Meantime, deep in the vast jungles of Kashyyyk, young Turvofke trains hard, running and jumping through the underbrush with his single bladed lightsaber in his hand, ignited. He was determined to keep up this time, if keeping up meant anything anyways. This was HIS homeworld, a place he knew very well. As for his Master, well, it was all questionable, but it seemed he knew what he was doing.
"Do try to keep up."
Olum, leading from the right, jumps up into the lofty branches of the wroshyr trees and stops, turning his attention east. There was a disturbance in the Force, one that was blaintly obvious to the two of them. Following not far behind, to his left, Turvofke retracts his lightsaber and lets out a soft roar, turning to his Master, with a sort of disdain look to his face. He could feel it too, and knew there was definately something going on a few miles east of their location.
Smoke begins to rise from the forest. The birds were all in a flutter, rushing away from the scene. Overhead, 2 drop ships descend into the thicket. Blaster bolts can be heard from every direction, and the screams and battle cries of the Wookiees were endless. Without hesitation, Turvofke runs and jumps, tree to tree, trying to make his way to the village as fast as he could. He knew, in the Force, something was terribly wrong and whether his Master agreed on his decision to do something about it, or not, he knew, it was his responsibility to take control of the situation.
********
Stopping just outside the village, he kneels down under the large leaves of the wroshyr trees, and watches with his own very eyes, a horde of mercenaries, that wore no banner, raid the small village just outside Thikkiiana, a major port on the planet.
Olum, who knew that it was atleast in the best intrest of the two to see what was going on but moreso his responsibility to keep an eye on the young padawan, jumps up behind Turvofke, startling him a bit. He pats Turvofke on the back, using the Force to soothe his pain, his anguish and his thoughts.
"Now, we're doing this together, alright Turv? No need in rushing in there half whitted, with no plan. If there is no negotiating, then there is no negotiating. You cant afford to let this all get to you. This is politics, and like it or not, this wont be the last time you see something like this, understood?"
Turv, turns and looks at his Master in the eye. He nods, letting his long, thick hair fall in his face for a bit. Whipping the sweat from his brow, he turns back to the battle, and Olum creeps up closer behind Turv's left shoulder, instructing him with a stick how they should go about 'handling' the situation.
"It's simple really. You take the right, I take the left. Leave no room for skirmishes or flanks, and get the people away from the battle, if possible."
Turv, nods, grunting and roaring softly in agreement. Olum stands to his feet, following not far behind, Turv, and they both lunge out into the battlefield, igniting thier lightsabers in mid air.
The remnants of the mercenaries didnt hesitate to open fire on the two once they drew their attention away from the civilians. Turvofke, in grace, steps into a Soresu/Vaapad stance, the preferred form of his choice, one he was fluent in since the beginning of his training.
There werent as many casualties as he had expected, more then a few, but not more then he anticipated. Olum and he had driven off quite a few, leaving the survivors of the invasion room to flee for the city, just north.
Cutting through a mercs chest plate with his saber, Olum, turns and looks at Turvofke, who was suddenly surrounded by 3 more with their blaster rifles ready in hand. The lieutenant steps ahead of them, issuing an order to kill any and all Wookiee that resist. As the civilians flee for the city, all that were left were a few stragglers, Turvofke, Olum, and the rest of the mercenaries securing a perimeter around them and the village.
Most of the resistance had drawn them back to their drop ships, but even the two Jedi knew that this wouldnt be the last time these scoundrels tried to cause trouble for the major colonies of the planet. Something wasnt right about all of this. Why Kashyyyk? Why the Wookiees? It didnt make sense NOW, but in the near future, everything that had not yet been revealed, soon would be...
Turvofke, in defiance and pride, raises his lightsaber high above his head and roars a simple battle cry. The lieutenant steps into formation, and orders the other 2 to open fire ahead of him. Deflecting blaster bolts left and right, the mercs are drawn back behind, before one drops down to the ground dead at the lieutenant's feet. "Move back, move back!" he shouts, raising his weapon to fire. Before Turvofke charges, he lowers his saber with a downward slash to his right side, and spins to his left with the motion of the slash, raising the blade up as he comes around, deflecting another blaster bolt into the wall above the lieutenant's head.
Olum, rushing to his padawans side, throws his lightsaber in the chest of a sniper that was stationed on the roof, ready to fire on Turvofke, and uses the Force to call it back to his hand. Before the lightsaber reaches his grip, he feels a sharp pain in the small of his back, one that drew him to his knee's. After Turvofke had killed the lieutenant and other officer, he turns to see Olum kneeled, and mercenary walking up behind him, slowly, with his blaster pointed directly at the back of his head.
Rushing to his Master's side, the merc reaches Olum, and places the barrel of his rifle to the back of his head. "Jedi scum," he whispers, before he looks at his young padawan charging. Turvofke, in fear, pain and anguish, jumps high above the merc's head, but is shot in the right shoulder from behind him.
