Chapter 42: Bad Businesses
Calak woke on the muddy floor of Jolee's hut. The old man was already up.
"Good morning," he said as busied himself over a pot in the hut. "Thought I might as well make my guests breakfast."
Calak yawned and rose to his feet. His Jedi robe probably needed a wash right now. He'd have to put them through the refresher and dryer. They ate the food Jolee had made which was a soup of katarn meat and vegetables grown in Jolee's garden.
"So, what do you want me to do for you?" Calak asked as they finished their food.
"Remove some Czerka men," Jolee told him. "They're just poachers and they've been here for a long time."
"How many?" Calak asked.
"Only five," Jolee said.
"Five?" Calak repeated. "Surely you as a Jedi are able to take down that many easily."
"I prefer to settle things nonviolently," Jolee informed him.
Calak nodded. "I suppose I agree. Though there are times I'm tempted to kill people like them."
"Statement: I would much rather you did Master!" HK-47 said. He'd shut down for the night but woken up as they ate.
"I can sympathize," Jolee said. "Some men are just scum that deserve death. But if we kill them whenever we can, are we any better?"
Calak shook his head. "We should try to find other solutions when possible. Have you tried talking to them?"
"Last time I tried to do so a month ago, their leader Commander Dern shot at me," Jolee said. "He's the worst of them all. Messed with my garden, said I should go back to civilization while I still have some time left, and called me a crazy old fool when I said I was perfectly happy here. Though maybe I should leave this place. But only after he does. The force brought me here for a reason, though I sense it is upon me. Perhaps you are the reason. You are on a mission to stop the Sith aren't you?"
"How'd you know?" Calak asked.
"I've heard things going on whenever I journey up top for some civilized supplies," Jolee said. "I know of Darth Malak, and Revan before him. I met them both when they came here searching for the Star Map like you did, they were still in the light, though they'd become dim by the time they arrived. War had taken its toll on them as it did on me. I fought against Exar Kun in the Great Sith War and it cost me dearly. This time of peaceful living here on Kashyyyk has done me good, but now I feel it's time for me to reenter the fight soon."
"You're rambling old man," Calak said, annoyed with the long speech.
"Am I? Well bottom line, you're a Jedi, full of light. You are stronger in the force then perhaps anyone I've met. You have a feeling of destiny about you, and I sense mine lies with you," Jolee said. "But only after you do this old man a little favor."
"Well, I welcome your help," Calak said.
"Can we have too many Jedi on our ship?" Mission asked.
"If the ship gets full, yes," Juhani said.
"Alright, well I'll be back when I speak with the poachers," Calak said. "Or kill them… either one. But let's hope it doesn't have to come to that."
"Yes lets," Jolee agreed. "But I don't think the forest would mind. It's the way of nature after all. The strong prey upon the weak. We may not like it but it is true. Of course, with predators its necessary for their survival, while people like the Sith do it for a thirst for power. One that I doubt will ever truly be satisfied even if they do manage to conquer the entire galaxy. Czerka also do it for greed. Regardless, I want a nonviolent solution if possible."
Calak nodded.
They headed outside the hut, stepping into the shadow lands which were still dark even though it was morning. Calak cast out with the force. He could feel the many animals here going about their business, the katarns resting in the foilage, the tachs leaping about, along with many other lifeforms. Calak also sensed the five humans as well as a… droid?
Calak was puzzled by that. What was a droid doing down here. It wasn't HK-47 either, the assassin droid was right next to Calak, this other droid wasn't far though.
"There's another droid nearby," Calak told the others.
"What?" Juhani asked in astonishment.
"What would a droid be doing down here?" Mission asked.
"Assumption: Perhaps it is a fellow hunter droid. And perhaps I shall get to hunt it!" HK said.
They made their way in the direction Calak sensed the other droid. Its presence was incredibly difficult to sense, even for a droid. They had no presence in the force, which made it harder to sense them.
Calak suddenly heard a faint sound nearby. It sounded like a blaster shot.
"Did you hear something?" he asked his companions.
They stopped.
"Malfunction: Playback…"
Another voice came out of the droid, a recording. It was a woman from the sound of it.
"I don't get it! That merchant said the salvage we could use to repair the ship was right here!"
