Author's note


The story is now at the point where the introductory parts are over and now we can see the general framework. Additional characters will be introduced and some new worlds as well, but we are now starting into the run-up to the Battle of Yavin, which of course includes the events of Rogue One and A New Hope. Those events will indeed be included in this story, but they will affected in ways that were not seen on the movie screen. In this installment, we pick up where we left off, 1 BBY and the Corvala Dawn on the planet Tatooine, with Obi-Wan aboard as the guest of the Togruta Masters Ahsoka Tano and Shaak Ti.


Chapter 9: Just Another Day on Tatooine


Tatooine, 1 BBY 6 months, 27 days

As dawn broke on Tatooine, Obi-Wan Kenobi awoke first, in his guest quarters on board the Corvala Dawn. He was carefully considering all he had learned from Ahsoka and Shaak, and had some reflections. Ahsoka herself seemed to have greatly evolved since his last encounter with her. She was a mature 34 years of age and carried herself with a confidence that he found refreshing. No longer the brash Padawan of the Clone Wars, she had become a skilled operative for the Rebellion, but there was more than that. There was a new Force energy and signature about her, one that emanated a great deal of power, and she seemed well aware of it. Until he could watch her in action, however, he could not draw any conclusions.

When he thought about Shaak Ti, there was much more to consider. Always she had been a trifle mysterious in her days on the Jedi Council, preferring to let others do most of the talking, and speaking only when she had something to say of importance. How exactly did Master Ti avoid Order 66 and where was she staying now? Obi-Wan had the feeling she was not prepared to divulge too much, and what's more, she had somehow convinced Ahsoka to keep all of this strictly confidential as well. Master Ti had an altogether different aura about her now, one that reflected a supreme confidence, and he could easily detect that her Force energy was at a level he had never seen before – perhaps even more than Yoda's.

When she had announced that she was the new Grand Master, it took him by surprise. What exactly was her role now, and what about this mysterious "Order" she mentioned? Was Master Ti rebuilding the Jedi in her own image? Even more intriguing was how – if her words were to be taken as truth, and why should they not be? – Shaak seemed to have a direct pipeline into Imperial secrets, all without actually going to Coruscant. Or so it would seem. Finally, Master Ti seemed to be presenting herself quite differently than in the past. Gone were the shabby light brown garments she seemed to favor, and in their place were immaculately tailored and detailed robes – perhaps fitting for someone of her new stature. But why in black? It reminded him that Anakin once dressed similarly (if not nearly as elegantly) – before his transition to Vader – and seemed to be a warning of sorts. But Shaak outwardly seemed kind, gentle, and welcoming – to a point.

But soon, Master Ti had arisen and had gone into the ship's lounge. He noticed her, kneeling as if in some sort of prayer, and listened carefully to her words, while remaining out of her direct sight.

"My Lord, Zon-Khadul, thou art the Creator of the Galaxy and all other Galaxies, and the Ruler of the Force. Thou hath brought us the Light from the Darkness. I only ask thou make me an Instrument of thy peace. I remain thy humble servant. All I do is in thy Name only. Ahmen ih Aru-Kabah." (Translation: truly and humbly)

Obi-Wan was puzzled by this, and as she rose and was seated, he decided to engage her in a little one-on-one exchange:

"Good morning, Grand Master. You are certainly looking well …"

Shaak smiled sweetly and gazed at him. "And you yourself, Master Kenobi. How did you sleep in such luxury? I feel badly for you, having to live in such austere circumstances, after all you have done for the Order."

"Ah, Shaak … I must say, I rather like who you have become. Your strength is a source of comfort for many, including Ahsoka."

She continued to smile and spoke with a slight reverence. "She has found her true calling now. I have adopted her as my daughter. My love for her is profound."

"Well, she is certainly something to inspire."

As they kept talking, Ahsoka herself came to join them. She decided to open up a little.

