Dex hummed with a mechanical laugh.
"It wasn't quite Tarre Vizsla. A descendant of his more than likely. Tarre was about 800 years before my time. But the stories of him were fantastical and all true. He was a great Jedi and an even better craftsman. But I do remember the storming of the temple in my time when the Mandalorians came in and got their darksaber back. Where it is now, no one knows."
Hawkin looked at Dex in shock.
"Wait, you mean the real darksaber? Like the black lightsaber thing? You saw it? I heard several Mandalorians that came to the shop talk about it. Something about on the trail of it or something. If a beskar wearing Jedi does exist, I bet they're terrifying."
Dex hummed once more.
"Yes. I saw what it was 200 years ago. I have no clue what it looks like now. It was definitely a site to behold. It sounded different than a regular light saber too. It hummed differently."
“Oh.” Calista blushed at the correction but nodded. “I do remember hearing that Clan Vizsla was behind taking the Darksaber back to their people… or at least they were suspected of being behind that.”
But even she got caught up in the excitement of the mystery of the Darksaber. “I looked through the old archives once and saw an image of it. I have never seen any other lightsaber come close to it in color or shape. Though I suspect there may have been some beskar used in the hilt. That would have affected a lot of things.” she theorized.
Dex whirred.
"Yes they were definitely behind it. They very much take pride in being the clan that got it back. However, they lost it again, so not much they can say anymore. And you are right when it comes to the handle. It's made out of beskar. So it's a high power weapon, with an ever higher concentration of beskar. Very rare, and also very dangerous in the wrong hands."
Hawkin blinked hard.
"So you're telling me, there's a black lightsaber, just floating out in the galaxy somewhere?"
Dex paused for a moment.
"In theory, yes. If the Mandalorians, particularly the Death Watch as you so call them are on the trail of the saber, Mandalore may have a new Mand'alor soon. Which could be crucial to this New Republic."
“It would be, if only…” Calista sighed, unsure if Dex had updated this information. “The Jedi were not the only target near the start of the Empire. A whole planet full of incredibly armored, highly competent warriors? The Empire wasn't going to allow them the chance to even try to fight. Now they are hidden, distrustful, and homeless. Mandalore was destroyed… the planet is still there but the Empire did something to it so that it is reported to be uninhabitable. They even spread a rumor that the planet is cursed and has no breathable atmosphere.” she explained.
Dex whirred.
"You are correct. Even though the planet is physically still there, it is uninhabitable. From the information that I gathered from the holonet, the planet was carpet bombed with fusion bombs and fusion rays and the surface turned to glass, or some form of trinitite. Nothing can grow there. The atmosphere is filled with fumes. The Empire basically suffocated the planet out. However, wherever Mandalorians are, there Mandalore is. Their home is where they are."
Hawkin was confused. Between listening to Dex and Calista, he felt both anger and hope.
"I just don't understand why someone would destroy a whole planet. That's literally killing plants, animals, people, things that were and before, and things that were to come. It's cruel, and I want to help them fix their planet, but I already know it's impossible. I can't imagine not having a homeworld to go back too. It's upsetting."
"But they are still scattered and in hiding. They need a strong leader to bring them back to the galaxy, regardless of whether or not they have the Darksaber. But, because of their stubbornness, with the Darksaber would be more effective." Calista pointed out, even though she hoped one day they would become the people they once were.
She smiled softly at Hawkin, sensing his emotions, as the lift opened and nodded. "The Sith and the Dark Side will do anything to keep hold of their power, regardless of the damage to anyone or anything… even themselves and the very essence of the Force itself. That is all they care about. It doesn't have to make sense to anyone or even consider future repercussions unless it benefits their goal." she explained to the best of her own understanding. "I also wish there was a way to fix their planet, but I do not believe the Force works that way."
Dex hummed in thought.
"I supposed you are correct. For them the darksaber would change a lot. That would explain why they're after it so bad."
Hawkin looked at Calista and stepped out of the lift.
"There's got to be something the New Republic can do. Someway to reverse it. There's plenty of scientists and naturalists, and people who can make the impossible possible. We're literally on Coruscant. This planet is running off of carbon scrubbers and prayers to some higher power. The dark side is messed up. Why does it even exist?"
He was frustrated and struggling to understand the enormity of it all.
Calista gently put her hand on Hawkin's shoulder, understanding his frustration but giving him an anchor to calm back down a bit. "It exists because the Force exists. There has to be a balance. It's just the nature of things. Getting rid of it would be as consequential as getting rid of night and making an eternal day." she said calmly, having accepted that fact long ago. "As for Mandalore, I have mentioned it to the people I work with in the Senate and while some of them agree… they say it is a job for later. The Empire did a lot of damage to many planets, including those that were already allied with the Alliance before and during the war, while Mandalore stood alone. The Senate believes they have a debt or a responsibility to those who stood with them first. As well as chasing down any remnants of the Empire to make sure it doesn't return to power."
He sighed.
