Chapter 8
A missing ship wasn't something most pirates would be worried about in normal circumstances. Vezz Holstan had decided that this wasn't normal circumstances. It had been almost a week since the disappearance of one of the ships in her fleet, a YVH-260 called "The Death Claw", and no one had heard from it at all. Its transponder codes were still transmitting but her technicians were unable to get a lock on the ship's position.
This bothered her lieutenants for the missing manpower and equipment. That was a concern for the Zabrak pirate as well but there was another thing that bothered her as well. It was obvious that the people looking for the Red Reavers, (most likely the Republic's Judicial Forces), had a way to find them.
As Vezz sat with her lieutenants to planning their next move, the comm station receives an incoming call. Grumbling for the interruption, the Pirate leader goes to the system to answer the call. A small holo image of a Human pirate appeared.
"What is it now?" barked the Zabrak.
"One of our sensors picked some lifeforms several klicks to the southwest of our base Captain," the Pirate answered.
"So, what?" Vezz continued, "We see the native wildlife all the time."
"These were those antlered creatures the natives use as mounts," the younger pirate explained, "With riders on their backs."
This caused the Zabrak pirate's blood to run cold.
"Start tightening up our defenses," the pirate ordered, "We need to be ready for whatever comes next."
Duran Jeth was pleased they found the pirate base. Following information and coordinates the captured pirate ship's navicomputer, the Jedi Knight, two Samurai, Riku and Kage, and their retainers decided to perform a reconnaissance mission. Five days later, the scouting party was able to confirm the ship's information. Now it was a matter of time to ride back and report their findings.
The two Samurai were quiet for a good portion of the ride back, not saying a word to the Jedi. Duran figured it was because of the shock of witnessing technology like that. They remained that way for a couple days as they rode back home to report their findings. It wasn't until the third day that Duran decided to break the silence.
"I have a question for you both," the Jedi asked, "Why do Samurai never used same weapons as the foot soldiers?"
"The small arms and their ammunition are too cumbersome to carry on," Riku replied, "Plus, they're hard to reload while riding."
"Instead, we use these bows for ranged attacks," Kage chimed in, "Much easier to use on the back of an elk. Why do you ask?"
Duran simply shrugged.
"I was curious," he replied, "Plus it helps to know the strengths of every unit in one's army."
Meanwhile, Ry'ven and the Antarian Rangers were teaching the Oni coalition army about the blaster and how to counter them. Explaining who plasma to a people who have no concept of the states of matter in a different nature was a difficult task. Luckily a demonstration helped explain the concept.
Another hurdle to cross was the odd looks Ranharr and Billibango were getting. The appearance of the Wookie and Xexto had somewhat spooked the locals and unlike Malcom, they didn't have familiar features. Even with the explanation on their apparencies and why they don't speak, it was a bad idea to leave the Antarian Rangers on their own so Ry'ven acted as escort.
It wasn't all bad, the three did help with the blaster demonstration as well as the other weapons like grenades. It was somewhat stressful but the Padawan was making his point, the Oni Daimyos were starting to inform the army officers to start drilling their troops for a battle.
Eventually, his master and the scouting party returned to give their report.
The War Council met immediately and started devising a plan for the upcoming battle.
"The layout of the base is as follows," Duran said as he drew all the positions with an inked brush, "A few overhauled civilian bulk freighters to form an outer defense." (Three large rectangles forming a triangle as an outer perimeter)
"Followed by an inner defensive formed by a collection of vessels similar in size to the two we brought us, as well as a fuel depot." (Eight squares half the size of the of the bulk freighters arranged to fill the gaps between the outer defenses and a series of tally marks to denote fuel tanks)
"Here is the power generator that runs the base and the sensors here, here and here." (A medium sized circle near the fuel depot and a smaller circle between each bulk freighter)
The Oni war lords looked at this this all with confused expressions.
"What exactly do these sensors do?" Riichi asked.
"They used to detect incoming hostiles and sets off the alarms," the Arkanian Jedi said before he explained how radars worked, comparing it to ripples on the surface of water.
"How exactly are we supposed to beat that exactly?" a samurai observer asked.
"Right here is a hill that would make a great vantage point for artillery," (Four crescents arranged like topography marks on a map with cannons drawn at the top)
"Wouldn't those sensors alert them to our army's movements?" Kage asked as he observed the meeting.
