Star Wars: The Trials of the Force (Part One)

by Admiral Producer

Prologue Part 1: Black Spire Outpost/A Meeting With Hondo.

Author's Note:

First chapter of this epic! I have no idea how to write an epic, so just roll with me here. This fic is a little project on the side. Don’t worry. Guardians of Harmony will be updated soon. Please share your thoughts. :)

Black Spire Outpost, a secret, but busy trading post on the planet Batuu at the very edge of the galaxy was relatively busy in the afternoon. Visitors moved in droves about the streets, eating exotic food, purchasing exclusive merchandise, and dealing in secret missions for Hondo in Ohnaka Transport Solutions.

Black Spire Outpost was home to a variety of different types of vendors from across the galaxy, all coming for their own profit. It seemed like only yesterday that the Clone Wars was raging across the galaxy, and before that, the Trade Federation’s blockade of Naboo. Since the end of the Clone Wars, trade had largely resumed and the Galactic Republic pulled back their restrictions on trade locations. The Jedi had re-embraced their role as peacekeepers and agents of the Force rather than raging warriors, beginning the return of the Jedi Order to how they were back in the High Republic era.

Overall, the galaxy had largely returned to its peaceful ways after the defeat of the Sith. However, not everything had returned to normal. For a recent tragedy from within the Jedi Order had destabilized Coruscant and the Galactic Senate was still trying to figure it out. The Senate, under Supreme Chancellor Amidala, was actively working hard to try and stop the news from getting out to the Core Worlds and Outer Rim.

But Black Spire Outpost, at the very edge of the galaxy, had remained largely unaffected by the recent tragedy. Trade was as abundant as ever.

At the entrance to the Outpost, five travelers in cloaks stood; three humans and two creatures. In the middle was a pink hippogriff named Silverstream, who removed her hood with her claw, staring intently at the bustling trading center, the others following her example.

“This must be it.” said Silverstream.

The other creature, a small teal changeling named Ocellus, looked back at Silverstream, “Well our leads said Hondo would be here.”

“The most important thing is getting a ship,” replied Silverstream, “Maybe even get clues on Petro’s whereabouts. Katooni told me she met this guy once.”

“Yeah, like several years ago.” remarked the girl with the light blue hair named Citrine Spark, “What do you think, Sweet Leaf? MJ? Wanna go window shopping while Silverstream snuffs out a space pirate?”

The green-haired girl Sweet Leaf opened her mouth to reply to the positive when Silverstream interrupted her. “No one is to do anything or go anywhere until I get back. There’s about a thousand merchants and customers here and I fear losing you all in the crowd. I can’t afford that.”

“Silverstream’s right,” Ocellus affirmed, “Look, I’ll go with you, Silverstream. You might need me to distract the security guard to the cantina so you can go in.”

Silverstream nodded, “A Jedi mind-trick can only last to a certain amount of time. Alright. Citrine, Sweet Leaf, MJ, you three stay at the entrance. Don’t worry about Ocellus and I. We’ll find our way back.”

“Aye aye, captains!” Citrine quipped happily, then looking confused, “Wait, what?”

Silverstream shook her head, “Just wait for us. Come on, Ocellus.”

The two best friends put their hoods back on and journeyed into the bustling marketplace. Vendors sometimes stopped and stared at the odd looking lifeforms, but they didn’t linger the gaze too long and Silverstream guessed that had to be attributed to the fact other species came here all the time.

Silverstream and Ocellus barely looked at each other during their trek through the Outpost. Silverstream was hyper-focused on locating Oga’s Cantina, and Ocellus was taking in the sights and sounds. To her left, Ocellus noticed a small brown restaurant that had beetles on the menu, which kind of made her sad being an insect and animal lover. In particular, she took note of the Outpost itself, which looked like a western town mixed with the futuristic technology of the Star Wars galaxy. Off to the horizon, towering above them both, were several towering grayish black spires which seemed to dominate the sky with their presence.

Eventually, they reached a building to the right that sported an extensive line. Above the entrance was marked in bold:

OGA’S CANTINA

“Looks like there’s a line.” Ocellus pointed out.

“Yeah, thanks, Captain Obvious.” Silverstream answered. Ocellus glared at her and she sighed, “Sorry. I’m just…thinking of her.”

