Chapter 52
The Pact
"Dom…how many are left?" a dejected Ondar sighed as he stared down at the mangled corpse of his former second-in-command. The silver armor of the deceased veteran was covered with the blood of the asyyyriak he had gutted with his knife, while the beast lay motionless on top of him with one of its razor-sharp claws plunged deep into the man's open stomach.
"Of those who can still stand to fight? Barely ten, which includes the two of us," the junior warrior replied, still not done wiping the dark red blood from his visor. "I won't bother counting the Czerka rabble since all of them ran at the first opportunity, but among our ranks there are six dead, three missing, and nine too wounded to be in any condition to fight."
"Who's missing?"
"Davon, Jonas…and Tasi."
The mere mention of the cursed name caused Ondar to stir up in anger as he turned to Dom and uttered a stern growl. "Do not speak her name to me. She's as good as dead to us now. She is no Mandalorian."
"Sir…we have to pull back," Dom replied dully while those who could still stand walked over to the two of them with the energy of dead men. "Return to the Czerka HQ above while we still can. I say we take our wounded, gather what essential gear we can carry with us, and—"
"No turning back. No retreat. Those fuckers out there are going to die for what they did to us. Got it?" Ondar snapped, gripping Dom by the top of his chestplate and yanking him close. "I'm not dying on this shithole of a world – not after all I've endured. Dxun…Malachor…I've lived through it all. I'm not leaving this world empty handed. We will get out of this planet what we came for, you hear me?"
"Just like Cathar. Is that what you were going to say, Mandalorian?" a woman's voice echoed throughout the trees with a venomous hiss, stirring up the warriors to take up their arms, including the wounded lying on the ground who raised their blaster pistols in what would surely be their last stand.
"No, nothing like Cathar," Ondar bravely laughed back at the face of death with a mocking tone, trying to goad his enemy till the end. "There are credits to be made from the things we'll take from this planet, you catface bitch. Your shithole of a planet, on the other hand, had little things of value, so we didn't get much out of it…although there was a hell of a lot of fine choices for putting things into once we had you all at our mercy."
"No more games, Ondar. Surrender now," said a man whose familiar voice immediately turned Ondar's defiant grin into a vengeful scowl. "You're surrounded on all sides, with bowcasters aimed at all of you. And that doesn't include my droid who's taking aim at you from a place you can't even see. One wrong move and you're finished."
"And then what, huh?" he barked, walking around in circles and retorting at all of those who closed in on him and his group. "Once we've laid down our arms, you'll line us all up nice and orderly for the Wookiees to do your dirty work? All of us have seen what those savages did to the Czerka fools who wandered too far from the camp – hanged them up high for all the beasts to chew on. Is that what you want?"
"No, it's not," replied Tasi who was the first to boldly step out from the shadows, holding her helmet by her side. "I'm living proof that that isn't what's going to happen to all of you if you lay down your arms."
"You traitorous little—!" Ondar raged, pacing over to the front of his group facing Tasi's direction before shooting a single shot aimed straight at her temple. To his surprise, the Cathar shimmered into view directly in front of Tasi, her blue lightsaber swatting the blaster bolt harmlessly into the ground.
"As I said," Tasi continued, completely unfazed, "if you're smart enough to quit while you're at it and join us, your lives will be spared. It's not that much of a difficult choice, Ondar. Even a blockhead like you should be able to judge things clearly on this one."
"And disgrace myself like you have, Tasi? To fight under the standards of the damned Jedi, of all people, like a good little lapdog? And what comes after you all finish what this Jedi wants? Do you honestly think that he and the Wookiees will let you continue to live?"
"Not under the Jedi," the unmistakable voice of Canderous declared from behind as Ondar and the others turned around to look at him. "Mandalorians will only ever fight under the banner of our own people. And today, that banner will be mine." Still without his armor and braving the freezing cold of the forest, Canderous stood with no weapon other than his own words in front of his people. Beside him walked Revan and Carth, the two men Ondar yearned to kill above all.
"As Tasi already said, no more of you need to die any further," Revan reinforced. "If you lay down your arms and also return to us our utility droid, we will not only spare you, but Juhani and I will tend to your wounded. Just like Canderous here who's regained his full strength after all that you had done to him, the same will be the case with your downed warriors."
"The wounded who wouldn't be in the current state they're in had you not even showed your face in the first place," Ondar snorted. "Heh. Funny."
"Would you have stood aside willingly then, Ondar?" Revan shot back. "Would you have willingly left the Shadowlands and returned to the Czerka headquarters above had we asked you to? No. You wouldn't have, and so you've left us with no choice other than this."
"That's rich," Ondar grinned as he raised his blaster pistol. "I could say the same thing to you."
"I'm not done here, Ondar!" Canderous shouted imperiously, silencing all around him and causing his nemesis to freeze in place, weapon unmoving. "I speak not just to you, but to all of the Mandalorians gathered here. Are you truly willing to throw your lives away on this world? Like this? To see out the end of your lives not as true warriors with a sense of honor, but as soulless mercenaries, dying for a worthless cause in the name of not Mandalore, but of the damned Czerka scum? History will forever recall our valiant efforts at Althir, Serroco and Malachor, but do you want your names to be forever lost in the mud where you stand?
"I offer you one choice, and one choice only. Join me in order to restore your own honor. I extend my hand out to you all not as someone who has you at his mercy, but a brother-in-arms as we all once were during the war. We all came together under the inseparable bond of the clans, united to the last even in those dying days and the shattering of our fleet.
"But look at us now. Petty mercenaries, assassins, bodyguards and thugs-for-hire, our sense of pride withering and dying slowly with each passing day. I felt it myself upon every waking moment as I wasted away on Taris, but now I have a purpose again. A reason to live. I know now that I want the clans united once more, and to rebuild our society. Under me, your wandering days will be over. We will return to Mandalore and start anew. No matter if you've lost everything dear to you; if even your own family have rejected and disowned you for losing the war, know that you'll always have a place under my standard should you choose to join me."
