S/N: Back to the desert again....
She steps closer to him and rests her head on his shoulder as he strokes her flowing dark hair. He sighs knowing that their bond is not the only reason they grow closer on this trip. Something else is at work here, something more important in some ways then the Star Forge or the Sith or even Malak at least to Borden. They decide to join Mission and Zaalbar at the Cantina. The four share drinks, tell stories, and eventually return to the Hawk.
The next morning Borden awakes to see Carth still asleep in the bunk across from him in the starboard dormitory yet notices a fading sore spot on his old-new friend's face. Canderous' handiwork if he understood Juhani correctly, but she would not reveal what led to it aside from something Carth did that offended the Mandalorian. Canderous did not admit the exact events either because he felt the matter was over between him and the fly boy. Borden decides to leave it at that for the time being.
"Bastila and Canderous will come with me today to go after this krayt dragon and hopefully this world's Star Map… Mission and Zaalbar will stay with the ship… Carth and 47 will await our return at the Cantina… then they will come with me to Sand People Territory… everyone understand the plan?"
Everyone acknowledges in their own manner ranging from nods to murmurs to whistles to terse replies before the trio packs up to make the trip to the Eastern Dune Sea, which borders the alleged location of the krayt dragon's cave. Canderous leads the way as Bastila stays between him and Borden. She overheard Borden's conversation with Juhani regarding what took place in his absence, but she mentally accepts that he is not one for taking a single perspective on the same events. He had proven that many times already since Taris.
***
"You see that?" asks Canderous.
"What, the man surrounded by hunting droids?" replies Borden.
"Yes that guy…" responds Canderous.
"He is waving at us," remarks Bastila.
The trio makes a detour to check on the haggard looking man. He looks quite helpless and hopeless though slightly more helpful. Borden raises both arms telling the others to hold their ground, he recognizes the man from the other day, a drunkard that got thrown out of the Cantina by Helena. Bastila almost gasps recognizing him too while Canderous looks eager for another throttle.
"Wait a second, you are telling me that crazy lady from the Cantina is behind this?"
"More likely your wife if anyone, but you in your drunken state struck me as an idiot…" shouts Bastila.
"I am with the Princess on this one, leave him to consider his stupidity…"
"You are a cruel thing for a pretty girl…"
"I say congratulate his wife with his corpse…"
"Sounds fitting to me… unless you think something else would do better?"
"I am deactivating the droids, but you are finding your own way back with one cistern of water…"
"I will die of thirst before I make the gate…"
"Quit whining about the if business, focus on the now and getting yourself back to Anchorhead, I have not the time for people who cannot take responsibility for themselves, at least your wife puts up with you to a point…" retorts Borden.
The trio resumes after leaving the man with a cistern of water to sustain him the trip back to the space port. A herd of bantha is visible on the horizon as they cross into the Eastern Dune Sea. A parked speeder rests in a lower dune, a male Twi'lek is resting near it, and his male companion is wandering off towards a nearby cave. The Twi'lek shouts some kind of warning, but the other guy ignores him though a scream is audible even at this distance.
"Idiot… now how I am going to finish this hunt…" groans the Twi'lek.
"Perhaps we can be of assistance…" offers Borden.
"I am an experienced hunter and tracker…" continues Canderous.
"We also have a variety of weapons at our disposal…" finishes Bastila.
"This is some news, my name is Komad Fortuna, adventurer and what have you…"
"A deal in the making perhaps?" inquires Borden.
"I am placing mines in a stretch of sand near here, I need you to lure the bantha here in order to lure out the krayt dragon…"
"How are we to lure the bantha?"
"The stench of bantha fodder is a potent lure, I have some, so two of you will have to lure the bantha, and another will have to help me with the mines…"
"It almost sounds dishonorable to kill a creature this way…"
"I have seen this creature even from a distance, something in this cave made a vicious killer of its sole occupant, which krayt dragons are not by nature except when defending their territory or their offspring," continues Komad.
Canderous stays behind to help with the mines while Borden and Bastila head towards the nearby bantha herd. The lure seems to be working yet then a staggered formation of Sand People emerges from behind the dunes. The two activate their lightsabers cutting them down with ease yet there is a flow of calm direct focus between them as they react in tandem. After wards the herd resumes the advance towards the fodder cache left near the mines. The four retreat to a hiding place near Komad's speeder, and sure enough the bantha as were drawn here by the fodder, so too now is the krayt dragon drawn out by the herd.
