Danika
I had just settled down in a chair when Juhani entered. She sat facing me, hesitant. "The Jedi that saved me on Taris... It was you, though you always went hooded so none of us saw your face. I heard you called by name back then, heard much later that you were leading the army to defeat the Mandalorians." She gave me a small smile. "It was your hand upon my head, that sent me to the Jedi."
"Yes." I said softly. "Not that I remember it."
"I knew in my heart that there was something wrong when I heard that you had become the Dark Lord. The woman that saved me could never have done that. Never fallen so far."
"I don't know, Juhani." I whispered. "The memories I do have of that time are fragmentary. I know however what caused my fall. I wanted to make sure the Republic would never be attacked again. I sought a weapon so powerful that every enemy would think twice, even if we never used it. I needed the help of the Sith to gain it, so I took them into my service. But..." I sighed, resting my face in my hands. "I didn't understand what would happen at all. The Star Forge is so imbued with the dark side that no one could ever use it for good. The dark side built it, and those that used it became tainted as I did. There is an old saying 'the road to the hells is paved with good intentions'. My intent was good, and see what I have wrought."
"But even now you give me hope!" I looked at her askance but she was serious. "To have fallen so far, yet dragged yourself from the pit. It makes my fall look so foolish in comparison. Your strength of will outshines everything else. I do not think I will fall to the dark side again. I have your example to follow and that is a tough challenge for a Cathar woman."
"But my fall shows that overconfidence is just as dangerous."
"That is true. I suppose no one would know better than you. But I will never forget what you did for me even if you don't remember it."
"Taris."
"Yes."
"Tell me of Taris, Juhani. I need to know that I did something right. That is if it isn't too painful." I begged gently.
She sat across from me. "I am sorry for lashing out at you before. You were right, there was nothing you could have done to change what happened.
"My family were refugees as I told you before. There was fighting in the Rim areas before the Republic fought the Mandalorians. Canderous spoke of what they did to try to incite a reaction from the Republic."
"Your home world is there."
"Yes. Cathar is there. We were a proud warrior race. That appealed to the Mandalorian sense of honor. Defeating us would make their valor stronger. They sought to test themselves against people they believed were like them. But the first attempts ended in failure.
"One of the fallen ones as Canderous would have called them led the next attack. He sent in a lone ship disguised as a merchant vessel. When it was in orbit, they destroyed our long-range communications array, and jammed our local communications. As it did, a fleet poured out of hyperspace. They blasted our cities from orbit as we slept.
"We tried to fight back, but the Mandalorians of that fleet refused to face us as others had. They bombed us from orbit, shattering any defenses, killing even those that tried to run. We staved them off for a time, but the end was obvious."
"Didn't the Republic help?" I asked, shocked.
"Oh, you don't remember. Cathar was not a member of the Republic. This is almost 15 years ago that I speak of. When I was but a child of perhaps three. We had fought alongside the Republic and Mandalorians when they fought Exar Kun. We knew that if these Mandalorians knew so little of honor, we were doomed. The government put as many people aboard our ships as they could, and protected them with the lives of our fleet until they were safely away. That was the last my parents saw of our home. Most of those that they protected did not survive.
"We traveled, looking for a new world to call home, but those on the ship lost hope, and scattered to the winds. My parents arrived on Taris too poor to continue their flight. I don't know if it was the lack of money, or merely the lack of will, but they would go no farther. But Taris was a horrible place, dominated by humans intolerant of other species. It made a hard life unbearably harder."
"What happened to your parents?"
"My father lost his will to live. He turned to stimulants, and began frequenting the Cantinas. He would fight in the dueling ring for money, and every time he won, he felt again that warrior heritage that was his. But the stims took their toll. He became foolish. He began to take them before he fought, even though it would make him vulnerable. But stims will give you the feeling of being strong, brave, invincible, of belonging again.
"What I had heard was that a mercenary that had fought for the Mandalorians goaded him into a fight, impugning the honor of our entire race. But when my father challenged him, the mercenary shot him from behind rather than face him." She looked at me, crying.
