New Light in the Stars
Chapter 4
Time for the rest of the heist. As well as where Joris will relate with the rest of the crew of the Iridescent and the Explorcorps. And how a few others will be fighting back against the Hutts with the Jedi. So on with the show.
(No POV)
While Joris was working his way through the palace, Dem and Finn were hiding in the rear crates with some of the lower priority artifacts. Once they were set down, the two gently opened the tops of their hiding places to peek at the surroundings.
A few of the loader droids were still nearby, so they took a moment to gently mind trick the droids. 'Its not much, but we could have some extra muscle for moving out the artifacts.' Dem thinks as a few of the loaders go to the side and shut down.
When the two padawans know they are alone, they step out to see where they were. "Whoa. Okay. This is…. We might need to make multiple trips." Finn comments while looking around. And the Laasat agrees.
They were in a large storehouse of multiple artifacts and collectables from multiple planets. Some of which they knew their Praxum ship had stopped at. As they were looking around, Joris arrived. "Uh oh. This…. Is a lot more than I expected." Joris said while tipping his stolen hat back.
The other two sighed before wondering how they were going to get many of these artifacts out of here. Joris hums a moment before hearing a few more loader droids. He slipped close to the pair and noticed that they were carrying large bins that seemed to be for waste.
He smiled before mind tricking the machines to come closer. They set their loads down and shut down for a bit. "Hey Finn. Think we could…. You know?" Joris asked with a smile directed the middle padawan's way. Who returned the smile before saying he'd check.
While he was working on that, Joris and Dem checked a few other crates. "None of the more important artifacts are here." Dem notes after checking the shelves. The youngest Jedi hums before noting that Grakkus probably had them on display or were in his personal room.
"Luckily, I grabbed something from a guard. This map should tell me where to check," he says before opening a holographic display. He notes the probable places that the artifacts were housed. "Okay. I'll double check those locations and then you can send some of the droids there." Joris says while Finn finishes reprograming some of the droids.
The other human notes that he had reprogrammed the droids to take the crates they filled to the garbage dump area. "Dem and I'll go to the area with some of other droids to take the spaceport. We'll keep in contact over the comms." Finn says before getting ready to run out.
Dem stops him though and tells the human to make a copy of the program to change the droids movements. "If he finds some of the artifacts, he'll still need to get them out. And I don't think he can carry them all." Dem says with a raised eyebrow.
The middle Jedi nods and quickly burns a program chip for Joris to use. The younger Jedi thanks his comrades and tells them good luck. While Dem wants to note there is no such thing as luck, she takes his statement in stride with a thank you.
Joris then snuck out to find check a few of the other regions of the palace. He came across a central ballroom area that seemed to have multiple high profile artifacts on display. As well as multiple people and guards. Not to mention Grakkus. "Can't get those out. Damn. Well I'll just check some other areas."
As he's sneaking through he starts hearing a mix of cries from men and women. Some of pain, most of pleasure. He tries to put it out of his mind and focus on the goal. At least until he hears the pained, strangled cries of one he recognizes.
One of the doors to the private rooms was slightly open. Inside, Joris sees the Kessurain girl who covered him. And the Sullustian was strangling her after apparently whipping her as well. Joris didn't know what came over him next, but he drew his saberpistols and shot the violent captain a few times in the back.
When Joris realizes what he did, he started to panic a bit. But the coughing of the other girl brought his senses back to the moment. He stumbled over to her before asking if she was okay. "I am now. Thank you," the girl says a bit teary eyed.
The young Jedi is still trying to process what happened before trying to leave to get what he came for. But the girl stops him. "You're looking to steal Grakkus's treasures, right? I can help you with that. Just take me with you!"
Joris isn't sure about this, but the look in her eyes tells him that she wants anyway to get back at the Hutt and his cadre. "Who are you? What do you have in mind?" Joris asks with a skeptical look. The Kessurian girl smile before introducing herself as Oara Metstal. And she tells him some of the plan.