The mines detonate in rapid succession as the krayt dragon lumbers towards his intended 'meal', but after several rows of mines explode underneath the creature, it is dead from losing too much blood to mine induced wounds. Komad paces over the dune towards the dead krayt dragon and cuts out the pearl then hands it over to Borden as compensation for the help. The generosity is unexpected, but Borden felt it necessary to make the bargains seem to favor the other side better.
Komad then gets into his speeder to leave the area behind him for his next adventure. Canderous points towards a platform similar to the one Borden and Bastila remember from the Dantooine ruins. They head inside to get out of the heat, but as they near it Bastila notices a holocron near a skeleton in tattered clothing. Borden directs Canderous back towards the entrance to keep an eye out in case more Sand People or someone else decides to make an appearance.
"Your father's holocron…" whispers Borden.
"It looks like it, the entries read like his though they are naturally slightly garbled from exposure… I would like to get his remains out of here too… I am sure Canderous would understand if put to it right…" whispers Bastila.
"I will talk to him about it unless you want to, but for the moment, this Star Map's data needs to be recorded and overlaid with the one from Dantooine…"
"I understand, the mission is our duty, but not the only one…"
"I am glad you see that, as personal matters count as duty too…"
***
Borden records the Star Map's data, and then Canderous returns from the entrance with news. The Jedi are naturally are surprised by this though so is Canderous. They return to the cave's mouth to see their 'visitors' getting off their speeders and swoops. Outside waiting for them is a gang of mercenaries led by Calo Nord, difficult to kill hit man.
"You have got more lives than a cat Nord!" shouts Canderous.
"I was hoping that Republic lackey would be here instead of you, but I suppose I can get afterwards him!" retorts Calo.
"You will not get in our way; the Jedi and I are leaving this place now."
"I would like to see you try, men kill him, I want the Jedi alive, but out cold!"
Borden summons a more powerful push than before, which throws the mercenaries backwards into the dunes. Calo rushes Canderous, but the Mandalorian lifts the shorter man up then squeezes his wind pipe hard enough to knock him out. The Jedi advance towards Canderous who is contemplating killing their pursuer and his former rival under Kang's employ.
"If I let him live, we will see him again, if I kill him that is his end, but then Malak learns either way that Nord has failed him, so quick death from me or slow death from the Sith, not much of a choice is it?"
"It is not, but so goes the contrast of decision… you shoot him then the others… Bastila I need to examine the cave again…"
Borden takes the jackets off a few of the mercenaries and wraps Bastila's father's remains in them. He and Bastila carry the lump of clothing to the speeder driven here by Nord's mercenary squad. Canderous never asks what is in the lump of clothing. Bastila climbs into the speeder with Borden. The Mandalorian takes one of the swoops and they ride out of the area. After a couple of hours of driving through the desert, they reach the outskirts of Anchorhead near the gates then head inside as midday rolls around. Bastila and Borden journey to Cantina with Mission.
***
Helena is there waiting for them, Mission goes off to play pazaak again, and Bastila sits down next to her mother. Borden sits opposite to them watching them through what took place in the desert, which slightly alarms her for the dangers though she eases up learning how they were in tandem to defeat the mercenaries. Bastila produces the Holocron, a full satchel of credits, and passage to Coruscant, bought by her, Borden, and Carth. The women hug crying profusely and then Helena asks to speak to Borden alone. Bastila steps out for a moment to recompose her appearance.
"You brought my daughter back to me, for that I can never repay you, but I want your word on this, keep looking after her, she needs you as much as you have the look of needing her on your face right now… promise me you hear me…" says Helena.