Ocellus’s expression softened and she put her hoof on her friend’s shoulder, “Silver, we’re with you. We’ll find her, okay? She’ll be alright.”

Silverstream blinked back tears, “I failed her as her Master. I won’t fail her as a guardian. Not again. Thanks, Ocellus.” She looked at the security guard letting everyone in and smiled, “I gotta cut in line. You got this?”

Ocellus nodded. “You go do your Jedi mind thing or whatever and go in. I’ll keep him occupied.”

The cantina’s admission stand was run by a green Rodian security guard in a brown shirt. Whenever he said something that was completely foreign and unintelligible to the duo, someone went in and it was then that Silverstream came to the realization that the guard most likely did not know the Galactic Basic Standard language or even Ponish for that matter. Luckily, Anakin was a great mentor and taught her quite a few ways on how to fake knowledge of the Rodese language.

Taking a deep breath, she walked up to the Rodian security guard, conveniently ignoring the fact that she was literally cutting in line, something that her mother Ocean Flow or her aunt Queen Novo would hit her over the head with a coral reef rock for doing anywhere if she was at home. The guard saw her and grumbled something unintelligible, pointing to her and then pointing to the back of the line.

Silverstream shook her head. “Nvtuta bork te ptu motta. Tni snato.”

The guard growled back. “Oona goota?”

Silverstream pointed to the door to the cantina.

The guard grumbled again. “Skak, trn kras ka noota.”

Silverstream just stood there, infuriating the guard, who barked: “Ittu! Fna ho koru gep. Kras ka noota!”

Silverstream was about to mind-trick the guard, but all hopes of doing that were lost when he brought out a blaster right to her face, shocking the assembled line. He hissed at her, “Prog mnete enyaz ftt sove shuss.”

Silverstream began to tremble lightly. The plan had gone totally wrong and she was about to die if she said one wrong thing.

That was when Ocellus stepped in, disguised as a fellow Rodian guard.

“Te kalya skrek grulla woska!” The disguised Ocellus shouted. The guard looked up from the terrified Silverstream to the owner of the voice. His green reptilian cheeks turned a shade of pink as he was instantly in love, “Teeku.”

The disguised Ocellus motioned with her head for Silverstream to run in, which the latter did so without needing any further prompting.
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Oga’s Cantina was unlike any other cantina Silverstream had ever been in in her quest across the galaxy. It was much smaller, more compact, and the table arrangement was completely different. Booths had been set up in the corner with plenty of sitting room for at least 6 people at a time. She spotted a large bacta tank with something inside it to her right, above the table where she presumed the food was made. Up above to the left was a droid DJ rocking out to whatever music it turned on.

“Alright, he should be here.” Silverstream said to herself, looking everywhere for the suspicious space pirate she had arranged a meeting with.

Out in the corner of her eye, she saw him at a table at the end. It was no doubt Hondo Ohnaka himself, former captain of the most feared pirate gang in the galaxy and now CEO of Ohnaka Transport Solutions.

Hondo saw her and called to her, though she could barely hear him over the chattering commotion of the other attendees. Nevertheless, she saw his hand signal and came over, bumping into a drunken Bothan attendee in the process, who cursed her loudly.

She found the stool and sat across from him, claws folded in her lap and a grim expression on her face, trying to look as professional as he did in that moment.

Hondo seemed to notice, “Ah! No need to be formal with ol’ Uncle Hondo, little birdie! Take that ghastly hood off, go on! Go go!”

Silverstream removed the hood without compromising any of her dignity, revealing her braided light blue and white mane, “Alright, since you insist on not being formal, I’ll just call you Hondo.”

“That‘ll be perfectly profitable with me,” Hondo replied cheerfully, “And you are, little birdie?”

Silverstream resisted the urge to floor him, “My name is Silverstream, former student at the School of Friendship, former Padawan to Anakin Skywalker, and Jedi Knight. But call me Silverstream.”

Hondo nodded enthusiastically, “Ah yes! So, as we agreed, you want to take one of my ships over to Nantoka for your daring rescue mission! But….I get all the profits.”