Her own heart swelling with hope for escaping her dreary existence on Kashyyyk, Tasi noticed several Mandalorians, most notably among the lowest ranks of the baseline troops in blue armor, being stirred by Canderous's speech. The wounded lying on their backs sat up as much as they could to look at Canderous's face, while one by one, several among the silver-armored veterans also showed signs of wavering, uneasily lowering their weapons by the slightest amount.
"I'm begging you all, please consider Canderous's terms," Tasi implored, holding her empty hands out in front of her with her palms facing upward. "All of you have something to live for. Even if you don't know what that is right now, I know deep down that you'll find it, just like I have. I thought she died on Dxun, but my sister Jena is alive and now has a family of her own. No matter what it takes, I'm getting off this planet to go and find her. As for you, whether you listen to Canderous's words and return to Mandalore to rebuild, or choose to go your own path like I will, I promise you that you won't regret it. So I'm asking you all once again, please…surrender."
"We negotiated with Chieftain Freyyr on you and your comrades' behalf, Ondar," Revan added. "They were poised and willing to kill you all while you lay battered and beaten, and still are capable of doing just that if you make the wrong choice, but Canderous couldn't let that happen. Even Juhani is willing to show you mercy despite what you did to her people on Carthar. I suggest that you make your next move wisely."
After a tense silence, the first to break ranks was a silver-armored veteran who turned to Ondar. "Commander, I have fought alongside you since the earliest forays in the Outer Rim. We've overcome impossible odds and fought our way out of many situations where surrender was deemed unacceptable and dishonorable. I still remember the shame we felt when we were forcibly disarmed after Malachor. But now…I feel no such shame in laying down my arms before Canderous. I believe we should surrender."
Incensed by the suggestion, Ondar stormed up to him, helmet in hand as he sought to bark at the warrior eye to eye. "Korrin, you can't be serious! I'm not falling for this trick. Now you take up your blaster this instant and—!" Hearing the shuffling of feet behind him, he turned around to see two wounded junior warriors hobbling over to Canderous's side.
Then another.
Then a veteran.
Three more warriors.
Two more veterans.
"Drogal! Dom! What the hell do you think you're doing?" he barked at them to no avail.
"It's over, commander," said the last of the veterans in silver armor before he joined the others in standing beside Canderous. "We're done running."
"How dare you! You call yourselves Mandalorians?!" Ondar yelled defiantly, now standing all alone, looking nothing like a warrior, but a mere madman waving around a blaster pistol in the manner of a wounded animal snapping with its jaws while stumbling on its last legs.
"I won't say it again, Ondar," Canderous declared, his old sense of pride having returned to him as he stood beside his fellow warriors once again. "Surrender."
"To the likes of you? To a traitor who throws in his lot with the Jedi? Never!" he spat, then slowly raised his blaster pistol once again. "You took everything from me, Canderous. It should have been me who became Mandalore's left-hand man beside Cassus. It should have been me who led our contingent above Malachor. Now you take away my last remaining path to even scratch a living for myself?! No. You'll die for this. I'll kill you! I'll—!" he froze in shock just as he was about to pull the trigger, his distorted eyes shooting up before sparks ran all up and down his body, and he fell limply forward into the boggy ground.
Seconds later, a small figure shimmered into view, revealing a trembling Mission who stood over the unmoving Mandalorian, blaster pistol in hand. Having seen that Ondar had resigned himself to his fate via his actions, Canderous reluctantly walked up to the limp figure, aiming the barrel of his rifle squarely at the forehead of his nemesis after rolling him over with a soft kick.
Despite the torment that Ondar had put him through, Canderous's face was remarkably empty, showing no signs of malice or vengefulness. No further words would be exchanged between the two men, with Ondar giving one last defiant silent snarl while Canderous merely looked into his eyes during his final moments.
All fell silent after Canderous finally pulled the trigger, releasing a single blaster bolt. Having witnessed the killing up close and smelling the wafting smoke emanating from the lifeless corpse's head, Mission spun around and covered her mouth with her hand, her stomach beginning to turn.
"It's finished, then," Tasi said softly, walking up to Canderous's side as they looked down on the body of Ondar.
"For now," Canderous confirmed, then turned around to address the rest of the Mandalorians. "Let this be the final end of bloodshed between us. As I have said, I want you all to fight under me, not as pressganged captives, but as fellow Mandalorians just as we were in the days of old. I bear no grudges and will not seek to punish any of you for any slights you may have inflicted upon me. Your days as mercenaries and scavengers are over, and you will proudly be warriors again who will be able to return to Mandalore with your heads held high."
"As you wish…Commander Ordo," said a silver-armored veteran, holding his clenched fist over his heart. "We will follow you."
"Good," Canderous nodded. "First thing's first. Those of you who are still able to work after that battle will help us to reactivate our utility droid. As promised, the two Jedi will help to heal the wounded. The original withdrawal plans will be put on hold for the time being; return to your posts and await further orders from me."
The Mandalorians began to move off to take care of their respective duties, unnerved by the presence of the Wookiees who now surrounded and walked among them in their camp with hostile snarls and glares written on their faces. True to their word to each other, Canderous and Freyyr were intent on keeping their peoples in line for as long as it took to accomplish their mutual goals on Kashyyyk.
"You okay?" Carth said to Mission as he came up to her, gently laying his hand on her shoulder.
"Died. Right in front of me. He…," she stammered, still processing everything that had happened.
"Take as much time as you need, Mission," Revan sighed, glancing upon her with apologetic eyes. "I'm sorry that it had to come to this."
"Come on, sweetheart, let's get some rest," Carth said, guiding Mission over to a nearby log to sit her down.
Pausing for a moment, Revan beheld the utter carnage that was the remains of the Mandalorian camp. Slain warriors, Czerka workers and beasts lay scattered in piles on top of each other, in a grisly sight that he had originally wanted to avoid if at all possible.
