Major Faction Nightmare at Niima

Detailed Description

Although the Brotherhood of the Maw's raid on Batuu was profitable, gaining them captives and plunder while spreading fear among nearby sectors, resistance there proved stronger than anticipated. The loss of so many marauders, along with several assault shuttles and (most devastatingly) a star destroyer, necessitated that the ravenous horde resupply before taking on another well-defended target. The Heathen Priests decreed that the backwater planet of Jakku, where crashed starships from an ancient battle formed a massive durasteel graveyard, would be the Brotherhood's next destination. Beyond the bountiful scrap, the hardy scavengers would make good slaves.

Upon arriving above the planet, the Maw Armada sent down a large detachment of enslaved laborers to salvage the starship graveyard. Under the cruel and watchful gaze of Taskmaster Tu'teggacha, they recovered huge amounts of durasteel scrap, which was returned to the great forges on the Holy City of Gehinnom. They also scavenged many other valuable parts, from power converters to energy cells to inertial dampers, which would be useful in rebuilding the damaged fleet. Most impressively, they discovered a buried Imperial super star destroyer, which they were able to cut into sections and lift from the sands. They would soon give this ancient weapon new life.

At the same time, bands of marauders descended on Jakku's various small and isolated settlements, intent on utterly depopulating them. Many camps and minor towns simply vanished as a result of their depredations, their inhabitants killed or taken as slaves, their assembled scrap gone, the tents and buildings razed; it was as if the desert had swallowed them, erasing them so completely that it seemed they had never existed. These were tiny prizes, however, and hardly worth the Brotherhood's effort. Only small amounts of salvage and a few useful captives came into their hands through such minuscule raids. To justify their attack, they needed much bigger targets.

Jakku, largely barren, only offered a few such settlements. The foremost were Cratertown and Niima Outpost, and the Brotherhood targeted both. Waves of marauders, led by powerful warlords and the terrifying Ren, descended on these towns simultaneously. Although the hardy frontier folk inhabiting them put up a valiant defense, and managed to inflict significant casualties in the initial rush, they were quickly overwhelmed by both the savagery and the sheer numbers of the slave-soldiers. Their defensive lines collapsed, and marauders rushed through the scrap markets, looting and enslaving at will. That might easily have been the brutal end of the whole affair.

As it turned out, however, Jakku had hidden defenders. In collaboration with the Galactic Alliance's Strategic Information Service, Jedi Master Romi Jade had set up a hidden Jedi enclave on the planet, a refuge from the Dark Jedi attacks and Sith invasions that had destroyed so many other enclaves and academies. The enclave was well-enough hidden that the Brotherhood did not detect it when scouting Jakku, and did not anticipate what came next. Jedi leapt to the defense of the beleaguered settlements, with Master Jade herself leading the defense of Niima Outpost. Aaran Tafo, who had helped fight back the Brotherhood at Batuu, returned to defend Cratertown single-handedly.

By a strange coincidence, or perhaps the will of the Force, the young Warden of the Shroud Calruss Shiman also happened to be on Jakku. Having already faced the Brotherhood once before, he aided the Jedi in defending Niima Outpost.

A distress call also went out from a Spacer's Guild comm station, summoning guild members to aid in the planet's defense; unfortunately, none arrived in time to help. The only member who happened to be on-planet, Furch Lund, managed to escape with his life... despite being heavily drunk. Jakku's Jedi defenders, however, were able to turn the tide of battle, fighting the Ren and marauders to a standstill. But as they fought, Master Jade came to a terrible realization: they could stall the Brotherhood, but they could not prevent them from exacting a horrific toll on the local civilians. In an act of altruistic courage, she offered herself as a prisoner in exchange for their lives.

The Brotherhood seldom negotiated or honored promises, but the Dark Voice itself, guiding shadow of the Maw, ordered that the deal be accepted. Romi Jade, Aaran Tafo, and several others surrendered, and in exchange, the Brotherhood withdrew. It took with it the many slaves it had already captured, but the self-sacrifice of the Jedi meant they did not finish the job, and both Niima Outpost and Cratertown survived. The remaining Jedi of the hidden enclave were left to plot the rescue of their friends, even as the Voice prepared to torture and break these new prisoners to Its will. Content with their prizes, the Brotherhood fleet fell back into deep space to lick its wounds and rebuild.

Soon after, terrified of another devastating attack, representatives from Jakku successfully petitioned for admission into the Galactic Alliance.