"You have my word Helena, my word not just a Jedi, but as someone that loves Bastila in a way that not even I can explain nor have we yet to admit to each other…"
"She loves you too, but she like you is afraid of what it means, the feelings are there, but then there is that dang Jedi Code…"
"The Code is a litany, a guide post, there is nothing a person cannot do unless chosen otherwise, and I try my best for her because with the kind of doubts sown by the Council, she needs someone to show the way, they are not going to do it, so it is up to me, up to those around us… I know she is afraid, but so am I…"
"My husband once told me to manipulate fear; you must first master yours…"
"I am inclined to agree with him, I can see where she gets her stubbornness from, but also when I speak with you, I see where her strength comes from too…"
"You and this Carth fellow are far too kind to an old dying woman…"
"Someone has to, otherwise no one will…"
"If you want a better life than those stodgy Councilors, take care of the ones you love or do not, but I have a feeling you will…" says Helena before leaving him.
Helena and Bastila head towards the landing zone adjacent to where the Hawk is still holding space. The older Shan borders the transport bound for Coruscant, and the daughter hugs her then hands her directions to a healer friend of Master Zhar's. Zhar discreetly made the offer without telling the Council whom he was sending to this healer. It was an unspoken and dated ritual to forbid contact between eventual Knights and their families. The Jedi were going for younger and younger candidates out of fear of waiting too long, and then getting more Sith on their hands in the process.
"It is all that is left unsaid upon which tragedies are built."
Borden shakes his head trying to distract another almost random flash from his mind recalling another thought spoken by the old woman from that vision in the desert on the night before entering the Sand People Enclave. Another journey there is coming, he contacts the Hawk and 47 arrives to rejoin them on the way back to the Enclave, this time crossing a bulk of the distance in a speeder, but then walking the rest of the distance on foot. The trio enters and the guards escort them to the Chieftain who finds another surprise in the form of the pearl.
"The captives are free to go…"
They move to inform Griff of his release and find there were also Jawas being held from that stranded crawler on the Dune Sea. The Jawas thank Borden and tell him to speak with their leader Iziz. Mission stands at Griff's slat door unable to move to open it. Borden opens it and a worn down Griff is cowering in the corner as if expecting Sand People coming to kill him. He looks up to see a troubled Mission and Borden along side 47.
"Mission…" rasps Griff.
"Griff…" murmurs Mission.
"Hey buddy you got any water and some credits?" asks Griff
"What are you a beggar now too?" retorts Mission.
"Calm down Mission, I got needs too…" remarks Griff.
"We are taking you back to Anchorhead, the bargain with the Sand People went through, and show damn respect for your sister, without her you would not be leaving here…"
"Thanks Mission I really owe you big for this!" responds Griff.
"Let's just get out of here already…" replies Mission.
"All I need are credits and if you can find tach glands, I am working on a deal to sell Tarisian ale to the Exchange office on Nar Shaddaa," says Griff.
"I will loan you some credits, as for the glands, we will see, now I think you need to tell your sister what happen, I mean everything… Lena had quite a tale to tell…"
"You should not take anything she says seriously she practically twisted my arm to leave Mission…"
"Not what she said on Tatooine, she said it was over, that your schemes were getting on her nerves, and so on… so why did you leave me huh?"
"You had Zaalbar, the Beks, and you were capable…"
"I needed you too you idiot!" groans Mission.
Mission trudges off to the swoop tracks leaving Borden to deal with the pieces. He shook his head and left saying this is not over by a long shot. The confused Twi'lek goes back to working Czerka. HK-47 mentions to Borden something about a Czerka outpost on Kashyyyk. Borden and Mission look up at the assassin translator droid with a look of alarm. Zaalbar will not take this news well once he hears it.
Borden wins out well at the swoop track beating out local rides despite the disbelief at his claim of winning the Taris season opener. Nobody takes it seriously as Taris is a slag heap now to put as the Swoop Track owner said it in Huttese. They head back to the ship unaware that the shadow figure from days prior overheard them talking about Kashyyyk.
"Package is going out of town"
"Destination for delivery"
"Arboreal…"
"You are certain…"
"Carrier words…"
"Recipient alert…"
"The astrogation chart is somewhat clearer, but we will need the other three before we can determine exactly where we will be going down the road…" says Borden.
"Why was it in a cave this time?" asks Carth
"If I understood 47's translations of the storyteller's chronicles, it is possible Tatooine was not always a desert planet; he also made reference to enslaver architects from the skies that were driven from the planet, but in response the enslaver architects 'glassed' it…"
"You mean they intentionally turned the planet into a desert wasteland?"
"It sounds that way…"
"Those guys did not take losing well…"
"It probably explains why all we see left of them are ruins…"
"Where are we going next?"
