Chapter 41: The Hermit in the Shadows
Okay one last set of notes related to a character's lightsaber form or forms. This one is on Jolee Bindo. My analysis of his saber style is relatively straight forward. He is a defensive minded fighter with only one sort of attack, the basic one. I always make him a Master of Dueling and Jedi Defense, I used to give him Flurry but not in a couple years. So, once you activate his Force Armor and other powers, he becomes really hard to hit, and Force Speed increases his offense as well. So, my view of his style is that it is a hybrid of Soresu and Shi-Cho, being basic but highly defensive at the same time. Shi-Cho is the most basic form but he'd be very skilled in it nonetheless, making it a fluid and graceful style like Kit Fisto did in the clone wars.
Well, that's the last of the notes on characters fighting styles I think. I always was a big fan of the Lightsaber Forms. Hope you guys enjoyed my breakdowns for each Jedi character when I made them. I know that you might play your characters differently from I do and that's okay. We all play how we want.
Well, this chapter has been waiting in a file to be written since March of 2023. Now it begins.
Calak and all the other members of their crew except Zalbaar were allowed to leave the Chieftain's home. They asked around the village and found that the entrance to the Shadowlands was on the walkway they'd been on. There were only three pathways on that walkway, the way to this village, to the Czerka outpost, and the Shadowlands. Calak recalled they'd passed the only other turn when Zalbaar led them here. They made their way back over the walkway and took that path which had a guard in front of it.
"Chuundar sent word ahead for you," the Wookie growled. "Be warned, this path can be treacherous, though a hunting party did just come through to clear it for you."
They continued forward along the Great Walkway. Sure enough they soon came across a group of Wookies fighting off a group of kinrath. Calak reached for his lightsaber to help, but before he could ignite it, he saw the Wookies were all doing very well, their plasteel white longswords cut through the insect like predators with ease. One by one, the kinrath fell, but Calak was ready in case one of them needed help. Turned out they didn't. One or two them had some minor wounds but nothing that needed real treatment. The lead Wookie looked over his shoulder and spotted them. He growled and gestured for his fellows to move forward while he turned to face Calak who approached.
"Thank you for-
"Don't thank me Czerka filth!" the Wookie hunting leader growled. "We have suffered enough under your assault!"
"I'm not a Czerka!" Calak objected.
"You're human!" the Wookie said in his language of growls. "That means you're one of them!"
"No I-
"Silence! I will not listen to your outsider lies!"
"I mean you no harm!" Calak tried to reason.
"I'll believe that when my homeworld is free from your kind!" the Wookie grunted. "I will obey Chuundar, but only until a new chief rises to take his place. Perhaps I will challenge him myself one day! Then I shall be known as Chief Chorrawl!"
Calak sighed. He would help this Wookie if he could, but Chorrawl obviously had no willingness to trust humans.
"You are clearly the next line of Czerka hunters going down to the Shadowlands for rare game," Chorrawl growled. "Go, and may the terrors of the Shadowland consume you!"
They continued forward and soon came to a wooden elevator that was operated by a rope rather than buttons.
"Greetings outsider," the Wookie standing in the elevator said. "You must be the ones Chuundar sent to go hunt that other Wookie."
"That's right," Calak said.
"Well, you better be capable, only our bravest warriors can triumph in the Shadowlands," the elevator operator said. "I, Gorwooken, oversee the hunting parties who go down."
He looked at them and saw their numbers. "You outsiders travel in packs of great numbers. Honor requires that only a few are allowed to go."
Calak looked at the others.
"I should go," he said.
"Yes, you are our leader," Bastila agreed.
Calak looked at her in surprise. "Even though I'm the newest Jedi here?"
"You have been the one who behind much, if not all our success ever since we met," Bastila said. "I also don't have much military experience. You fought as a soldier practically all your life Calak. You may be the newest Jedi, but you are the most capable of us all."
"I agree," Juhani said. "You turned me back to the light, Calak."
"You have the skills of elite Commando, Calak," Carth said. "Even before you became a Jedi. You saved Bastila from the Vulkars, are a walking facility of languages, and are probably smarter and more level headed then any of us. You keep us from arguing too much and have us united even when we're at each other's throats. Like with Canderous."
The Mandalorian scoffed. "I feel no shame looking to you as a leader, Calak Star."
Mission spoke now. "You saved me from Taris when it was destroyed, helped me get Big Z back! You even helped me find my brother… even if he wasn't the person I thought he was. You're… you're like the father I never had!"