"Hey there's Eli maybe he can help us. Wait…" the second person, a man, broke off. "Eli! What are you… uh! You got your money you double crossing snake! What else do you want?"
The person approaching them, Eli, didn't respond. The only sound that came afterwards was a series of blaster shots.
"Sounds like someone was murdered," Mission said.
"And from the sound of it, the killer was someone named Eli," Juhani said.
"I know that name," Calak said. "There was a merchant named Eli on the landing pad. He had an indebted employee named Matton who was paying off a debt for being stranded on this world. Sounds like he actually murdered Matton's crew to get a slave."
"The nerve of that guy!" Mission exclaimed.
"Statement: If this gives you a reason to kill Master, I will gladly shoot," HK said.
Calak ignored that.
"We need evidence if we're gonna accuse a man of a crime."
Calak looked at the droid as it played its last recording again.
"I don't get that merchant said-
"Good thing a droid's memory is in its head," Calak said. "We take this droid head and we have the proof."
He knelt down in front of the droid and drew his lightsaber.
"Sorry droid, but I guess you'll want justice for your murdered masters," Calak said. "I'll scrap you and take what I can to make it so."
He lit the blade and cut off the droid's head at the neck. Its eyes went blank as it was severed from the rest of its body and power. Calak lifted the head up and took it under his arm.
"We'll deal with the poachers first and then deal with this," Calak said.
Mission and Juhani nodded. They headed in the direction they'd sensed the humans. But as they did so, they came across a disturbing sight. A Wookie corpse. At first Calak assumed it might have been the result of the predators in the Shadowlands. But as he bent over the body, Calak saw no bite marks to indicate that. He did however find a wound that looked like a shot. Calak reached into the wound and drew out a boltcaster casing. Cleaning it, he saw the casing had carvings on it.
"Seems this wookie was killed by one of his fellows," Juhani said, echoing Calak's thoughts.
"Seems so," Calak agreed. "This place is full of crime everywhere."
He looked at the Wookie's corpse again for any other clues. The wookie carried a crossbow as well as a… datapad? Unusual given that Kashyyyk was not known for their technology advancement. Calak grabbed the datapad and pressed the button, it opened the last file it had accessed which read… slaver contract! It promised the bearer continued credits and wealth in exchange for more of his 'brutish kind'.
Seemed this was one of the Wookies that benefitted from Chuundar's selling of his own people. Perhaps that was why another Wookie had targeted him. Still, Calak would need to know the specifics. But with Chuundar in control of the village, he might have the Wookie who killed one of his collaborators killed even if the law holder did not. Calak would have to wait, or maybe even stay silent altogether if he could not help the Wookies as a whole.
Well, first thing was first. Get rid of the poachers. They continued forward and soon came into view of the Czerka camp. Just as Jolee said, five men were present, all in the black and orange uniforms.
"Hello!" Calak called out as he saw them.
The commander with the hat, Dern, stepped forward. His eyes bore a not so friendly look in them as he came up to Calak and in an unfriendly tone asked, "Who are you answer civil merchant like that core-slime up on the docks?"
"No, I'm a Jedi," Calak told him with a frown.
"Pfft. Jedi," the commander scoffed. "Nothing but a bunch trouble making mystics and fools who use their power to protect when they could use to gain."
"So you are the poachers that Jolee talked about?" Calak asked.
The furrowed eyebrow furrowed deeper. "That crazy old fool is still alive? I suppose he's mad we don't live in primitive mud huts like him. Look I don't have time to waste on some insane hermit. Either help us and earn some credits or move on and go about whatever foolish Jedi
business you have on this savage world."
Calak sighed. "Is there no way I can convince you to leave?"
"I will not leave until I have killed every tach in this area and sell their glands to become rich!" Dern declared.
"Tach glands?" Mission repeated. "We need some of those for Griff, Calak!"
"You want to buy some?" the commander asked, his tone turning to a more welcome one. "In that case, I'll give you one for fifteen hundred credits."
Well, that was expensive. Calak wouldn't be paying that, but maybe he could manipulate these poachers for a time and find a way to settle this without bloodshed.
"Maybe if I hunt with you can I get one?" Calak asked.
