The Jedi From Earth: A Star Wars Story #Wattys2023

Hunter, Tales Of The Past

Shawn woke up at around 10:30 to a knock at the door, "hey get up" Mara said. Shawn sighed but said "yeah in a minute" then got up and dressed relieved his headache had gone away now, he walked out and Mara wasn't there. Then he saw a note on the door that said "follow the trail" then noticed she was running away after putting another note on the pillar, Shawn quickly ran down chuckling as he did and this one said "whew that was close one go to the garden". Shawn ran down the halls past a few dignitaries and droids before reaching the garden that overlooked the city,

He looked around while walking down the edge when Maarek said "you get some weird notes too?" Running from behind, "yeah what's she up to?" Shawn asked, Maarek shrugged "dunno I rushed out like a madman" then Shawn looked around for Mara then Maarek said "here's another "if you want to find me do something to get my attention" then he said, "I know" jumping on the railing and doing a handstand on one hand, Shawn looked at Maarek with a confused expression "come on man you're crazy". Then Mara silently creep up and said in a loud dramatic voice "I'm carrying a large pile it would suck if I spun around real quick", Maarek gasped and landed in his feet, "what pike?" He said. "You weren't scared were you?" Mara asked with a smirk, "nope" Maarek said back with a serious face,

" What'd you bring us here for?" Shawn asked, Mara clapped her hands together "well since the palace is so big lets play Hunter". Maarek said "you serious that's a little kids game", "better than sitting around doing nothing" Mara said. "Doesn't sound professional either" Maarek shot back, suddenly Mara said "oh I'm serious" then covered her eyes "one two". "run!" Maarek said sprinting off, Shawn followed "geez one second you're all tough the next it's gone" he said, "oh she sets her blaster to stun and I packs quite a kick " Maarek said "damn forgot my contacts can't see" Maarek said rubbing his eyes, "I thought you were a pilot?" Shawn said. "Yes but I get into a zone while flying and everything just clears up" Maarek said.

Shawn then hid behind a statue and Maarek went down another way nearly running into a wall, Mara then slowly walked around blaster drawn. Shawn then silently snuck away but then she was right there and waved "hey" she said. "Oh hey" Shawn said, "no I'm not gonna shoot you" Mara continued, " oh thank god" Shawn replied with slight exaggeration "I'll shoot Maarek where is he?" She asked, "dunno ran off that way saying he didn't have his contacts" Shawn responded, Mara walked away "on then he's blind as a bat shouldn't be hard to find him" she said running off.

Shawn followed Mara from a distance before he saw her sneaking up on Maarek who was leaning in close to a passcode port and squinting, Mara cleared her throat and Maarek looked in her direction "who's that" he said squinting still, "it's me you blind dummy". Maarek put one hand up "don't shoot me please", Mara put her blaster in the holster and said "why the games over still trying to hide" then she looked down the hall and said "look alive its Tarkin and Grand Admiral Thrawn" to Shawn who looked seeing a Chiss man in a white Imperial uniform heading down the hallway,

"What who's coming?" Maarek asked. Shawn replied "some guy named Grand Admiral Thrawn with Tarkin" Maarek said "Thrawn? Oh he's serious he visited the Academy once and stared down this one guy when he broke rank". "Good morning sirs" Mara said to Thrawn and Tarkin "good morning Lady Jade and you as well gentlemen" Thrawn said, Shawn was surprised Thrawn was the first high ranking officer who didn't have a Coruscanti or British sounding accent. "I suggest you refrain from childish activities next time the three of you" Tarkin said in a slight scolding tone,

Then they passed by and Maarek said "they're very serious" , Mara then said "alrighty then". Shawn then heard what sounded like a whistle coming from the door that Maarek had been trying to get in, "what's in there?" He said pointing at it, "dunno thought I could get in if I could see the passcode", Shawn punched in a random number and it opened showing a dark dimly lit staircase, again he heard the whistle sound as if being called. He stepped in and went down "I ain't going down there" Mara said, but it sounded echoy as Shawn went down,