"Balance is a weird thing. I see in in machines. But when it comes to good and bad, it just seems like good always has to prevail. And the way the senate works will forever be a mystery to me. I don't like that. I really think they should fix Mandalore and give the Mandalorian the job of hunting down the remaining Empire cells. That makes sense. You know, right now I'm just really comfused with everything. I've had so much information put into my brain today, that I think it's fried."
"Don't worry. I'm not big on politics either." Calista chuckled as she opened the door to her apartment. "I try to understand what I can and their argument does make some sense, but I also agree with your point. It would be much more effective if we could get the Mandalorians to work with us."
The apartment was small but not cramped; just a simple living space with a couch and a center table not quite covered in flimsies and knickknacks from all sorts of places. The kitchen was separated from that area by a half wall but was clearly stocked with the basic equipment. "Come on in and rest a bit. Fresher is over there and my room is just there." she informed, taking off her outer robe as she pointed out both rooms. "I'll see what we can do for something to eat."
Hawkin followed Calista into her apartment, and the knickknacks on the table caught his attention. He heard Calista talk about the fresher but all he could see was the things laid out before him. He looked up at Calista.
"Do you mind if I look at these? They all look so cool. I'm just like a little creature drawn to shiny objects. They all seem to call to me to pick them up and figure out what they do. Food is good too!"
“I don't mind but be careful. Some of them might have memories attached.” Calista warned, smirking a little at the comparison. “I got most of them to remind me of the planets I was on when in hiding.”
Hawkin laughed.
“Ah so it’s memory roulette. Find the things that don’t have memories or do. Depends on what I find the most of. Out of curiosity, anything I shouldn’t touch?”
“Honestly, I don't think so.” Calista admitted with a shrug, though she laughed at the memory roulette comment. “Some I bought when I was on the actual planet, others just because I knew that they were from a planet that I had been to.”
“Let’s take a chance. I’m going to hold one up, and you tell me where it’s from. I’m going to see if I can see a memory. Or something. We’ll see.”
He picked up a small spherical object.
“Where is this one from?”
“Alright. Let's see if I can remember all of the names.” she chuckled, looking up when he picked up one. “Oh, that was from Ryloth. We didn't stay long there but it was an interesting visit.”
Hawkin closed his eyes and a fuzzy memory started appearing.
“I’m feeling wind and heat. So a hot rocky desert planet.”
He smiled.
“Like Kiffu. Doesn’t smell the same though. Were you running from something?”
“It was.” Calista nodded, impressed by him practicing with his ability. “We were almost always running from something back then so we tried to stay in the Outer Rim of the Mid Rim.” she explained thoughtfully. “I think that time we just needed a planet where we wouldn't be stared at. A human kid and a Mirialan? Some people thought that one of us was involved with slavers.”
He smiled.
“It was a stretch, all I really got was a feeling. Couldn’t really see anything else. I still got a small headache though. And what do you mean by slavers? Who did people think who was who? I do know slavery exists, by all means, there was clan slavery on Kiffu, but why did they think a Mirialan and a human would be involved?”
Calista shrugged. "I don't really remember what they thought about which one was which but there was a lot of speciesist prejudice at the time and the Empire was using a lot of "non-human" species as slaves. And I remember one time, we were on a different planet, when some di'kut offered my Master credits for me." she admitted with a shudder. "Obviously, she turned him down and I could tell that both of us were very close to drawing our sabers on him."
Hawkin frowned.
"That's not good."
He started to giggle.
"But let's be real, how many credits did they offer for you? It was more than likely too low. What color is your saber? Is it blue? Yellow? Green?"
"Hawkin…" Calista warned. "I was about your age, possibly younger… and the amount doesn't matter because what they were offering the money for was something that was not appropriate." she pointed out with a stern look, hoping he would get the hint.
But she sighed and relaxed a little when he asked about her saber. "It's teal. My Master always said it was a mix of blue and green but, when I first made it, she couldn't determine which traits I had from those two." she explained, drawing her saber and carefully igniting it.
Hawkin raised his hands.
"My bad. Didn't read into that. I just thought it was just for slavery. Not for other things. That's cruel. I'm sorry about that."
Dex chirped in.
"If you are scared of women, this is the time to be scared of that one. Especially with an ignited saber. Might I say, it is very well constructed."
Hawkin cleared his throat.
"Yes Dex, you are fully correct. And could either of you please explain the colors of the sabers? That confuses me."
Calista let out a calming breath and nodded. “It's alright. On one hand, I’m glad that your thoughts didn't go there but I just don't like talking about that moment either.” she told him, deactivating her blade. “If it had been just slavery and not… that then it would have been a different conversation. We probably would have talked him into simply hiring us for a quick job.”
“Don't worry. I won’t attack either of you. I was just showing the blade color.” she assured before nodding at Hawkin’s question about the meanings. “So, many believe that the color of your saber shows your special alignment with the Force. Blue is someone who is a skilled fighter both with the Force and a saber and often recognized as a guardian of the Jedi Order. Green is someone who has a closer connection to the Living Force and are more diplomatic, using combat as a last resort. I think a nickname for them was Jedi Consular.” she explained.
Hawkin relaxed.
“Are there any other colors? Like purple or white? Something outlandish. Ya know? Also, do you need any help with the food?”