"My mother tried to support me. But she was only one non-human woman in a crowd of those that hated us. She started to waste away. At the time, I thought she was just sick, but I know now that she had been feeding me enough so that I would grow strong, and shorting her own food in the process. But even that would not have been enough for long.
"She began doing small jobs for the Exchange. You know what kind of people they are. They enjoyed paying her a pittance, and knowing that if she was caught, she would end up in the Undercity instead of them. When money grew short, she had to borrow from them." I nodded. The idea that anyone could be used so made me glad Davik was dead.
"Then one day she collapsed in the Cantina she worked in. She was too weak to even feed herself. That is when I found that she had starved herself to feed me. We had no money then for medicines, or doctors. She just... died one day. I did not even have enough to bury her. Her body was thrown into the trash.
"A man came from the Exchange. Her loans had come due, and they wanted their money. I had none, and the man left after some vague threats. But then..." Her claws raked the air. "Then a group of them ambushed me, captured me. Told me that since I could not pay one way I would pay another. They would sell me.
"I cannot do justice to the horror of their slave pits. Treated like cattle, fed slops and bathed using a hose. There were twenty of us in a room so small that you could not risk laying down during the day for fear of being trampled. I was young, small, and terrified. Other slaves would try to steal my food so they could live unless I fought them.
"But before a ship could take us to market, the Jedi came. I do not know how they discovered our existence, but a team of Jedi knights raided the building where we were kept. The leader of the Exchange on Taris at that time was arrested and sent off to the spice mines of Kessel. We were freed, and returned to the city. It was like a fantasy story when the hero comes over the horizon. I was left with the dream..."
"To become a Jedi."
"Yes. When you saved me, you touched the head of that little girl. 'So strong with the Force, little one'. you said. 'If we weren't going to yet another confrontation, I would take you with me now!'." She looked at Sasha in the corner. "I see myself in Sasha, and wish you had taken me then. Better to have died living the dream than live on Taris until my escape.
"The administrators you had appointed got me off the planet. Once I reached Dantooine, I came to the Academy. You had told them I would come, and they took me in. Now I stand before you."
Sasha moved over to me, then reached out, running her hand over the Cathar's furred hands. "You belong here now." Sasha said. "My Cat sister."
Juhani cuffed her lightly. "Yes. Did you speak with her about her mess?"
"What mess?" I asked.
"Remember all of the bodies and damage in the hanger bay of Leviathan?" She asked. She pointed to Sasha. "All done by her with a lightsaber and Ebon Hawk's intruder systems. "
"Sasha!"
"They hurt you." Sasha touched her chest. "I felt it here. No one hurts my Amma Mata."
"What did you do?"
"Used the light beam weapon to kill one. Tore up wires. Then used the information box to set the guns. No one comes aboard until I say yes."
"She did more damage than all of us put together." Juhani said.
I turned Sasha around. "Young lady, we need to talk."
Jolee
We came in under the Ebon Hawk transponder. Clearance was smooth, and the ship landed at landing bay 7. Dreshdae was a small town, barely 2000 people. Korriban was an inhospitable planet, with nothing to redeem it except for the archeological wealth of the ruins of the past Sith settlements. Juhani and I decided to accompany Danika until she was able to get into the Academy. No one else was really safe if she suddenly succumbed to the Dark Side.
A Twi-lek was waiting as we came down the ramp, and he walked over, bowing. "I have news for the Dark Lord of the Sith."
Danika stopped, looking at him coldly. "Who are you?"
"Please, no threats. Listen to me and all will be made clear. My name is Ziagrom. I am a purveyor of specialty items. Those items are rare and have extraordinary power or value."
"You are a smuggler. Working with the Exchange." Danika replied.
"Please." He waved a hand languidly. "We have worked with that now defunct organization-"
"Defunct?"
He laughed. "You have been too busy I see, to keep track of the news. When Davik Kang disappeared, a lot of money went with him. Some was owed to others and they naturally wanted it back. Unfortunately, There were scores of planets to search, and some of those wanting the money had enemies on them so they didn't come alone. Words, blaster bolts, and a few bombs have been 'exchanged'. In the last four weeks, the Exchange has collapsed into warring factions. I doubt they will recover any time soon.
