Chapter 37: Returning A Stowaway

Calak sighed in contentment. It felt good to be off that hot and sandy planet. Tatooine had not been the most comfortable of planets. They'd have to go back there though, in a little while. But Calak hoped that at least one of the planets they would visit in their quest would be better. Their next destination after they returned to Dantooine briefly was Kashykk, the Wookie homeworld. That made it Zalbaar's homeworld since he was a Wookie.

Calak looked at the Wookie. "Zalbaar?"

"Arr?" Zalbaar looked at him in acknowledgement. "Yes?"

"We are going to Kashykk after we return to Dantooine." Calak told him.

Zalbaar's eyes widened.

"Well, you're going home buddy!" Mission said excitedly. "How long has it been? I'm sure your family will be pleased to see you."

Zalbaar looked down then spoke in his language of growls that Calak and some of the others understood. "I don't know about that. You see..."

He hesitated, as if unsure how to explain something. Finally, he did so.

"I didn't leave Kashykk voluntarily. I was exiled."

"What?" Mission exclaimed. "Exiled?"

Zalbaar nodded. "I was the son of our village's chieftain."

"Chieftain?" Mission said in the same surprised tone. "Wow that makes you like royalty!"

"I suppose so," Zalbaar admitted through his soft growls. "I lived happily with my family for a long time, until Czerka came. We left them to their business for a time, but they started taking members of our tribe to be sold as slave labor. My brother, Chuundar was working with them. He led slavers to our hunting parties and allowed them to be captured in exchange for wealth. I found out and attacked him... with my claws."

Zalbaar looked down at his claws which he extended for them to see before continuing. "That is considered a shameful act among my people. Our claws are seen as tools, not weapons."

Canderous scoffed. "They are too soft if they discard the lethality of those."

Zalbaar ignored him. "My brother and I were brought before our father. I told what happened but my father believed Chuundar, as the older son is supposed to have the more reliable voice. My father labeled me a mad-claw and exiled me from the world."

"Oh Zalbaar, that's terrible!" Mission said. "But surely your father would have found out by now?"

"I don't know," Zalbaar said. "And I don't have much hope. I've heard there are still slavers on Kashykk and there hasn't been any word of a rebellion happening."

"That is unfortunate," Bastila admitted. "But don't give up hope Zalbaar! Your father may have learned the truth and seen he was wrong about you. Just like I was wrong about my mother."

"And I was wrong about my brother... and Lena," Mission said. "Maybe he does still care for me that doesn't excuse his blaming and abandoning me."

Zalbaar said nothing but nodded.

Calak looked around at them. "Well, we have a long time before we get to Dantooine. Anyone have anything they'd like to talk about?"

"If you want, I can tell you about my exploits as a warrior," Canderous said.

"Ah tales of murdering Mandalorians, lovely," Carth said sarcastically.

Calak however shrugged. "Sure why not?"

"Well, I was one of the best youth commandos clan Ordo of my time. We were trained to fight as soon as we could walk," Canderous said. "When I was growing up, many of our advanced battle technologies we would in the Mandalorians Wars would be completed. I was one of the first to be given a prototype Basilisk War Droid after I proved myself at the age of thirteen in a rite of passage. I went into my first battle, diving headfirst into a planet's atmosphere as my droid detached from the ship transporting us."

"You fell from orbit riding a droid?" Calak repeated in astonishment.

Canderous nodded. "The doors opened in front of me and the air was sucked out of the drop bay, scattering crystals of frozen vapor across my path. I can't describe what it feels like to look directly down at a world, falling continuously as you circle it, with barely fifteen centimeters of armor plate protecting you. When the magnetic locks disengaged on my droid I plunged out of the drop bay towards the battle that waited below."

"Okay that is pretty exciting," Carth had to admit. "You've had an interesting life, even if it is a barbaric one, just ransacking a world for the heck of it."

"We did it for honor," Canderous said. "Testing ourselves against formidable worlds on the outer rim."

Juhani suddenly snarled. "Like my people! Cathar was there and your people attacked mine!"

Canderous looked at her. "Ah yes the Cathar. I was not present for that battle but I hear it was a glorious one."