"I am thinking Kashyyyk…"
Zaalbar moves to interrupt yet Borden eyes with one of those 'talk about later' looks. He acquiesces out of respect for the life debt. The Landing Zone clears them for departure, and once more the Ebon Hawk takes to the stars to journey to another shore. The coordinates are under plotting then Carth leads the freighter to the lane and makes the jump. The trip will take several days and a few lane changes along the way. Borden and Zaalbar make for the main hold to discuss what seems to have finally shaken the Wookiee out of his silence about the past.
"I know going there is part of the quest from your chiefs…"
"It is a place we must go, and if your past happens to play in a part in it then that's how it goes…"
"You retain my loyalty and my respect especially for Mission and Griff…"
"The past cannot heal unless someone makes a leap, I show the way, but each must find their own route… you will have to as well whether I have any part in it or not…"
"I am afraid you will be all too right about that…"
"It is okay to be afraid so long as you can still do what you must do…"
"How did it go with your mother?" asks Carth
"Our relationship is on the mend, I hope when this hunt is over, I will have time to see her again, and that Master Zhar's healer friend can help her, at least to ease her physical pain," responds Bastila.
"I really am sorry for going off on you…" replies Carth.
"Telos, your wife, your son, we all have things we are forced to carry on our own, things about the past we are not proud of and I understand, I was just stricken with the possibility of losing another parent after learning of my father's death…"
"What about his remains and the Holocron?"
"Both are in my mother's keeping, she is making a layover to Talravin to have him buried there before continuing to Coruscant…"
"At least he will be finally put to rest where he belongs in body…"
"I imagine you were equally pressed by burying your wife…"
"I was, but as you can see I no longer wear those clothes from the old days anymore…"
"I trust you kept them though?"
"I locked them in my part of the starboard dormitory, but otherwise I have to learn to live with my new look, for her, for my son, for this crew…"
"What brought this around?"
"Ordo can be very persuasive when he wants to be…"
"I would not expect him to come to my defense…"
"He may tease you, joke at you, but for all his merc hardness, he has a heart too…"
Bastila and Carth trade positions over the course of the next few days en route to Kashyyyk and occasionally Borden and Canderous relieve both of them so everyone can stay alert and ready. Mission and Juhani fall into the habit of playing pazaak when she cannot find anyone else. Mission's stories about Taris turn something inside the Cathar something she thought would abate enough in time, but then one night during a pazaak matches she nearly hurls her chair at Mission.
Borden intervenes while Bastila takes Mission to the medbay to check her out for possible injuries. Borden leads Juhani back into the side compartment in the Main Hold. Bastila offers Mission some water and Zaalbar comes lumbering along to see what all the racket is about then takes Mission in his big furry arms. She cries a little onto his fur, but he is okay with it so Bastia leaves the two in the medbay.
"The destruction of Taris, you and the Jedi were behind it, if you had not been there!"
"There was no way around it, the Sith ambushed the Spire, we were stranded by ejecting in the pods to the surface, they were already on the planet before then according to the locals, but the occupation was stepped up by us being there…"
"Excuses… more lies!"
"Mission lost her entire family in the Beks back there!"
"I lost something there too!"
"What? I thought you came to the Enclave from Cathar, yet somehow now it makes sense given your ability to speak accented Basic…"
"My father was killed by a Twi'lek slaver named Xor, my mother struggled to support us, but she died from exhaustion and starvation, then I was enslaved… all seemed lost… Xor was bent on purchasing me from the slavers… to finish what began with my father…"
She exhales as the tears stream down her face. Borden takes her hands in his and she moves to continue her story. He looks her directly in the eyes and she swallows a rising choke in her throat. He whispers let it out, all of it.
"Unexpectedly like a miracle, a Jedi saved me, prevented Xor's scheme from being complete, that Jedi was Revan, he was a divine agent of mercy, of salvation, after he got me into the Enclave for my Force potential… he listed examples of prior Cathar Jedi… it convinced Masters Zhar, Vandar, and Dorak…"
"Vrook was always stodgy?"
"Indeed," chuckles Juhani.
