Chapter Twenty-Seven (Patreon)

Jedi Master Sora Bulq sighed in relief as he stepped into the Temple. The negotiations at Denon, while not as physically dangerous as his padawan had feared, were far from easy. Despite the clarity of the law (and the fact that both governments were in agreement with the law) the Trade Federation had enough weight that they could force all three parties to listen to their temper tantrums.

Apparently it was something they’d been doing much of lately. Even since the loss of their Yam’rii trading partners and their slave-mined ores, the Trade Federation had become increasingly reliant on the Neimoidians (an internal faction that few of their executives liked) and the Muuns (who led the Intergalactic Banking Clan, an external faction that few Trade Federation executives liked) for rare ores, noble metals, and precious gems. That Sora had been one of the Jedi who helped overthrow the Yam’rii Empire (and that the Kaleesh he fought beside were now cutting into the Trade Federation’s profitable business of selling the IGBC worlds much-needed foodstuffs at outrageous prices) did not help matters.

It had taken six weeks after his arrival for the Trade Federation’s delegation to bother sitting down at the table. Not that he found that time a waste, instead using it to help negotiate the much more reasonable Fourth Denon Pact, a renewed and deepened alliance between the trade-hubs of Brentaal IV and Denon. The two planets were some of the largest trading areas in the Galaxy. Brentaal IV sat at the crossroads of the Perlemian Trade Route and the Hydian Way, two massive hyperlanes that connected the Core to the Outer Rim. Brentaal attracted trade from Taris, Telos, Mandalorian Space, the Gordian Reach, Mon Cala, Felucia, Kashyyk, and much of Hutt Space. Denon sat on the equally valuable intersection of the Corellian Run and the Hydian Way, bringing in trade from Sullust, Eriadu, Sluis Van, Ryloth, Yag’dhul, Druckenwell, and southern Hutt Space. The two planets were positioned as the easiest and fastest way to enter the Galactic Core–or for the Galactic core to enter the Outer Rim–for more than a third of the galaxy, including the best-mapped parts. On their own, one could be pitted against the other by the major corporations for favorable rates. By joining together, they had enough power to demand full payment of rates and taxes by the Trade Federation and their subsidiaries--though it took another three months for the Federation to sign the agreement stipulating such payments.

Sora did not announce himself on his return. Unlike the last mission, nothing went off-script save the amount of time involved. The High Council had yet to call him in for a debriefing and he doubted they would after reading his report and those of the Denon and Brentaal representatives. It was the second Festival Day, and while he looked forward to seeing his padawan Sora was disinclined to pull her from whichever of her friends’ lineages she was celebrating with. He hoped it wasn’t with T’ra Saa. The Neti was beyond liberal in her attitudes about the Jedi and their Code, though he could understand parts of that. Much like Masters Yoda and Fay, T’ra Saa hailed from a time when the Ruusan Reformations were not yet settled law. And while Master Yoda had embraced them fully and Master Fay acted the Knight Errant, providing help to countless Outer Rim worlds that the Senate elected to ignore, Master T’ra Saa tried to strike an odd balance that left Sora (and many of his fellow Traditionalists, like Master Tyvokka) feeling off-put and off-balance.

Sora felt himself relaxing fully as he stepped into their apartment. His travel bag was tossed into his room, settling down gently with the Force. An unnecessary use of it perhaps, but just as they were part of the Force, the Force was part of them. Even Yoda wouldn’t tell a Selonian not to use their tail, or a Twi’lek not to use their lekku. He banished the thought, pausing for a moment in the entrance as he breathed in the calm-learn-peace of their apartment and the how-why-learn-read of

“Padawan?”

“Master!” his padawan exclaimed from the living room. She hurried through their apartment, placing her datapad on the counter. She smiled as she approached. “It’s good to see you again.”

“It’s good to be back,” Sora agreed, embracing his padawan. She was taller than him, by a solid ten centimeters. They had been nearly the same height when he left. “How have things been?”

“Interesting,” Ali’ya replied after a pause. “Master Rancisis finally let me go, so I’ve had more time with my friends. Oh, and you know how we usually talk about philosophy and the Code and life and whatnot?”

“Yes?”

Ali’ya’s shoulders hunched in slightly, as if embarrassed. “Well, I kinda missed those. So I started meeting with Knight Koon and Master Tyvokka and they’re both really interesting. They think differently than you do but they think the same amount, you know? I wanted to know if you’d be willing to join us? Oh, also I’ve gotten to a point in Soresu where my teachers and Master T’ra Saa can’t really help me, can you ask the Battlemaster if he’d have time for me?”

“I’ll ask Girvoa,” Sora chuckled. “As for your meetings with Knight Koon and Master Tyvokka, I’d be delighted to join. The old wookiee is a friend of mine and while we often reach different conclusions the questions each of us ask are interesting to the other.” Ali’ya smiled, but the Force pushed at him. “Is there something else?”