He could still hear the screams from years ago, those haunting visions and fleeting faces that shrieked in pain as he slew them all alongside Malak. The very men who had helped him, betrayed and put down like animals who meant nothing…
"So it's done," said the gruff voice of an old man from behind him in the woods, causing Revan to look over his shoulder with emotionless eyes. "You did what you had to."
-o-
Sitting alone late at night in the Coruscant Jedi Temple's Archives, Atris peered blankly at the computer screen, finding herself unable to focus her usual energy towards the text which lay in front of her. Instead, she looked deep into the reflection of her own eyes, searching for a sign. But despite all of her efforts, her stubborn belief that she was right, and the authority that she held as a member of the Jedi High Council…all of it felt so meaningless.
The years of meditation and study. The near-unprecedented speed of her advancement up the Jedi ranks, where she outclassed all of her peers before she was even thirty.
It all felt so hollow now…when the walls of loneliness were closing in around her.
Not willing to continue, she switched off the screen before leaving the library, entering the vast hallway beyond. But everywhere she looked, she couldn't help but be reminded of them.
The entrance to the training room where Alek and Meetra spent countless hours honing their skills.
The meditation chamber where she and Elena undertook one of their very first lessons.
And at last, that one place. That one accursed place where he once stood, his voice echoing throughout the great halls as he preached to his fellow Jedi, beckoning them to join the fight against the Mandalorians.
Although she earnestly wanted to leave, she found herself suddenly unable to move, weighed down by years of hurt and betrayal. The two people she idolized in her youth – her greatest champions in life – turned their backs on the wisdom of the Council…and on her.
She remembered the pale, almost lifeless and shambling figure that her best friend resembled when she returned to Coruscant to face judgement. How Meetra's golden, vibrant locks of hair and the pink color of her cheeks had turned deathly white by the time she stood in the center of the Council Chamber. The raspy, judgmental hisses that replaced the once joyous and bubbly voice that secretly filled her with happiness.
But him…even when he was brought before them unconscious and barely clinging to life due to Elena and Bastila's efforts, he looked the same as he did in the days of old, when he'd give stirring speeches to all those crowds of Jedi and ordinary civilians alike, swelling his ranks of supporters with each passing day.
He should never have abandoned the Republic. The Jedi.
He should never have left us.
He should never have betrayed…m—
"Master Atris?" a familiar voice called out from behind her, causing her to be uncharacteristically taken by surprise as she look back at him.
"Master Kavar?" she answered, composing herself and assuming a straight posture, having found herself leaning heavily against one of the stone pillars of the hall. "I did not expect to see you here, at this hour."
"Apologies if I may have startled you. I thought I might be able to find you in the Archives, given your absence from your own living quarters. I bring urgent news from Admiral Dodonna. Commenor is in imminent danger of attack from the main Sith fleet. They require all the help they can get."
"I see," she peered down, putting on an air of calmness while hiding the fact that her normally ice-cool composure was beginning to crack and splinter beneath the surface. "The ranks of Jedi Knights grows thinner by the day as this war bleeds us dry, and yet they need more. I shall call upon the Council to convene in the morning to discuss our plan of action."
"No, Master Atris," Kavar shook his head and stepped closer. "That will not suffice, I'm afraid. The situation is truly dire. Much more is needed."
"I don't understand," she sighed. "What more could we possibly give? Who else could we possibly send?"
After a long pause, Kavar exhaled deeply before he brought her to terms with the painful reality they faced. "Us. Should Commenor fall, then so does the Republic's last access route to Manaan's kolto. With that, the death of the Republic will be all but sealed."
"I…," she stammered, nervous streams of sweat beginning to form on the palms of her hands. For so long she had sat and meditated, adamant that the so-called 'true' threat was still lurking out there, out of sight and out of mind for so many…until at last it presented itself on her very own doorstep, with no way out.
"Atris…it is time."
-o-
"Commentary: If I were a meatbag like yourself, pilot, my head and hands would be positively awash with sweat," HK mocked Carth, the latter of whom was busily running maintenance checks on T3 after reactivating the utility droid using one of his backup power cores. "Looking at you tinkering with my little companion brings back horrible recollections that I thought I had relegated to the deepest corners of my memory banks."
"If you find any other droids around this place that are still operational, be my guest," Carth quipped back, applying what he hoped would be the last touches he'd have to make.
"Statement: I'm afraid that that would be out of the question, pilot meatbag. In case you haven't noticed, neither you or I hold much favor at all among these Mandalorians after our exploits here." Taking a look up after finishing with T3, Carth could feel that HK's words rang true. Far from being willing and trusting allies, it was almost as if Carth could look beyond the Mandalorians' helmet visors to see all the pent-up snarls and glares that were shot at both their directions. Instead of an alliance, Carth felt that nothing was established except an unconditional temporary truce. All it would take was one spark before hostilities would break out again, with so much riding on Canderous's shoulders alone.
Wondering where the newly established leader of the Mandalorians was, Carth had a brief look around, spotting him conversing alone with Jolee, no doubt on the arrangements going forward. He then looked over to check on Mission, who was busy sorting through the Mandalorians' equipment and loot alongside Tasi while under the watchful eye of a few Wookiee supervisors, including Mission's new friend Kuriiima.
Suddenly, in the middle of her work, Mission went completely still and quiet, prompting Tasi to tug her on the shoulder to no effect. Noticing this, Kuriiima walked towards Mission to speak with her, before shortly drawing her aside and walking with her towards the direction of Carth.
"There you go, bud," Carth gave a light tap with his palm on the T3's head. "You definitely won't feel 100%, but at least we've got you back in working order. We should be able to get you back to your prime once we're back on the ship."
After receiving toots and beeps of thanks from T3, Carth made his way to Mission, who walked over to him with her eyes staring down the whole time. "Are you ok, sweetheart? What's the problem?"
"…," she would not speak, instead breathing in and out short, intense puffs as tears began to well up in her eyes.
Noting Mission's silence, Kuriiima spoke up on her behalf, with HK relaying her words to Carth once he looked back at the droid for help. "Translation: We were searching through the Mandalorians' gathered resources and hunted game when she suddenly stopped completely. When I looked into the crate she was staring at, I noticed that it was full of tach glands."