Back in ballroom, Grakkus is slithering around while conversing with his guests. Admiring some of the artifacts he'd "acquired" from various other collectors. As a few other of the harem girls wander into the room, a shot rings out and disables a droid.
The guests all look up and see Joris standing above the crowd. With a variety of very impressive artifacts shown on his person. "As much as I wanted to be quiet about this, I couldn't resist making a scene. Especially to an impressive leading lout of a thief like you Grakkus! I hope you won't miss a few of these!"
Joris smirks toward the obviously furious Hutt before leaping away. Daring the guards and Hutts to catch him. Grakkus screams in anger before demanding that his men catch the boy. Offering a huge reward to anyone who caught him without damaging the artifacts.
The young Jedi ran throughout the palace causing a variety of disarray and damage. Shooting backwards to disable or distract the Gammoreans and assorted thugs Grakkus had hired. Joris also pushed or tossed out a few of the other artifacts the Hutt had scattered throughout his palace.
The chase finally ended when Joris was atop one of the higher walls to the Hutt's palace. He turned back and saw that he was surrounded. Grakkus was breathing heavily as he arrived. The crime lord snarled before telling the boy to hand over the artifacts he stole. "And we'll make sure your end is quick!"
Joris looked over the scene with some worry. Until he heard the beep from his commlink. While wanted to smile, he kept his face mostly neutral. He took off the handful of artifacts he had attached to himself and held them toward the Hutt.
Grakkus looked ecstatic to get parts of his collection back and tried to slither closer to retrieve them. Only to be shocked when Joris tossed the belt of artifacts off the wall. Before he could tell his men to attack, Joris kicked the Hutt in the face before shooting him a few times.
He then dropped something he took from one of the guards that was chasing him earlier. A flash grenade popped and disoriented all of the guards remaining. Giving Joris his moment to get away.
The guards ran back the way they came assuming that was where Joris had gone. But instead, he took advantage of his strength in the Force and leapt from wall. He timed his moment just right to where he pushed off and towards a safer section to land Oara pointed him to. As well as catch the artifacts he'd tossed earlier.
Once he landed, he met with the girl to get to the spaceport. With all of the droids taking the artifacts Grakkus had stolen. Even the largest ones were being brought back to the same ship the Jedi had arrived on.
The number of droids surprised Finn and Dem, as did Oara as she followed Joris. "So. This is the girl who wanted to hurt Grakkus eh? Do you have the…." Dem asked with a skeptical look. The Kessurain smiled before holding up the codes to the dead Sullustian captain's ship.
"Now can we please get out of here? I want to put this planet as far behind me as I can." Oara asked. Dem smiled before going into the cockpit to fly the ship back to Sleheyron. While back at the palace Grakkus screamed out at the loss of all of his treasures and collection.
Once they were safely in hyperspace, all of the teens let out breaths they didn't realize they were holding. "I can't believe I agreed to do this!" Finn says while trying to relax a bit. Dem is in the same place before looking over Joris and Oara. "You can probably lose the cloak and hat Joris. No need to disguise yourself anymore."
Joris chuckles a bit before taking both items off. It is then that Oara finally notices what all of them were. "So, I just helped a bunch of Jedi rob a Hutt of his collected treasures. Didn't see that coming." The older Jedi chuckle at this before Finn offers to see if there was something more appropriate, she could wear.
Oara looks down and notices that she was still wearing her harem garb. She blushes a bit before thanking Finn. Once back in Selheyron space, they contacted Laankan and the other members of the Iridescent. "Master Laankan. We've had a bit of an adventure. Hope you're up for a story." Dem announces as they bring the B-7 freighter around.
Once they land, Laankan and the other masters have looks that seem to be a mix of pride and anger. With the pride being more prevalent as they unload the artifacts. Though some confusion was had at seeing Oara.
"Start talking." Laankan says as the other masters start cataloging the recovered artifacts. Laankan as well as Dem and Finn's own masters get a debrief from the padawans and escaped slave girl on what happened on Nar Shadda. "I see. So, you wanted to be freed and stick it to that fat Hutt. And siding with some unknown group seemed the best way?"