"I suppose," Dern said disappointed. "Good to see you're letting go of your moral code. It holds you back I say! Prevents you from getting what any man wants deep down! Wealth, power, status, woman! Every man wants something."
Calak frowned inwardly, and had to keep his face from twisting in disgust. It was true that men... and women had desires. The Jedi denied these desires in service of their belief of a higher calling, not falling in love and forbidding attachment or even taking payment in many cases. They tried to live separately from the people of the galaxy despite protecting them. Still, they were good people, even if they were perhaps misguided by their orders ideals. But morals had a purpose.
Calak walked into the camp and looked around, seeing a few cannisters and emitters that moved their antennas in a circular fashion.
"Get some rest Jedi, we'll be heading out soon," Dern told him.
"Thank you, Commander," Calak said false gratitude.
He didn't have much time. He'd have to think of something to get them to leave fast. The Commander wouldn't leave, not unless he was forced to. But maybe his men would be more open to reason.
Calak looked at one of the guards.
"Hi," he greeted in a whisper.
"Hello," the guard said nervously. "So you'll be helping us?"
"Yes," Calak said before looking around. "So, nice place. Real dark and scary, you enjoy it?"
"Not particularly. I know there's a big creature nearby, I was here the last time before we had these emitters. It came upon us and we couldn't do anything against, our blasters wouldn't penetrate its hide. It was like the wrath of Kashyyyk itself. We had to get these emitters to keep bigger predators like that away, it big as some species of alien bear, or maybe a small rancorn."
"So, you'd be open to leaving?" Calak asked.
"Yeah, but with the emitters working we're pretty much stuck here filling the commander's pockets. He doesn't pay us that much, only scraps really."
"So, these emitters are the only thing keeping you here?" Calak asked.
"Yeah. If two of them were to just stop working we'd be out of here, at least until we get new ones."
Calak smiled. "Good to know."
He walked away for a moment and sat crossed legged in meditation. He reached out with the force and after a moment located the button on an emitter. He pressed it with his mind through the force and it stopped moving. The Czerka men didn't notice as they were all standing guard and waiting a few more minutes till it was time to go. Calak could sense their fear, as well as well a large presence nearby, waiting, frustrated, irritated.
Calak then opened his eyes and looked at Juhani, Mission, and HK-47. "You guys get ready to hide. As soon as another emitter goes down, we run."
They nodded and Calak closed his eyes once more. He touched the second emitter button and mentally turned it off as well. Calak then focused on the presence he was sensing, which detected the weakened repellent and made its way toward them.
No sooner did Calak get to his then a growl sounded.
"What?" Dern asked in surprise.
A large creature with green hide and spikes protruding from its back appeared from the forest and let out a loud roar. It raised a pair of hands with claws wide as Calak's fist and advanced on them. Juhani, Mission, and HK-47 all ran off to the side quickly followed by Calak.
"That is a terentatek!" Juhani exclaimed as they ran.
Calak remembered hearing about them from on Dantooine, those monsters that hunted Jedi as prey. But this one seemed to be more interested in the Czerka for some reason. Maybe it had been hoping to eat them for a while, or they were stealing its food sources by killing the tachs. Regardless, it didn't seem to notice the two Jedi and their companions at all and went for the five men in orange uniforms.
"Run! Run!" Dern shouted as he and his fellows did so.
The terentatek growled as it chased them, whether or not they would be caught or not Calak didn't know. But they wouldn't be coming back here anytime soon. Hopefully by the time Calak was done they would have run Czerka off of this planet, but that might just be wishful thinking.
They waited for a while then came out.
"Well, that takes care of that," Calak said.
"Yeah, but I need to get a tach gland for Griff!" Mission said. "Maybe… just maybe if we do it will work out for him. I may still be mad at him for abandoning me but he could change if we help him."
She ran over to the crates near the camp left behind by the poachers. They found several bits of supplies inside such as medical equipment, spare ammo and food. Then-
"Aha! Tach glands!" Mission said as she pulled out a small pink object. "I've seen them put in Tarisian ale before!"
"Now we can get them to Griff," Calak said. "And with five days to spare, I think. Maybe we should head back to the ship and you and the others can take it to Tattoine."
"No way!" Mission said. "I ain't gonna abandon Zalbaar for the brother who abandoned me. At least not right away. I'll wait until we have one day left at most for Griff. Big Z has never left me and I won't do that to him."