"I see," Carth replied, then looked up to Kuriiima. "Thank you, I'll take it from here." After walking her over to a log, he slowly sat her down and began to talk. "I thought you'd be relieved, Mission. You found some of those tach glands for your brother after all. That's part of the reason why we're here, isn't it?"
"I wanted to help him," she replied, weakly shaking her head, "but not like this. Not by betraying Zaalbar. If I do this for Griff, then Kashyyyk might very well be doomed once the Exchange and Czerka make a fresh swoop for the planet once the demand spikes up. And deep down…I know that this plot of Griff won't work out in the end. None of them ever have."
Although he could easily join the dots himself by his own reasoning, Carth implored her to continue, eager to give her the chance to open up further. "Go on, Mission."
"He reminds me of dad ever since I saw him again in the Czerka office above. I was very young at the time, but I still remembered hearing my parents' voices through the walls while I was in bed, and we never lived in the same place for more than half a year. I'd always hear mom arguing against his schemes, but dad would always insist on whatever he was doing. Telling her that it'll all be fine in the end, even if things never were. That we'd be living comfortably before we knew it, even though every apartment we moved to got worse and worse. The drinking took dad's life away in the end, and to see Griff pushing ahead with his plans despite all that…it sickens me."
"But Mission…you don't think he can turn things around? I know it must be really frustrating for you to deal with him, but at the end of the day, he's still family."
"It just…pained me so much," she sighed, her elbows digging into her legs while she rested her chin against her fists. "So many years of not seeing me. Hearing about what must have been mom's second chance to turn her life around. Even if he didn't try to follow her example, the least he could've done when we met again was to try and be a family again and ask me what my plans were going forward. But he didn't. He was too busy trying to save his own skin."
"I see," Carth nodded. "But still…you want to save him, right?"
"I…," she murmured, trying to calm her pounding heart.
"I know you do. Because deep down, no matter how angry you might be towards him, I know that you have a heart of gold. The real question is, how and what is going to help him out in the end."
"I…I don't know," she stammered, shrugging her shoulders. "I'm not sure. Of anything, for that matter."
After a brief pause, he patted her on the forearm reassuringly. "Take as much time as you need, Mission. I'll always be here to give you advice if you need, but this is your brother, and I believe that you're smart and wise enough to make the right decision on your own regarding Griff."
"Really? You mean that?" Mission turned her head to look at him, surprised.
"I do," Carth smiled and nodded again.
"No-one's ever given me that kind of encouragement before. At least, not that I remember," she let out a short puff of breath. "Things were always kind of…chosen for me. All the things Zaerdra taught me to do, all the things she said was necessary to survive. But she never taught me how to make my own decisions. She never really encouraged it. On top of that, I always thought over the past few days that sooner or later, Audrey would try to pull me aside to come to Alderaan with her. She always spoke as if it was a choice for me to make, but…I never really felt that that was the case."
"I'm sure you know it already, but Audrey insists on it because she wants what's best for you, Mission," he reiterated. "Having the same home to rest in every night. Eating three square meals a day. Being able to go to school and make friends. They might seem trivial, but you don't know what you're missing out on until it's all taken from you."
Noticing his sudden silence and darkening expression, Mission leaned in and gently held him by the arm. "You're thinking of her, aren't you?"
"How can't I?" he sighed, holding her outreached hand with his own. "One minute we were all together, and I was determined to keep her safe even during that crazy descent down that tree. The next minute, she was just…gone."
"I-I'm sorry," Mission began to weep, shaking her head. "I know what she means to you and how much you love her. She's always managed to hold her own and help you in a fight, and all I've done is get in the way. She ought to be here instead of me. I should've—!"
"Stop. Don't say it," he whispered, quickly drawing her in and wrapping his arms around her. "You're my daughter. No matter what danger we're in, no matter how hopeless things may be, Audrey and I will never abandon you."
Touched by his words, Mission sighed as she sank her head against Carth's beating heart, taking comfort in his warmth. "We'll find her," she said, looking up into his eyes. "Won't we?"
"We will," he smiled back at her with a confident gaze. "I promise."
-o-
"Anything else to report?" pressed Canderous, fully dressed in all his gear and armor once again as his eyes laid squarely upon a veteran in silver armor who was now unofficially serving as his aide-de-camp.
"No, commander," the Mandalorian replied. "There have not been any unusual sightings in the past several weeks, as our sonic emitters had deterred all of the beasts before you arrived. If there are any such great beasts that may pose a genuine threat to us, they will be much deeper into the woods."
"The Wookiees may be on our side due to our arrangement, and will aid in securing the perimeter of the camp while we remain here," Canderous declared. "But do not take that as an opportunity to slacken your guard. Any warrior, whether they be veterans or young recruits seeking to prove their mettle, will answer to me for any failure to carry out their duty."
"Yes, commander. All of our sonic emitters are out of action, so we'll have to redouble our efforts to keep sentries alert at all times. We won't fail you."
"Good. I know you won't," he nodded, then glanced to his right as he noticed Juhani silently standing in wait. "That'll be all for now. Dismissed."
"As you wish," the warrior saluted, then walked away to supervise the others in the camp.
"Up and about already, I see," Canderous noted, making an effort to lift the spirits of the Cathar who approached while staring at her feet. "Some of those boys had some nasty wounds. I know that you had help from—" he paused briefly, reminding himself to not talk so freely in the presence of the other Mandalorians, "Kael, but that took much shorter than I expected. You must need some rest for yourself now that you're done."
"I…," she exhaled, finally compelling herself to bring her head up to look at him. "I came because I did not have a chance to properly thank you. For risking your life to save me. From the bottom of my heart, I truly thank you."
"Don't mention it. Like I said, you're all that I have left of my niece. It'll be a cold day in hell before I let anyone harm you." Juhani smiled upon hearing his words, then fell quiet, her eyes examining him in an almost studious manner. "Something the matter?"
