Chapter 2
3rd person:
The azure streaks of hyperspace illuminated the stern face of Human Jedi Knight Torrin Kubanne as he gazed out the Republic cruiser's viewport. He tugged at the fresh formal robes and armor ceremoniously bestowed upon his recent promotion. It still didn't seem real that the Council chose him, a young Jedi not even 25 standard years old, to spearhead negotiations on the Outer Rim world of Dantooine.
With mounting corporate interests in the planet's untapped resources, the native Dantari tribes' escalating sabotage threatened production. Torrin's mandate was to oversee treaty talks while providing security, given his Master's veteran leadership experience from border skirmishes in the Mid Rim. He now stood a full-fledged member of the order, not even a fleck of doubt about his status flickered in his inferno-like heart.
As the mottled tunnels of hyperspace faded into star-speckled black, an emerald planet loomed ahead – Dantooine. The young Jedi's breath caught as he descended into the atmosphere. Endless grassy plains and seas of wind-blown grain stretched to the horizon below. Primitive farmer settlements dotted the landscape, acres of lush farmland surrounding them.
The Republic cruiser sliced through textured clouds before hovering over a sprawling corporate agroecology campus fused with a mining center – all sterile white halls and machinery. The thrum of its reactors rumbled up from the surface as they prepared to land.
Torrin sensed a fellow Jedi emerging from below decks yet made no effort until now to make his way to the lower tiers to meet his fellow knight. – a Tholothian woman stood facing him from the sleek but cramped elevator, face marked by delicate vestigial purple tendrils. She wore simple earth-toned robes with a pearl necklace given to her by her deceased mother.
A thin lightsaber was openly displayed on a silver belt girding her waist. "Hello! I am Sansa Jubarri, " She gave a short bow. "I have been assigned as cultural attaché from the archives on Coruscant to support treaty negotiations." Her empathetic voice reminded Torrin of the babbling brooks on Naboo from his childhood before he was taken. Torrin stepped into the elevator silently, pushing short dreadlocks from his face.
He studied her chestnut complexion for a moment before replying. "A joy, Sansa. Your expertise on Dantooine customs will prove priceless I'm sure." She regarded the man's scarred dark brown skin, already discerning his aristocratic aura through the force.
Their conversation halted as the cruiser docked with a hiss of depressurization serendipitously to the arrival of their descendant elevator ride. Marching boots approached as the large bay entrance slid open to reveal a uniformed Trandoshan trailed by two squadrons of armed Republic soldiers bustling to get off-world. The cruisers' crew began to noisily haul goods and supplies ignoring the two Jedi.
"Commander De'busk I presume?" Torrin kept his tone neutral, addressing the Trandoshan who was making his way into the cruiser. Behind faceted eyes, De'busk glared down at the Jedi, flicking a forked tongue. His sail-like facial fins bristled as he nodded standing a head taller than Torrin.
His light green scales seemed to pull back at their presence. "Yesss, Jedi. I will be overssseeing all Republic planetary functionsss. Hurry, we have much to...confer." De'busk turned sharply on his black-booted heel, not waiting for a response. His two personal elite Wookie guards trained large blaster rifles on Sansa and Torrin as the tense duo exited the ship in front of them.
Sansa watched carefully as the blaster muzzles tracked them from her peripheral. She reached out with the Force, sensing the guards' anxiety and mistrust emanating like thermal grenades. What had brought such hostility toward Jedi here on Dantooine? She asked herself, along with how these Wookie's and Trandoshan had seemingly squashed a century-long species feud.
"I guarantee you, such frivolous measures are unnecessary in escorts of Jedi Knights." Torrin's pungent tone drew faint toothy smiles from the two hairy sentries. One had dark black matted fur while the other seemed to be suffering from some form of albinism, its dense fur white like Hoth snow.
De'busk halted his swift gait to glance back, yellow lizard eyesight narrowed. "In the lawlesss Rim, there is no natural thing asss too much sssecurity, Jedi." He gave a short chuckle. "Don't mind them...they are sssimply my two overly wary adopted sssiblingsss ." His clawed hand waved dismissively toward the two Jedi.