"Obi-Wan, there is something I feel I must tell you. I've had a recent encounter with our old friend Maul…"

Kenobi raised an eyebrow at this name being mentioned. "Oh, really?"

"Yes, he has a pressing engagement with you planned, but I don't know just when he might arrive."

"Ahsoka, how did he learn of my whereabouts?"

"Oh, he doesn't know the particulars, but there was a Sith holocron that he and a certain Ezra Bridger found on Malachor recently – the same day as when I ran into Anakin."

"Can you tell me more about this … Ezra Bridger?"

"Yes, he is a young apprentice of my friend Kanan Jarrus. Kanan was another who survived Order 66. He has a close friend, a pilot named Hera Syndulla."

Kenobi looked up for a second. "Syndulla? By any chance …"

Ahsoka nodded. "The same. She is Cham's daughter. And a good friend of mine as well … anyway, young Ezra is with them, at a new Rebel base near Lothal."

Soon, Hedala and Frehya had arisen as well and had come to join them. Ahsoka decided to send them out together, to get a feel for the planet. She had wondered whether Obi-Wan might need some sort of backup in watching over young Luke Skywalker, so she thought her apprentices would learn something about themselves as well. Before they went out, Ahsoka went into a utility room on the ship and then emerged carrying a pair of training lightsabres.

"These have been fully enabled. Be careful when using them, my apprentices, but of course always support each other."

Shaak glanced across the room at them as they clipped the sabres to their belts, and smiled benignly at them.

"May the Force be with you, ladies. Always," she intoned softly. Hedala and Frehya turned to Shaak and bowed.

"We will be all right. Master Ahsoka has taught us well," Frehya assured.

The two of them took out a speeder bike and mounted it, with Frehya in the driver's seat. Ahsoka lowered the shields and uncloaked the Corvala Dawn. "Make sure you stay together and keep your com turned on," she urged. Hedala and Frehya nodded and then took off, and Ahsoka rejoined Obi-Wan and Shaak.

Kenobi then asked, "Ahsoka, regarding your encounter with Maul, how did it go?"

"Funny you should ask," she laughed. "It went well. He was, shall we say, in a more compliant mood."

"Ah … very well. I should not be surprised. Sometimes, people just have to learn respect," he nodded, and glanced at her in a knowing way. He then glanced at Shaak, but she revealed nothing that he could discern.

At that, Shaak then spoke.

"Master Kenobi, we've greatly enjoyed your company, and your sharp insight. I hope to be working together with you in the days and months to come." Her tone was as gentle as ever, and she continued. "I believe I have some business to conduct on this planet. The one called Jabba, I believe it was?"

Obi-Wan seemed a bit surprised. "Yes … but, if you'll pardon my asking, I cannot fathom why you would want to spend time with the likes of him."

Shaak smiled. "Master Obi-Wan … sometimes much may be learned from the unlikeliest of sources … and places. Ahsoka …," she turned to face her fellow Togruta. "When your ladies return, they are to accompany me. I will be in my quarters. Inform me upon the event. Obi-Wan, I bid you farewell and we may see each other again … soon."

Obi-Wan and Shaak bowed to each other and she left the room. Ahsoka gestured to the exit, and offered Kenobi a ride back to his home. He thanked her, but preferred to walk the relatively short distance. He needed to clear his head and contemplate more deeply what he had learned. Ahsoka then handed him the communication link device that Shaak had promised him, fully initialized and tuned to Shaak's galactic network.


Tatooine, near Mos Eisley, 1 BBY 6 months, 27 days, 12 hours

Frehya and Hedala did some close-in recon of the area to get the basic lay of the land and then decided to venture further afield. They soon came upon what looked to be a more settled area, which they were able to view from a distance at some elevation, enabling them to observe spacecraft taking off and landing. Unfortunately, they were not the only ones taking in the view. A group of Tusken Raiders had spotted them and had designs on the speeder. They split up and advanced upon the two women from opposite directions.

