Mission 2 - "Battle for Naboo"

Mission Brief 01.0505

Having stopped the Flail from assassinating Chancellor Vallorum, the Chancellor's Special Task Force began to earn their code name "Phantom Hunters" as they departed on their 2nd mission to Naboo. Following reports that the mysterious Savor Kibbs had fled to Naboo, the task force pursued him with the hopes of learning more. As fate would have it, the Trade Federation began their assault just as the team arrived in orbit. Their ship was shot down and the team crashed on Naboo where they were forced to join the defenders against the droid army that was invading. Just after the innitial invasion force landed, the team met Lialla Tane, daughter of the minister of culture. She aided them in obtaining some clues as to Savor's whereabouts, but before they could set out to pursue, the invasion army struck. After the innitial battle, the team allied themselves with the Naboo rebels, led by Lialla's father, Minister Kyu Tane, in the hill country around the capital city of Theed and joined them in continuing guerrila warfare against the occupying force. During this campaign, the Phantom Hunters met other resistance fighters and mercenary teams and forged friendships with one team in particular; a group of students from Naboo's Royal House of Learning...

For a more detailed account of these events, read:
The Journal of Lialla Tane - Entry 2.





Epilogue: "Troubled Dreams"

The flash speeder curved around the large boulder as a massive explosion tore a large crater into the canyon floor. Glancing up, Geldar spotted the Federation bomber as it drew ever closer. “Can’t this thing go any faster?” he asked as he turned back to Rorrwarr, the Wookiee pilot. Geldar’s stomach was in knots in spite of the fact that he was trying to use his Jedi calming techniques. He didn’t mind battles where he could do something, but this was totally different. There was absolutely nothing he could do in the back of a flash speeder as the Trade Federation troops chased after them.

“I’m going as fast as I can,” responded Rorrwarr’s translator droid after he shouted out a series of barks and growls.

“Look out!” cried Satchal. “More STAP’s at six.”

Well at least I can do something now, Geldar thought as he pulled out his blaster. Kneeling on the back of the speeder while he held on with his left hand, Geldar leveled his blaster and fired a few times at the the new adversaries. Next to him, Satchal followed suit with his own blaster and together they managed to take out one of the STAP’s.

“Just relax,” said Deel, the Twi’lek friend of Rorrwarr. He slid down in his seat and cupped his hands behind his head as if he was on a pleasure cruise. “Rorrwarr won’t let us down.”

Geldar gave Deel a look as if to say he wished the Twi’lek would be a bit more concerned about their well-being. They could really use his help right now taking out those STAP’s, but the Twi’lek had already closed his eyes as if he were about to go to sleep.

Then, out of the corner of his eye, Geldar saw Satchal kick the back of Deel’s chair. “Hey!” he shouted angrily. “What’s wrong with you? Do you have a death wish or something?”

Deel looked back at him with narrowed eyes. “Some Jedi,” he spat. “You must be very far from becoming a master since you can’t even control your anger.”

Satchal’s eyes flared with rage as his jaw clenched tightly to keep from losing his temper. “If I wasn’t in control of my anger,” he retorted, “you’d be dead.”

Deel laughed in his face. “You Jedi all think you’re gods, but my little sister could rip your ears off....”

Rorrwarr suddenly interrupted him with a sharp growl. “Can’t you two fight when we get back to base,” translated his droid. “I’d really like to have a bit more concentration on the situation at hand.”

Geldar had to admit that the Wookiee was right even if he didn’t like Deel’s attitude. Turning back to the STAP’s, he fired off a few more shots then turned to Satchal. “Don’t let him get to you, Satchal,” he told the other Jedi in hopes of calming him. “I think you’re a great Jedi.”