"You took us by surprise!" Juhani argued. "You attacked us when we slept and slaughtered us! We did not have enough time to prepare and arm ourselves! You were nothing but cowards and murderers! You all but wiped my species out! Only ten percent of our original population now lives scattered across the galaxy!"

"You had been one of our long-time enemies," Canderous said. "I don't approve of the methods personally but when its revenge, honor often goes out the hangar."

"Your people should have been wiped out at the end of the last war!" Juhani snapped.

"Juhani! Enough!" Bastila said. "Revan chose to spare the lives of the Mandalorians... his last act perhaps as a worthy Jedi. No one deserves execution no matter what their crimes."

She looked at Calak as she said that. The newer Jedi felt his heart warm. She was so compassionate and stuck by the Jedi code, but she was not without flaws like being judgemental and arrogant at times. Of course, no one was perfect, and perfection could be boring.

Juhani fumed. "Maybe so, but they should have at least all been imprisoned and their culture torn down."

Canderous scoffed. "You may have had many of weapons like our basilisks melted down, but we will rise from the ashes someday and fight again. I am now, but on your side. Talk about a twist of irony."

That it was.

After a while of pause Calak looked at Juhani to try and continue the conversation. "So your people were wiped out by the Mandalorians?"

"Yes," the Cathar said with barely controlled anger.

"I'm sorry," Calak said sincerely. "If you don't mind could you tell me?"

She nodded after a moment. "I was only a baby when it happened. Many of us fled off world to avoid being wiped out. We came to a world where we were not welcome."

She trailed off.

"Something wrong?" Calak asked.

She nodded, seeming to glare at him directly.

"The world I lived on was one that was destroyed recently. One that I'm sure you are all aware of."

Calak thought for a moment then it clicked.

"You mean..."

"Taris! It was Taris that the Sith destroyed trying to kill you Bastila!" Juhani rounded on her fellow Jedi.

Bastila's eyes widened. She stammered for a moment.

"I'm sorry Juhani! There was nothing I could do," Bastila said.

"Surely you could have done something!" Bastila said. "Rather then trying to simply escape and save yourself!"

"We didn't know that Malak was gonna destroy the whole planet!" Carth argued. "Even if we did there was nothing our little group could do against an entire star fleet!"

"Oh? What about get onto a Sith ship and attack Malak?" Juhani suggested.

"That would never have worked!" Calak said. "We had to get off and escape to return to the war effort!"

"And you've done a great job at that!" Juhani stated. "Right now we are flying straight into the biggest conflicts against the Sith. My homeworld died for this?"

"Hey it was my home too! And I was on there!" Mission said. "I watched with my own eyes as the Sith bombed it! I never would have gotten out if not for Calak, Bastila and the others!"

"And we need Bastila and her-

"I know about her Battle Meditation!" Juhani snapped. "How it can tip the scales of battle! Maybe that would have helped save the planet."

She sighed as she finished. "Or perhaps not. I'm sorry, I just had to vent that anger out. I know there was nothing you could do, but that doesn't change the fact that my homeworld… the only one I've known was there. But it was not a great home."

"I imagine not," Calak said. "It wasn't very friendly to none humans."

"No, it wasn't." Juhani admitted. "All the corruption from the government and the humans who despised me and all other aliens. Not a happy home at all. But it was all I had until I came to be a Jedi."

Calak would have asked how she became a Jedi if this were a happy conversation. But it wasn't . There was silence. They didn't know what to talk about then. The group then retired to each of their quarters for the night.

They awoke as the Ebon Hawk beeped, signaling they were coming up on Dantooine. Carth had fallen asleep in the pilots chair to be ready for when he was needed to pilot. The Ebon Hawk came out of hyperspace above Dantooine, allowing them to see the mostly green and white planet with a small patches of sea here and there. made it through the atmosphere of the world they had left only around a standard galactic week ago. Through the viewport of the cockpit, Calak saw a sizable fleet of Republic troops guarding the landed in the Jedi Enclaves hangar, with Calak feeling thankful that they wouldn't have to worry about any Sith or other enemies as there were other Jedi everywhere. But even here might not be safe forever. Who knew how long it would take Malak to build up enough forces to attack this training ground? At least Calak and his crew had this place for a safe haven.