Hedala quickly spun around in time to see two of them charging in her direction. She drew her sabre and ignited it. A green blade appeared and she twirled it menacingly in their direction. Frehya soon noticed three more Tuskens approaching from the opposite direction and she quickly spun around to face them, with her back turned to her partner. Her sabre came out soon after and it hummed with intensity as she ignited the pale blue blade. At that point, the Tuskens charged from her direction. One raider came at Hedala with a long pointed staff and she quickly sliced off the tip and then ducked beneath it, rising up to hack off the wielder's arm. Another raider, angered by the injury to his comrade, tried to take her but she was too fast, and he soon found himself missing a hand as his staff flew away. The two injured raiders then backed off.

Frehya was a bit overwhelmed as her sabre work was fast, but there were three opponents. She was able to slice one of their weapons cleanly, but another raider whacked her hard on the shoulder and she groaned with the pain it inflicted. Hedala quickly came to her aid and was able to behead one of the attackers. At that, the other Tuskens quickly withdrew. The two apprentices then stood back to back with sabres held high. The raiders decided to leave the apparent Jedi in peace as they nursed their wounds and carried their fallen comrade off with them.

As Hedala shook hands with Frehya, she complimented her. "Great job, mate! Those guys will think twice about messing with us. Are you OK?"

Frehya nodded in assent. "Just a little banged up. Those guys … are strong." She gave a loud sigh. "But you were amazing! You're so fast. Wait 'til I tell Master Ahsoka … she will be so proud."

As the two women continued to congratulate each other, a couple of figures approached from behind and hailed them. As they turned to face them, they saw one in what resembled Mandalorian armor and another that looked to be a Trandoshan. Hedala drew her sabre and ignited it. The armored one spoke first.

"Ladies! We come in peace. But we were admiring your swordplay. Might we have a word with you?"

Frehya answered, "To whom might we be speaking?"

The Trandoshan spoke, "the name's Bossk. Bounty hunter at your service. Always ready for the job if the price is right," he chuckled.

"And you?" Hedala asked the other.

"My name is Fett, Boba Fett," he said politely. "My partner and I have much experience together. Might we ask what a couple of Jedi are doing out here on Tatooine?"

Frehya stared at him blankly. "My name is Frehya" …

"And I'm Hedala."

"We'd prefer to keep our business on a need-to-know basis, if you don't mind, gentlemen," Frehya responded.

Hedala switched off her blade and smiled slightly, but looked warily at the two bounty hunters.

"Not every day we see such beauty on this backwater rock," Bossk hissed, while hoping to make a good impression.

Fett removed his helmet and bowed to Frehya. "Might we interest you two ladies in some food and drink?" he asked in what seemed to be a sincere tone.

Frehya smiled. "What did you have in mind?

Hedala cautioned, "We don't have too much time. Our boss will be expecting us."

Fett tilted his head in the general direction of the town below, and spoke directly to Frehya. "Just a small snack … and some ale to wash it down."

The two women looked at each other, as if to say why not? "OK, Mister Fett," Frehya smiled, while Hedala nodded.

The bounty hunters then went to their speeder and the women mounted their bike and followed them into town. Soon they came upon what looked to be a sort of cantina and they anchored their vehicles outside. Fett led the way and motioned to the host that he wanted a table for four. After they were seated, Fett suggested they try some local ale and then the hunters made them an offer.

"We come here often," Fett said. "The Hutts usually have good work for us. We might be able to put in a good word for you as well, if you're interested."

Frehya politely shook her head. "We're not looking for employment. But we appreciate your hospitality, and we will be sure to put in a good word for you with our bosses. Who knows, perhaps your services will be needed."

Bossk nodded happily. "Always wanting to expand our network," he laughed.

Hedala poked at him playfully. "You look so strong … I've heard about Trandoshans," she gushed.

Bossk beamed at the pretty blonde, his ego swelling.