"Traditionally we have worked with the owner of the Ebon Hawk, the organization she reported to notwithstanding. Most recently of course that was Davik Kang, though we worked with Ahita Othar before him and Forii Haxa before her. However, we were reluctant to approach you. You have no connection with any syndicate we can verify, and you are a Jedi to boot! Not the sort of person we would normally associate with."
"No doubt."
"Since the reports that Taris had been destroyed, and Davik Kang disappearing, my associates noticed that the Ebon Hawk has traveled to a number of planets. Some, such as Manaan and Kashyyyk, have prices on Davik's head, so we knew you had no connection with him. It is rumored that maybe you killed him?" He looked at us for a moment as if expecting us to 'fess up'. "No matter. When your ship was on Manaan, one of our operatives placed a tracking device on her. It tracked you as far as Ebon Hawk being captured by Leviathan. Seems someone activated your intruder system aboard her, and our sensor was destroyed.
"But we knew the Sith were interested in you long before that, so we delved into our contacts within the Sith themselves."
"Contacts?" Danika asked.
"Yes. The Sith appear to be a monolithic organization, but every organization is made up of people, isn't it? There are millions of soldiers in the Sith fleet. I don't think it would surprise you to discover a number of them accept our monetary assistance. Even high-ranking officers can fall to the lure of easy credits.
"Your brief sojourn aboard Leviathan created quite a stir in the Sith fleet. Of course Lord Malak tried to suppress your identity. There were several 'accidents' and a number of summary executions. But even destroying the security systems footage and executing every survivor that saw you did not shut down the information we were able to garner. We know who you are, Lord Revan, and that you will eliminate Malak at your first opportunity to regain your control of the Sith."
"You are wrong." Danika replied. "I have no interest in revenge, or in -regaining my position among the Sith."
"As you say." Ziagrom purred. "However, you will end up killing Malak eventually, and we wish to offer our services. We deal, as I said in a number of items. Weapons, armor, even that Jedi stuff we have retrieved from Yavin. All for your use."
"And you will give this to me out of altruism?"
"Of course not!" He looked offended. "We are merchants, after all. However we will gladly sell them at a reduced rate. This will, we hope, convince you of our sincerity. If you stop by the Cantina and ask for Mika Dorin, and give my name as reference, he will gladly let you have a look at the premium merchandise we have for sale."
"I will consider it."
"Then my work here is done. Good luck Revan, and remember those that helped you in your time of need. Ah, before I go, there is one piece of information I give as proof of my interest in your venture. Czerka has already notified their local agent that operations of Manaan and Kashyyyk were badly disrupted by you. I would avoid letting any of them behind your back. Good day."
"What do we do about Czerka?" I asked.
"Unless we declare war on the Corporation, nothing, Jolee." Danika replied. "We do not have time for diversions. After all, as much damage as we have done to the corporation, it is like a mosquito trying to drain a Bantha to death. Even the Republic can't really destroy a corporation. Only wound it. If they confront us, we will deal with it."
"That's my girl."
"I am not your girl, Jolee." She sighed.
We walked toward the customs agent. As we did, another Twi-lek entered. He bumped into Danika then He glared at Juhani, snarling. "What the hell is your kind doing here? Bad enough I have to put up with Sith and the other idiots, but they let a Cathar stink up the place?"
"I have as much right to be here as you, sir." Juhani growled back.
"Ignore him, Juhani."
"Better listen to your Jedi master, little cat. Your pathetic people and their entire planet were crushed by my kind, and I'll gladly kill another."
If she could have gone ashen, Juhani would have. "What do you know of my world?"
"I know enough about..." His head cocked. "You look familiar."
"How would you know-"
"Juhani, we don't have time for this-"
"Back off Jedi filth! This has nothing to do with you!" He looked at Juhani, trying to remember. "No, he's definitely dead, and she probably is too..."