They landed and brought Sasha out with them, the young girl looked around the enclave scared. Calak put a hand on her shoulder and spoke to her in the Mandalorian Language.

"It's alright," he told her with a smile.

She was uneasy hearing that tongue, but seeing the gentle smile on his face, her fear diminished.

They entered the Jedi Council Chambers, Juhani and Bastila joined Calak and Sasha.

"Ah, you have returned young Padawans," Master Vandar said. "I hope your search for the Star Forge is going well?"

"We've already found the Star Map on Tatooine," Bastila told the masters.

"Good, but you still three more to go," Vrook told them simply. "Every day another system could fall to the Sith."

"Perhaps we should send Bastila back to the front lines," Juhani said.

"We cannot ignore the Republic's needs, even if we-

"No," Zhar said. "The Star Forge is the key to stopping the Sith, we are sure of it."

"But if we don't have-

"Do not question our decisions young Padawan!" Vrook said critically. "We cannot fight amongst ourselves! The Republic Army will have to manage without Bastila! They have been able to regain some territory without her thanks to other brave Jedi."

Calak sighed. He hoped they were right.

"You do not have to do everything yourself," Vandar said. "Many other Jedi are in the order and are bravely fighting against the Sith. Now, what brings you here to Dantooine?"

Vandar then looked at Sasha. "And who is this young girl?"

"Her name is Sasha," Calak replied. "She was on our ship, a stowaway. She claims to have been from this planet. She said she was a captive of the Mandalorians."

"We were hoping you would be able to find out if she Vandar looked closer at Sasha. "This girl reminds me of another that was reported missing a few years ago! Summon Lur Arka Sulus, the handman at that ranch!"

Within an hour, Lur Arka, a green Twi'lek arrived. He found them in the council chamber which they returned to after having breakfast.

"The girl has aged but I'm sure it's her," he said as he looked at Sasha. "I'm sure we can overcome this language problem in time."

Calak then looked at Canderous. He turned to Sasha. "He's come to take you home to your real family."

The girl looked at the man before her nervously. She then turned to Calak.

"It's okay, he's a friend."

Sasha may not understand his words, maybe if he'd had a chance to learn her language. But she understood his tone and found it kinder then anything the Mandalorians who took her ever said. She nodded and walked over to Lur Arka.

"Thank you," the Twi'lek said before approaching Calak with a brief case. "You found her Master Jedi, so I think you deserve the reward that has been waiting for years. My boss was beginning to lose hope that he would ever see his little girl again. But now he can thanks to you, here are your Three thousand credits."

"Thank you," Calak said sincerely, though he also felt a bit of outrage as he heard the part about the girl missing for years.

Lur Arka bowed and led Sasha out of the room. Once they were out of earshot, Calak rounded on the council.

"The Mandalorians have been here for years, and you did nothing?" Calak asked angrily.

"The Mandalorian attacks were not our concern!" Vrook asked. "Going into war against them caused Revan and many others to go the dark side!"

"Did it?" Calak asked before pointing out. "Revan spared the lives of the Mandalorians! I may not know much about the dark side, but that's not something a dark side user would do! Something happened to him and Malak when they went into the Unknown Regions! You claim to be the guardians of peace and justice yet you seem to not always work to be so!"

The council shook. Then Vandar sighed.

"We serve the Republic young padawan. Right now the Jedi must focus on the bigger picture," the small alien tried to reason.

"Even so you shouldn't abandon the innocent. There are a lot of Jedi here," Calak pointed out. "We need to defend not only the Republic as a whole but also its people."

"Perhaps we will be better able to do that when the war is over," Vandar said.

Calak nodded, though he felt somewhat disgusted with them. They seemed to be more about talking and meditating then taking action based on what he'd seen and heard. He walked out of the council chambers and found himself in the training room where Zhar would often instruct him in the art of lightsaber combat. He spotted another Jedi there practicing moves with

dual lightsabers. He was a tall man with light brown hair and blue eyes nearly equal to Calak in height. He spun his sabers in a flurry of blue and green.