Calak smiled. "Thanks Mission."
He walked forward and embraced the young Twi'lek who returned the hug with a smile.
"Now we have to save Big Z again," Mission noted.
"Yeah, and we will," Calak said. "When one of us is in danger we'll be there for each other."
They all nodded, even Canderous.
"Statement: I would very much like to join you on this hunt Master!" HK said. "The Shadowlands are home to many predators and I have been denied a great many kills since we are traveling in greater numbers!"
Calak looked at the Assassin droid. "Alright since you're so eager, HK. But I forbid you from firing upon anything that is not aggressive."
"Acknowledgement: Yes, Master I will do as you command. Though I would rather be able to slaughter any meatbag that we come across."
"There's got to be a way to reprogram this homicidal droid," Carth muttered.
"He is kinda scary," Mission agreed.
"I like him!" Canderous said.
Gorwooken growled impatiently. "Are you going to stand there talking all day or assemble a team to go down?"
"Right," Calak said. "HK, and lets see… Juhani, Mission how about you two?"
"I'm in!" Mission agreed.
Juhani nodded and they both came forward as Calak turned to the others.
"You guys head back to the Ebon Hawk."
Carth looked up and saw the sun was setting. "Probably a good idea. But you guys sure you have enough supplies?"
Calak tapped his belt where he had food capsules stored in case he got hungry. "I prefer the meals we have on board but its not always available in this line of work."
"True enough," Carth said. "Well, guess we'll head back and make sure the Sith haven't followed us or anything?"
"You really think they would?" Canderous asked.
"Who knows? Malak did send Calo Nord after us, and we thought he was dead," Carth reasoned.
"Let's go," Calak said.
Juhani, Mission, and HK-47 all climbed into the elevator with Calak. With Gorwooken in there as well working the ropes, it was a bit packed. But they managed. It was a slow elevator, lacking the speed that came with mechanical ones. But it got the job done in the end and they came to the jungle floor.
"I will wait here for you," Gorwooken said in his language of growls. "You are not required to succeed in the hunt of the true target on the first go. It may take several times, hunt other animals if you wish, but know if you do not find your target within a certain amount of time, Chuundar may kill your Mad-Claw companion… his own brother."
The Wookie smiled, showing that he approved of such a thing. Seemed he was a staunch supporter of his chieftain.
Calak sighed and said, "As you wish."
They looked around. The Shadowlands were appropriately named, it was dark down here, showing the roots of the giant trees that were so large the soil could not hold them. The shadows from the massive trunks filled the area around them, all but blocking out the setting sun. Calak hated to think of what it would be like at night.
They made their way forward, along a path way formed by generations of Wookies going along it. It led them under a set of roots that hung over the path and they soon found a group of predators as they turned. Katarns, formidable beasts with four legs and a pair of tiny arms below their heads, which had a pair of extremely large bottom teeth. Their hides were mixes of gray and brown, allowing them to blend in with the dark terrain.
Calak pressed the button of his lightsaber and the blue blade sprang to life for what was probably the hundredth time by now. Besides him, Juhani also lit her own blade. The two of them called upon the force to increase their speed, allowing them to overwhelm the lethal predators. Calak cut one down then force pushed another that tried to maneuver behind him, Mission and HK let off streams of bolts. The katarn's hide was thick, allowing them to withstand a few bolts, but in a matter of seconds both the Twi'lek and droid had managed to unleash a fatal volley into the beast. Juhani had cloaked herself in a force barrier which blocked two other katarns as they tried to bite her or whip her with their tails. She swung her blue blade and cut one down, then extended her hand at the other katarn which opened its mouth wide as if trying to gasp for air. It looked like it was choking. Juhani stepped forward, keeping her left hand in a choke hold before thrusting with her blade and ending the predator's life before it could choke to death slowly. She would have liked to release it but she could sense its instinct to fight till the end.
They took a few breaths then continued along the path and soon heard a familiar sound. A lightsaber whooshing and humming, as well as grunts of exertion and predatory growls.
Calak looked at Juhani whose eyes had widened as well.
"A lightsaber!" she echoed Calak's thoughts.
They ran forward. Soon they saw the source of the noise. A Jedi, or at least someone that had to be a Jedi. He was an old man with dark skin, his head was completely bald, except for his gray eyebrows and light beard. His attire consisted of a simple brown and tan tunic. In his hands he carried a green bladed lightsaber which he used with remarkable skill and speed despite his advanced age. He was single handedly fending off four katarns. He ducked one's tail and then cut it down. With a series of basic yet graceful and fluid strikes, the old man took the remaining three down as well.