"I am sorry," she replied, shaking her head. "It's just…strange to see you this way. Aboard the Ebon Hawk, you were almost always alone, working by yourself at the workbench on your weapons and armor. But here, you are suddenly in a position of leadership. Now only that, you are in command of Mandalorians. Mandalorians that I…am now working with, in the hopes of saving a planet from sharing the fate of my on. It…it disturbs me."
"Hah. When you've been around as long as I have, the things you see will amaze you," he chuckled. "Besides, I have a feeling that we'll see much stranger things yet in the weeks to come."
"I am curious. What is our course of action going forward?" she asked. "Kael and I have been preoccupied with healing all of the wounded, and we are only just now ready to act as needed."
"I'll need to discuss things over with Kael, seeing as how he was preoccupied this whole time. While he was at it, I had a talk with the old man; I agreed with his suggestion of ruling out sending any of my warriors out in the search for our missing trio. Even if my scouts do find them, the chances are high that they would end up being attacked and potentially killed on sight. In any case, we believe that the best course of action is to press on in the search for the Star Map. Given what happened on Tatooine, if we're lucky, either Bastila or Elena might be guided by those visions of theirs towards the Star Map."
"And Audrey? What of her? She has no such guidance, and it is impossible to say whether she will last on her own."
"Difficult to say," Canderous replied, taking a brief look towards Carth and Mission who were sitting on a log and talking to each other, no doubt about the woman they loved as family. "But if you ask me, I believe she's out there, fending for herself. She might look like some runway model, but she's as hard as steel after what she lived through on Taris." He looked back at Juhani and smiled. "You both are."
-o-
Having finished with the last of the Mandalorians in need of healing, Revan walked over to Jolee who was sitting alone on a box, looking out into the woods while his rucksack of belongings lay by his foot. His mind still echoed with the racket of battle, but it was not from that which he had just recently fought.
Haunting images and screams of pain filled his thoughts once again. The Mandalorian warriors who fell by his hand; friend and foe alike mown down and blasted to bits by the heavy guns that desperately tried to stop the final Republic assault; the helpless hostile wounded, many of whom were young recruits, begging for their lives at the Republic soldiers who stood over them, to no avail. Each time he reached out through the Force to mend the wounds of the downed Mandalorians, more memories would emerge, his head pounding with enough pain to render him unconscious had he not maintained his will to see out the task.
"So here you are again," Jolee remarked, looking over his shoulder once Revan stopped just behind him. "Have a seat, lad. You have a lot of questions, no doubt."
"I certainly do," Revan replied as he sat down. "Sorry I couldn't speak with you properly right after you arrived – the Mandalorians needed healing, several of them urgently."
"Hah. I'm just surprised that they even let you come close to them, after what happened here. They may be wearing helmets, but it doesn't take a Jedi to sense that they're still staring daggers at both of us. Mostly at you."
"There are so many things I was curious about. I didn't get a chance to ask when we first met because it was late into the evening, but…"
"Come on, son," Jolee chuckled. "I may be old, but I'm not at the stage where I'm falling apart and drifting to sleep at the first opportunity. Shoot."
"I guess we should start at the beginning, then. What happened to you, and how did you come to be here? With everything that's happening in the galaxy right now, the last thing I expected was to find a Jedi Knight hiding out here all by himself, closed off to the rest of the world."
"Long story short, life happened, that's what. But I have to correct you there – I'm not a Jedi Knight. Never was," Jolee shook his head, drawing Revan's curiosity out even further.
"You're not?" Revan asked, surprised. "But how can that be? When we briefly fought upon our first meeting, your stance and use of the Force were impeccable."
"Well, let's just say that with all the time in the world spanning a few decades, you manage to hone a skill or two. But it's true. I never advanced beyond the rank of Padawan, after a mighty big falling out between myself and the Jedi Council in my youth. So I left the Order altogether, making my way across the stars to find my own path…until I ended up here." His hands, so calmly laid upon his laps the whole time, curled up ever so slightly upon bringing up his departure from the Order – something that Revan didn't fail to notice.
"You wouldn't be the first Jedi I've seen leave the Order, or at the very least question their decisions," Revan admitted. "If you don't mind me asking, what was it that drove you to it?"
Taking a quick look at Revan's face, Jolee went on. "It was definitely well before your time, judging by the looks of you. The war with Exar Kun lasted barely a year, but it left deep wounds all across the Republic that persist and worsen to this day, thanks to Revan and Malak. Think of your best friends – the ones you trained, ate and lived alongside for all those years. You start off promising each other that you'd be there for each other no matter what, and remind yourself every day that you have a responsibility to use your powers for good. Then one day, you see that best friend standing opposite you, scowling at you while holding a crimson lightsaber and surrounded by the corpses of civilians…even children."
"That war," Revan breathed out, "I remember reading all of the accounts during my studies in the Dantooine academy. So much death in such a short timespan, and many of them at the hands of people who were once proud Jedi."
"There's only so much that one man can endure…and so I left. You'd think that after so many of their ranks were seduced by the dark side despite their teachings, the Jedi Order would have it in them to look inwardly at their own faults, but they didn't. I still wanted to atone for my own failings, to do what little good I could to make up for everything I should have done during the war but didn't…but I knew that I no longer believed in the Jedi Council. After many sleepless nights and feeling that I didn't belong, I walked out of the Coruscant Temple. No announcements, no goodbyes, no packing. I cut off my Padawan braid and left it on my bed and left with nothing but my lightsaber and the clothes on my back. And that was that. As far as I'm concerned, I'm done with the Jedi Order for good."
"I see," Revan nodded, looking at the ground as he inwardly sympathized with Jolee's story. "But why here? Even in self-imposed exile, living in a place like this would feel impossible to most."
"I'm still alive and kicking, aren't I?" Jolee snorted. "Don't get me wrong, the first month was very difficult. Roasted katarn meat, shyrack bone broth and mushroom soup isn't exactly worthy of royalty, but it keeps you fed. Besides, I've had ample time to ponder and meditate during all these years in a state of peace and quiet. Well, until those Czerka pests arrived, that is."
