Shoot the things that don’t move, just to be sure…

[Corvus Raaf]

​

Dxun was the largest of four moons that orbited the Inner Rim world of Onderon – which just happened to be the capital of the Galactic Republic.

The mission brief was simple. A group of farmers had bought some indentured servants but refused to pay the agreed price on delivery. As negotiations had been strained, the politicians decided it would be a good idea to bring Jedi in to broker the peace.

And in their wisdom, the Council decided that Corvus was best suited to lead the discussions – and to take a handful of Padawans with her.

When you thought of Onderon, the first things that came to mind were the crypt of Freedon Nadd and the Mandalorian outpost. But this group were going nowhere near either of those places – and the former was one Corvus planned never to revisit.

But despite the majority of the moon being covered by jungle, it was also a place for farms – despite the abundance of predators the place had to offer. And oddly it was one of these that was being farmed. Crasna were dangerous carnivorous plants – but they had medicinal properties that meant the risk of ‘rearing’ them was worth it.

So the group headed for a clearing near a part of the jungle that was cordoned off, to limit the larger predators entering, and as they sat in the shuttle, a voice came over the intercom confirming that they would be landing in ten minutes.

Corvus glanced around. She sat there in her regular Jedi robes and was amazed that you only had to look away for five minutes and a fresh crop of Padawans would emerge from the Younglings – ready to take the galaxy by storm and propel the Jedi Order forward.

[member="Jerek Zenduu"] | [member="Mark Sage"] | [member="K0VA"]

 

[Jerek Zenduu]

If someone had asked him, based on his experiences so far in the Jedi Order, what he thought a Jedi did, Jerek probably would have responded with some smart-aleck response about training. Training as a youngling, training as a padawan, and if one paused to look up about two meters, they would even spy the training of knights and masters.

What did a Jedi Master need to train for?

Luckily, Jerek now had a new answer for the question. Today was not a day for training, although a particular Keshri temple master might have contradicted the notion that there was ever some lack of training, always turning the most mundane circumstances into a lesson. The boy's own padawan master was good at that sort of thing too, as much as Jerek hated to admit it. At times, the sandy-haired youth was simply tired of learning how to be a Jedi, he just wanted to be one.

He hadn't considered that day would happen without his master, Beck. Jerek had thought he and his master would get a mission like this, and travel to some far-off world in order to solve the problems of the locals. To be the Jedi he'd heard so many stories about, read in so many histories, the guardians of peace and justice in the galaxy, one small problem at a time. Instead of a far-off world, Jerek was traveling to the moon of Onderon, a world several jumps away from his home on the Jedi's world of Ossus, but nothing particularly universe-shattering in terms of distance. Also, instead of accompanying his master, Jerek was instead traveling with a Jedi Council member.

Yep, that's right. Padawan Jerek Zenduu got to rub elbows with a member of the Jedi Council, and the Grandmaster to boot. Dash and Win-Tris were going to be so jealous.

That is, when he got back. Which would only happen once they were finished, and the mission had barely even begun. As it happened, Jerek was impatiently sitting in his shuttle seat, his foot tapping out the ten long minutes until they were to land. Peering about, he caught sight of the Jedi Grandmaster doing the same, and tried very hard not to let her see him looking. Back at the temple, Master Ulthas would have reprimanded him for letting his mind wander, even when there was nothing to do. If a lowly teaching master would have such sharp words, he didn't want to hear what a Grandmaster would say.

Instead, Jerek just sat quietly, waiting for the shuttle to touch down. Waiting for the mission to begin. Waiting for something to happen that wasn't another lesson or some agonizing session of training.

---

[member="Corvus Raaf"] | [member="Mark Sage"] | [member="K0VA"]

 

[K0VA]

Holonet records for the history of this forest moon were littered in vague references, pointed warnings, and deep history reaching thousands of years well before the Battle of Yavin. While K0VA was not a student of history, the information processing through the droid brain was something worth researching if for no other reason than simply something to occupy the creature. By the internal timestamp's count, it had been one Galactic Standard month since he had attempted to find a purpose at Industrial Automation - unsure of exactly what he'd been searching for. Varus Shatterstar was the first and only sentient form of life that had made any sense, and broken the walls of distrust and danger, piercing even to the divided conscience of K0VA's dual mind. One part machine, one part alive - wandering lost and directionless, had been given a new opportunity, seeing passed the exterior of reaction based instinct, and into the connection that drew both Varus and the Jedi Order into a company of connected beings. The Force bound them, called them separately across the stars to join and flourish together for the prosperous goals unique to such a high honor.

Dxun presented the first mission that had been issued in acceptance when K0VA had been presented as a student of the Order. It had been a harder road than most to attempt a roster membership with the Jedi's illustrious and famed history. While there was no mistaking the signature of the Force within the Shard - and the willingness to abide in harmony as several of his ancestors of the past had done; it was of solemn concern that the droid in which Thirty-Thirty had been ratified within was a dangerous and potentially hazard prone problem that they didn't want to deal with. It had been only by conversations with Varus, Thirty-Thirty and some editing of the droid's base programming that had allowed K0VA a seat on this particular voyage. Seat was a generous term though, as he had no chair, or harness to strap into, as the form and function of his mechanical exterior was not commonplace, and thus he'd resigned himself to an alcove. Akin to the Dark Wolves of Sriluur, the machine's front paws extended forward, as the hind quarters rested at an angle giving the appearance of rest, as the crimson hued snout laid at an angle observing the other occupants.