He took several breaths and looked around, seeing them.
"Ah! The damnable racket of battle! Watch yourself! Even more of these crawling beasts are hiding in the underbrush."
"Who are you?" Calak asked. "A Jedi?"
"Not quite," the old man said.
"But you use a lightsaber," Calak pointed out. "And you don't have a red blade, which is what most Sith use."
The man grunted. "This is no time for asking questions. We need to go someplace safe first. Come on! My hut isn't too far from here, we can talk safely there!"
And he ran off with again remarkable speed for his age. Was it the force? Or perhaps he was just in good shape from living in this demanding environment? Both? Ah well it didn't matter, Calak had stumbled upon a mysterious old man with a lightsaber, and had a feeling this was going to be an interesting encounter. Perhaps one that could aid in his mission.
What was the old man doing here on Kashyyyk? He had to be Jedi, he used a lightsaber and Calak could sense the force in him. It was strong, and flowed wildly around him, like the winds and air of Kashyyyk.
They followed the old man through the forest floor. Night had fallen now, but Calak's eyes had adjusted to the light and he could just make out the foggy surroundings. After a few minutes of following the old man they soon saw his home, a small hut with a light inside. He opened the
door and let them all inside before closing it behind them.
He turned to face them. "Well welcome to my home such as it is."
It was a simple hut with a firepit for light which was currently burning moderately.
"Apologies for the lack of seating," the old Jedi said. "Don't exactly get many visitors down here besides the occasional Wookie, and even that is a rarity."
"So, who are you?" Calak asked.
"Jolee, Jolee Bindo," the old man said. "And before you ask, I'm not a Jedi. Not anymore. I've been many things, and seen my share of both the light and dark."
Calak felt a little uneasy at that. This guy was certainly out of the ordinary.
"And who are you?" Jolee asked.
"Calak Star," Calak said before gesturing to the others. "This is Mission Vao, Juhani... uh... do you have a last name?"
"No," Juhani said not taking her eyes off Jolee. "At least not that I'm aware of."
"And HK-47," Calak finished as he gestured to the droid.
"Greeting: Wish I could say it is a pleasure to meet you meatbag but its not!" HK said.
Jolee frowned. "Not exactly a friendly droid I see, but you are a very unusual droid I can tell."
"Proud Answer: I am a one-of-a-kind droid. You are clever for an insane old hermit."
"Old yes but not insane," Jolee said with an annoyed look in his eyes.
Juhani then spoke to him directly. "I find your words confusing. You say you've seen your share of the dark side? Yet I do not sense its taint inside you. You are a servant of the light, even if you choose not to admit it."
Jolee paused. "Well, I assure you there is more gray then light or dark here. I don't follow either side fully, but I can use a share of both."
He raised his hand which began to crackle with electricity. Calak's eyes widened as he recognized Force Lightning. He recalled being shot at with that back on Tatooine.
"Kind of nice to meet a Jedi that's not all hung up on all that light side dark side stuff. I mean there has to be an in between right?" Mission asked.
Calak looked at her and realized she was right. She had stolen to survive while on Taris, which had been a haven of prejudice against aliens like her.
Jolee put the display away. "Glad to hear someone is open minded. The Jedi council was always much less so! Arrogant, narrow, and too fixated on the light."
"The dark side is dangerous though," Juhani objected.
"We all have light and dark inside us," Jolee countered. "Abilities are not inherently good or evil, it is how we use them. If light becomes too bright, it can overload, if dark is all there is, nothing good can live. But enough philosophical discussion, what brings all of you here?"
"We're here looking for a Star Map, an ancient artifact that we think might be the key to stopping the Sith."
Jolee sighed. "Ah, I heard rumors there was a new Sith order out there. Though they'd be gone after we defeated Exar Kun."
Calak's eyes widened. "How long have you been here?"
"Twenty years, maybe more?" Jolee said. "So, a star map, eh? I think I know where you can find that."
"You do?" Calak said in relief. "Great."
"I'd be glad to lead you to it. But first, you will have to do something for me," Jolee said. "Of course, its nightfall already, probably best to wait till the morning."
He was right. They all lay on whatever part of the mud floored hut they found comfortable. At least it was soft and they slept relatively soundly, if dirtily.