"Didn't have a lot of other options given where I was. About like these clothes." Oara says while looking down at the ill-fitting clothing Finn had found in the ship. Finn's master, a Togrutan woman named Paraka Nuta, chuckled before offering some old robes for the time being.
Dem's master, an analytical Duros named Juno Morn, complimented them on the plan to recover the stolen items. But he was also upset that they took such a risk without telling the masters. "It is especially upsetting with you young Den. You were only along to see how the Explorcorps operate. You don't even have a master of your own."
"Well, we can change part of that Juno. I'm actually impressed at how he handled himself and the situation he got himself and the others in. But he could use some discipline. And I'm happy to teach that and other skills to him." Laankan says with a smile directed Joris's way.
The young Jedi was surprised but seeing the look the Nikto woman was giving him made Joris believe it was true. He smiled up at her and thanked the master for the chance to learn. Dem and Finn congratulated Joris on being accepted and fully ascending to the rank of Padawan.
"This is nice and all. But….. where do I stand with you?" Oara asked while looking between the Jedi gathered. The masters exchanged looks before Juno suggested that she could work on the ship. "It's nothing fancy, but maybe you'll come to enjoy being part of the crew."
The Kessurian girl chuckled a bit before saying, "honestly anything is better than what I had to do on Nar Shadda. I'll take the offer." With that, the crew of the Iridescent grew by two members. And they recovered hundreds of artifacts that had been missing for decades.
After this, they returned to Coruscant to report to the Jedi temple and the council. And there, masters Yoda, Sinube, and Drallig were glad to see that Joris had found the mentor for him. "Hopefully you can temper more crazy adventures like this one they went on." Drallig says.
Sinube notes with a chuckle that, "she's more likely to encourage some more reckless actions. But it will still do him good." After finishing some of the cataloging, the Jedi spoke to some of the descendants of the cultures they had recovered artifacts from. Offering to deliver some items to museums of their people's planets.
And while some were unsure of letting an unidentified or unvetted person work with the temple, the masters of the Iridescent were more than willing to vouch for her. Over the next few years, the masters, padawans and crew of the ship would go on more excavations and adventures throughout the galaxy.
With Joris sometimes playing into the faux role he built for himself after stealing from Grakkus. Seeing as he had a bounty on his head. Even without the identifying markers. And the ship they had taken from the Sullustian captain became a useful machine for some of these actions.
Especially after it had been modified with a few more weapons, better storage and living space, and an improved hyperdrive. Not to mention making good use of the ship's scrambler to mask it's IFF. And giving it a new name of The Hidden Light.
"Not a bad set up we've got for ourselves." Joris thinks aloud while stretching out after a training session. It had been two years or so since he'd joined up with the Iridescent, and he'd learned quite a bit about the Force and the various civilizations across the galaxy.
He was 15 now and he had grown a bit taller and broader in his build. Finn was currently 18 and had plenty of fun modifying the ship they had taken. Not to mention his other modifications to droids and other programs.
Dem was still a part of the crew but she had stepped up to a new level. She was currently a Jedi Knight in the order, and the lack of her braid signified that. When they would need to do missions with The Hidden Light, she would act as the captain and pilot of the ship.
And the ship had another good maintainer and crew member. Oara had ingratiated herself to the crew and Jedi over the two years as well. Especially since she knew a bit about some of the underworld players from her time as a slave.
"Lots of them talk big or brag up their name. So, you eventually remember the ones who can make good on their claims." Oara noted after spotting another smuggler who was likely working for Grakkus or any number of crime lords throughout the galaxy.
Currently though, the Iridescent was docked at the Jedi Temple for a tune up, and to drop off the latest records for the archives. As well as getting in contact with the cultures associated with the recovered artifacts.