"After everything that's just happened here, I'm afraid that peace and quiet might be very difficult to come by. At least for a long while, that's for sure." Revan briefly looked up at the sky, thinking about the battle that was now inevitable and would certainly wreak havoc in the tree villages above. "We're all in this for Freyyr and Zaalbar now, and there's no going back. At least you'll have a chance to live in the nicely lit village above with the Wookiees if things go our way and turn out for the best, huh?"
"No, no, no," Jolee firmly stated. "That's not happening."
Revan frowned, perplexed. "What do you mean? Surely the Wookiees would be fine with you living among them? You're not planning on staying down here forever, are you?"
"Nope. I'm coming with you."
"That's…a sudden change of heart, to say the least," Revan remarked, taken aback by Jolee's surprise decision. "Makes me wonder just what led you to make that choice."
"Because the galaxy is burning all around us, son, that's why," he said with conviction. "After all that I've seen the Sith inflict upon this galaxy in just one year, I'll be damned if I sit around and wait until Kashyyyk is eventually turned into ashes. And besides, someone's got to keep an eye out for you, especially."
"The first time we met, and the words you spoke to me back then," Revan connected the dots. "That… 'darkness' you described, it's been on your mind this whole time, hasn't it? And if I'm thinking correctly, that's the reason why you sent me here to deal with the Mandalorian threat. To test me and see how I'd deal with it."
"Bingo."
"And? What have you found out?"
"Well, for starters, that you're definitely not a lost cause, like so many Jedi before you turned out to be…or worse," Jolee closed his lips for a moment, as if he were trying to shake off a fleeting nightmare. "Most important of all, you were able to face your challenges head-on and come to terms with the reality of having to make tough decisions, but still kept your wits about you. You neither gave into naïve pacifism as many novice Jedi would fall into the trap of, or the desire to simply impose your will on others through your Force powers as a Sith would. Open conflict with the Mandalorians was a foregone conclusion – this I know for a fact – but you still showed restraint and a willingness to spare lives. That's what counts."
"We're no strangers to these things," Revan sighed, a sense of shame creeping up on him as he recalled the past. "Before we came here, our group had no choice but to fight against a camp of Sand People in the Dune Sea of Tatooine in order to reach the previous Star Map. We spared and warded away the women and children, but all of the men fought to their deaths. And on Dantooine, where my training started, my initiation trial involved bringing Juhani over there back to the Jedi after she briefly fell to the dark side along with her friend. Juhani's been an invaluable member of our group since she joined, but her friend…" He fell into silence and merely shook his head, still disappointed in having failed to save Belaya.
"I'm glad to hear that…at least you tried," Jolee said quietly, patting Revan on the shoulder. "Sometimes, that's all you can do. Nothing more."
"Jolee," Revan whispered. "How did they fall? Your friends. So many Jedi, during the time of Exar Kun. Even great Jedi Knights, such as Ulic Qel-Droma."
Upon the very mention of the name, Revan could see that something had stirred within Jolee. Although he made no sound and his eyes remained calm, the slightest twitching of his lips and the purposefully slow blinks from his eyes told Revan that there was much more to the story than Jolee obliged him with. "Power. Simple as that. You can lead a rancor to a meditation chamber, but you'll never be able to tame its wild nature. That's what led to their fall. With all the injustice around us day by day, and the feeling of impotence that eats away at you as you feel paralyzed and unable to act, there was only so much that those Jedi could take. Tapping into the dark side made them feel that they could finally make a difference – to be able to use that power to shape the galaxy as they saw fit. In the end, many of them ended up murdering the very people they vowed to protect."
Despite knowing that Jolee's words served as a warning, Revan couldn't help but be reminded of that same frustration he felt that day when he saw the inhumane and terrible actions inflicted on the poor souls in Mos Eisley, sold into a lifetime of slavery. There he was, Revan, former Dark Lord of the Sith, once the conqueror of swathes of the Republic and could stir the hearts of countless people to heed his calls to action…unable to do a thing.
"I felt it," he whispered, looking down at his feet. "I felt it, Jolee. The hopelessness. The frustration, knowing that I had the power to make things the way I thought they ought to be. But I couldn't do it."
Eager to hear Revan's point after he went still, Jolee implored him. "Go on."
"Mission. This is the fourth time I failed to properly protect her," he grunted, as Jolee took a momentary glance over at the young Twi'lek. "Taris, Dantooine, Tatooine, and now here, and that's not even beginning to count the other friends I wasn't able to keep from harm."
The moment Jolee closed his eyes, he could feel it again. The overwhelming darkness that loomed about the young man sitting next to him, even stronger now than when he first encountered him in the forest…several years ago.
"Son, let me ask you something," Jolee asked, tapping him on the knee.
"Yes?" Revan said, composing himself once more.
"Why do your friends fight?"
"To stop Malak and the Sith," he replied matter-of-factly. "To protect the Republic, and to—"
"No, no," Jolee exhaled and shook his head. "Sonny, if I'm going to join you on your quest, then you have to stop talking to me as if I'm some Jedi Council member whom you have to tiptoe around with diplomatic answers. Look over at them now, and tell me the reason why they're fighting."
Turning around, the first sight that crossed Revan's eyes was Canderous who was standing with Juhani and Tasi, checking up on the latter's wellbeing. "Canderous fights in the memory of his late niece. She died on Cathar, defending a group of natives from slaughter at the hands of her own people. To him, Juhani is the only thing he has left that reminds him of her, and he'll fight to defend her to the end. Juhani fights…to protect me, out of gratitude after I saved her from being consumed by her own inner darkness on Dantooine."
"And those two?" Jolee went on, pointing at Carth and Mission. "What do you think they fight for?"
"Well," Revan smiled, peering at the duo. "Just look at them. They see in each other the chance to have a home and family again. And they won't ever give up on finding Audrey."
"And last of all," the old man said, looking squarely at him. "What's your reason to fight?"