The pair meditates for several hours before Juhani decides to apologize once her calmness reasserts itself. Mission gives a slight jab in the arm and Juhani hugs Mission who smiles slightly at this. The two resume sharing stories of their past over more Pazaak while Zaalbar keeps a close on them especially Juhani. The Wookiee is like an overprotective brother, but naturally so given they were covering each other's backs on Taris for several years.
Bastila watches the three go on with pazaak from a distance when Borden pops up with some food for their watch together. Carth and Canderous are still off sleeping or eating since their next shift does not start until early tomorrow morning. A weak smile is on her face as she starts to eat her evening meal. He smiles back at her and sips some of the Deralian Moonlight he was working on in the makeshift kitchen setup in the Cargo Hold. She asks if she can try this new concoction of his.
"You made this?" she chuckles at him.
"Passes the time when I am not busy with the crew…" he replies to her.
"It certainly beats anything you might drink in a Cantina…" laughs Bastia.
"You betcha, quite a situation we had with Juhani…" remarks Borden.
"You did well just the same, I was worried, but you came through…"
"Here I was thinking you might be talking the other way…"
"You got her to see another way at the Grove, she depends on your friendship as any of the others have gradually come to hang on… you are the heart of this thing…"
"Thanks Bastila, I trust things are going better with Helena…"
"Mother is on her way to Talravin then Coruscant…"
"I think your father would be happy to know this…"
"I am sure he would agree with you…"
The hours tick by slowly yet eventually Carth comes along and makes his usual my turn joke at Borden. Borden nudges Bastila so she is up and moving before Canderous 'gets the drop on' her. She tiptoes off to the port dormitory after seeing Mission and Juhani asleep at converted holo-table. Zaalbar emits a series of low gargles in his sleep as he snoozes near Mission.
Four Years Earlier…
Another vision from the past, a darkened forest, trees that form a green thickness so dense nobody could ever known the platform could be hidden yet it made sense to Revan for concealing the device. The Builders' secrets were quickly becoming his, and their following had grown between the former Republic forces merging with the growing number of former Jedi that fought in the Mandalorian Wars. The platform activates, a distortion of an alien hologram appears, and once discerning their language communicates to them in Basic.
"Neural pattern function matches answers to program's inquiries…"
The Present
The Ebon Hawk touches down on the Landing Pad inside the Czerka outpost setup here around forty years ago. Mission opts to go with Zaalbar and Borden who are going to visit the nearest Wookiee village to inquire about the Star Map. The Czerka personnel clear them for landing and visitation permits as well as payments to cover the duration of their visit here. Carth and Canderous stay behind to watch the ship while Bastila and Juhani hang back from Borden's group going to Rwookrrorro, Zaalbar's village from before leaving this world.
"What is it Big Z?" asks Mission
"Going home…" replies Borden
"What? Is that true Zaalbar?"
"It is true, he was intending to tell you before we got here, but he felt it better to let you sleep after your rough up with Juhani…"
"It is okay Zaalbar, whatever happens we are with you all the way…"
Zaalbar picks her up and she climbs on his back as they walk through the Great Walkway. The Czerka patrol that shot down some younger Wookiees nearly sets off Zaalbar, but Borden persuades the Wookiee against unleashing his frustrations on the Czerka security mercs. They continue towards the village where a Village watcher orders his comrades to take Zaalbar into custody as an enemy of village and the tribes of Kashyyyk. Mission protests, but Zaalbar goes peaceably thinking it is his fault that things have gone from bad to worse in his absence.
Zaalbar's brother, Chuundar became village chieftain not long after Zaalbar's exile. Their father is conspicuously absent, and Chuundar is set on dealing with his brother in the old traditions of the tribes. Borden persuades him to think Borden will aid him in dealing with a Madclaw in the Shadowlands in exchange for Zaalbar's release. Mission signals Zaalbar to lean down, and she whispers 'we will get you out of this' except in a language only she and Big Z understood, a language Borden taught them during those weeks on Dantooine.
Chuundar agrees to the deal, but he will be holding Mission as well as two prisoners is now the price for the death of a Madclaw. Borden considers the quicker, darker alternative, but then notices Mission's head shake against whatever she suspects he might be thinking now. He nods and exits to see Bastila and Juhani further up the pathway to the village.
"It seems we have more than one challenge waiting for us down below…"
"Where are Mission and Zaalbar?"