While waiting at the temple, Joris felt a ripple in the Force. He saw Master Qui-Gon Gin and Obi-Wan Kenobi walking by as the sun was setting over the temple region of the city. He followed them and overheard Obi-Wan asking his master to not go against the council's wishes once more.
Before he could listen for more, Qui-Gon called out to him. Joris rubbed the back of his neck before asking how long he knew he was there. "Long enough. But I take it this wasn't just to eavesdrop. Yes?" Qui-Gon asked with a smirk.
Joris cleared his throat before admitting it wasn't. "I…. felt a ripple in the Force. I'm not sure what it was about, but it pulled me to you two." Joris explained. Obi-Wan looked over the Padawan he'd escorted to Illum long ago. He could tell Joris had grown a bit, and that the strange dual connection of his had matured and refined in some ways.
Qui-Gon chose to ask what the young Jedi suspected and listened with intrigue. "It's like….. I'm not sure. But I felt as though the Force had moved through or with both of you as I passed by. Like you touched something deeply linked to the Force itself."
The master and student shared a look, with the latter shrugging and nodding that the boy might have insight they didn't think of. And so, Qui-Gon told of the boy they had picked up on Tatooine. How the Jedi Master suspected the boy might be the Chosen One of the Force prophesized long ago.
Joris was a bit wide eyed but something else nagged at him in his memories. He hummed a bit before asking if the master was certain about all the details. "Not only that….. but I'm not sure that the normal Jedi ways would be right for him. But that's…. mostly the other side speaking."
The Jedi Master was curious about what the young man meant and asked him to elaborate. "He's been a slave his entire life, right? One raised by his mother alone. And on a relatively lawless world like Tatooine. Or one run by Hutt crime lords. That could mess with a lot of his perceptions and how he views people." Joris explained.
Noting the other one he linked with in the Force that experienced childhood to adulthood and even being a parent himself. Not to mention seeing people die from a variety of things. From illness and injury to deaths his own self caused when he used his weapons.
"He might latch onto things and people that he feels would do the same because that's all he knows. And attachment can be….. risky. I don't agree with complete detachment like Master Mundi. But….. accepting that some things can't always be changed is difficult. Especially with the power we have."
"You may be right. But I do believe he is the one who will bring balance to the Force. And I have to trust in that." Qui-Gon says before thanking the boy for his interpretations. After he had left, Joris talks with Obi-Wan and warns that there was a different issue.
"I felt a ripple of death as well. I didn't want to say anything because I doubt, he'd believe me. But there might be greater danger than you know waiting for you two." The elder Padawan seems uneasy at the way Joris phrased this. But he does take it in stride and thanks him for the warning.
The feeling of unease in Joris compounds a bit the next day when he feels a strange presence moving through the temple. He eventually finds it with a young boy that Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon were escorting.
"What's wrong?" Finn asked as they were walking about the temple. Joris lets out a slight sigh before saying it was nothing. "I hope this matter on Naboo is handled without losing too many lives." Joris says with a touch of fear.
That fear and unease ends up being proven as a few days later. While the tariff incident and war on Naboo ended, it did cost quite a few lives. Hundreds of Gungans, dozens of lives who were trapped in camps on Naboo, and many of the security members dead while trying to stop or capture Nute Ganrey.
But the Jedi Order lost people as well. That being Master Qui-Gon Gin. Killed at the hands of a dangerous Sith assassin. One who was defeated by Obi-Wan after a pitched battle. In the aftermath of the battle, Obi-Wan took up the training of the boy that he and his master had brought to the temple.
That boy being Anakin Skywalker. But Obi-Wan took a bit of the advice Joris had given him and tried to consider the ways he would train and guide the boy in the ways of the Jedi. Joris watched them at one point while they were practicing some of the lightsaber techniques. "I'm worried for the future. Not just for all of us. But for that boy as well." Joris thought aloud. Wondering if he could help with some of the training as well.
So that's the end for this and the start up into the canon of the films. I don't intend to change everything, but I do want to change around or fool with a few things involved in the main story universe. Please review!