. "Don't worry, I'll be paying him a visit later.

"In fact, I give you my word nothing shall be removed from the tomb. Though I may observe certain rituals within the place. I am Mandalorian, but I am also Sith, and I wish to make a pilgrimage before beginning my own academy. I have already visited Korriban and the tombs that lie within.

"The tomb of Freedon Nadd is next on my list."

"Queen Talia, you must not allow this," said Kavar. "Freedon Nadd's tomb is a focal point of powerful dark side energies, and Aedal is a formidable Sith. There is no telling what dark powers he might call up within it."

"How much do you actually know about Freedon Nadd, Master Kavar?" asked Aedal. "You might find it educational to examine the dark power yourself."

"I know enough to want nothing to do with it," said Kavar.

"Very well," said Aedal. "But this isn't your decision, is it? It belongs to Queen Talia, who has just had her best defenses infiltrated.

"Make no mistake, I will get to the Tomb of Freedon Nadd.

"If you let me do it as a tourist, you'll be left alone. If you try to oppose me, I will take selfies in front of the burning ruins of your civilization."

"You will not find this Empire easily conquered," said Talia, standing up. She drew a sword from the nearby wall.

"I don't have to conquer your empire," said Aedal. "I just have to conquer your people. Once people consider themselves defeated, all else follows. These static defenses of yours won't save you from the Mandalorians like last time.

"In fact, they're going to speed up our conquest faster than killing everyone in this room could."

"What nonsense," said Tali. "You think that having a terrain and defensive advantage is a weakness?"

"I'm not going to tell you what your weaknesses are," laughed Aedal. "I might have to invade you seen.

"No, I'm just telling you enough so you'll kick yourself later.

"Anyway, do you have an answer for me, Queen Talia?"

Talia looked to Kavar, then to Vaklu. "...Give us some time to decide as to a course of action."

Aedal nodded. "Ah yes, the classic response.

"Very well.

"At the moment, Clan Ordo is conquering an Iridonian Colony called Edom III. At the Zabraks present rate of defeat, I estimate total victory in three weeks. You may wish to have it decided by then.

"May I return to my ship? Or must I take a hostage and slaughter my way out? Bear in mind that if I am taken hostage, the Mandalorians will take it as a personal insult. We never forget a grudge."

"Go," said Talia. "Vaklu, have a force of my royal guard accompany him out of here. See to it that he does no harm to anyone."

"Of course," said Vaklu.

Aedal flourished his cape and departed the room with a regality that Talia lacked. A number of men joined up with him. Meetra waited until he was out and sheathed her lightsaber, watching him with a bit of awe. It took a lot of guts to make that kind of entrance in a hostile world.

Kavar watched him go with wry amusement. "...Well, no one could ever accuse Aedal of succumbing to fear. If nothing else."

"Vaklu, how did he get in here?!" asked Talia, shaking visibly. "Our security systems-"

"I will find the breach and plug it immediately, Talia," said Vaklu.

"That would be wise," said Kavar. "But we should give thought to why Aedal is so confident in his success. He is no fool and would not have made such a boast idly."

"And what about the Tomb of Freedon Nadd?" asked Meetra.

"It is on one of our moons, Dxun. However, the location is a closely guarded secret," said Talia. "Arca Jeth created it to contain his spirit. And only Exar Kun ever found it.

"Aedal must not know the location."

"That is possible," said Kavar thoughtfully. "But it is also possible that Aedal has some plan for using Freedon Nad's tomb. One that requires time and, perhaps, manpower.

"I believe, in these circumstances, I may be able to get the Republic to take your side."

Talia nodded. "Thank you.

"If it means halting that Sith, I would be glad to discuss such an alliance."

Meetra thought about this.

Aedal's little stunt had scared Queen Talia. Now she was going straight into the Republic. Was that what Aedal had wanted? Why would he want his enemies less complacent?

Either way, she was looking forward to the meetings.

"There are other matters to discuss now," said Aedal. "Meetra, please leave us for a time."

What?

Meetra stared. "But I..." Finally, she remembered her place and bowed. "Yes, Master Kavar."

Meetra would have preferred to have Kavar as a Master, and he was a teacher. But there was no bond of Master and student between Meetra and him. Or anyone for that matter.

Maybe she could call Revan. It wasn't like she had anything better to do, and they might have a long-range transmitter.