Originally an assassin - abusing the Shard's gift of life and integration abilities to provide a more creative and true to life intelligence as a supplement to cold hard data. It was a cruel practice for any species, and yet for the Shard even more so as it had no ability to defend itself or call for assistance. His fate had been surely sealed inside this cocoon of metallic death. That is until the Netherworld had sought to release him from this prison, allowing free thought, and a wanderlust that had led him to this very spot. Still, there was caution and uncertain behavior evident in the distancing of the wolf from the rest of the pack. K0VA didn't know what to make of the others on this mission, but he understood the parameters to be aboard the craft. There was a chain of command, one he could work with and obey - while they attempted to make use of their combined talents for this particular envoy.

K0VA had spent most of the trip in going through the recorded holo-data to better understand both the terrain and what had led to the settlements upon the moon itself. Both to keep himself occupied and distracted from such unfamiliar surroundings. In the expanse of time during the journey towards Dxun what he had understood was the makings of a civil war that had happened thousands of years prior to their arrival. Something that had shaped the forest moon for ages to come, and likely had led in some contribution to the current events of the day. However the deeper irony that eluded even the Shard within K0VA was the distinct irony that came from a dual minded 'living machine' and the contrast of the light side heroes landing on a moon penetrated by dark side energy. The only inclination that Thirty-Thirty currently had about the situation was a feeling of uneasy dread and the casting of a metaphorical shadow that ebbed from the surface even into the shuttle itself.

[member="Corvus Raaf"] | [member="Jerek Zenduu"]

 

[Corvus Raaf]

One of the group was quiet, but Corvus assumed he would come into his own once they landed and interacted with the locals.

As ever, Corvus was cautious. Routine missions were often the most taxing because they engendered a mindset that they would be easy – and they never were. Yet her caution was channelled into a positive thought.

Padawans were invariably infectiously enthusiastic. And given there were three of them, she would let them lead the discussions. She would be there if needed, but she would allow their collective wisdom to show through. For negotiations were part of a Jedi’s role – but one rarely exercised. To know what was within the gift of a Jedi to offer on behalf of the Republic and what was overstepping the mark. To know what local laws were in operation – for they dictated the flow of conversation, not a Jedi’s opinion of those laws.

The fact that the moon was seeped in the Dark-side? Well that only added to the mix.

So as the ship touched down, Corvus decided that if they were to act as a team, they needed to become one. “So,” she said cheerily. “Who knows who?”

[member="K0VA"] | [member="Jerek Zenduu"] | [member="Mark Sage"]

 

[K0VA]

Conversation, especially polite conversation and investigation had never been a part of the collective mix between droid and Shard. Even their own musings internally were less of discourse, and more of debate - and always short lived. The concept that he could speak to other sentient beings was still foreign, despite his reluctant times where he would question and retain answers from the first person every to see him as more than a weaponized machine designed to kill. Varus Shatterstar had sought peace where others had seen only hostility, having found a way to breach that wall of mistrust inch by inch until he could safely ingratiate himself into the Shard's existence. The very fact that he was here on this ship, laying in an alcove of the ship's main seating area was testament to the fact that he was far more calm and docile than he had been when Varus had first met him. Another pointed fact of this mission was that the normally present chainsaw blade that had been fitted to the droid's arsenal was missing in action. It had been taken by Varus for safe keeping, and to ensure that any problems he faced would have to be handled with far less aggression than the droid programming was used to. Despite that lack of weaponry, there was still a great many dangers to this droid form - but for the moment, it seemed K0VA was content to stay placated.

Sensory information collected on every being present, especially the woman who was attempting to initiate conversation between the attendees. A supply of Jedi archive access for mission parameters had been afforded his uplink, and thus the information he could pull at a moment's notice helped Thirty-Thirty better relate to the situation at hand. Corvus Raff, Grandmaster of the Jedi Order was taking a select group of students in for this negotiation. The Shard was unaware of how curious a situation this really was, or how hands on Corvus was being in attending to this kind of a mission. There were certainly Knights and Masters well equipped to deal with this situation, but she had come herself to assist in this venture. If Thirty-Thirty had known any better, he might have been more curious to find out why she had decided to step up to the task at hand. Instead, the question she begged was analyzed for what it was, before he turned his scanners on those present, downloading the sparse information about their name, planet of origin, species, and any assignment data relating to the task at hand.

:: The archive records have provided me sufficient data for all in attendance. :: The synthesized tones ebbed out of the barely moving crimson snout, flicking the light with each syllable played through the speaker system in the droid. The matter of fact stance was a clear sign of the droid brain giving an ample reply, before it continued into a far more sentient frame of speech. :: Master Shatterstar has confirmed that a single name will suffice for me. K0VA is acceptable, as my given name is simply a memory of the collective. :: Whether that was all understood by those in the cabin, it meant little to the Shard - as he simply wished to give an introduction. He'd already understood his place in this Order - as he wasn't truly going to be a Jedi, but a term designated a long time ago - as an aide to their cause. The Iron Knights were a staple of assistance to the Jedi, but were never truly regarded as Masters of the Force - despite their prowess. If he was going to assist the Order, he did need to be aware of them and in their midst - so the parameters made sense enough for K0VA to remain.

[member="Corvus Raaf"] | [member="Jerek Zenduu"]