Silverstream nodded back her confirmation, “Yes, of course. I was told you knew my apprentice. She got you and your crew out of trouble on Florum with her friends and Ahsoka Tano a couple years back. She’s of the Tholothian species, has a special white headdress that she always wears. Recognize her?” She took out a photo from her saddlebag of Katooni.

A look of sadness briefly flashed on Hondo’s face, but he covered it up quickly with an enthusiastic nod. Silverstream caught on though. “Oh. So you do know her.”

“Ah, the tiny Jedi!” Hondo affirmed, “Quite the adventurous spirit that I had to spare her. Though I say it all depends on the day. And she was lucky that on Tuesdays, I like children.”

“Is that right?” Silverstream inquired, sending something that the crusty old pirate was hiding.

Hondo finally conceded, “That…..and the fact she did touch my salty ‘ol heart a bit.”

Silverstream nodded in understanding. Her expression softened, now feeling more comfortable around Hondo. “She was very sweet and kind. She always strived to do her best and make me proud of her. I still remember the adoration and happiness in her eyes whenever I told her she did a good job or that I was proud of her. I was so scared coming to the Jedi Order, but she and Anakin made me feel right at home. Then tragedy struck…”

“Ah, a falling out between friends, mm?” Hondo guessed.

“No, not between me and her,” Silverstream explained, “Okay, well kinda. But it really came down between her and Petro, her best friend. Petro wanted glory. He was jealous that Katooni got the apprenticeship and he didn’t. He was passed over so many times and…. I can still see the tears in Katooni’s eyes when she told me that Petro had berated her for being my Padawan…..my god…”

“And he kidnapped her.” Hondo assumed.

Silverstream nodded. “It was after our little falling out. Katooni didn’t want to believe Petro could fall to the dark side over such petty reasons. We started arguing practically daily, it was getting in the way of her training….but she didn’t care. She believed Petro. She trusted him. He was like her brother. One night, she stormed out of the Jedi Council Chambers….and I never saw her again. The only clue that I had to what happened was a note left by Petro explaining what he had done. Chancellor Amidala issued a galaxy-wide manhunt for him, but the Senate was too incompetent to do anything right and blocked the motion. I struck out on my own.”

Hondo seemed to understand, “And you need my ship to save her.”

Silverstream nodded. “More than that. Hondo, I need you.”

Hondo seemed surprised by this. “Me? While I’m flattered, little—Silverstream, I simply have too much work to do at Ohnaka Transport Solutions! Think of all the obviously profitable expeditions I’d be missing out on!”

Silverstream glared at him. “So that’s it? You spoke favorably about Katooni, but when she needs you the most, you leave her behind? Some bond you two had.”

Hondo shook his head vigorously, “No no no no. You don’t understand! I do care for her, you must see! This Petro must be punished of course, but-“

“But nothing.” Silverstream cut him off, “Hondo, I know you’re a smuggler and rebel at heart and you don’t want any business with us Jedi, but this isn’t about us, it’s about her. Hondo, she talked about you at length to me, even saying that if she flunked out of Jedi training, the first person she would go to was to you. Are you seriously THAT focused on making profits that you would push away the only person that gave you any sort of love at all?!”

Hondo looked to be having second thoughts, “I-well, don’t you have this covered?”

“We had an argument, Hondo,” Silverstream told him, “And even if I save her, she might be reluctant to leave Petro to Republic custody. But I do know that you might be able to talk her into coming back with us. I don’t know how deep her loyalty to him goes.” She faced him, tears coming to her eyes, “Please, Hondo. Please help me save her. I-We’ll pay you any amount you want, I just…” She couldn’t contain her tears anymore and let them fall, “…I just don’t want to fail her again….”

Hondo finally agreed, “Alright, fine, alright, okay! Dry your tears, Silverstream! There will be no crying in my ship.”

Silverstream wiped her tears away, “R-really?”

Hondo nodded, “I’ve—wanted to see her again too, say hello, maybe. Alright, let’s head on down to my ship! Chop chop, let’s go! I’ll pay.”

Silverstream managed a smile, “Thanks, Hondo….I-I knew you still cared about her.”

Hondo looked embarrassed at the concept, “Ah, don’t get the wrong idea, Silverstream! Forget what I just said. This is for the profits only!”

Silverstream laughed a little. “Of course.”