"Time to die," the merc behind Olum says, pulling the trigger and killing Olum instantly with a single head shot. Watching all of this from a few meters away on the ground, Turvofke, shouts and roars, and screams, as it seems, pushing himself to his feet the best he could. The merc, raises his weapon to kill the young Wookiee, but suddenly realizes a sharp pain in the center of HIS back, pressing through his chest plate. Before his could look down to see the light emitt from his battle uniform, he had already died, gasping for his the last breath he didnt deserve.
Reaching out to his Master, his eye's grew dim. All he remembered was another ship landing, and a man standing before him, with his hand out reached to grasp his and lift him to his feet. Lifting his hand to take it, he falls out, losing complete consciousness.
********
Hours later, as the young Turvofke's consciousness comes back to him, he opens his eyes for the first time in however long it had been since he last blacked out, and pushes himself to sit straight up on the edge of the bed. There was a slight sting in his shoulder, covered in bandages, aswell as various aches and small pains throughout most of his entire body from the battle a few days before. The air in the room was cool, but not all too cold for him to handle. Dimmly lit by lights running along the trim of the ceiling, he stands to his feet, letting the hard steel floor sting his feet, at first.
A glimpse out the window, and seeing the vast stretches of space in every direction, wasnt the least bit comforting. He knew, and remembered, his Master slain on Kashyyyk. Watching him reach out to him in that last moment haunted him, but just before letting it settle in, the door slides open.
"But there is nothing you can do about that now," came a voice from behind. Turning to face this mysterious figure, he realizes it was a man, dressed in long Grey robes, standing in between the frame of the doorway of his room. Stepping inside, the door shuts behind him and he removes the hood from his head, revealing his face.
He was an older man. The expression on his face was still, yet his eyes were subtle enough to comfort even the most hard of heart. Turvofke, starring at the man, exchanging the same glare with his dark eyes, looks back out the window and notices in the distance a bright green hue growing closer and closer.
"How is your shoulder?" the man asked.
Turvofke reaches up and places his hand over the wound, pressing it gently. It ached, but was tolerable. He remembered being shot, and seeing his Master, but he didnt remember much after that. "It will come back to you, in time, then we will use that as an advantage," the man replied, obviously reading his thoughts and emotions through the Force.
"In time, you will remember everything, but dont worry about that, now, we have business to take care of on Ruusan."
Turvofke kept his eye on that small green glow in the distance, that soon became gastly in size. On the descent down towards the planet surface, forests', as far as the eye could see. Wind beat up against the glass at speeds faster then he could calculate. A city on the horizon caught his glare, with high walls on the north entrance of the Temple. Passing over the walls, there was a landing pad on the roof, where they touched down, opening the landing platform once the repulsorlifts kicked in.
"Come, there is much to discuss," the man said, stepping aside to let Turvofke walk past him. On their way down the ships hallway, the man, who still remains to not be named, takes out a small comlink and programs the right frequency.
"Grandmaster Talon Ordo... Can we speak in private?"
Grand Master Talon Ordo
"Statement: Grand Master Talon Ordo is busy at the moment. I am his personal assassin droid HK-2947. What is it that you want my master for?"
The aristocratic voice sounded quite annoyed, but he also said very little. Only the humming of the droid then could be heard as it waited for a response.
Turvofke
As the two walked, Turvofke admired the veiw of the Jedi Temple compound in all it's awe. He had never ventured away from where he was most comfortable and though always relying on those he knew was a gift to some fortunate, Kashyyyk would always be his home if he ever needed it.
This was a part of what he had to do in order to make some difference not only in his life, but in those around him also, by setting out for a purpose that has yet to be revealed to him. He knew the Force was illusive, but he didnt know that it meant sacrificing himself to the greater good more for those then yourself. Still, searching for himself, would not be an easy lesson, and having said that, Turvofke knew, he needed a good reason to fight for what he believed in. Experience would show things for what they really are, so he was more then pleased to be here and finish what he started.
In pain over the loss of his Master, he remained quiet. Thoughts flooded his mind, but he remained strong, remembering one of his original lessons.
"Dont let your pain get the best of you, let it take its course like everything else. In pain, we know who we are, for that moment, and know what hurts us, what means something, and what can be used against us." - Olum
The mysterious man was walking ahead of him, letting him take in everything around him. The remnants of the Valley seemed to still be in perfect condition, considering it's age. Turvofke, found great comfort in them and will, if the Grandmaster permits, spend a lot of his time, admirering them even more.
Grand Master Talon Ordo wrote:
"Statement: Grand Master Talon Ordo is busy at the moment. I am his personal assassin droid HK-2947. What is it that you want my master for?"
"Just two days ago a small village just outside of Thikkiiana was attacked by a group of mercenaries. A group of Jedi and myself were doing a routine check of the system, when we found Olum, a Jedi Knight from the old Order, was killed, and his padawan left for dead. He is here with me now..." the man replied, hoping the Grandmaster would see them as soon as he was available. "So please tell your Master we would like to speak to him as soon as possible."