Satchal glanced over at him and gave a skeptical grunt. “I don’t feel like one lately,” he told him honestly, and Geldar took a moment to study his companion with concern. He wished he knew what was going on in his head, but Satchal refused to ever open up to him. If he just let his emotions out in a healthy way he might be able to heal from his pain. If anyone could help him, Geldar felt that he could since he’d just lost his mother. Their pain was similar, but Satchal seemed to ignore that. He only focused on his own, inner pain as if it were far worse than anyone else could ever imagine. It seemed Satchal believed that no one could ever help him. It was simply something he’d have to deal with.

Another explosion shook the canyon as the bomber circled around for another pass at them. Rorrwarr jerked the controls sharply to avoid the large the explosion, and shrapnal flew everywhere barely missing them.

“We can’t take much more of this,” Geldar told the others. “There has to be a way to escape from this group.”

“I told you,” Deel said to them. “Relax. Everything’s under control.”

Geldar was about to say something this time when another explosion shook the canyon. This time, however, it was from above as the side of the Federation Bomber exploded sending fiery debris everywhere. The bomber then spun wildly out of control and crashed in a massive explosion into the back of a mountain nearby.

“What was that?” wondered Geldar as he scanned the canyon for any sign of what might have been the cause of the Federation Bomber’s demise.

“On the cliff face,” replied Deel with a sly grin. “We’ve set up a gun turret for aerial defense, and in just a few moments those STAP’s will be taken care of as well.”

“How?” asked Geldar curiously, but just as he asked he spotted movement along the ridge. Dozens of Federation Battle Droids suddenly popped up with blasters in hand, but instead of firing on the flash speeder, they began firing at the STAP’s.

“Reprogrammed Battle Droids,” Deel responded as the sly grin widened.

“Why didn’t you tell us to begin with?” Satchal demanded sharply.

“Because,” said Deel. “It was more fun this way.”

Satchal’s scowl deepened as he looked back at the STAP’s. They were being taken out with rapid speed, and it was obvious that they would now escape without any more difficulty.

As Geldar watched his friend, though, his concerns grew deeper. Satchal was getting worse and worse every day, and it seemed that there was nothing he could do. He only hoped that Satchal continued to control his anger and pain, for he was afraid that if Satchal did lose control it would be disastrous.

The flash speeder left the canyon and entered the forest area that covered the entrance to the secret storage bunker that was the home of the resistance movement. As it flew into the base and came to a halt, Geldar saw several of his other friends waiting for them to arrive along with Kyu Tane, Lialla’s father.

“Welcome back,” Kyu said as Geldar and Satchal stepped off the speeder.

“Thank goodness you’re safe. Deel contacted us on his comlink and told us you were being followed.”

“Yes, Sir,” said Geldar as he glanced back with a sigh at Deel. Deel only smiled again with that side-long grin of his. “It’s a good thing he did too. We wouldn’t have made it if it wasn’t for him.”

Satchal muttered something under his breath, but no one seemed to hear him. “What did you learn about the prison camp to the south?” asked Kyu to bring the subject back to their mission.

“Well...” began Geldar as he walked off with Minister Tane and the others. As they went, Geldar explained what they’d found out about the prison camp’s defenses, and because of his excitement about the camp’s weaknesses he didn’t even notice that Satchal had remained behind.

Satchal watched them leave and then turned to head off toward the entrance of the base. He wanted to get out and be alone. He couldn’t take being around anyone right now. He just wanted to get away.

The mountain forest was quiet, and that was just how Satchal wanted it. As he climbed a tree and stared out over the tree canopy and out at the city of Theed in the distance, Satchal wondered what was happening inside himself. He had always been so strong to the Dark Side of the Force even when he was living amongst those that practiced its dark powers regularly. Now, however, it was as if the Dark Side had found a gap in his defenses. It was corrupting him. He could feel it taking over. He was constantly losing his temper, and he was constantly feeling the rage building up within him.

Bowing his head, Satchal closed his eyes and a tear ran down his cheek. “If only Master Lo were here,” he hissed through clenched teeth. “He’d know what to do.”

And then a voice startled him, and he spun around to see who it was. “Hello there,” called Lialla as she stepped into the shadow of the tree he was in. “Are you okay?”

