Chapter 31: Unhappy Reunions
Author's Notes: Okay so I decided I needed to take last week off as I felt I needed a break from writing new content. I also did some editing on one of my other stories. Will hopefully do the same for this one sooner or later. Definitely needs it as I forgot to fill a part for HK last chapter and could use some lines from Mission on the droid and a chime in from T3. Also need to have HK talk the way he does in game always saying greeting, statement, or whatever before his main sentence. Well, I'll get to that when I can, maybe I should put this story on hiatus to focus on some editing for a while. I think that would be good, be back in a couple more weeks or so.
"Got a new droid huh?" Carth asked when they returned to the hangar the Ebon Hawk was stored in.
"Greeting: I look forward to killing all of you meatbags, or killing alongside you!" HK said.
That caused Carth and Juhani to look at the droid in surprise while Canderous laughed.
"Finally, I'm not the only one in this crew who doesn't resent a little bloodshed!" the Mandalorian stated.
"So, when are we going to go after my brother?" Mission asked.
"Tomorrow Mission," Calak promised.
"But he could be in danger now!" Mission objected.
"He might already be dead," Canderous pointed out.
"We'll find him Mission," Bastila promised. "Now, I believe I have a relative of my own to find."
…
Calak went with her to the cantina that Malare had directed them to. Hopefully they'd get lucky this time and find-
"Arrgh!" a scream nearby sounded.
They looked in the direction of the sound and saw a Duros looking livid.
"That… human woman!" the Duros exclaimed. "I swear, Helena must be your word for Bull Rancor!"
"Helena?" Bastila repeated. "That's my mother's name! Have you seen her?"
"You're her daughter?" the Duros exclaimed, his red eyes widening. "Well, I pity you in that case. It's impossible to miss her! She walked into that cantina like she owned it, pushing me aside on my way out and calling me an ugly Duros! I am considered handsome among my own species!"
"Very sorry," Bastila apologized.
The Duros merely huffed. "Tell your mother to learn some manners!"
"I don't think she'll listen," Bastila said.
The two Jedi soon entered the cantina and soon spotted a middle-aged human woman eating her meal at her seat.
"That's her," Bastila said with a slight frown. "Well, let's get this over with."
They approached her mother.
"Yes? I'm sorry do I know you?" Helena asked looking up at them with irritation in her eyes.
"I'm here Mother," Bastila greeted in an attempt at a polite tone. "Or don't recognize me anymore?"
Helena's eyes widened and lost their irritation. "What do you expect when I haven't so much as had a picture of you since you left?"
Bastila now frowned in annoyance. "You know as well as I do that communication would have been impossible once I joined the order! I did not want to go but you made me! Now the force crosses our paths. I met Malare and she said you've been looking for me."
"I… well yes I have," Helena looked down.
"Well, why?" Bastila asked. "And where is father?"
"That's part of the reason I've been looking for you," Helena confessed. "Your father is dead, Bastila."
"Dead?" Bastila repeated before glaring her mother. "What did you do?"
Calak frowned. "Now hold on Bastila you can't just assume she killed your father?"
"You don't know her!" Bastila insisted. "Whatever got him killed I know she put him up to it!"
"Such sweet things always coming out of your mouth," Helena lamented. "You never accepted that your father enjoyed going on his treasure hunts!"
"And I could have helped him if I'd remained with our family rather then being sent away to the Jedi!" Bastila retorted. "Maybe if I'd been there, he'd still be alive!"
And the Republic would be losing the war badly without your battle mediation, Calak thought. Even though she preached the letting go of attachments and ignoring emotion, Bastila was certainly fiery and emotional at times.
"That's enough," Calak said putting hand on Bastila's shoulder and turning to her mother.
"Well at least your friend has some self-control. Tell me… Mr?" Helena paused and wordlessly asked a question.
"Calak. Calak Star," Calak introduced himself.
Helena looked at Bastila. "You must be her Jedi Master?"
"What? No! I'm just a Padawan!" Calak said.