“I–” Ali’ya shuffled her feet. “Promise you won’t be angry?”

That’s never a good sign, Sora thought. “I promise I won’t yell.”

“So, you know how I’m from level 114?”

“Yes,” Sora said hesitantly. Uh oh.

“I hadn’t been back since Master Sinube took me.” She smiled sheepishly. Any other time Sora would have laughed as seeing such an expression upon a predator’s face. “I kinda . . . went down there on Primeday?”

What? Sora thought. It must have flowed across the bond, as Ali’ya wince. He pushed a gentle apology after it.

“Why?”

“I--there was something one the Mando’ade on Kalee asked me. About my family. When we’d arrived, stuff like that. I knew we’d been here for a while. Great-grandma’s great-great-grandma was born here, and uncle had a deed to the apartment. There was a name on the deed, but I never saw it. So I went down there and picked it up.” Ali’ya threw him a desperate, wide-eyed glance that did not work on him. Stop lying to yourself. “I know it’s not the Jedi way, but going down there to mourn them really helped. It just . . . it was like something that was weighing on me, so long I never noticed. And then it was gone, replaced by questions.”

“Questions?” Sora couldn’t help but ask. Nor did he object when Ali’ya handed him a piece of laminated paper. The deed, he realized. “On this day, the 22nd day of the 4th Moon of this year 312 after the Ruusan Reformation, Juur Tyran of Clan Tyran has purchased apartment 18 on Narrow Street on Level 114.” He looked up. “I don’t see--”

“Look at the other cards.”

Sora blinked, but acquiesced. He wished to know what had his padawan in this much of a tizzy. “I don’t know this language.”

“It’s Togorian,” his padawan explained. “Look at the next one.”

“It’s--” Sora peered closer at the symbols. He’d seen them before, on Kalee. On the armored trim of a few bounty hunters, guards, and mercenaries.

“Mando’a.”

“You’re descended from a Togorian Mandalorian?” Sora asked.

“That’s what I’ve been trying to figure out,” his padawan said. She led him into the living room. Their caff table was covered in datapads and holobooks. “So, I was able to find a few descriptions of Clan Tyran. The Archives don’t mention them often. During the Taung’s first expansion, they invaded Togoria and were pushed back. Rather than annihilate the planet, Togoria became a trusted trading partner. Three Clans elected to join the Taung, some of the first non-Taung Mandalorians. Clan Tyran, Clan Bist, and Clan Mosgoth. Other than a brief mention during the Neo-Crusades none of them show up again. So,” she said, pulling out another datapad. “I got access to Mandalore’s archives. I’m not fluent in Mando’a yet, so I don’t think I got all of it right, but there’s some references written in Togorian as well. The three clans settled in Mandalorian Space. Clan Bist settled on Mandalore itself, Clan Mosgoth on Kalevala, and Clan Tyran on Fenel. During the Neo-Crusades, they and eighty-two other clans supported a challenge by Ordo Bist against Mand’alor the Ultimate over the planned targeting of civilians during the Battle of Cathar, and during the New Sith Wars the three Clans challenged the Mand’alor over her alliance with the Jedi. All of them were badly affected by the Dral’han, losing nearly all of their people and their lands. After the Dral’han, the hundred sixty-eight survivors moved to Togoria. So, I got access to the Togorian Archives.” She passed Sora two more datapads. “They agree that three clans left with the Taung, though the Togorian records show it was part of ensuring the peace, rather than purely voluntary. The three clans remained in contact with Togoria, almost all of them having their verd’gotten on-planet and having their force-sensitive children train in both traditions.”

“Both traditions?”

“Mandalorian and Togorian.”

Sora blinked. Of course the Mandalorians have their own traditions, he scolded himself. They value children too highly to kill them, and we know most species include at least some Force-sensitives. Including human, the most common Mandalorian species. “I was unaware,” Sora said. “I would be greatly interested in exploring these traditions, though I imagine they are closed practices?”

“That seems to be the case,” Ali’ya agreed. “Maybe they’d be willing to teach me? We can ask when I have my First Hunt.”

Ah yes, Sora thought. The First Hunt. It wasn’t a tradition he--nor the council--had heard of before, but that was hardly surprising considering Ali’ya was the first Togorian Jedi since the Reformation, at least. “That is this year, is it not?”

“Yes,” his padawan agreed. “I turned fourteen this year, so I’m of age to take it.”

“I’ll request permission from the Council as soon as my downtime has finished,” Sora agreed, drawing a smile from his apprentice. He was glad that (unlike some Jedi [Qui-Gon]) Ali’ya was able to see the sense in ensuring rest between missions.