"Zaalbar's brother and chieftain, Chuundar, is holding them captive until I return with proof that a certain Madclaw is dead, only then we free them though I have my doubts, but for the moment I am sticking to the plan unless I find another way…"
The Jedi trio heads off to meet with Chuundar's 'man' that will ferry them down to the Shadowlands. The descent will take several hours as the wroshyr trees are among the tallest trees in the known Galaxy. Juhani stares out into them with amazement feeling an immediate contrast to Tatooine yet something familiar as it calls out in a different way then the villages high above. Borden clasps his right hand on her left shoulder noticing her attention's fixation on the trees.
"Wild, untamed, stirs the blood, feels so alive," remarks Juhani.
"The energy here is encompassing like the Force or the air," replies Borden.
"I have felt something as well," continues Bastila.
"Package has passed processor, en route to the depths…"
"Confirmation of message, continue track…"
A wiry dark skinned male emerges from his hut built into the side of a hill underneath one of the area's largest wroshyr trees notes the basket's descent. Multiple riders, force sensitives, and one of Chuundar's lackeys. The Czerka presence down here was bad enough at disrupting already 'tainted' ecosystem, but the possibility of Force users alters the 'game' in the old man's mind. He keeps an eye on them once they leave the Wookie controller behind.
The Jedi trio witnesses the older man fighting off katarns before heading off in the other direction. Borden jogs off after the old guy as Bastila and Juhani pace to keep up with Borden. The three of them reach the old guy's place after dodging and fending off more katarns. He is cooking, stirring, and stewing a meal over a camp fire. Borden sits down next to him.
"I take it that your force sensitives, and from the looks of it Jedi unless the Sith have gone so far as to fake the look of Jedi to get to places like this…"
"We are Jedi, the Council sent us on a mission to find the Star Forge, and one of the Star Maps necessary to triangulate its galactic coordinates is down here in the Shadowlands."
"Quite a story you have got there… how to know for sure, nobody comes down here unless they are after something and usually working for either Chuundar or Czerka…"
"Chuundar sent us, he wants somebody called Madclaw dead… only then did he offer, not promise to release our friends…"
"Madclaw, he cannot be serious, his own father, and no father's name is not Madclaw, its Freyyr…"
"We came to Kashyyyk with Freyyr's other son Zaalbar, who is one of the prisoners up there with his friend Mission…"
"I see well in that case, my name is Jolee Bindo, the oldest Jedi 'Padawan' no longer in the Order…"
"Jolee Bindo?" answers Bastila in astonishment
"They call you a Lost Jedi, well some do," continues Juhani.
"It figures, after my history with them since the days with Exar Kun and the Qel-Droma brothers…" remarks Jolee.
"I take it you need a favor from us if we are going to get help from you travelling down here?"
"Somebody is getting better at perception training or I am getting too old for this…"
The Czerka security teams are fleeing at the sight of a Tarantatek, and after Jolee joins up with the Jedi trio heading for the energy barrier separating the Shadowlands into this upper half and the adjoining lower half. The four cross over and once on the other side the field is active again. Another Wookiee can be seen fighting armored Mandalorians in the clearing ahead. They charge over yet Juhani's compulsion drives her to leap then cut down the one behind the Wookiee's attacker whereas Jolee pushes the third one into the tree before sticking it to him.
"This is Grrrwahrr, one of Freyyr's loyalists, I told him why you are down here, and that you are a friend of mine, he thanks you for the help, asks that it would help if you would rid the area of the remaining Mandalorians for the sports killing…"
"I will do what I can, for the good of the tribe, for the good of others, to honor the life debt entrusted upon me by Zaalbar…"
"He thanks you for your dedication, and now we must proceed to appear unarmed to draw them out of their stealth state…"
After two rounds of appearing helpless, Borden recovers a stealth nullifier or swoop bike signal jammer. He inserts and nods to the others to be ready as the final group emerges on the attack at them. Their leader shouts something as Jolee and Juhani go in for the kill. Borden activates his lightsaber halfway through the hunter leader's repose.
"You Jedi have caused enough interference for my people, especially here where we hunt often… especially that old one with you now!"