"Really? And you're… what? Forty?"
"There abouts," Calak admitted. "I was accepted into the order only months ago."
"Oh? I seem to recall the Jedi only took young ones," Helena said.
"It's complicated," Calak said. "In any case, do you require assistance of some kind?"
"I do," Helena said. "If anyone can find the remains of Bastila's father it is a Jedi. He had a holocron."
"Holocron?" Bastila repeated.
"Oh, he just had a hologram projector made to resemble one of your Jedi holocrons. He kept pictures of you… and me with him. To remember us when he went looking for treasures. It gave him something to hunt for…. fight for."
Bastila sighed at this news.
"I want it back most of all," Helena said.
Bastila frowned. "Why? So you can claim it belongs to the Jedi and sell it for a hefty price?"
"No!" Helena exclaimed. "Those memories mean as much to me as they did to him! Is it bad for a dying woman to remember her husband by?"
"Are you really dying? Or did you make that up?" Bastila asked.
"Bastila!" Calak exclaimed.
"Never mind," Helena said. "Will you help me or not?"
"Don't you want to find your father's remains Bastila?" Calak asked hoping to play on her good relationship with her father.
"What remains would there be?" Bastila asked. "Krayt Dragons are large predators, more than capable of eating a man in one mouthful."
Calak sighed and looked at the older woman. "Well, if we happen to head in the direction this Krayt Dragon is we might look into it. But I can't promise it."
"I understand," Helena said. "Well, I'm here for breakfast lunch and dinner."
She then gave them her regular times for each.
"Very well, if we find the remains we'll be back, Mother," Bastila said, still scowling. "But after this I hope we never have to interact again."
"If that is what you wish, daughter," Helena said.
Bastila led the way out of the cantina and Calak looked at her.
"Bastila that was so uncalled for!" Calak said.
"I know her, you didn't!" she snapped.
"You were a child!" Calak pointed out. "Things might have appeared worse than they were through your eyes!"
"She sent me to the Order because she didn't want me! She cared more about making credits through my father's treasure hunting!" Bastila said. "I remember her arguing with him saying this wasn't enough! She's greedy and only interested in money!"
"If that were the case then she probably would have kept you around," Calak pointed out. "I could feel her emotions. Her sadness as she spoke to you."
Bastila looked at him.
"Your resentment of her past blinds you," Calak said. "There was no eagerness in her when you brought up selling the holocron."
She looked down now. "Perhaps you are right. I couldn't sense it with my own emotions running wild. I'm better than that."
No one was above emotion. Calak thought.
"Well, we still have a mission," Calak said. "Now that we have HK-47 we might be able to speak to the Sand People and avoid bloodshed."
"Perhaps, though I would prefer that it get bloody Master," HK said.
This droid was certainly proving to be a bloodthirsty kind. He better be good with that rifle to make up for it like Canderous was. Calak had a slight regret in buying him. Hopefully he didn't kill everyone in sight. But so far, the violence was limited to mere desire.
"Well, we'll probably run into trouble sooner or later," Calak said. "But don't shoot anyone that doesn't attack first."
"Submissive comply: Yes master."
They returned to the ship for dinner, eating more of their supplies. Sasha joined them as well though she didn't speak with them as most of them didn't understand her tongue, and she didn't understand most basic. They'd take her back to Dantooine when they were done on this world. Maybe someone there would take her in, or her family might be looking for her.
"Tomorrow we'll go out into the desert," Calak said.
Calak and the rest of the crew walked around the streets the next morning. As he walked along the street where the Cantina where Helena would be waiting, Calak noticed a sign outside another building.
Swoop Racer Wanted.
Calak's eyes widened. He had a swoop bike on his ship in the garage.
"This could be a good opportunity to earn some more credits," Calak said. "Buying HK really put a dent in my funds."
"What about my brother?" Mission asked.
"Why is it you carry most of the funds anyway?" Carth asked.
"Cause I'm the one that seems to be doing most of the important work around here," Calak stated.
It was true for the most part.