"Alright," Calak nodded.
With that, they made their way back to Jolee's hut.
"Welcome back," the old man greeted. "I sense the poachers are gone."
"Yes, I turned off their emitters that repelled predators," Calak told him. "Then a big one came right and scared them off."
"Hmm, let the jungle have them I suppose. It has the right to it," Jolee said. "Though perhaps they will escape and be too afraid to come back. Though I fear another wave will."
"If only we could drive the slaver scum out for good!" Juhani spoke up with passion.
Calak looked at her. "Well, I wouldn't mind doing that if we could find some Wookies willing to fight… and ally with us."
"Statement: I long to spill some blood, no matter what the meatbag!" HK-47 said.
"There will be more fighting before this is done HK," Calak assured his assassin droid.
Jolee stepped forward. "Well, you got rid of the poachers and now I will help you find the star map."
"First we better head back up to the surface," Calak said as he brandished the droid head. "This droid had an interesting recording. One that involved a murder not far from here."
"Huh, I must have been away when it occurred," Jolee said. "Or asleep, I do tend to either sleep or wander through here."
They headed back to the basket lift and Gorwooken pulled the ropes to the top of the trees. Then it was back to the Czerka landing pad.
"Hello!" Eli Gand greeted as they came up to his shop. "Come to browse once more?"
"I have something to show you," Calak said with accusing eyes as he extended the droid's head. "I found this droid on the forest floor. Look familiar?"
"Uh," Eli stammered. "That's probably just garbage!"
"Garbage?" Matton said as he came forward. "That's the head of the droid that was with my crew!"
He turned to Calak. "You found this on the forest floor?"
Calak nodded. "Yes, and before I took the head off, I heard the droid giving off a recording. Someone shouted Eli's name."
Matton's eyes lit up in anger as he turned to his employer (or to be accurate, slavedriver). "Eli, you snake! You told me that my crew hijacked the ship without paying for the repairs! I thought I owed you!"
Matton reached for the blaster at his hip.
"No! Matton, it was just business!"
"This is how you do business with honest men? Maybe in Hutt Space!" Matton retorted as he drew his weapon. "I paid you good money to repair my ship and you killed my crew!"
He aimed the blaster at Eli, looking ready to kill.
"No Matton!" Calak said putting a hand on the man's blaster. "He's done. We have a recording to incriminate him through the droid's memory. As soon as we take it to a Czerka technician even they will have to arrest him."
Matton's glare eased up and he slowly lowered his pistol. "Fine."
"Now keep your head Matton it was just business," Eli said putting his hands up.
Then he grabbed hold of the wooden railing of the walkway nearby and jumped down below. They looked after him as he made his desperate escape, he grabbed a vine and slid down into the shadowlands.
"That thalian bog slime! I can't believe him! I've been slaving away for two weeks looking to pay a debt in good faith! Well I suppose this is more merciful but he won't last long in the Shadowlands without a blaster," Matton said.
"I guess that closes his little shop here," Calak noted.
"Maybe, or I might run it myself," Matton said.
Calak thought for a moment. "You know I could probably give you a lift. Anywhere you want to go."
"Really?" Matton asked.
"Yeah, you were tricked," Calak said. "You need help, that's my duty as a Jedi."
"Thanks," Matton said. "I suppose I could either stay on board if its not too much trouble or I could stop at a planet you visit. Any idea where you're heading next?"
"We have to go to Tatooine to where my brother is," Mission said.
"Eh too hot," Matton said.
"Well, there's also Dantooine, and we are planning to go to either Manaan or Korriban," Calak told him.
"Hmm, Manaan is a water world and its neutral in the war," Matton noted. "That sounds okay to stay for me maybe."
"Then we'll take you there," Calak promised.
"Guess we can move all this merchandise onto your ship," Matton said gesturing to the small shop on the wooden bridge.
Calak nodded.
Author's Notes: Well, wasn't my intention to make Matton a temporary crew member when I started writing this chapter but it happened as I wrote it. Probably more helpful then just leaving him to fend for himself after finding out his crew was killed by Eli. Better than him being forced offworld with Czerka once the Wookies revolt. Hope you guys liked this chapter. See you next week.