"What are you talking about?"
"Still I think you would make an excellent addition to my menagerie. What's your asking price, Jedi?"
Danika's face was cold. "She is a free citizen."
"Ha! Everyone knows Cathar aren't really people. Oh they ape it pretty well, the males should be put down as soon as they're done breeding, but the females make excellent pets once they're broken in. I remember one Cathar I had to put down on Taris-"
Juhani stepped forward, her rage flaming. "What did you say?"
"You were on Taris-" Danika began.
"What did you do on Taris?" Juhani screamed.
"Put down one of your kind like the animal he was." The Twi-lek said smugly. "Going on about honor as if it meant anything. He turned his back on me, the fool. A few weeks later I saw his daughter on the Slavers circuit, little bitty thing-"
"It was you!" While her voice was calm, I could feel her rage like a layer of plasma beneath ice.
"Wait, that's where I remember you! You were that little Cathar cub I was going to buy! I even put in a bid for you and it had been accepted but those damn Jedi came and ruined everything."
"You tried to buy her?" Danika's fury was even better hidden than Juhani's.
"When I fought for the Mandalorians during the Exar Kun war, I developed a taste for her kind. They will do things a man can't believe once they're properly trained. You Jedi may be all prim and proper on the outside but you must feel the same way I do about the lesser species or you wouldn't have bought her. At least the Sith are honest about it."
Juhani's rage was growing again. "My father, my people..."
"Come on. Will you let your pet go? I'm sure we can come up with a reasonable price-"
"She is a free person, and is not for sale." Danika's words dropped like tombstones. "Now or ever."
"And I will see you dead for my father and my people!" Juhani screamed. Her saber lit, and she lunged at the man. Danika reached out, holding her back with a hand on her arm.
"Juhani. Don't fall to the dark side again." She whispered.
The Cathar stepped back, breathing hard, controlling her emotions. "I am a Jedi. I will not fall again for such as him." She replied.
I had been watching the Twi-lek. He slipped the palm pistol he had been reaching for into his hand, laughing. "Oh I'll have you yet, little cat." He laughed harshly, and went past us toward his own ship.
Danika
I watched the Twi-lek walk away, and damped down my own fury. That something like him would consider my friend a pet!
"Calm down, Danika." Jolee said.
I glared at him for a moment, then ducked my head in apology. "Sorry, Jolee. Slavery is one thing that has always bothered me."
"You can't stop it without making it painful." He said. "But if you stay off planets where it's illegal, you can get away with murder."
"I think that is part of what caused me to fall." I said. "The idea that slavery is legal here, but not there, even if illegal under the law. Just one more axe to grind with the Senate."
"It's the system we live with."
"I know." I led the way to the Customs officer. He was in a Sith uniform. Flanking the console was a Czerka employee who glared at us.
"Welcome to Dreshdae." The customs agent said. "Or should I say, welcome back? The Ebon Hawk has been here several times. Well met, Jedi."
"How did you know we were Jedi?"
"Only a Jedi or a pretentious fool carries a lightsaber. We have seen a lot of your kind in the last few years. Young hopefuls hoping to enter the Sith Academy. I understand that the Commandant of the Academy welcomes Jedi that come here. So much easier to train someone who already knows the Force."
"So I would imagine"
"Well enough of that. Since the ship is a regular to our colony, the docking fees are minimal-"
"If that's who I think it is, Czerka will have something to say about that." The Czerka man snarled. "Papers."
"You do not have authority, company man." The Customs agent snarled. "All administration of this facility including the cargo your ships deliver is by the Sith. Discuss it with them before you try to interfere." The Czerka man stormed away. "I would give you two warnings, Jedi. First, news of Manaan and Kashyyyk has reached here. The Czerkas are a little... upset about that. Second, students and prospective students of the Academy have free reign in the city. Unless you want pain, or don't mind killing, I would avoid them."
I nodded. Once we were in the hall leading to the colony itself, I stopped my compatriots. "Part of my memory is of my father. He was a prefect on Echana. You have seen the type, Jolee, have you not?"