Soon he reached the bottom and saw what looked like a cage covering a wall on side. He was creeped out slowly walking in further until he jumped for a second seeing a shadow move in the light but there wasn't anyone, then he got closer to the cage like bars when a hand flung out clawing the air. Shawn jumped back seeing the red eyes of the creature that Vader supposedly killed, then it stopped thrashing and chuckled which sounded cold. "If you'd been any closer boy you'd have lost an arm" the creature spoke in a deep evil voice, "a damaged one to be..precise" it said again, Shawn was flabbergasted he didn't know whether to run,speak or anything.

"Aw you have something in your mind I presume" it said with a slight hiss on the "s", then it said "maybe I should tell an Adept at best not that Sith trash". "What?" Shawn said, "I've been to your planet before" the creature scratching one of the cell bars with one claw with a loud squeaking sound "I was looking for-" it said with a slight Eastern European accent, Suddenly Shawn felt a tug around his neck then the talisman went flying out of his jacket and into the creatures hand.

"Hey give that back!" He yelled, "oh don't be rude now" the creature said with a slight laugh. "This here your precious trinket I spent five hundred years looking for it..where was it may I ask" it said looking over the crystal, Shawn replied "k-Korriban". The creature slightly nodded while breathing very raspy, "I'd say it was gifted" Malgus said emerging from the shadows, the creature shrieked loudly before it smirked "hello Malgus" it said, "seems you've still remained an animal after three thousand years" Malgus said, "how did you enjoy your four thousand years of damnation I might inquire" the creature asked, "hellish" Malgus said before disappearing, "where was I aw yes" the creature said before continuing

"You don't think humans evolved of animals on your world do you" the creature said . Shawn wasn't in a listening mood, "perhaps a little history lesson, over 27 thousand years ago the Rakata a Force-sensitive species founded the Infinite Empire the precursor to the Old Republic, in the process enslaving many species including humans who originate here on Coruscant", it said, "the Rakata happened upon your world and seeing its rich environment established outposts on it, however uprisings in their Empire caused it to fracture and collapse,the Rakata left the planet with their slaves behind scattered across the globe", Shawn reached out with the Force and the talisman went flying back into his hand which he put back around his neck and into his shirt. "Very well leave then" the creature said and Shawn practically ran out,

When he reached the top of the steps he saw Mara was holding up a three fingers in front of Maarek "how many?" She asked, "uh two?" Maarek said squinting, "wow you're really blind can you even see my face?" She said. "Barely just your eyes and hair nothing else" Maarek said, "geez Shawn you see a ghost down there? Mara asked. "Uh that thing is still alive" Shawn replied, "wait that creepy thing from Toronto?" Maarek asked, "yep" Shawn said,  "Whoa I'm not going down there" Mara said, clicking her comlink and a droid ran over "could you give him the box please" she said to the droid. "I'm sorry Lady Jade but my auditory receptors were buggy so it sounded as if you said to destroy it" the droid said walking away, "Wow thanks a lot" Maarek said with a slight glare. Then Mara said to Shawn "hey I gotta run down to level 1313 for a bit help so help him get back k" before running off.

Maarek said "here this way" before leading Shawn a little back up some halls before stopping at a door, he pressed a button and walked in for a minute. Thrawn then passed by with Tarkin "sir the test on Zonama Sekot was successful but the Death Star only disintegrated the surface but left the planet intact" Thrawn said, "hm perhaps the time will come when we are able to destroy an entree planet" Tarkin said, Shawn was puzzled for a second but hoped that Starkiller had heard him correctly. Maarek walked out wearing plain black framed glasses saying " well I've got my own mission to go to see ya later" before walking away,

"I've a mission for you" Palpatine said, "recently Rebels stole plans for a top secret Imperial facility..Lord Vader will join you with a squad of his elite stormtroopers..find these Rebels kill them and return the plans is that clear?" Palpatine said, "yes sir" Shawn said.