After they finished their drinks, the four walked back outside and the girls mounted their bike. They had taken the bounty hunters' contact info and promised to recommend them with their employers. As they sped away, Fett remarked to his partner, "This should be interesting. Haven't seen anyone here use a light sabre recently. Have you?"

Bossk shook his head. Fett continued, "This info might be worth a lot – to the right buyer."

As the women returned to the Corvala Dawn, Ahsoka was standing outside waiting for them.

"Hello there! I sensed you had an incident. Are you quite all right?" she asked with concern.

"Nothing we couldn't handle," Hedala said proudly.

Ahsoka then examined Frehya's shoulder and noticed it was badly bruised. "I'd better have a look at that," she remarked.

"Please come inside now. Master Shaak has plans for later today and she requests your presence."

Frehya then undressed before Ahsoka, who produced some strong smelling ointment and started to rub it into the apprentice's wounded shoulder. Immediately it created a warming sensation and Frehya sighed in relief.

"That feels great …"

Ahsoka smiled and caressed her friend's hair slightly. "Rest now," she said simply.

Shaak soon came in, having emerged from her morning meditation. She glanced at Frehya, then asked "did you leave without battle armor on? This is a dangerous planet, with many criminal-minded people roaming around."

Frehya lowered her head sheepishly. "Forgive me, Master Ti. You are of course correct. We will be more careful."

Ahsoka approached Hedala, and praised her. "You did well, my apprentice. Your quick thinking and teamwork were most effective. Frehya might've been more severely hurt, if not for your actions."

Hedala beamed with pride, and bowed to her master. "Thank you, my lady."


Tatooine, 1 BBY 6 months, 27 days, 18 hours

A few hours passed and then Shaak indicated to Ahsoka that it was time for her to go. The ship took off and traveled for a few minutes at an altitude of about 500 metres, then Shaak indicated where she wanted to land. As they touched down, a large structure, with rounded features, was seen in the distance. "Here it is," Shaak noted. "The abode of the one called Jabba." Upon landing, Shaak turned to Frehya, "Are you feeling up to this, Apprentice Lumoxa?" Frehya replied, "I'm ready. Feeling much better." Shaak nodded and patted her on her good shoulder and the two apprentices strapped on the training sabres and followed the Grand Master down the ramp. R8-ND accompanied them as he might be needed for translation duties, Shaak not being entirely fluent in Huttese.

A few minutes later, the party arrived at the entrance to the stone structure, and R8-ND signaled for them to be let in. The door opened and they were greeted by a couple of imposing guards that blocked their path. "Randy" communicated that Grand Master Ti had a scheduled audience with Jabba the Hutt, but they were unyielding. Shaak calmly stepped forward, waved her hand and made some soothing comments. Soon the guards were happily allowing everyone inside. Jabba's Twi'lek assistant came forth and spoke Basic to Shaak, who indicated her desire to see Jabba. He checked the schedule, and somehow, it appeared her appointment had indeed been listed.

As the Twi'lek led them in, there were a number of strange looks given to the party. Hedala and Frehya seemed nervous as many had blasters drawn, with some pointing at Master Ti. But Shaak was as serene as ever as she patiently followed the Twi'lek through the halls of Jabba's palace. Eventually, they were waved into the throne room, and the giant slug-looking creature greeted them with a loud form of Hutt laughter. Shaak smiled and approached the throne and nodded her head forward in appreciation. R8-ND spoke in Huttese, "greetings exalted one. Her serene highness, the Grand Master, thanks you for allowing her to address you this evening." Jabba continued to look amused as Shaak smiled and again waved her hand. She then spoke. "I have a generous offer for you, your Excellency. Two thousand Imperial credits as a token of my appreciation." She then held up a pair of thousand-credit chips. At this, Jabba indicated some mild interest.

R8-ND spoke to her aloud. "Mighty Jabba wishes to know what service he may be able to provide the esteemed Grand Master." She smiled again.

