Author's Note: Thank you to everyone who has reviewed/favourited/followed this story. I hope you continue to enjoy it.

Matt Rogan: Thank you for the review. Yes, she sure has. Question is, can she get out of it?


The journey to the Evocii village didn't take long thanks to Jay's knowledge of the area although they still had to be careful to avoid the numerous pools of foul toxic sludge that filled the swamp.

They travelled in a decrepit, broken down speeder that she could hardly believe was still operational. Jay had proudly explained how he had fixed it up when Nem'ro had thrown it out and so had been allowed to keep it.

"Here we are, Baratatta Village" Jay said as he brought the speeder to a halt.

Kory looked around in dismay. The village was little more than crude shelters, all of them heavily worn and weathered with numerous holes that had been crudely patched up. Many of them were smaller than a single apartment on Dromund Kaas.

No people should have to live like this she thought. Especially while Nem'ro wallows in decadence.

An adult male Evocii came over. "Jay, what have you done!" he exclaimed. "You've brought an outsider to our village!"

"It's okay" Jay replied as he hopped out of the speeder. "She's a Jedi. She saved me from Nem'ro's goons."

"I mean no harm" she said. "I'm a friend of Uatu and Dr. Hale. I was told they came to Jiguuna to see Huttsbane."

His suspicious look became a smile. "Any friend of Uatu's is a friend of ours. One moment."

He turned to Jay. "Did you manage to get the medicine?"

"I sure did" he replied as he proudly held up a bottle of colourless liquid.

"Get it to the healers. I will show our new friend to Huttsbane."

He led her through the village until they came to a barracks. To her it looked identical to the others.

"Wait here" he said as he entered. A few moments later a voice called, "come in."

Kory entered to find two Evocii. The first was taller than most, wearing lightly armoured black trousers, a red tunic and a silvery headband. Around his neck was a green scarf with metal discs woven into it. He wore a patch over his right eye and an electro-blade was strapped to his back.

The second was an older male. He wore brown trousers and a brown waistcoat over his orange tunic. On his chest was an ornately designed plate of wood and metal. Despite his small frame he carried an air of calm serenity that reminded her very much of a Jedi Master. He dismissed her guide who quietly left.

"Greetings" he said. "I am Juxx, Spirit-Leader of this village and this is our most valiant warrior, Huttsbane."

"I am honoured to meet you" she replied with a bow. "My name is Kory."

"The honour is mine" Juxx replied as he shook her hand. "I have long wanted to meet a Jedi."

Huttsbane snorted. "The Jedi claim to stand for peace and justice, yet where were they when the Hutts stole our land and enslaved us?"

"That's enough Huttsbane" said Juxx in a calm but firm tone. "You know there was nothing the Jedi could do given the circumstances."

He nodded grimly.

"I apologise for Huttsbane's lack of manners. Some time ago Nem'ro sent a bounty hunter to kill him. Fortunately the hunter had a sense of honour and I was able to convince them to spare him. Since then he has had to act from the shadows. He sometimes grows impatient with that."

"That is true" he admitted gruffly. "I apologise Jedi. If you've come to help Uatu and Dr. Hale then you are an ally."

"Do you know where they are?" she asked.

He frowned. "I'd better start at the beginning."

He explained how for the last few months he had been spearheading a movement on Hutta to overthrow their oppressors and reclaim their world. Uatu had been covertly assisting by smuggling weapons and equipment to the rebels and helping them organise themselves.

"They never told me about any of this" she said.

"They must not have wanted you to be torn between loyalties" replied Juxx.

"What happened to them?" Kory asked, dreading the answer.

"About a month ago they went into Jiguuna and were picked up Nem'ro's thugs. They were taken to his palace and haven't been since. We don't even know if they're still alive" Huttsbane replied.

She closed her eyes and performed a calming exercise to quell the anxious thoughts roiling in her mind. As she did so a thought came to her.

"What about Dr. Hale? Why was he here?"

Juxx sighed. "Several of our children are very ill. Dr. Hale came with him to treat them."

"Children?" Kory asked in dismay. "Wait, that's who Jay stole medicine for isn't it?"

"Precisely."

"Do you have any idea what's causing their illness?"

"What else? The Hutts" Huttsbane said biterly. "Nem'ro's factories churn out toxic waste that his thugs dump near our village. Recently he's increased production and that means more pollution than ever. We've developed a resistance but the children are most susceptible."

"Take me to them. I might be able to help."


Huttsbane and Juxx showed her to a building that served as the village's hospital. Although larger than most buildings in the village it was smaller than most of the buildings in Jiguuna.

Inside was a horrifying scene. Over a dozen Evocii children were lying on pallets arranged in rows. All of them were pale with overly bright eyes and swollen neck glands. A few were also coughing or groaning in pain. Their parents and siblings were clustered around them to offer comfort while healers administered aid.

This is horrible she thought, heart aching as she looked around the hall. I have to help them.

A healer hurried over. "Spirit-Leader, we have administered the antitoxin to as many as we could but there wasn't enough."

Jay walked up to, a dejected look on his face. "I'm sorry. I tried to get more but…"

"Don't apologise Jay, you did well to get as much as you did" said Juxx.

"Thank you Spirit-Leader" said Jay. He turned to Kory, his eyes filling with hope. "Hey, you're a Jedi, can you…?"

"I can Jay" she said, giving him a reassuring smile.

One of the healers directed her to a child there hadn't been enough medicine for, a little girl whose parents looked at her imploringly as their child writhed in pain.

"I'll do everything I can for her" she said gently as she knelt next to the child.

Kory placed her palms on the little girl's chest and closed her eyes in concentration. The Force was ever-present, even on this sick, poisoned world, and she let it flow through her and into the child in a stream of healing energy that she directed to cleanse the tiny body of the toxins that had contaminated her.

After a moment she opened her eyes. The little girl now lay still, a peaceful look on her face as she slept soundly.

The girl's mother wept as she hugged Kory. "Thank you so much" she managed to say through her tears.

"I'm glad to help" she replied.


Fortunately only a handful of children needed healing. Between her efforts and the medicine Jay had acquired it was not long before all of the children were sleeping peacefully.

"On behalf of the village I thank you" said Juxx as they left the hospital.

"Indeed" Huttsbane agreed. "Now, if we're to save Uatu and Dr. Hale we'll need to…"

He stopped as he noticed that she seemed distracted. Her head was tilted to one side as if she was listening for something no one else could hear.


Lord Zabo's face twisted with contempt as he examined the village and its residents. What filthy creatures he thought. The Hutts should finish the job and simply wipe them all out.

He had been given the area where the Jedi had been seen. Once there he had used the scanners built into his speeder to trail her and the boy by following their vehicle's repulsor signature, allowing him to stay far enough back to remain undetected. He'd had some trouble navigating the sludge pools but he had made it.

As if a mere swamp could thwart a Lord of the Sith he thought disdainfully.

Leaving his speeder he had entered the village on foot. Avoiding detection was easy, he simply drew on the dark side of the Force to conceal his presence from the simple minds of the creatures around him.

Ahead of him were two Evocii that stood out slightly from the rest. One of them radiated fierce determination and controlled anger. Even without the weapon strapped to his back it was clear he was a warrior.

The second was older but carried an air of calm authority. He had to be the village's Spirit-Leader.

With a grin of anticipation he closed upon his quarry. He would slay both of them and the Jedi as well.