"Master Dicar!" Bastila exclaimed.

The man stopped for a moment and looked at them. "Bastila! It's been a long time."

"Yes, it has Master," Bastila replied with a smile before turning to

Calak. "Calak, this is Master Samal Dicar."

"Samal Dicar?" Carth exclaimed.

Calak vaguely recalled the name as well. Samal Dicar was one of the Jedi that was most famous aboard the Republic Fleet. It was said that he had managed to liberate an entire system and taken down five Dark Jedi single handedly.

"No way!" Carth continued. "You're the Weapon Master who's been killing the most Sith in the war effort!"

Samal nodded as he extinguished his lightsabers. Though he did not seem proud of the praise. "Yes, that's me. But it is not a thing I'm proud of. Many of the Sith I've killed were Jedi I once knew."

Carth stiffened. "I know how you feel. Many of the soldiers I fought with for years were my comrades."

Calak knew who he was talking about. Saul.

"But they are the enemy now," Carth defended. "They betrayed the Republic and deserve no mercy."

Master Dicar's eyes widened. "Careful now soldier. Hatred can lead you to the dark side."

"I am not force sensitive!" Carth objected. "And I know when to repress my hatred, and when to unleash it."

Calak looked at him and nodded to himself. Even with all the hardship Carth had endured he was still a good man who had never resorted to murder that Calak knew of. Maybe when they'd been in the undercity of Taris, but that had been Calak's fault when he'd just attacked those Sith. He was perhaps the strongest of them all in terms of spirit. He'd had training and discipline to deal with his emotions, unlike the Jedi who simply taught themselves to try and shut the emotions down. But that was practically impossible, Calak felt. Love and passion could be good,

and give someone something to fight for.

"Well, let us hope so," Samal said before turning to Calak. "And who are you?"

"Padawan Calak Star," Calak introduced himself.

Samal looked at him. "You look rather old to be a Padawan."

"He was taken in recently," Bastila explained. "Under exceptional circumstances."

Samal nodded in understanding. "I suppose I must trust the wisdom of the council. I wanted very much to follow Revan and help against the Mandalorians, but it seems I did the right thing not doing so. They are always right in the end."

Were they? Calak wondered.

"So where have you been Bastila?" Samal asked. "I last heard you had been sent off on a mission after nearly being lost on Taris."

Bastila quickly explained the mission to him.

"I see, well may the force be with you," Samal said. "And don't worry. I'll keep the Republic fighting as best I can to buy you time to find this Star Forge."

"Thank you," Bastila said. "We need strong Jedi like you to do their part as well."

They made their way back to the Ebon Hawk which soon started up and took

off once more.

Calak looked at their navigational map in the cockpit. He saw the wide map of the galaxy, but noticed that there was one planet on the map that was highlighted.

"Did you highlight this Carth?" Calak asked.

Carth got up from his seat as the ship was for the moment floating. He looked at the screen. "No."

Calak zoomed in on the highlight. "It says its a station above the fourth moon of Yavin. It must have been Davak. Wow, it says this is a high tech trading station, the information it says a highly skilled inventor is on board."

"Inventor huh?" Carth said. "Well, maybe he has some advanced weapons or something."

Calak then remembered something. "Canderous wanted to a set of armor made for himself from the components of Calo Nord's armor. If this guy is a weapon or armor smith he might be able to do that. We don't have to get back to Tatooine for twelve days anyway."

"I suppose we could check it out. Might find something useful," Carth said. "Alright to Yavin it is!"

They adjusted the hyperspace coordinates for that station and took off.

Author's Notes: Okay, made a few more deviations from the game. I know the player character doesn't learn Zalbaar was exiled till arriving on Kashyyk but even when they arrive there and Mission is present in the party for Chundar to reveal he is Zalbaars brother and the reasons behind his exile she acts like it never happened. So yeah, felt it best to have that talked about here as it felt realistic. Also I've been tempted to add one my other game Kotor game characters into the mix just briefly and finally did so in this chapter with Samal Dicar. He is the avatar that most resembles me in real life, my other Star Wars fanfic has him in the main character in another time of Star Wars. Might have him play a role later on like in the battle of the Star Forge.