"They are trying to anger you…"
"I am aware…"
"There is peace, calmness when you are certain of yourself within the Force…"
"I am not playing your game nor will you harass the Wookiees in the Shadowlands anymore…"
Borden quickly jabs the Mandalorian hunter leader through the chest. He flops over and Juhani slides off his helmet. It is a token request of Grrrwahrr that they bring the leader's helmet back to him. The group returns to the Wookiee and hands him the requested item. He thanks with the hopes that his murdered comrades will know peace and their bereaved loved ones know that their deaths were atoned for by the justice of their killers. He directs them to where they might find Freyyr.
"He's gone feral, been living in isolation down here for too long…"
"We must get him to understand why we are here…"
Borden speaks directly to Freyyr about Zaalbar, which shakes him out of his feral rage for the moment. The former chieftain eases up when learning of Zaalbar's life debt to Borden, how he follows and protects the crew like they were his own family, and then the aged Freyyr slumps down on a nearby rock trying to wipe the tears from his eyes. It is clear that Freyyr knows he made the wrong decision in casting out Zaalbar at the word of the treacherous Chuundar.
"He will join us in the battle against Chuundar, but first we must retrieve Bacca, a ceremonial blade, that ordains the leadership of the village and of the tribe…"
The group makes their way towards the ritual grove to summon the apparition, the beast of the shadows, also known as the tarentatek. The markers for the ritual are the corpses of viper kinraths. After the markers are set the creature emerges and so they begin the battle against. Jolee and Bastila concentrate their energy on stunning the creature while Borden and Juhani attack it until the beast collapses then dies on the spot. Borden retrieves Bacca and returns it to Freyyr who makes a bow nod.
"We must return to the surface as soon as possible…" says Jolee.
"What about the Star Map…" remarks Bastila.
"You have the recorder Juhani?" asks Borden
"Yes I have it…" replies Juhani.
"Hand it to Jolee, I want you to stay with Freyyr on his journey back to the village…"
"My mission is to you, to the task of the Council…"
"It is, but right now Freyyr, and more so Zaalbar and Mission need our help…"
"I understand, but I do not speak his language…"
"I will go instead," offers Jolee.
"No I am going, even if I do not understand the language, I will follow orders…"
Freyyr kneels with his back to Juhani and she grabs on his back then he begins the climb up, which will take twice as long as the basket though less likely to be seen, at least that is the hope. Borden, Bastila, and Jolee head off in the general direction of the Star Map platform. A 'tainted' aura vibrates off an enormous shriveled stump further inside the lower part of the Shadowlands.
"I sense a disturbance in the Force," whispers Jolee with a slight humor.
"Here I was thinking old Jedi were grumpy and serious…" laughs Borden.
"If you ever make it to a Councilor seat, you would be lucky if you ever laugh again, but that's why I never got along with the vaunted authority of the Order…"
"It is probably part of why they call you a Gray Jedi... why you left the Order…"
"I did not leave the Order, it left me, but that's a story for another time…"
The platform reacts to their presence naturally and a presumably Builder hologram appears first. This is contrary to the prior two platforms, which put up the Star Map no questions asked period. The hologram begins speaking in Basic. What it has to say turns a somewhat surprised on Jolee's face though Bastila effectively conceals a worry that it might out mistake Borden for someone or something else.
"Attempting neural pattern recognition…"
"What in the Force does that mean?"
"Neural pattern approximation found, protocol inquiry to realign existing files with current scans… inquiry startup now…"
"The thing wants specific answers so be careful…"
Several questions later, it finally reaches a rather bleak inquiry about cracking enemy communication encryptions. The question involves a scenario where a friendly city is under siege, likely to fall in five days while the enemy's position will be at its weakest in ten days. The alternatives for the city are reinforce it thus alerting the enemy to the decryption of their codes or do nothing until it is time to assault the weakened enemy position.
"The city is left alone, they attack, and then my forces assault the enemy when the time is right…"
"Correct… final question do you allow the enemy to commit an all-out attack on their own or go after them before the attack occurs?"