"It has come to my attention, sir, that you have some valuable intelligence capabilities on the Outer Rim. I would be willing to reward these – provided the information is verifiable."

Jabba made some grunting noises, then spoke: "How valuable is it to you, Madam?" (As translated)

"I would be willing to offer ten thousand in advance, and then additional payments as the need increases."

Jabba considered the offer, then stalled a bit. Some of the others in the room were eager to test Shaak's abilities and they aimed blasters at her. They did not seem pleased that such a relative stranger could walk right into the palace and start making what seemed like demands.

Shaak looked up slightly to gauge the level of hostility in the room, then reached out to the Force with a quick flip motion of both her hands and suddenly everyone in the room (except Jabba) were on their backs, gasping for air. She signaled to Frehya and Hedala, who quickly grabbed as many of the weapons as possible and placed them in a bag that Shaak had brought along for just such an occasion.

Jabba observed the proceedings with mild interest, then gave a hearty laugh. "Well done, Grand Master. You are my kind of business partner." Shaak returned the laugh and stated, "I take it we have an arrangement. Hedala and Frehya, would you please?" The apprentices each produced a five-thousand credit chip and handed them to Shaak, who proffered them to Jabba. The Hutt seemed pleased at the quick cash he stood to make, and asked exactly what type of information she was after. She then described what she had heard about the battle station being constructed by the Empire and the fact that it had mostly been done on the nearby world of Geonosis. "I would assume that your Excellency would be well aware of these proceedings, and that you might also know where the project has been moved," she stated. Jabba stroked what appeared to be his chin, then spoke at length in Huttese:

"Dearest Grand Master … I am indeed aware of this project, and I will be glad to get you that information. I can also provide you with more details than you might currently have. I trust we can find a mutually acceptable arrangement. Can you see your way clear to one hundred thousand credits?"

As R8-ND translated for her, Shaak smiled again. "Kind sir, that can be arranged. We will pay you one quarter of that amount within the next ten days, and the rest as the intelligence is delivered. With sufficient detail, we will be able to verify the quality of the information. I extend my hope that we may have a fruitful business relationship."

As they talked, Jabba indicated his pleasure with the arrangement and then asked if the exalted Grand Master would be pleased to be his honored guest. She thanked him for the invitation but told him they had to be traveling. "Perhaps some other time?" she asked with a smirk. As they left, Hedala dropped the bag of blasters at the palace entrance. Soon the Force-choked denizens of the palace were groggily getting to their feet and wondering exactly what had taken place. But Grand Master Shaak Ti was already aboard the Corvala Dawn and making preparations for a return voyage to Felucia. She seemed to think she had good reason to trust the accuracy of Jabba's contacts.

Hedala and Frehya were excitedly telling Ahsoka all about the visit to Jabba's palace.

"I've never seen anyone that looked like him," Hedala remarked excitedly. "He's like a giant slug."

"And then, I thought we were in big trouble when they all were aiming their blasters at us … but Master Shaak took care of that in an instant. Just amazing …" Frehya gushed.

Ahsoka smiled and, as Shaak entered the lounge, asked her "how do you know that slug can be trusted?"

"Ah, my child, that slug, as you so indelicately refer to him, remembers you quite well as the one that saved his son all those years ago. He told me at length that he was a Hutt of honor and that the Empire was not doing much for his business prospects these days. All I had to do was tell him you were my daughter and he was more than willing to help, even lower his price," Shaak explained. "I told him a deal is a deal, and that Togruta too were honorable. I think I might have even made a friend tonight," she laughed.

Shaak, Ahsoka, Hedala, and Frehya then sat down to a traditional Togruta meal featuring spiced meats and some high fiber roots of the grasses native to the planet Shili. Shaak admired Ahsoka's cooking skills and praised her for getting the true ingredients. She sighed that it made her feel like she was back home. Then they were on their way …

To be continued …