The group finally makes their way towards the main facility, its high-tech making juxtaposing the grassy lands around. "Now, where wasss I...ah yesss. Due to our inadequate ssstanding military, I have had to draft local sssupport to the Republic from eclectic loyal factionsss." They rounded the sterile corner into a gloomy stone chamber, light shafts cutting the space. The hallway was lined with cargo boxes sealed and marked as to not be opened.
This site predated the facility's more recent construction. Intricately etched pillars and withered mosaics illustrated familiar robed figures wielding smoldering blades of light nearly all patched over by steel panels and sections of different mined-out tunnels. "A Jedi temple..." Sansa whispered in astonishment. De'busk groaned, gesturing to where armored and mismatched soldiers milled about makeshift duty stations watching over Danturi miners carving out sections of the destroyed temple.
"A convenient bassse which I have repurposssed. As I wasss sssaying, in addition to my corporate sssecurity forcccesss, part of the native tribesss and other volunteersss provide tactical mussccle." The Trandoshan Commander clicked his forked tongue with delight. "Not to mention the ssstate-of-the-art farming technologiesss that can feed the denizensss far better than crude nutrition."
Sansa noticed various strange injuries and cybernetic implants marking many of the milling Danturi recruits. What manner of beings filled De'busk's irregular ranks? The Danturi while being essentially human were subclassed as a near-human class meant to express their culture's lack of advancments. She reached into the Force, probing the Trandoshan commander.
His etheric presence felt enveloped as if camouflaged by some filmy murk she had never encountered. Sansa shuddered despite herself, wanting to believe in their cause. Torrin crossed his arms. "Commander...this temple clearly has cultural significance beyond martial utility. Perhaps a relocation of your forces could-"
"The sssavagesss destroyed anything of importanccce, wissse one..." De'busk snarled, cutting Torrin off. "This heap will sssuit the welfare of the Republic in bringing protection here far better than collecting dussst." Torrin and Sansa exchanged concerned glances. How far did De'busk's reach extend here beyond even Jedi visibility?
Torrin's eyes blazed with anger as he turned to face the Trandoshan commander. "You go too far, De'busk! This desecration of Jedi heritage will not stand. The Senate shall hear of your overreach." De'busk scowled, clenching his clawed fists.
"You are the one overreaching, Jedi! The Republic'sss interessstsss here depend on projecting power. I provide resultsss - produccce and ore gush off-world in masss, gratitude to my energiesss." He jabbed a scaled finger at Torrin's chest.
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"Think the farmersss and minersss care about this rubble'sss hissstory when I defend their home from hutt'sss?" The two glared at each other, tension crackling in the cold tunnel. Sansa was only half-listened, transfixed by the worn carvings and subdued energy still pervading the ancient Dantooine temple.
This place was an echo of Dantooine's 4 millennia protecting Jedi relics...back to the age of the Old Republic. She reached out, fingertips grazing a fractured mosaic of young Jedi learning to utilize the force. "Why was this sanctuary abandoned?" she whispered. The stone tile warmed at her touch as if in response.
Ripples in the Force here hinted at both Jedi victory and darkness in this place's forgotten past yet data logs rarely delved so far into the Republic's dark past with the Sith. Torrin's voice cut through her reverie.
"The Senate will demand a report on your unauthorized occupation, Commander!" De'Busk snarled back, "Then we ssshall sssee what enigmasss get exposssed about the Jedi...I wouldn't be the firssst to quessstion your Ordersss' sssecrecccy!" Sansa turned to intervene, her typical detachment abandoned. "Gentlemen! Allow grudges to linger --We came to keep the peace."
She met Torrin's gaze pleadingly until the Jedi exhaled, giving a curt nod. De'Busk continued fuming but stayed silent. A bronze protocol droid tottered over, seeking signatures on supply manifests, diffusing the tension. "Hello, Master Jedi! Thank you for answering the call of the Republic!" Its sharp voice buzzed due to its low batteries.