"Again allow the attack, to rally the numbers to your side using the devastation as motive for and cause to retaliate against said enemy…"
"Correct, inquiry program, answers match neural patterns on file, activating Star Map…"
Borden records the Star Map's data while Bastila and Jolee look at each other knowing that the former holds a secret about Borden while the latter suspects Borden is someone else entirely or at least was someone else. The trio heads back for the basket only to find Chuundar's lackey and his friends there waiting for them. Each clutches their lightsaber after the lead lackey exposes knowing they aided Freyyr, not killed as 'promised', but one could hardly expect Borden to side with a traitor to his people.
Borden studies the basket's control while Jolee examines another Wookiee corpse and recognizes the kind of weapon that could have killed, a kind used almost entirely by Wookiees. He bags the evidence for later knowing that this too will have repercussions for the village's tribe should they succeed in defeating Chuundar. The trio boards the basket and Borden initiates the sequence to bring the basket back to the upper levels of the wroshyr trees, which should place them not far from the village.
"I sense them coming up from the Shadowlands," says Juhani.
Freyyr nods and leads her with his handful of loyalists into another entry point to Rwookrrorro. She follows after touching base with Carth over the comlink. He responds by asking if she needs additional help, but she messages back saying keep the ship ready because this might go the other way or not depending on how things pan out. He acknowledges and shuts off the comlink then bangs his hand on the ceiling bulkhead before heading to the medbay to treat his hand. His face is nearly no longer showing the punch mark from the hit Canderous gave him back in Anchorhead.
***
Three dark hooded figures await the Jedi trio's return in the basket, but it arrives at the top empty. One goes into the basket and towards one of the sides and another follows to the other side. The third shouts to tell them to get away from the edge, but it is too late. Borden swings over from underneath kicking the one nearest to him square in the chest. Bastila snips the one closest to her whereas Jolee force pushes the third into the bark wall directly beyond the basket before jabbing the unconscious assassin. The other one is taken out and the third is left alive for a brief interrogation.
"I am betting Malak sent you after us here after someone alerted him to us going in search of something he did not want found right?"
"Why ask me if you already know, and he is terribly vexed that you eluded capture or death this far…"
"I guess he will be staying vexed for awhile longer then."
Borden sticks the last assassin and then they are met by one of Freyyr's loyalists left behind to take them to village. The three Jedi hurry after the Wookiee as the showdown between a father and his sons is about to begin a second time. Flashes filter into Borden's mind on the way to the village. Lines like the ones he heard from the old woman on two different occasions so far.
"Interaction, confrontation, decision are strengths, not weaknesses…"
Borden arrives to find Chuundar with his lackeys and Czerka security mercs in the village as well. Jolee hands over a slaver contract he found in the Shadowlands confirming the self-installed Chuundar as a traitor to his village and to his people. The decision approaches quickly, faster than heartbeats. Freyyr takes the hilt that was once part of Bacca's blade and Grrrwahrr reconnects the two halves before handing it back to Freyyr.
"Zaalbar it is time to decide, the future of the village is in your hands," says Borden.
"You know what do Big Z," chirps Mission.
Zaalbar steps back towards his father and raises a vibroblade thus begin the duel for the fate of Rwookrrorro. The Czerka security mercs are done from direct shots from Freyyr loyalists carrying bowcasters. The flow of battle favors those who dare to challenge Chuundar's treachery and support Zaalbar's newfound defiance of his misleading brother. These closed quarters clashes become steadily more personal, which makes Borden wonder…
Will ever get this personal for me because Malak is almost like a stranger to me despite having seen holos of him as well as the vision of him back on Dantooine?
A/N 1: Wrap up Tatooine then the trip to Kashyyyk and the troubles waiting for them there. I never exactly settled on how to convey Borden's polyglot skills in terms of language except to have non-Basic dialog appear in italics usually.
A/N 2: I did it for the Wookiees as Jolee would say when trying to give them a big portion of this segment. Anyway enter the Wookiees and Jolee Bindo!
A/N 3: Usually Kashyyyk's star map tended to be my third stop though occasionally it was my fourth or my second. I mean I know the order isn't exactly a big deal, but I usually stuck to the pattern of in terms of planets.
A/N 4: Unexplained italicized flashbacks belong to a certain character that doesn't appear in this game, but it is someone that more than a few characters know including Borden even though he doesn't technically remember this individual. What can I say in terms of visual dynamics I enjoyed this version of Kashyyyk the most at the time likewise Manaan has a beautiful vista or two as well.