"I was thinking of having my padawan, the Rangers and I of moving out ahead of the army and sneak into the camp," Duran replied, "From there, we'd start sabotaging the pirate's equipment and gear so the host has time to mobilize, march to the battlefield and deploy properly." (Small rectangles for infantry formations at each corner of the encampment with small ovals for calvary formations)
"That doesn't sound like an honorable way to fight," Setsuna added, "Is there another way to do this?"
"Not if you want to win the battle," came the Jedi's response, "Seeing as these pirates are using weapons and tactics that out class you in every fashion, doing anything to even the odds are the key to victory here."
The Oni warlords murmured as the council continued with the Jedi finished drawing a war plan for the battle ahead. Once the plan was done and all the questions answered, everyone retired for the night. Ry'ven was about to make his way.
Nozomi Tatsuo hummed as her son fell sleep. The last few days since the mysterious strangers had saved their group from the raiders. Yoshi seemed to be enamored with the two robed men that were part of the group. The older one had saved the mother and son from the raiders ship when they landed at the village and the younger one, who she learned was named Ry'ven, had spoken had found her son after he ran off and returned him to her.
The single mother eventually managed to get her son put to bed when she heard a soft wrap on the flap of her tent and a familiar voice call out.
"Hello," they said "Is there anyone here?"
The Oni mother cautiously walked to the flap and flipped it open to reveal Ry'ven and the older robed man.
"Hello miss," the older man said with a bow, "It is good to see you are well."
"I am," Nozomi answered nervously, "I never got the chance to say thank you for rescuing me and my son from the raiders."
"It was all part of the job," the older one said chuckling softly
"Is it alright if we came in?" he then asked, "There are some things we'd like to talk about
"Of course," the Oni said, "Please come in mister..."
"Jeth," the older man said, "Duran Jeth."
The two men were bid entrance and offered a place to sit while the Oni mother fetched a candle for light.
"What is it you'd like to talk about?" she asked.
"It's about your son," Duran answered, "We'd like to talk about your son miss…"
"Nozomi Tatsuo," Nozomi answered, "If my son has stolen something, I apologize for the trouble he caused."
Duran and Ry'ven looked at each other puzzled before looking back at the young mother and continuing.
"You misunderstand us," Duran said, "We are here to give you son an opportunity."
"What sort of opportunity?"
This time Ry'ven was the one who answered.
"We believe your son has a gift," as he spoke, the young man removed a cylinder from his belt and held it in his palm, "An ability called the Force," the cylinder began to float above his palm as if it were a cloud in the sky, "One that resides in me and my teacher here," the cylinder started to spin around in a circle, "It flows through us, binds and penetrates us and connects us the other life in the universe," the cylinder stopped spinning and fell back into the young man's hand before he clipped it back to his belt.
Nozomi was awestruck with the display of something that should be impossible.
"My son would be able to do this?" she asked wearily.
"Not yet," Duran answered, "He'd need training to be able to perform that little display."
"And that's what you're here for?"
"Indeed," the older man explained, "To train him to be Jedi like us, we need to take him with us when we leave here after our mission."
This shocked the mother. Her son was all the only family the Oni woman had and the idea giving him up would break her heart. Her voice cracked slightly when Nozomi asked her next.
"Can't you train him here, so I can be close by?"
Duran sighed, as if trying to say something uncomfortable.
"Alas we cannot," he said, "The Force is very dependent on one's emotional state. A simple childish tantrum could take a wall of a small building. Imagine what would happen to someone whose grieving for a lost loved one?"
The mother thought for a moment at the Jedi continued their explanation.
"If he were to become a Jedi, he'd be able to control his abilities and not hurt other people."
"We know this would be a difficult choice to make," Ry'ven said, "That is why we're bringing this to you now as tomorrow the two of us and our companions leave to fight the raiders."
"How long will you be gone for?"
"A few days," the older Jedi answered, "Perhaps a week."
The room fell silent as the two Jedi got up and bowed before they left, leaving Nozomi Tatsuo to think about the words.
We are now entering the final arc of Hidden Fortress and I'm excited to start writing. Thankfully, the harvests are done and after doing some field work, I'll have more time to write. The goal is to have this story finished by the end of 2022. Hope to see you all then.