"Yeah. Noses so high up in the air that you wonder why their necks don't break. Easy to irritate, hard to calm down."
"I think I must assume that character while in the city. It might make any dealings with Sith 'students' we have more peaceable."
"Okay by me."
"Juhani?"
"I am sorry, Danika." She whispered. "My blood boils at the thought of that creature still living. But I will not give into the dark side again. He will pay for his crimes in time, but I worry that he will follow us, follow me, until he can capture me. Perhaps if we find him again, we can end this now."
"We will deal with him before we leave the planet. I swear it." I answered.
At the foot of the hall, a young man in Sith Uniform was facing off against three young people. "That is the wrong answer again! You pathetic hopefuls can't believe that the Sith would ever accept you!"
"Please Master Shaardan! We'll do anything to get into the Academy!" Pleaded one young man.
Shaardan snorted. "I'm no master, though I like the sound of that. All right. One more question. But you lot are trying my patience. Say you are a Sith, and I am your commanding officer. I give you an order to spare the life of an enemy. What do you do?"
"We spare him!" The female, a Twi-lek replied. "You have ordered it and orders must be obeyed!"
"Yes!" Another prospective, a boy said. "We would never disobey an order!"
"Wrong!" Shaardan gloated. "Do you think the Sith would dream of adding such sniveling cowards to our ranks? Mercy is a weakness! If your leader is weak, he must be removed! It is your duty to be strong, and to eliminate the weak! That is why the Sith are strong."
"Yes!" The boy answered, terrified. "We understand now."
"No you don't understand. If you did, you would already be students! You have wasted too much of my time already! You all deserve punishment. Maybe I'll..." He tapped his lightsaber against his chin thoughtfully. Then he saw me.
"You! Jedi! You're here to get into the Academy, right? Of course you are. Let me pose a question to you. A lesson needs to be taught here, and I am at a loss to think of a suitable one."
"Well if you can't think of something cruel, you may not deserve the title of Sith if you ask me." Jolee said calmly.
"Was I talking to you, old man?" He snarled. He looked back at me. "I was just considering the options. Choking them with the Force or perhaps Force lightning..." At his words the prospective students wailed.
"Please, let us go! I beg you-"
Something inside me came out. I walked over to face Shaardan. "Let me put a question to you instead. A Jedi with more power in her little finger than you can imagine is standing here impatiently while a puling little piece of filth blocks her way." I reached out, and his lightsaber leaped into my hand. "Will she merely kill him? Or does she torment him as he does these children?" I lit the lightsaber. "Answer."
He swallowed convulsively. "She... She shows mercy-" He squeaked as I threw the lightsaber, and it struck the wall behind him, punching a neat hole.
"The same mercy you deny them?" I snarled. "Where are the strong without the weak to do the work that needs to be done? Will you grow your own food, weave your own clothes, build your own ships? That is what the weak do for the strong. It is the reason for their existence.
"My father used to say 'you can no more complain that a fool is a fool, than you can complain that the wind is just air'." I reached out, pulling the lightsaber back to me. "This time I think you have learned something. More than you might have taught them with your stupid questions." I flung the lightsaber at his feet. "Get out of my sight before I change my mind." He scrambled for the weapon, and ran. I looked at the students, now even more terrified because I had proven to be just as mad as their tormenter.
"You three. This is no place for you here if you care about anything beyond power like his ilk. Go home. If you still feel the need for the Force, go to the Jedi. You don't belong here." I walked past them. When they had gone I looked back at Jolee. He gave me a golf-clap in return.
Our troubles were only beginning. There was a trio of young Sith on the concourse. One of them, a young blonde woman saw us.
"Why look here! Fresh meat. Led by a Jedi of all things." She looked us over. "Haven't seen any of you here before."
"Can't stand those pathetic traitors." One of her compatriots growled. "We had to work to get into the Academy. They just sail on in as if it's their right!"
"As for being new, it probably explains why you haven't seen us." Jolee said.
"Smart mouthed ones too." She tapped the hilt of her lightsaber against her hand. "Well old man, the Sith do as we please. Quite literally whether you live of die depends on our whim. What do you think of that?"