"But if you want to divide all the funds up evenly I have no objection."
"I'm in!" Canderous said.
And Calak gave an equal share to all of the members of the crew except for the droids.
"Well, we'll get some credits from the Sand People hunting, if it comes to that," Calak said. "We're gonna need to find out about the clan that's been attacking Czerka.
They continued along the sand covered streets, the twin suns of Tatooine burning on their backs. Calak carried his rifle and wore his green jungle gear from Derallia, it wouldn't attract heat like the metal armor would. Carth, Canderous, and Mission had all forsook their armor as well given the extreme heat. They moved on until they reached the gate leading out into the main desert. There was a Czerka gate guard stationed there.
"No one leaves Anchorhead without proper authorization," the guard said.
"I have proper authorization," Calak said.
"Well let's see it."
Calak drew his hunting license which he'd been told was also a ticket outside the city walls.
"Here is my hunting license."
"Very well. You must be the new hunter I've heard about," the guard said. "About time someone stands up to these Sand People attacks. I hope you wipe them all out."
Calak frowned and thought to himself I hope not. But I will if I have to. With HK-47 I might be able to negotiate with them.
He didn't voice these thoughts aloud. If word got back to Czerka, who knew what the corrupt organization would do? Maybe take advantage of the peace to catch the Tusken's offguard and enslave them like they did the Wookies on Kashykk? Of course, the Tuskens had attacked first, just like the Mandalorians on Dantooine. There was no shame in seeking justice or attacking in self defense but if there was a chance to avoid bloodshed, Calak would take it. He felt a bit of guilt as he recalled killing those Sith Troopers in the Undercity of Taris, and even Bendak Starkiller in the dueling ring. They'd been killers though, and Calak had needed credits. He was willing to be a bounty hunter as long as the people he was hunting were killers.
But were the Sand People any different? They were savage, and seemingly attacked without provocation. But was that really the case?
Calak didn't know. He would have to make a choice though. Negotiate with the Sand People, or kill them all and receive a large payment from all the Gaffi sticks that he would collect. It was tempting, just like when he'd gone after Bendak Starkiller. As long as it wasn't innocent people, he had no qualms about it.
"You there!" an alien tongue called.
Calak looked and saw another Duros, not the one who had bumped into Helena yesterday. But the one before that that he'd seen at Czerka Corporation trying to convince them to take a peaceful route.
"You stay out of this!" the gate guard said.
"No! This man needs to see reason! It doesn't matter how much they pay you! You can't just slaughter an entire village! There are woman and children there that had nothing to do with the raids! The Sand People could see it as an invasion! There weren't any trade agreements made!"
"You leave now! This man will do the job he's paid to do!" the guard said as he drew a stun baton.
This caused the Duros to back off in frustration. He let out a heavy sigh and walked away.
"Isn't that right Hunter?" the guard asked. "You get more credits the more gaffi sticks you turn in."
Calak hesitated. "I'll do what I have to do."
"That's right," the guard was satisfied with that answer, not seeming to think that Calak was considering an alternate method. "I'm sure you'll make the right choice. If this were a group of humans or even some scummy aliens that spoke an understandable tongue we might be able to negotiate. But those damn Tuskens will never agree to talk, even if they could. A lot of foolish people tried that when this settlement was first built a couple decades ago and they were all slaughtered."
Well, seems someone managed to get the Sand People language somehow, Calak thought. Since HK has it in his memory, who could have managed that though? Revan maybe?
"Let me just open the door."
The guard did so and the gate opened. Calak and the rest of them stepped out onto the Dune Sea, seemingly endless wastes of sand as far as the eye could see, several markers dotted the landscape, serving as boundaries that were marked as safe territory, lands beyond those markers were unsafe and unexplored. But Calak had a feeling he had to go there, sooner or later. The next Star Map was out there somewhere. But for now, he needed to worry about the Sand People. Maybe they would have information on a Star Map, and they could give it to him… dead or alive. Calak wrestled with the decision. He'd make it in time.