Satchal sighed deeply in disappointment as he turned back to look at the city in the distance. He was hoping somehow that it was Master Lo. He’d always heard how Jedi can be seen again after death to speak to their Padawan and instruct them, and he wondered why Master Lo hadn’t yet. He desperately needed his master’s advice, and wished he could see him again. “Yeah, I’m fine,” he told Lialla though he knew it wasn’t true.

Lialla’s right eyebrow lifted to give him a skeptical look. “Sure. I get it. You’re just like every other man; too tough to talk.”

“What?” he asked defensively.

“Come on,” she said. “Don’t pretend you don’t know what I mean. You’re obviously too big and tough to be able to share your feelings with anyone. I’m sure you feel like you don’t need anyone in the world. You can just deal with your pain alone.”

Satchal dropped down out of the tree to face her, and she gave him a look as if to say, “Go ahead. Try to combat what I just said.”

Satchal stared her in the eye. “Think what you want,” he said and walked passed her.

“Okay,” she replied. “I will.”

Satchal paused then turned back to face her again, and the look she gave him this time was one of determination. She obviously wasn’t going to budge. “You’re stubborn,” he told her.

“And you’re not?” she replied.

“No,” he told her. “You just don’t have any idea what I’m going through.”

“Oh? Try me.”

Satchal let out another sigh. “Just leave me alone,” he said and turned to walk away.

“Why won’t you let anyone inside?” she asked as she followed him. “Look, I don’t know you very well, but that’s what makes it perfect. You can tell me, and it won’t make a difference what I think of you. You can turn and walk out of my life and things will be fine. You won’t be hurt as deeply as if I were a close friend. I can’t judge you. I don’t even know you. Not only that, but if you do share this with me then we’d be closer friends wouldn’t we? I’d like to be closer to you if you’d let me.”

Satchal stopped again. Was she making a pass at him? Was she trying to tell him that she liked him? He turned back around yet again to look into her eyes, and he saw that she was simply staring at him with concern. Could there be something more there? he wondered. Does she like me?

Why am I even asking myself that question? What do I care if she likes me? It doesn’t make any difference to me if I never saw her again. Still. She does have a point. It might be best to tell someone I barely even know. That way, if she doesn’t like what she hears it won’t make any difference. However, if Brin’tac or Geldar hear it...that’s a different story.

What if Geldar put her up to this, though? He just might do that. He’s obviously thinking I’m losing it. If she went back and told him what’s going on he might take the matter to the Council when this whole Trade Federation/ Naboo war is over. I don’t know if I should risk it.

“Well,” she said as she waited with her hands on her hip. “Are you going to say something or just stare at me like that?”

“How was I staring?” he wondered, hoping to change the subject.

“Like your spirit is a randist being torn apart by a couple of rancors that are fighting over it,” she told him.

His eyes narrowed. “Did anyone put you up to this?” he asked, deciding to take the direct approach.

The look of hurt on her face seemed genuine enough. “I’d never be a spy for someone unless it was for the war.”

Satchal sighed again. “Fine, but let’s go some place safe. I don’t want anyone else to know what I’m going to tell you.”

“Fine,” said Lialla. “And I swear I won’t tell a soul. Come on. I know just the place.” She then turned and took off west through the woods. Satchal, shaking his head in disbelief, followed her a bit more slowly with his head down.

With his attention on Lialla, Satchal didn’t realize that, up in the trees, Tarrsk was watching and listening to everything. He had been perfectly still, and because his skin somewhat blended in with his surroundings, Tarrsk was virtually invisible. He smiled at his success in hiding from both Satchal and Lialla. Then, as he watched them go, he dropped down from the tree and followed slowly behind. He wanted to make sure that he kept an eye on the young Jedi to make sure he didn’t betray them. Something was obviously wrong with Satchal, and Tarrsk wanted to know what it was before it was too late to do anything about it.

**********




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