His lips ever so slightly trembling as visions of past atrocities and carnage flashed before his eyes, Revan took a deep breath and swallowed hard before speaking. "For…redemption. For all the people I once failed, for all the people I couldn't save. And to repay the faith of all the people who believe in me. I have to try." The everlasting faith placed in him by Elena; the determination of Bastila who always sought to fight by his side; and the reassuring words imparted on him by Jena as she lay recovering in her home on Tatooine, all of these memories would stay with him forever.
"There you have it," Jolee patted him on the back. "I hope you learned something out of this little exchange of ours. Those friends of yours who are risking their own lives fighting alongside you? You have to learn to acknowledge and accept the fact that they understand and embrace the dangers that come with it. As much as you may appreciate them and believe that your duty as a Jedi is to protect them at all costs, you must also keep in mind that that may not always be possible, no matter how hard you try. That's the lesson that so many Jedi failed to learn back in my day…and some lost the chance to learn that for good."
'Even if I can't fight for my own survival, I want to fight for your soul.'
The heartfelt words spoken by Elena to him at the Lars family homestead had always stayed with him, but rang out with a new meaning now that Jolee had shared his own experiences. A life of happiness; to live out her dreams and desires; all the things she wanted to achieve – Elena was prepared and willing to sacrifice all of these things…if it meant preserving his life.
"Just relax, son," Jolee said again. "These lessons of mine are for you to take on when you're ready, not for me to drill into your brain like a sandworm. You're good of heart, that much I can tell, but it's a wild heart that needs focus. That's why you'll need to put up with me for as long as you're able, as grouchy as I may be at times."
Grateful for the offer, Revan nodded and smiled. "I'd be honored."
"Good. Now then, there's the matter of—," Jolee huffed then looked up, noticing that Freyyr had come over to stand in front of them. "Ah, just in time. How goes it, Freyyr?"
"As much as my heart boils to have to put up with these marauders, I will endure this shame for the sake of my people's future," the elder Wookiee chieftain replied. "My warriors have finished inspecting and taking stock of this camp's equipment, supplies and loot. We are now ready to proceed as planned, once your party are properly recovered."
"We should discuss our plans going forward," Revan spoke up, raising his voice enough to get the attention of the rest of his companions as well as Tasi and Kuriiima, who approached.
"I'm surprised that you're already up and raring to go after that ordeal," Canderous said to Revan. "I thought for sure that something like your Jedi healing would require you to rest awhile to replenish your energy afterwards, especially given the fact that you've tended to so many warriors without pause."
"As much as I'd like to, I'm afraid Zaalbar doesn't have that luxury," Revan answered, earning a look of sympathy and thanks from Freyyr. "Now that everyone's gathered, we have to talk about how we're going to go about this. There's the need to find the Star Map, but we're also obliged to help Freyyr find and kill the great beast he spoke of. Not only that, we also have to try our best to find Elena, Bastila and Audrey."
"Three objectives that all seem impossible in their own right, but then then there's the need to return to the surface to face Chuundar within three days," Carth mentioned. "Well ain't this a fantastic spot we find ourselves in?"
"Don't be so glum. It might not be as difficult as you think," Tasi replied. "Before you arrived, our group scoured far and wide in this sector and made no sighting of anything that can be described as a 'great beast', or whatever you want to call it. If I'm thinking right, then heading east towards the remaining unexplored regions is your best bet."
"Lucky for you, that just so happens to be where the Star Map is located, relative to here," Jolee spoke up. "Freyyr and I will both go with you, but you have to be on your guard. After so many years of not being able to patrol the deeper parts of the forest due to the hostile Czerka and Mandalorian presence, there's no knowing what lurks between us and the Star Map's location."
"Tasi and Jolee are right," Revan agreed, looking around at the Ebon Hawk crew gathered around him. "If all of you recall, when we first arrived in the Shadowlands, we noted that the southern and eastern parts of the forest were still largely uncharted by Czerka. Those missing will be aware of this, and I believe our best bet at finding them is to proceed eastward as planned. Best-case scenario, we find and kill the beast, locate the Star Map, and manage to rendezvous with those three in the process. Worst-case scenario, we spend more time searching for them after achieving the first two goals."
Reminded of her earlier conversation with Freyyr, Mission chimed in. "Um, Freyyr? You told me about it before, didn't you? This…great beast we're going to face…can you describe it in more detail?"
"Its size is truly a sight to behold," he replied, momentarily closing his eyes as he recalled the horrible memories of the past. "Its body is lined with horns and spikes in addition to its voracious tusks. It always lurks close to the artifact you describe as the Star Map, this I know."
"It's a terentatek, young missy," Jolee clarified for the rest of the group, causing Juhani to visibly stiffen with fear. "Caught sight of it myself one time. Damn near ran me off the face of the earth. It will be drawn to those who are strong in the Force, in order to satiate its bottomless hunger for Force energy. Most blasters, and even the Force itself will prove useless against it. Out of all the dangers you've faced so far, I'd dare say that it'll be your greatest challenge. As regrettable as it may be for me to say this…not all of you may make it out of the fight alive. Including myself."
"But there's gotta be a way to bring it down, isn't there?" Mission insisted. "We've got to get Bacca's Blade back if we're gonna save Zaalbar and retake the village!"
"Cold steel. And explosives," Canderous said coldly. "Anything else is useless. Its hide is thick, and it'll be able to weather even the heaviest Mandalorian blaster weapons and close in on you before you know it. We know this from personal experience in the Yavin system during the early days of the war. You can forget about trying to fight it from a distance, and be prepared to die if you do intend on fighting it."
"Using explosive mines and grenades are out of the question," Revan insisted. "As much as we want to help you retake your planet, Freyyr, we won't risk burning half of it down in the process."
"Our losses may be horrific, but we are willing to pay that price if it means restoring our homeworld to what it once was," Kuriiima said, standing by her leader and earning a look of gratitude. "When the time comes to take down the beast, I will fight right by your side, Freyyr."
Jolee huffed, deeply concerned by the Wookiees' touching yet near-suicidal heroism. "But Freyyr, Kuriiima, if you do this, if you fight that beast head-on…then you may never be able to retake the village. Your numbers will be too few."