"You can try to kill us." I replied coldly. "You will fail, but you can try."
"Brave words for a fool. Do you know how many Sith are on this planet?"
"Twelve, no wait, thirteen!' Jolee said.
"Let me kill that one, Lashowe!" One of the others shouted, facing off against Jolee. "Let me do it!"
"Now now, let's not be hasty. Death is so permanent, and I for one want some amusement." She looked at me. "What do you say, Jedi? Amuse us and we might let you live."
"I am not looking for trouble. But I am not here to amuse anyone. Get out of our way."
Lashowe's face purpled. "Why you-" Her tirade was broken when one of her companions chortled.
"Looks like this one isn't afraid of you Lashowe."
"Are you going to just stand there and let her insult us?" She screamed.
"Brave words from your kind." I snapped. "One last time. Get out of our way."
Lashowe looked at me with murder in her eyes. "Fine. I will deal with you later." She stormed off, followed by her friends.
I watched her storm away, and looked at Jolee. "Why does this not make me happy?" I asked him.
"Because you understand exactly how many problems this attitude would cause" Jolee replied.
"Yet I accepted it before." I replied leadenly.
"Because you didn't know any better." He snapped. "Did you think every dark side challenge of your life would be marked with warning signs?"
I sighed. "Why did you come along, Jolee?"
"Because you asked Juhani and I to-"
"No. Not why are you with us on Korriban. Why did you leave Kashyyyk with us?"
"When I saw your ship I just had to come along. I'd forgotten what ship's engines sound like. The only thing similar on Kashyyyk is when the Ullers are in mating season. But then you have to worry about getting stepped on-"
"So you left your home of almost twenty years just for a ride on my ship?"
"Maybe it was the Zabu meat. I've been eating my own cooking for so long, it was starting to taste good. Stewed Viper, Web-crawler bisque, katarn stew-"
"You have to bake katarn." I replied tartly.
"So you've been paying attention when I talk. Most women just pretend after an hour or so."
"Are you going to tell me or not?"
"At my age, the only fun you have with women is being enigmatic. So stop trying to spoil my fun. You know you remind me of someone I knew ages ago. Young brave, great destiny, but he had breath that would have stunned a Bantha-"
"You're avoiding the question."
"Of course I am. One of the perks of being my age. Try it when you get to be as old as I am. You have my permission. Anyway, where was I? Oh, yeah. Andor Vex. The Force swirled around him like a hurricane."
"Never heard of him."
"Wouldn't expect you had. His was a long time ago, and I was young."
"How young are we talking?"
"Well I had a full head of hair and Coruscant was a small town with a well."
"Ah, ancient history."
"Who you calling ancient? I'm well preserved! Now stop interrupting." He went on to spin an improbable story about Andor Vex dying when he had been thrown into an energy intake shaft aboard a ship, with Jolee the only survivor. It finally ended with, "Just remember, swirling Force may just be a bad case of gas."
"So what does this have to do with me?"
"Well sometimes people go down in a ball of fire, and I figured something like that is worth seeing twice."
"And I remind you of him?"
"At times. Other times you remind me of my wife."
"You were married?"
"Know any other way to get a wife?"
Jolee
Danika listened as I rambled on. I had learned the best way to judge what a person would do was by telling them stories. Are the stories I tell true? None of your business!
We reached the Cantina, and were going inside when a scruffy little Rodian stopped us. "Human, a moment of your time please. You are the one flying Ebon Hawk now?"
"Yes, I am. Who is asking?"
"A name is unimportant. You do not know me. I do not know you. Better in this business. What is important is that we have been waiting on a shipment to be carried by Ebon Hawk for a month now. We should probably be happy that the shipment made it off Taris, but still we are without. Please hand it over, and our business is done."
"What are you talking about?"
"You don't know? Didn't Davik tell you?"
"Davik is dead."
"Not from what I heard. The Exchange is killing itself trying to find him. Are you sure? How did you end up with the Ebon Hawk then?"