As they reviewed logistics, Sansa made a decision - solving this temple's mysteries would unlock the key to a lasting treaty. De'Busk's nostrils flared as he activated a flickering holo table display. It sputtered to life, projecting mountainous terrain and dense jungle. "I did not requessst Jedi merely for your...charming company."
He tapped a location at the forest's edge where smoke rose faintly. "Thessse imagesss were taken only yesssterday after info of peripheral attacksss on mining transportsss in the sssouth region." The display shifted through grainy footage showing armored figures mounted on native Stalker Lizards emerging from the trees to decimate convoy vehicles with flaming charges and even blaster weapons before disappearing quickly into the woods.
Torrin's brown eyes narrowed as he picked out the distinctive T-shaped visors and silver battle-scarred armor of Mandalorian warriors. He crossed his arms. "Why did you not tell the order?! Mandalorians?" His deep voice barely held his concealed disgust toward the infamous Crusaders of the Rim. De'Busk simply smiled.
Both Torrin and Sansa had been thoroughly warned by the counsel before setting off about the sheer callousness of the Trandoshan Fleet Boss. The man had stained the hyperspace lanes red with pirate blood for nearly a decade with minimal loss of territory. De'Busk's long claws scraped the table. At his gesture, a squad of native Dantari hunters and battle-scarred human mercenaries strode forward, weapons and attitudes both looking eager for a fight.
Sansa raised her hand placatingly, her purple tendrils swaying slightly. "Sir, with respect, this will only foster payback and unrest. Allow us to make peaceful contact and understand what prompted these raids before reacting hastily." The Trandoshan sneered in disbelief but gave a dismissive wave of permission before departing with his Wookie guard.
When alone, Sansa turned to Torrin. "I sense your disdain toward these warriors, but balance should guide us. Their clan may have legitimate grievances to address." Torrin's expression was skeptical but he nodded.
"Dealing with Mandalorians seldom ends well...have you any idea how long the Jedi have been at odds with their brutish clan?" She turned to begin walking back outside the base where they had come from, the cold half smooth-paneled half-stone walls were a bleak reminder of the changing of the galaxy. "Truthfully I do not think it matters...I doubt they have any real connection to any Mandalorians you've ever met."
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Sansa pulled her silky brown cloak tighter against the chilling grassy mountain winds as their small hovercraft quickly approached the coordinates of the Mandalorian raid. She glanced sideways at Torrin driving the vessel resolutely ahead without a word. The Dantooine sunset bathed the sky with beautiful lilac hues. "You were unsettled by Commander De'Busk earlier too huh? Beyond his swiping of this temple, did you feel anything...worrying about him?"
Torrin frowned, brow furrowing as he met Sansa's Tholothian eyes for a moment. "You discern it too then? Beneath his antagonism seems to lurk something opaquer." He gazed back pensively toward the distant complex.
The sound of the engine nearly drowned out his next sentiment. "I cannot entirely pierce the shadows veiling him...A strange man indeed, though my focus is on reclaiming the temple back to the order." Torrin veered through a small valley clearing, small Kath Hounds scurried away with their approach.
Sansa nodded. "During my archaeology and archival studies, I learned to tune myself to echoes in the Force from the past. The energy leaking from that abandoned temple feels...deeply hurt somehow." She grasped Torrin's right wrist firmly, surprising him for a moment. "I fear how deeply this goes...I wonder if we could contact Master Zinn." Torrin knew the woman she spoke of, an aged Kel Dor who had been assigned to the same sector they were, but no word in years since her arrival.
"If she still draws breath...." Torrin said coldly. Distant mining machinery rumbled, reminding them of their tense mission. Sansa released Torrin's wrist without a word as they continued on. Coming over the next rise revealed a sprawling open-pit excavation site - repulsor lift haulers and heavy drillers swarmed while workers in grimy cyan jumpsuits operated a massive digging apparatus.