"If that will be my fate," Freyyr sighed, "then so shall it be. As rightful Chieftain, I cannot bow my head in cowardice and shame. I must face the great beast to retake Bacca's Blade, no matter the cost."
"There is a way," Mission said firmly, causing everyone to look at her with curious stares. "Or at least…I think I know of one."
"If you have any ideas, I'm all ears then, kid," Canderous shrugged. "But unless you've got something major up your sleeves, then we might be out of luck."
Determined to play her part, Mission turned and spoke to her newfound companion. "Tasi, you know those stashes of mines we were going through when we were checking out all the equipment? Do you think we might be able to use those?"
"The frag mines, definitely not," Tasi shook her head, "unless you want to go up in flames with the entire forest. But the flash and concussion mines that we've been keeping in stock for big-game hunting…then yeah, it wouldn't hurt to give them a try. You'll have to move quick though, and try your bests to avoid its thrashing claws when it inevitably freaks out after being hit."
"Terentateks are known for their ferocity, but the same cannot be said about their intelligence," Juhani concurred, although she still held reservations as she looked nervously at the teenager. "But Mission, are you truly willing to risk everything on this scheme? These beasts are immune to the Force, as Jolee already said. If you should become its target, then we may not be able to save you."
"I am," she nodded, her voice firm and calm. "For Zaalbar, I'll risk it all."
"I'm right with you Mission. All the way," Carth said.
"We will need to cover much ground, and very quickly," Freyyr noted, a sense of urgency creeping into his voice. "Provided that Chuundar won't commit yet another act of treachery and keeps to his word, Zaalbar now has less than three days before his fate is sealed."
Thinking ahead, Canderous spoke up. "If you're going to go deep into those unexplored sections of the forest with all due speed, then I'm afraid that it's best that you go ahead with only the Wookiees. My people may be able to aid in a fight, but we will only slow you down when it comes to the journey. The same goes for the droids."
"Probably for the best," Carth agreed. "Hell knows, if any of your warriors happen to get separated and run into Audrey, Bastila or Elena, things might end up ugly. And as useful as you both are, you won't be much help when it comes to scouring the forest at high speed." He looked at the droids, receiving beeps and toots of shame from T3.
"Begrudging acknowledgement: As painful as it is for me to admit, meabag, you are correct. Ah, to be rendered obsolete by such a trifling issue…"
"If I might make one more point, as inconvenient as it may sound," Tasi said, "this camp's defenses are now almost completely neutralized after you took out all the sonic emitters and drove off all of the Czerka personnel. It would be mighty helpful if you could spare several Wookiees to secure this place down. And a Jedi staying with us wouldn't be too bad, either." She subtly looked around her, eyeing her fellow Mandalorian warriors. "After all, unexpected things might happen."
Picking up on the nature of Tasi's request, Revan looked at his Cathar companion. "Juhani, as much as I know that having you would be invaluable when taking on the terentatek, I need you to stay here. For Canderous's sake."
She nodded, accepting her charge without complaint. "Of course."
"Freyyr, how many warriors would you be able to spare to help guard this camp?" Revan then turned to the Wookiee leader. "I know that we'll need all the help we can get when it comes to fighting the terentatek, but this is also a crucial task."
Closing his eyes to focus for a few brief seconds and exhaling deeply, Freyyr opened them up once again and looked at Revan. "Fifteen. A little under half our strength. The rest will accompany us to hunt the great beast."
"It's settled, then," Revan nodded. "Canderous, Tasi, Juhani, T3 and HK will stay here in the camp. Jolee, Carth, Mission and I will go with Freyyr, Kuriiima and the Wookiees into the deeper parts of the forest."
Judging that everything had been decided, Canderous made his last remark. "We'll stay here and make plans for our return to the surface. There's a lot of advance planning that needs to be done if we're going to make it off this world in one piece. We'll be ready for immediate departure once you return."
While the others dispersed back to their posts or prepared to move out, Revan walked to Carth and Mission who stood together making last-minute checks on their gear, the young Twi'lek taking a deep breath in and out as she mentally prepared herself for what was to come.
"It's mighty brave of you to volunteer to come along, Mission," Revan said to her. "I really hope that things turn out the way you want them to."
"I know what you're thinking," she sighed and looked him in the eyes. "You're thinking of what happened to me back on Dantooine and Tatooine, I get it. Not to mention what happened again while we were climbing down that big tree." Revan could only slightly open his lips and let out a nervous breath in response, confirming her thoughts. "But believe me, I've learned my lesson. I'll keep close to everyone this time, I promise. I'm not doing this simply because I want to prove myself – I'm doing this because I know that I can help you."
The young girl's stubbornness brought a weak smile to Carth's lips as he was reminded of his wife and son on Telos. "We know you can, Mission. Just…be careful."
"I won't let you down, dad. No more slip-ups. I can do this," she replied, her fingers curling up into a fist as she looked at him with those determined, steel-grey eyes.
After Revan gave a silent nod, Carth exhaled, hiding his fears behind a smile. "I know. And Mission, no matter what happens out there," he wrapped his arms around her, feeling her hands tighten around his waist, "I'm proud of you."
A/N: Sorry for the huge wait on this chapter. Kashyyyk has been an enormous task when it comes to writing for, not just because of the separate part groups' subplots after the separation, but also because I'm now at the stage where I have to decide and refine future plot-points for not only the Ebon Hawk crew, but for many others.
I had originally planned for Canderous and Ondar to fight to the death for leadership in a Taung blood duel before any of the other party members showed up, but the idea was eventually scrapped as it would've completely made redundant any involvement on Revan's part, especially when Jolee had set him on the task to clear out the Mandalorians to see how he'd pull it off. I thought it was important that my story focus on making sure that the party pull through situations through a collaborative team effort rather than any one character carrying the others on their back, whether that be Revan or others.
As always, it's a pleasure to bring you all another chapter. Hope you're all well, and see you in the next instalment!