"He sold her to us."
"Ah, then fake his death. To be honest, the transfer of ownership is not important to us. We had contracted to have several kilos of spice delivered. Maybe it is aboard and you didn't know it?"
Danika looked at him. "Perhaps. But where-"
"Ebon Hawk has many small areas of concealment. His last message to us said it was aboard in the scan proof container we supplied."
"I can look for it."
"Please do. He leaned forward and whispered. "That is code to open the storage area. Davik gave us it."
Danika lifted her com, and spoke. Her com was set to hush mode, so no one nearby could hear what she said or heard. A moment later, she lowered her arm. "I have someone bringing it right now."
We stood there waiting. A few minutes later, Mission came down the ramp, carrying a small shipping container. She handed it to Danika. Danika gave it to the Rodian. The little guy took out a bankcard, handing it over. "You're payment for delivery. Tell me, Human, would you be interested in carrying something for us?"
"No more spice."
"Nothing of the sort. A rare antique box that must be delivered to Motta the Hutt. This spice came from him, and the box is his payment." He handed over a datapad, and Danika looked at it.
"Yes. I will accept the box." She handed the datapad to me. The box was a pintel 20 centimeters tall, and looked like the Star Map we had seen on Kashyyyk. I handed it to Juhani.
"Good. There is no danger involved as long as you don't open the box."
"Why?"
The Rodian looked around. "Bad stories about it. People who die, but don't die. Their minds gone, their bodies still alive, if you call that life."
"I'll take it."
"I will have it delivered aboard your ship. Motta lives in the town of Anchorhead on Tatooine. Our business is concluded then. Good day."
"Danika-" Juhani began.
"You saw the box. It is a builder artifact. I can't very well leave it in the hands of criminals."
"I agree. However what do you intend to do with it?"
"I haven't decided yet." Danika hissed. "Right now, I just want a drink."
Danika
The Cantina was quiet. We got our drinks, and sat down. The bartender watched us, and I remembered Ziagrom. I motioned, and he brought us a second round. "You are Mika Dorin aren't you?"
"Guilty." He said. "And you are the new owner of the Ebon Hawk."
"A man named Ziagrom suggested I talk with you."
"Yes. If you need special items. Traditionally the owner of the Ebon Hawk has been the contact for all of our transactions, but in the past the owners have always been affiliated with the Exchange. That is why Ziagrom waited until now to contact you. We had no idea who you were, or whether we could do business with you. However all doubts have been explained, Lord Revan."
"I am not Revan anymore."
"You are not? Then Ziagrom is wrong for once?"
"No. I was Revan. But not any more."
"Your disguise is not important. You have no intent to dispose of your wayward apprentice?"
"That I did not say. I will not be doing it for revenge, however."
"Your reasoning is not germane to our business transactions. We do believe in what you are capable of, and in our own small part, wish to help."
"What do you normally carry?"
"A weapon of all sizes from hand projectors to ship's cannon. However from what I have seen, the Ebon Hawk has been upgraded recently. The best I could give you for the ship would be missiles."
"How many and what type?"
"Seismic mines, concussion warheads, and ion blast torpedoes. The previous owners usually sold our merchandise but you I think will use it instead."
I called the ship, and told Canderous to come and discuss it with the man later. "Do you know a lot about the previous owners?"
"Nothing that you couldn't get out of the merchant registry. Most were affiliated with the Exchange as I have already said, and revealed only enough to establish their bona fides. But the ship itself is well known. She is said to be the best smuggler in ten sectors. Some say such renown explains the curse she is also supposed to bear."
"A curse?"
"Everyone agrees that the Ebon Hawk is the premier vessel when it comes to smuggling. However, her captains have not fared well. Take Davik Kang for instance. Can you say having your home planet blown apart beneath you was good luck? While the destruction of Taris might not have killed Davik, surely the fact that you are here and he is not suggests that you put something lethal in his path. Ahita Othar was hired to carry a poorly sealed vial of the Iridian plague virus for a military subsidiary of Czerka, and her entire crew died. Forii Haxa before her tried to cheat at Pazaak, and had his arms ripped off. Shall I go on?"