Skirting the edge of industrial activity stood sentry outposts and landing pads for security gunships. Sansa spotted carbon-scoring still fresh from the Mandalorian attack. She stretched out with her senses, touching faint residues of rage and desperation hanging over the tree line, yet no immediate threats emerged.
The Tholothian Jedi forced jumped from their hovercraft without a word, "After you then," Torrin said under his breath, gesturing toward the woods to no one. He parked the vehicle quickly before gathering some provisions for the trek into the forests of Dantooine. Sansa tensed, one hand on her lightsaber hilt as she peered between mossy tree trunks.
No movement stirred save wind-rustled leaves and flying creatures, but she knew well the art of concealment. Vision closed, she extended her senses once more - three faint presences shrouded ahead. Her purple head-tails twitched against her light brown skin. "Torrin...I detect a scouting party lying in wait just north."
The Naboo-born Jedi gave a curt nod, limbering his twin blue lightsabers with a flourish to cut away some thick bushes. His Dark brown eyes surveyed their surroundings warily. He gestured for her to lead the way into potential danger. "They must be lingering her for an ambush on De'Busk's forces...Mandolorians rarely back down."
They proceeded cautiously into the thick white wooded forests. Dappled sunlight filtering down scratched at Sansa's lingering unease regarding Torrin's blasè demeanor. "What was your upbringing like among the Jedi?" She asked as she glanced his way, they pushed through the dense thicket only a few feet apart.
Torrin met her gaze briefly as they stepped over gnarled roots. "Disciplined and demanding as is necessary. Both my parents served as Republic ambassadors from an early age. I was identified as Force-sensitive at four while visiting Coruscant." He smiled slightly. "They supported me beginning tutelage under Master N'Kata Del Gormo...before he decided it more fitting to train that little green monster child Yoda." A note of hard-won pride entered his voice before evaporating.
"Quite standard for one of my pedigrees though, I doubt Yoda will amount to anything more than a youngling, I do not need a master to know my way around the force." Torrin stopped for a moment. "I'm sure nothing like your...unorthodox origins." He motioned to her strange pearl necklace dangling around her neck.
Sansa shook her head, tendrils wobbling in the light breeze. "My time was less standard, to say the least. As a child on Tholoth, I witnessed Republic mining firms decimating our sacred lands. When my telekinetic outbursts defending sites got noticed, my Master took me before the rebellion truly seized hold..."
She blinked back dark memories threatening to resurface. "A very different time, I learned much of the living Force from spiritual leaders like the Matriarch Ashla before being even assigned Padawan status." Sansa used the force to briskly move a boulder from their way. The clearing in front of them was scattered with native animal bones and sweet-smelling meadows. "My people were wrong in the end...I struggle to see that now but I know the council has its reasons."
Torrin's mouth quirked. "Rather irregular it seems. The Council works in -" His response halted as Sansa threw up a warning hand. The Mandalorians were near. A barrage of blaster fire erupted from thick foliage ahead before she could speak. Torrin's sabers flashed to life, deflecting bolts as Sansa reached through the Force for their unseen attackers.
She caught the trio of detractors in an immobilizing grip before they realized their position was compromised. "We only wish to talk!" she shouted bravely, striding into the small clearing with Torrin close behind to view their prisoners - two human men and a short female. All bore faded orange armor and wavering between defiance and surprise at being captured by Jedi.
From the dense woods stalked forth a fourth Mandalorian whose build and ornate gold armor marked them as leader. Their battle-worn helmet slowly removed to reveal a dark-haired woman with a nasty scar across her whole face-- both orb-like purple irises blazed with intensity.
"I am Jarelle Lindaul of Clan Lindaul." she sneered. "State your business trespassing in our territory!" Energy rippled in the Force around her voice shaking the clearing with her raw might. A large legion of warriors filed in behind her numbering well over 3 dozen.
"Damnit...I knew it was a trap." Torrin bit back his fury, lightsabers ready for rightous battle. Sansa's face contorted as she knew they would not back down without a major display of power...the battle was set and now the destined blood must spill on this small plane crunched between the rolling hills of Dantooine.