"That suggests that the captains have been foolish or worked in a dangerous field. Not that the ship is cursed."
"True. But I expect a Dark Lord of the Sith can cause more ill luck than good."
"What can you tell me about the Academy?"
"An odd question considering who you are. Very well, I will assume that you are pretending to not be Revan for a time. The Academy is beyond the flats outside. It can only be entered by students and teachers. All perspective candidates must receive a medallion, and show this upon entry."
"Where can I get one of these medallions?"
"Either from a teacher or from a student. I must admit though that it would be easier to simply kill a student and take it from his corpse. One of the teachers from there is Yuthura Ban. She frequents my establishment occasionally."
I slid a small stack of credits across. "For our drinks, and one other thing. Call me aboard my ship the next time this Yuthura Ban is here."
He scooped up the money, and walked away.
We started back toward the ship. Ahead of me I saw a group of men in Czerka uniforms, and among them-
"Down!" I dived for the deck, followed by Jolee. There was a burst of sound, and Juhani shuddered as a sonic rifle blast hit her.
"Stay where you are!" One of the men said. "Xor Vontori wishes the return of his escaped slave. If you interfere, we are authorized to use deadly force."
I leaped to my feet, and my lightsaber ripped across the intervening distance. The man with the sonic rifle had time for one scream as it sliced through his chest. Jolee reached out, and men tumbled like nine pins as I ran toward them.
The lightsaber flew back to my hand, and I blocked several blaster bolts, sending two men down from the ricochets. Behind me I could hear cursing, but I ignored it. There were four men and Xor remaining, and they screamed as I dropped among them. I cut left and right, then forward, three dead in as many seconds. The last Czerka man turned to run. I let him go as Xor came at me. He had the hideout pistol he had pulled before, and as it came up, I sliced into his arm, taking it off below the shoulder. His scream died in a gurgle as I rammed the blade through his chest.
I reached out, and plucked up the man that was running, flipping him through the air to slam into a wall. I caught him by the collar as he fell.
"How dare you interfere with my crew!" He gibbered in terror. I dropped him, the lightsaber dying. "Tell your company rep that if he interferes with me and mine again, I will probably get angry. If I do, Czerka will have to send replacements for everyone here. Now get out of my sight!"
As he scrabbled away, I turned. Jolee was kneeling beside Juhani. Juhani was still quivering from the sonic blast. I took out a med Pac, and injected her with a painkiller.
There was the sound of gentle clapping. A female Twi-lek in Sith uniform stood there near the door to the Cantina. "Well done, Jedi." She purred.
"Who are you?" I snapped.
"Temper temper, little Jedi. You aren't the first to come to Korriban to get away from that stultifying order and you won't be the last. I am Yuthura Ban, second only to Master Uthar of the Academy. I hear you have an interest in me?"
"Yes."
"I liked your demonstration of skill... Did you plan it? Or did the polite conversation just dry up?"
"Someone was trying to take one of my crew away as a slave." I touched Juhani's shoulder. She would be out of it for at least another hour. "No one touches my friends."
"Ah. That explains so much. There is something odd about you, something I cannot place in my mind. Obviously you are a Jedi. From what I have seen, a powerful one. Were you part of the order for long? Did they train you?"
"I have forgotten most of my training."
She cocked her head. "Strange. Your answer makes little sense, but I sense no duplicity in the remark. You have great power, and the Sith always welcome those with power. That power can be trained into an unbeatable force with my help. Does that interest you?"
"Yes it does."
"Ah, good. Just the answer I would have expected. I will take you to the Academy now if you wish."
"No." I motioned. "I must get my crewmember aboard the ship first."
"An hour then?"
"Yes."
"Good. I warn you however that my patience is not infinite. If you fail to show up on time, you will be left behind, and I will not make the offer again."
"I'll be there."
She nodded, and went into the Cantina. I lifted Juhani. Jolee stood, watching around us.
"We don't have a lot of time, Jolee. Come on."